Build Or Buy Welding - Generator Electric Power Cords 

Nice vid, Brian. SJTW: S is for service; J for junior (Rated 300v); T is the coating (thermoplastic/vinyl); W is designation for weather and water resistance; SJTW insulation and jacket are PVC which is a cost-effective solution for an outdoor cord--not as durable or flexible (esp. when cold) as the black rubber insulation/neoprene jacket of your SOOW cord. Your black cord (SOOW) is rated for S = 600V (No J); OO = Oil-resistant both inside insulation and outside jacket; W = designation for weather and water resistance RUN, DON'T WALK from cords without specs. Retailing electric cords without specs on the jacket would be illegal in the US. ...flexible cords and cables must be marked with their type, size, and number of conductors at intervals not exceeding 24 inches.. If you can, load test your cord. Heat at either plug end indicates a bad connection/high resistance. Run rated amps for a while. If not hot, your probably good to go... if hot, cut the hot plug end and wire plug yourself with connections you can be confident in and hope the increased resistance isn't related to the conductors of the cord itself--as things are not always as advertised...

I have built my own cables in the past and realized early on that Home Depot is expensive compared to electrical supply stores. For example, I recently bought and built some 12/3 15a cabling and was able to purchase leviton connectors for about $2 as opposed to around $7 at my local Home Depot. Building your own is the way to go in my opinion (not a fan of molded plastic either)..

The pre-made welder extension cables are ok but the 8/3 ones I have tried have outer coatings that are more plastic-like instead of pliable rubber. This isn't too bad in the middle of summer but they are terrible in cold weather. You just can't get them to uncoil in cold weather. :-) I also question the way the plugs are bonded to the wires internally. I've never torn one apart but I suspect they are simply crimped on like other pre-made cables. Even though it may cost a little more, you cannot beat a hand made cable using nice soft flexible water and oil resistant SJOOW cable and quality screw-fastened plugs and receptacle in a nice sturdy metal box. It gives you the flexibility to have any length you need and if you ever need to swap the connectors it's as easy as unscrewing one and attaching other.

I think electrical supply stores sell the components for much less than Home Depot, but I think Online is the way to go for pre-made

We make our own cords , those black heavy cords get run over all day and last ,they get hardwired into temp power boxes and dragged to the site, with a weatherproof 4 outlet box..,sometimes they are 200' from that we use either a 10g Ridgid or Yellow jacket 100' cords to the house. .. .. love the channel👍

u have to go to a electrical supply store and u will find better deals

I buy american plugs at swapmeets and garage sales cheap and have made most of my own. rarely buy from the box stores.

I can't believe how expensive are the plugs and the sockets in the US ... Here in Italy a CEE IEC 309 plug 230V single phase 16A IP 44 costs about 3 euros The socket costs about 5 euros The cable that I use to make 230V extension cord or even the cord itself of a single phase welder is the 3G2,5mm² H07RN-F and it costs something like 1,50 euro pour meter and is rathed for 25A Here we have not 120V but only 230V single phase and 415V three phase Essentially for my hobby, I make the extension cord myself For the job site I buy them because of the code and all the rules we have to stick with

4:00 black cords, in the grass. I work p/time for a realtor, and do grass/snow in winter. One house had a black pwr cord, and i the lawnmower found it. WHACK. ...fix mower blade, and dig out wire. WON'T happen again. thankyou, SIR

Let's clear up a few things......MADE IN USA means...made in China - assembled here,(maybe). Those extension cords are doable at 30amp/10 gauge. Everything changes at 50 amp you save big dollars when you make your own.

I've looked at these Chinese cords.(wasn't impressed) I would still build my own.I feel its worth it for the extra cost.

First! I always built my own cables for almost all cases unless I was able to find a good deal on manufactured cables which happens maybe half the time.

If your time is worth $50-75/ hr it doesn’t make sense to build one, just buy it and keep making more money!

I love your videos, but this one feels a bit disingenuous. Since you were able to find inexpensive cables on Amazon, why would you then look for the overpriced DIY parts at the home depot? Doesn't make any sense.

No. You should not use the metal box. The wires do come lose and when they do and you happen to grab it to plug it in or move it. ZAAAAP! Instant fro bro. 👌 Watched it happen a few times. Funny as heck for the observer but the other guy isn’t amused.

So funny Brian, I've been looking at these cords all week, for my generator, home backup power!!

always built my own

Home depot sucks but what are you going to do

I built a lot of equipment cables, electrical cables, wired houses excetera not full-time... but I will say that those cables are certainly worth a look.

Want them to last build your own pay more for it but last longer.

Thanks for the discussion. I've thought it through many times and usually ended up building my own just for the "I know who built it, how it was built, & quality of components". Don't know if I'm right or wrong, but I feel better when I'm using the cord hard. I've always wanted to cut one of those bought cords open and see what kind of workmanship and material quality is hidden under the pretty face...😯⚡❓ Thanks again, you made good points.

6/3 cord all day.....don't cheap out

I build all my extensions with soutwire sjoow and leviton wetguard ends it has always cost way more than premade but i have yet to wreck a cord and the wetguard ends make the plugs watertight. Since i cant buy a wetguard plug in 50amp for welders i purchased premade welding cords

I've just built me a 60 ft cable, so I can use my generator with my mig box; I do have an adapter cable, for my camper, from my generator, I dont think I paid very much for it, but, I could'nt find the adapter for my mig bix; so..... I made my self one, tested it, and al is good; I had the cable, so.. all I had to buy, was the ends,

My theory, build it for everyday or heavy use. Buy it if it's not going to be for everyday use. I bought a 40ft 3w/8g drop cord for welder around $80 from off Amazon.

