Repurposing a 50amp mobile home cord

[gayler]

I've got an extention cord for a mobil home about 25ft. It's rated for 50 amps and is four wire. can I put the proper three wire ends on it and use it as an extention for my mig welder?

 

[zkling]

Sure, what gauge is it? Typical welder plug is nema 6-50P/R 2 lines and a ground so the cord will need 3 wires. Most extension cords for average home size mig machines are 10ga.

If the cord is in good shape, you may be money ahead to sell the cord to someone that can use it and purchase or build a proper 3 prong welder cord. It would be a shame to hack the ends off that cord if it is nice.

 

[gayler]

It's 6ga. It is four wire, so I was going to clip the white wire and just use the red, black, and green.

 

[zkling]

Does it have the ends on it still? 6ga is overkill. I'd really consider selling it and getting the proper wire.

 

[Charles (in GA)]

Use it, selling it won't get you enough to be worth the hassle of the sale and buying a somewhat lesser cord. Just make sure you get ends that will accommodate the diameter of the cord. The box or instructions on the end fittings will state what the min and max diameter of the cord can be.

Charles

 

[gayler]

The ends have been cobbled up by the previous user. The rest of the cord is in new condition. This thing is pretty big around. It's four wire with very heavy outer jacket, so it's probably 1in or a little over.

 

[Falcon67]

I'd just put noew ends on it and go on. Ends are expensive enough without the wire. Might well be way heavier than you need - no big deal if it works for you.

 

[driz]

Whatever you do hang onto it. Something like that makes a dandy lead line to run off a portable generator. It seems like bulky overkill for just an extension cord. I run my mig (only 135 Hobart) off nothing but an el cheapo Walmart grade cord and it works fine. I used to have a long similar cord to use with my Lincoln Tombstone. Too bulky. I added a set of 20' lead extensions that did the job even better and I didn't have to lug the heavy thing outside to use it.

 

[cnttxmdc]

I agree with most of the guys above... Might as well use it since you have it, as you won't get enough out of it to get something else that would be a lesser cord. You could also use about a foot of it to make an adapter so you could use it with a generator or something else later. Might as well be a multi-purpose cord.

 

[gayler]

Thanks guys! One more question I might get flamed for. I bought a 50a double pole breaker and the 6-50 recepticle, but forgot the wire. I know the wires have no markings on each wire, just the outer jacket. can I use these from the breaker to the recepticle. It is connected right to the breaker box. Thanks!

 

[pattenp]

Can you use it? Well, yes you can, but it's against NEC.

Thanks guys! One more question I might get flamed for. I bought a 50a double pole breaker and the 6-50 recepticle, but forgot the wire. I know the wires have no markings on each wire, just the outer jacket. can I use these from the breaker to the recepticle. It is connected right to the breaker box. Thanks!

 

[gayler]

Can you use it? Well, yes you can, but it's against NEC.

Thanks! I could see that one coming from a mile away. I'll buy a few feet of 6ga thhn.

 

[Amazingglazier]

6ga is overkill, I beg to differ! My buddy has a custom shop(builds weird stuff) he was cutting up his old 4x4 station wagon that was rusty as hell for a new wagon project. His cheapo 8/3 extension cord for his mig and plasma cutter was a few feet short. I lent him my 75' 6/3 mig extention cord to finish up. He only used it for the final 10' leaving it coiled up hooked to his cheapo extention, didn't work well with the plasma. Told him to just use my cord direct to the panel, he argued it was fine till he set himself on fire a few times with the plasma spitting! He ran my cord direct and made a pile of rusty butter out of the wagon without getting burned! Didn't have the heart to tell him I "toldu so"!

 

[sberry]

I got to love the logic here sometimes.