On 21 Oct 2005 11:07:15 -0700, with neither quill nor qualm, "Dave"
quickly quoth:

Too_Many_Tools wrote:
In about a month, I will be replacing a significant number of
power cords on a variety of metal and wood working machines.

[...]

Easy. Use a length that will reach the outlet but not add unnecessary
clutter.

I'm with Dave. Use the _shortest_possible_ extension cord and make it
a good, heavy-gauge cord. Contractor cords are one example.

Better yet is to use good quality, heavy-gauge cording on the tool
itself (with a good connector), eliminating that extra connection and
cheaper cords altogether.

Here is the cable rating for extension cords.
------------------------------------
| AMP RATING | LENGTH 25' 50' 100' |
|------------------------------------|
| 0-6 amps | gauge 16 16 16 |
| 7-10 | 18 16 14 |
| 11-12 | 16 16 14 |
| 13-16 | 14 14 12 |
| 17-20 | 12 12 10 |
| 21-30 | 10 10 NO |
------------------------------------
(if you're not running a fixed width font, you'll get dizzy on that)
Figures courtesy of the Grizzly G1012 instruction manual.


--
Strong like ox, smart like tractor.
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