My generator come from China I don't see a problem with the card coming from China. Dammit my trucks from China Hahaha love the technology and innovation

Stack up on some heavy duty extension cords.Get them asap.Get the ones with a lot of watts that says heavy duty.If you get them now you don't have to worry about getting them incase of an power outage.Try to get the 100ft heavy duty extension cords

in 2021 " MADE IN USA " just means that and it does not say anything about quality or even quality control. Expense the time and study the item you buy. Thank you for this video. I was also wondering about making my own extension cable.

I'm just like you, I usually build my own, but I've been looking to see what I can just purchase and be done with it!!

Is there a review/performance comparison of the new Milwaukee rear handle circ saw in the works? That'll be a real banger of a video for whoever ends up doing it. I fully expect the DeWalt to be better simply due to battery output.

Works good in small space using in camper toy hauler room has heat & air would buy again

Will the China man cord work for a Hobart 190 mig welder?

To me the yellow cable with the 3 ways seem not to stay plugged in as well as the heavy duty weld style when it’s on the shop floor sometimes unintentionally being pulled on, comes unplugged. I found some of the heavy duty straight blade receptacles in both Home Depot and Lowe’s for $13 to $23, or the female. Several years ago when I made my first 220v drop cord they had the “ male” straight bladed plug but, over the past couple of weeks those bins have been empty. The cable itself is usually found in flee markets, yard sales or attic stores. Can’t afford the cable cost increase at the big box store.

Check with Amazon I was able to build a 25 foot 30a converter cable to allow me to connect my RV 30a 110vac into my 50a 220vac welder outlet in my garage. For less than I could buy it and the adapter to convert it. The plugs I used were just $10 each through Amazon, I also bought the cable through there.

I went to Home Depot as I wanted 50 feet of 4/c#10 cord, no ends, but it was $2.82 per ft. Went on Amazon and found by Gear a 50ft 4/c #10 green cable with 30 amp generator male and female ends for around $100. I plan to cut the female end off and replace with a 30 amp 4 wire male end. Big savings and the cable was tagged as UL.

online products

Buy😅

electrical cords

I know the SO cord that you built has copper wiring but what about the two yellow cords. They seem so cheap. Are they using aluminum wiring?

I just built my own a few days ago for my welder its a dual voltage welder I bought the ends at place here in L.A. called Lee's Tools the 2 50amp ends were under$30 dollars and I got about 60ft of 10ga cable and put them together also got an extra 20ft of the same 10ga that will be made to plug into my Lincoln welder generator that's for working close to the welder the long one is to reach into place where I can't work directly off the Lincoln with welding leads

extension Gauge and amps for what you need to power them with

Costs for wire have doubled since this video was made!

Very good ! Great review appreciate .

When it comes to electrical usually everybody goes by what the wires rated for by the amperage per foot but it's better to use a heavy gauge wire that way if the ends fail the wire itself won't catch on fire.

Cord with box is against NEC code!!

Built

I bought the main pre made cable -50ft. Made the adapters though. Included watt/amp meter in the adapter so I can see how much power I am pulling in a waterproof box.

I was looking to make my own generator cord as I have a length of welding wire but I saw a You Tube video that James Condon put out that made me think twice about doing it. Plus like you I checked out the pricing on the twist lock ends so I will buy a pre-made cord.

Thanks for the info been looking for welder exstention cord just got lazy and didnt want to make one

Walmart has camper ready cords for both 30 amp and 50 amp sizes as well as the best prices I have been able to find.

I build my own mostly to get the length needed.

0:53 why not put a smaller water tight plug like on the other?

Is there a cord that is 6-30 with a adapter of 20amp

Good video I try to make my own chords I got a generator That's rated for 30 amp which 10 gauge wire is all you need but I switched it to 8 gauge wire so you're not pushing that wire to its limits

Change of nozzles are effortless

It's hard to beat fresh S-cord from the big orange toolshed! Amazon is a crap-shoot, with odds in favor of plastic cords that can't take any UV...

The builders were unable to find a male plug to put on the shed! DO you have any resources for finding one?

Help me how can i take it indian

I appreciate the video man!

I have always built my own Cables

What if I parallel connect two 16 awg extension, will that result in a 8 awg or even a 10 or 12 awg?

DLO cable the best.

Great video

I bought a 220 volt extension cord for my stick welder from Amazon. I think it's 25 foot it was around $65 at the time. I priced out both building and buying and that was the cheaper option. It's been a number of years and it's been a fantastic extension cord.

I have heard having two male ends to a cord is suicide ~ BUT I just had my shed delivered and they could not find a male receptor electrical box (only female receptor) and my 30 amp RV electrical post is female as well! SO, meaning I would need a male/male cord to plug into the shed and the other end into the post! SO, if someone were to make a 6" male/male cord, knowing which end needs to go into the shed would it be safe? Thank you

if i had the materials laying around - i would build the cable. the benefit of building it is - getting exactly what you want. if i had to buy all the materials and then spend my time building it - i would probably just buy it because you also have to add in your time as well as the cost of materials which obviously cost more than buying the fabricated cord which includes the underwriters cert. of liability.

Very helpful. There is so much cheap stuff out there (race to the bottom) hard to distinguish between good quality based on price alone. S

You can water tight the metal box. You could fill the inside with silicon or even the expanding foam.