Portable Cord Connector Musings & Thoughts

[mobiledynamics]

This may just classify to go into the tools section, as it breaks down the merits of a why I prefer *X* connector over the rest.

Just recently, I've been playing/working with different cord connectors brands and I find myself always going to back to *X* brand and the reasoning's why. X brand being Hubbell.

Hubbell connectors ROCK. They just work as designed and are a pleasure to install. Granted for those that have installed connectors on portable cord, ya'll know there is a certain art when it comes down to it. The jacket needs to be stripped enough with exposed wire to work the wire into the connector YET it has to be super short between exposed wire/jacket in order for the cord clamp to properly seat/compress onto the cord jacket.

Hubbell uses combo phillips/square head screws on their larger gauge connector bodies. I was working with Leviton connectors today and they use Pozidriver screws on their large connectors. You can engage a square drive much smoothly with less cam out when holding a connector and trying to smoothly screw the screw into plastic. The threads of the screw hold into the plastic so you want to torque it tight but not too tight...

Second, a short comparison of Marine Grade Fittings. The Woodhead rubber formulation is Amazing. Soft, supple, yet the connector body comes out of the housing with ease. The Levitons for comparison, it took a little back and forth rocking to get the connectors out of the body, and while *rubber* is rubber, it's just not quite like the Woodheads. To analogize, take any SJTW compound cable and compare it to a Woods- Yellowjacket SJTW cable PRE Coleman Cable purchase, and you can see the difference.

The wiring chambers on the Hubbells are just so well designed...


There surely are other brands on the market. Cooper for example. I think their receptacles (spec, industrial, hospital grade) are pretty nice. Nice touches like plastic caps that flip over the screw terminals. NOT a fan of any of the connector body assemblies at all though. Same goes for Bryant.

Hubbell connectors generally go for 2X as much as other competing brands. IMO they are worth every penny if your budget allows.

OK. off my soapbox

 

[RECox286]

I'll take a case of your soapboxes...

Uncle Bob

 

[jeffmoss26]

I did sound and lighting throughout HS and college. I tried to use only Hubbell connectors wherever possible. I fixed MANY broken extension cords, and made my own from SJO cable.
We had twistlocks on our power distribution boxes, so I got to work with some larger stuff as well.
There is another brand I like called LEX Products, they cater to the entertainment industry. Here is their edison plug:
http://www.lexproducts.com/cs/enter...ertainment&productLineId=23&subCategoryId=141

 

[Charles (in GA)]

I bought a generator from a co-worker, who had bought it from a guy getting a divorce. It was 9 years old and had never been serviced with oil or fuel, clean as new, a Northern Tool Yanmar diesel powered.

So I embark on getting some cords for it. Discover they are expensive. Stumble onto some cord on Craigslist. How many times would you expect to do a search for "SOOW 8/4 cord" and have anything turn up??? Well, I got two pieces, one 37 ft and the other 49+ ft for $100. New cord. I shopped Ebay and FruitRidgeTools and ended up with four Pass & Seymour L14-30 plugs for $25 shipped and two Bryant/Hubbell connector ends for $9.99 each shipped. Built up the cords and was impressed with the Bryant ends, I think they are the same as Hubbell, who owns the Bryant name.

This got me to thinking "these would make good extension cords for the welder" so I ordered a Leviton L14-30 receptacle and with a new 4x4 box and industrial face plate, removed and restructured some of the boxes directly below my panelboard and now I have a 30 amp twistlock to plug into if I want to run the cords elsewhere, further outside or the other end of the building.

Still have to get around to installing the Reliant box under the back porch of the house and doing the wiring and connections in the panel in the house.

Charles

 

[ishiboo]

Hubbell/Marinco are great... not sure so great I'd write a whole post about them though

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Well, just now got to thinking again........... My shop is about 80 ft behind the house. The house and shop are on separate meters, and supplied by different transformers. I have had the underground service to the house fail before. Came home one Friday evening, some stuff was working, some was not. I had lost one of the hot legs. POCO came out and installed a box that takes power off the existing leg and rephases it and inputs it into the meter socket, so you have (supposedly) 100 amps of power (on a 200 amp service). Well, it worked for a couple of hours, but the still working leg was also bad, and failed within about 2 hrs from the high loads.

Ended up spending the weekend without power, but did run extension cords from the shop to run the fridge and have some lights.

All of this got me to thinking, since I'm installing a input plug for the generator with an interlock, would the cords I just made up work to supply the house when its service failed but the shop service was still working.

Well I just stretched out the cords and plugged it into the shop receptacle, and if you don't have any kinks or wiggles in the cord, it will reach where the inlet plug/box will be installed. Another couple of inches shorter, and it would not work.

Charles

 

[mobiledynamics]

Hey Jeff -

Never heard of Lex. Will need to order something just to check it out

I've got another side project on the always ever growing todo.
Going to make a waterproof box setup using OA Windosor stuff. It's been awhile since I've used their stuff but they were always the ~bees knees~ for waterproof stuff

 

[Norcal]

Bryant & Hubbell are not the same, but used to get Hubbellocks in a Bryant package & don't really care for Marinco locking devices, a real PITA to take apart their 50A California standard* locking connectors, & plugs, a Hubbell Twistlock® is much easier to take apart.

