Power Tool Cords

[jeepinerdeep]

I have 2 angle grinders that could use cords. Big box store cords are too stiff.

What should I be looking for SJTW? Anyone have a favorite cord?

I would be tempted to order a spool of SJOOW and make some but the lighter gauge of a grinder cord coupled with the fact that it's 2 conductor make it less than ideal.

 

[aczr2k]

Last couple I purchased came from a tool repair place, nice molded ones with a strain relief.

 

[techieman33]

SJOOW would be to stiff. I would just go with SJ.

 

[redwrench60]

I just put a new cord on an old Dewalt angle grinder. I used 10 feet of SJOOW two conductor 14AWG from Home Depot and a Pass & Seymour heavy duty plug. I took apart the tool and used appropriate crimp terminals to direct wire at the switch and reused the original strain relief.

The cord was $0.89 a foot and the plug was a few bucks. The cord is water, oil and abrasion resistant and doesn’t get stiff in cold weather.

 

[Ralf11]

Find an old guy in an old shop that repairs tools - he will sell you a nice rubber one and explain why the cheap PVC ones are not good (just like he did for me).

 

[jeepinerdeep]

Thanks guys. Yeah my first though was some SJOOW off the roll but that is a little too fat.

I did some digging around and comparing at the shop...looks like I found the correct OEM thing.

SJO 16/2 is the right part.

PN EC162 is what's being sold by all the tool repair shops as a replacement cord.

I ordered 3 on ebay.

 

[Steve_P]

I've bought several from McMaster; no need to graft on a plug.

 

[Indexmill]

Yea, it's really better to buy a "cord" with a molded plug. 2 prong or 3 prong as you need/want.

 

[tym]

I've been known to buy an extension cord of appropriate size and lop off the socket end to give me a pre-made power cord with molded plug.

 

[redwrench60]

I know the OP decided on a solution and ordered pre made cords but I thought I’d mention the SJOOW 2/C 14 AWG I used isn’t at all fat. In fact it’s literally the diameter of a regular pencil.

 

[tarbellb]

SJOOW isnt that thick, plus the flexibility is awesome (specially in cold weather).

 

[Schurkey]

I've been known to buy an extension cord of appropriate size and lop off the socket end to give me a pre-made power cord with molded plug.

I did exactly that when the OEM cord on my battery charger failed in cold weather.

Replaced the "all-weather" 16-gauge OEM cord with 25 feet of a 14-gauge extension cord rated for -67F. That was ten years ago or longer.

 

[joe49]

Sow-a

 

[PelicanPines]

I cut a few cords "stubby"... making the tool easier to store... but it got old dragging an extension out...

I like the neutering an extension of the female end and wiring it in.

 

[karoc]

If you order them from one of those tool repair places or maybe from eparts it comes with a molded cord cap

 

[Bigblockyeti]

I just put a new cord on an old Dewalt angle grinder. I used 10 feet of SJOOW two conductor 14AWG from Home Depot and a Pass & Seymour heavy duty plug. I took apart the tool and used appropriate crimp terminals to direct wire at the switch and reused the original strain relief.

The cord was $0.89 a foot and the plug was a few bucks. The cord is water, oil and abrasion resistant and doesn’t get stiff in cold weather.

This is what I do almost exclusively now. I'm not buying a $10 rehab tool only to put a $15+ cord one it. When I repaired tools professionally, the Milwaukee, DeWalt & Bosch factory codes were the best quality for the price. We got to the point where we were ordering DeWalt and Milwaukee cords exclusively at no less than 100 at a time given cords were always shredded by the time contractors had another more severe problem needing immediate attention.

 

[GaryM909]

I replace my angle grinder cords with SJOOW from Home Depot. It's rated for -40C. I also use a good Leviton 3 prong plug. The ground helps keep it stay plugged in when dragging through the elements.

 

[danielbuck]

I've put new cords and plugs on quite a few of my tools and machines (some machines don't even come with a cord from the factory)

On Mcmaster you can find all types of cords (some more flexible than others), and for strain relief fittings I like the ones from Heyco. They provide a bit of bending support, but also clamp down nicely on the cable to keep it from pulling the connections inside the tool/machine.

 

[tym]

I like the neutering an extension of the female end and wiring it in.

It's also, by far, the cheapest way to do it. Cost of bare cord plus plug usually is at least double the cost of a comparable extension cord.

 

[GeoBruin]

Plus they tend to be sleeker and more low profile than the clamp on ends.

 

[mowkep]

My wife has an expensive vaccum that just had the motors replaced in the past few years. The cord shorted out and it took almost a month to get one from the manufacturer. I could have done a makeshift one but the one from the manufacturer had a strain relief and terminals included.

 

[Thunderpigeon]

Check out Eurton Electric: https://store.eurtonelectric.com/cords.aspx