Uses for 8/3 Bus Drop Cable?

[bczygan]

I've got a roll of it.

Can I use it for HD extension cords?

How about longer welder leads?

240 or 120 stuff?

Dedicated 240 or 120 circuit?

What's the max amps?

 

[bczygan]

How about a 100A subpanel?

 

[wyliesdiesels]

How about a 100A subpanel?

100a subpanel? u must be kidding!! #8 cordage would br good for around 40a depending on the type of wire and insulation...

What brand and type(sjo, soow, etc.) of cord is it?

 

[bczygan]

100a subpanel? u must be kidding!! #8 cordage would br good for around 40a depending on the type of wire and insulation...

What brand and type(sjo, soow, etc.) of cord is it?

It was a dumb question to bump the thread.

Cable is grey sheath embossed with ITT 8/3 Bus Drop Cable

 

[theoldwizard1]

I never heard of "bus drop cable" so I Googled it.

It is not the same as "cordage" because the ground is (or can be) bare. The insulation is rated for 600V. You need to find the specs on that specific wire because some is rated for indoor use only while other is rated indoor/outdoor and is oil resistant (similar to SOOW).

 

[Norcal]

If is ITT it has been around for a while.

 

[bczygan]

If is ITT it has been around for a while.

Well, it's been laying around my back yard for a while, and around the shop a while before that.

The wood spool disintegrated.

I just want to know what uses I could make of it here around the house and home shop. Seems like 40A capacity. Could I use for welding cable?

Bill

 

[offroadsteve]

I agree with theoldwizard, its probably good as extension cord material, if the ground is stranded. southwire still makes the stuff, and they indicate in that size it would have 3 x 14 awg ground wires in the spaces between the main conductors. If all the conductors are fine-stranded, I'd have no problem using it as cord.

You could also ignore the ground wires and just use the 3 main conductors for either 120v or 240v, just not both as a 4-wire cord.

Its not approved for any permanent wiring in a residential setting, so you are limited to "temporary use" applications.

 

[bczygan]

I agree with theoldwizard, its probably good as extension cord material, if the ground is stranded. southwire still makes the stuff, and they indicate in that size it would have 3 x 14 awg ground wires in the spaces between the main conductors. If all the conductors are fine-stranded, I'd have no problem using it as cord.

You could also ignore the ground wires and just use the 3 main conductors for either 120v or 240v, just not both as a 4-wire cord.

Its not approved for any permanent wiring in a residential setting, so you are limited to "temporary use" applications.

As you said, there are three separate stranded bare grounds along with the red, white and black stranded main wires. See attached photos. The grounds seem pretty small.

So you are saying NOT to combine the grounds to use as a 4 wire?

If I use it as a 120V or 240V cord, do I combine the grounds?

I seem to have quite a bit of it. Will have to measure.

Bill

 

[G_P]

How flexible is it? If its stiff its not going to make a good extension cord. If its flexible, buy some plug ends and start making cords!

 

[bczygan]

How flexible is it? If its stiff its not going to make a good extension cord. If its flexible, buy some plug ends and start making cords!

As you can see in the photo, it holds it's shape from the spool pretty well. So It's not like most extension cords. Yet it isn't rigid.

I've seen it used in the shop as a drop from the bus bar to equipment, using proper strain relief. You can move it around, but it's too heavy and stiff to coil around your arm.

I was thinking of an extension cord for my welder, but the welder has a 6' 14AWG power cord. You can use a 20A 10AWG extension cord for it, up to 30 feet. Larger wire size gives you longer distance, so theoretically I could use this for that.

 

[kschauwe]

Those grounds are copper clad steel wires, for strength when hanging from a high ceilings & bus bars. Not too flexible.

 

[cybrdyke]

The jacket isn't tough enough for dragging around and getting caught or snagged on things, since it's designed to just hang from bus bars. Does it say if it's oil resistent?
CD

 

[bczygan]

The jacket isn't tough enough for dragging around and getting caught or snagged on things, since it's designed to just hang from bus bars. Does it say if it's oil resistent?
CD

Doesn't say oil resistant or for outdoor use.

Sounds more and more to me, like it is designed to do exactly what it says.....hang from the bus and feed to a machine.

I wouldn't be afraid to use it in that way, if I placed it where it would seldom move, and I could carefully reposition it.

And I wouldn't fear using it to feed something, as long as I kept it indoors and supported and protected it from damage.

I'm thinking of using it to run through the basement from the main panel to a receptacle for general 220V use up to 40A. Maybe run it in conduit for protection.

 

[pyro3256]

The conductor size is fine for most of what you have thought of. But I doesn't have the abrasion resistance or flexibility for cords or welding lead.
But you could use it to rewire fixed equipment like air compressors or such from the motor to a plug. In most cases you would be putting a larger conductor as most is 10 ga max for stuff like that. So using larger wire will help it run more efficiently. Other than that, recycle it! You could get enough money from it to buy proper soow cord for what you need.

 

[bczygan]

Just chopped it into 4 pieces.

2 @ 40'

2 @ 62'

Should help me move some amps around!