*If you see "CS" in a catalog number of a 50 ampere locking device, the "CS" stands for California Standard, why CA got into wiring device configurations I have no idea. & Twistlock® is a registered Hubbell trademark.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Bryant is slowly disappearing as even the website is Hubbell-Bryant.com

Its only a matter of time. The Bryant I bought were marked both Bryant and Hubbell on the package, and I think (will have to look) the product also.

Charles

 

[theoldwizard1]

I have repaired many extension cords in my time. The best 15A 120V female connector I have come up with is the Pass & Seymour/Legrand MaxGrip.

A bit pricey, (check Walmart; same model sold under different name and a couple of bucks cheaper) but you get what you pay for.

I think I used my "spare" a couple of months ago. Need to get another spare !

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Same as the Leviton Python connectors.

http://www.fruitridgetools.com/storefrontprofiles/DeluxeSFItemDetail.aspx?sfid=136763&i=13220399&c=0

The one I linked to is Hospital grade, but they have others.

I used a bunch of the Leviton male plug on my metal halide lighting fixtures. The filler blocks for the cord clamps seem to fit either flat two wire lamp cord or something else that is not ordinary sized. I used a 14 gauge yellow jacketed cord that necessitated that I file out the cord clamp filler blocks to proper grip but not crush the cord. The clamp blocks flip over but neither side worked for me. I have used both the male and female of these on several things but not the P&S branded ones (which appear identical to the Leviton).

I recently bought several P&S female cord ends for spares from FruitRidgeTools, and though I'm not wild about P&S stuff, these ends seem pretty good. For $3.95 I though it was a pretty good deal (I ordered a bunch of stuff so the shipping was spread out to where these didn't cost much more)

http://www.fruitridgetools.com/storefrontprofiles/DeluxeSFItemDetail.aspx?sfid=136763&i=17597658&c=0

They had one older Arrow Hart female cord end, and for &1.95 I snagged it. Very good heavy duty cord connector.

Charles

 

[jeffmoss26]

Hey Jeff -

Never heard of Lex. Will need to order something just to check it out

They cater to the stage lighting/touring industry, we purchased the plugs from one of our lighting suppliers. www.vincentlighting.com

 

[mobiledynamics]

Norcal brought up 1 more point I did not mention.

I'm not sure if it's just the *molds* for the marine grade Leviton fittings, but with the 2 mated, it is a bear to get them to engage in twistlock and a bear just to seat in/seat out. Seat/sealing tightness could be be a plus bearing the function of it...

WITH the Woodhead brand, it is easy in, easy out..

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Woodhead is just too dang expensive for my blood. If I need to weatherproof my generator cable connections, beyond the norm, I'll use duct tape and plastic sheeting.

I priced a rubber "box" Woodhead makes to go on the end of an extension cord, It has a standard receptacle on either side of it, and a clamp for the cord on the bottom. Pretty neat actually, we use dozens of them at work, but the rubber box alone, with no faceplates for the receptacles, is something like $50. Nooooo don't need it that bad.

Charles

 

[W-Cummins]

Woodhead is just too dang expensive for my blood. If I need to weatherproof my generator cable connections, beyond the norm, I'll use duct tape and plastic sheeting.

I priced a rubber "box" Woodhead makes to go on the end of an extension cord, It has a standard receptacle on either side of it, and a clamp for the cord on the bottom. Pretty neat actually, we use dozens of them at work, but the rubber box alone, with no faceplates for the receptacles, is something like $50. Nooooo don't need it that bad.

Charles

Yes but they are really nice I put 2 of them on my cord, a feed through and a terminal style box. Then I filled them up with all Hubbell HBL2430 receptacles and a matching Hubbell plug. Most places want over $40 for the receptacles. It wound up being the most costly extension cord I have ever owned

William...

 

[mobiledynamics]

William -

? Question ?

What was the purpose of that type of box you use ?
Just wondering why would you use that type of a box but not a matching/mating receptacle of that type on it. Sorta defeats the purpose no ?

 

[Norcal]

William -

? Question ?

What was the purpose of that type of box you use ?
Just wondering why would you use that type of a box but not a matching/mating receptacle of that type on it. Sorta defeats the purpose no ?

If you use a metal 4 square box on a cord, either as a extension or a pendant, it is a OSHA violation to do so, the type of receptacle uesd is whatever the user desires or needs within the limits of the code.

The use of a metal box on a cord w/ a raised cover is a problem IMO as they do not handle abuse well, which occurs when used by employees or others who do not take care of stuff that belongs to others for that reason alone, makes them a bad idea. The Woodhead box is a better choice even though more spendy.

 

[mobiledynamics]

I'm not a contractor.....but I thought OSHA regardless required molded cord/connectors on the jobsite. I may be very wrong on this statement though...