Cord guage on drill press

[Dansdad]

I was reading the amps on a craftsman was 3.2 but the cord was 18ga. This seems extremely small .What I removed it and replaced with 12 ga. Would that help?...Thanks Dave

 

[MFolks]

I'd go with 16 gauge, as 12 gauge may not go inside the motor, through the strain relief.

 

[Dansdad]

but 16 would help?

 

[Norcal]

Sometimes too big is worse then the correct size, 18 would be fine & 16 is fine too, smaller motors are not blessed with oversized terminal boxes, using 12 gauge is like trying to stuff 10 pounds of manure in a 5 pound bag. 3.2 amperes is not a large load.

 

[larry_g]

Are you having problems with the tool? If so what?

lg
no neat sig line

 

[nehog]

I was reading the amps on a craftsman was 3.2 but the cord was 18ga. This seems extremely small .What I removed it and replaced with 12 ga. Would that help?...Thanks Dave

18 AWG is fine for 3.2 amps. No need to re-engineer the machine.

 

[Gary S]

Stranded wire can be a bit undersized for short runs like power cords because it handles current better than solid wire of the same size.
Original size is just fine.

 

[Norcal]

Stranded wire can be a bit undersized for short runs like power cords because it handles current better than solid wire of the same size.
Original size is just fine.

Codes do not differentiate ampacity between solid & stranded wire.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

but 16 would help?

Whats wrong with the tool that gives u the idea u need to swap cords?

 

[Gary S]

This chart gives you an idea what UL specs cords at. As you can see, #18 is more than adequate for that drill.
http://www.stayonline.com/reference-circuit-ampacity.aspx

 

[2ManyProjects]

Stranded wire can be a bit undersized for short runs like power cords because it handles current better than solid wire of the same size.

That's an Old Wives' Tale.

The ONLY thing which determines current capacity (a.k.a. "ampacity") is the cross-sectional area of the conductor(s). And at least under the AWG scale, the "waste space" between strands is already accounted for, as the AWG number considers ONLY the actual conductor area, not the gaps (if any). Hence, stranded AWG 12 wire will be somewhat "fatter" than solid AWG 12 wire, but provides EXACTLY the same cross-sectional area.

All that said, at EXTREMELY high frequencies (in the multiple MHz range), most stranded wires will exhibit somewhat less attenuation than equivalent-size solid wires; but this has nothing to do with ampacity or "current capability".

 

[nehog]

Stranded wire can be a bit undersized for short runs like power cords because it handles current better than solid wire of the same size.
...

Only when dealing with high frequencies, not for power line voltages/frequencies. This is an 'old wives tale' that needs to go away. Stranded wire offers flexibility and nothing more when used in AC power applications.

 

[nehog]

That's an Old Wives' Tale.
...

All that said, at EXTREMELY high frequencies (in the multiple MHz range), most stranded wires will exhibit somewhat less attenuation than equivalent-size solid wires; but this has nothing to do with ampacity or "current capability".

This is known as 'skin' effect, where more current flows along the skin of the wire than in the core. But in the end, the current balances out, leaving just exactly what 2ManProjects says--the current capacity is the same regardless.

 

[DenisG]

I was reading the amps on a craftsman was 3.2 but the cord was 18ga. This seems extremely small .What I removed it and replaced with 12 ga. Would that help?...Thanks Dave

You probably should look at the nameplate of the motor and see if it tells you the FLA (full load amperage) before being concerned. I'm guessing that you measured the idling current of the motor.