I've replaced the factory leads on some of my portable gear (table saws,
Chop saws and rolling bench gear) with auto rewind units. Bought the
ones you mount on the wall and simply reversed the connections with new
plug/sockets. Makes it easy to keep track of the cords and since they
are 50 foot long you seldom need an extension. I also have a heavy duty
one mounted on the portable welding table/MIG/TIG unit. Works great to
just roll it out and pull out what you need for the cord instead of
tripping over a long cord.
We also use the same type on a couple of our fire engines for portable
tools and lights. Makes it nice to use them that way. Just keep a rag
handy and wipe the cord down as it retracts to keep a lot of crud from
getting inside.
--
Steve Williams

"Robert Swinney" wrote in message
...
Good that you are making sure you replace all cords with grounded
ones.
IMO, you should use "standard" length cords; maybe slightly longer
ones on
hand drills and other tools you may use on ladders. One of the
handiest
long cords I have is on a Weller dual heat soldering gun. It is
better to
keep a few extension cords on hand rather than dealing with the
clutter of
over-long cords everywhere.

Bob Swinney

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

So how long of a cord should a person replace them with?

It's a harder question to answer than at first glance. It's like
asking
"How high should I build my workbench?"..it depends.

Of course one should replace the cord so the new one reaches the
outlet
but how much extra cord should one allow?

Over the years, machines have come with a variety of lengths in
relation to their power cords so just replacing it with what it had
may
not be a good approach. When copper was expensive, the cords got
shorter to save costs. And over the years, cords are replaced
because
of damage or old age.

As a matter of good practice I will be installing wire adequate for
the
currents needed, using grounded plugs, appropiate insulation types
but
the simple question of "How Long?" is one I would like to have your
opinion on.

Thanks in advance for suggestions.

TMT







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