Twistlock Connectors on Extension Cord
Scott
| Posted in Energy, Heating & Insulation on
So I’ve got a few tools, an electric chainsaw being one of them, that I’m tired of continually re-plugging as I walk around. I don’t like tying knots in the cord. (Don’t tell me to get gas saw, I’ve got two of them…. the little electric “Sunday Logger Special” has it’s place.)
I’m thinking about reserving one cord for a female twistlock connector and I’ll put males on those tools that tend to unplug themselves.
Good idea? If so, there is a bewildering array of twistlock connectors. Which do you prefer?
Thanks,
Scott.
Edited 4/23/2008 10:51 am by Scott
Replies
two or three wire as you deem necessary, 125 volt 15 amp...
and you'll be good to go....
Hubble will be right up there in quality... Eagle is a good bet...
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Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Tie a knot in the cord or get a gas saw...
Sorry, I just couldn't resist. Instead of twist lock, you might consider an alternate arrangement (straps) so you don't have to devote a special cord to the saw and so the saw can work with all your other cords. Just a thought.
or, if you are going to get a dedicated cord, cut the female end of and wire it directly ..
There are really very limited options.
I don't have time to look up the nema numbers, but there is a twist lock that matches each parallel plug/receptacle.
You want 125v grounded. The only option is for 15 amp or 20. But everything that you will be using mostly currently have 15 amp plugs and most general purpose receptacels are 15 amp.
.
A-holes. Hey every group has to have one. And I have been elected to be the one. I should make that my tagline.
Thanks, that should do it. I'll look for a 15A 125V NEMA.Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.â€
look for a L5-15R
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To me, the only downside of the knot in the cord idea is that it doesn't necessarily work too well. The knot can roll away from the connectors, and you're back where you started.
So, my reliable poor man's solution is to tie a foot and a half or more of thin sash cord (like 1/8" - 3/16") near the male end of every cord. I use an Ashley constrictor knot, but a clove hitch is OK, too. For cord to cord connections, I make a loop with the connectors in it, but not crossing to form a knot. The sash cord is where the cords meet, and I just take several turns of it around them, and tie a slipped reef knot. It stays put, and you have zero strain on the connectors.
If you have to plug into a wall outlet with surface mounted conduit or some other handy tie point, it can also safety that connection.
When you're done, coil up your extensions using the over/under method, and bundle them neatly with two turns of the sash cord and a slipped reef knot.
-- J.S.
"To me, the only downside of the knot in the cord idea is that it doesn't necessarily work too well. The knot can roll away from the connectors, and you're back where you started. "
If that's happening then you are not tyeing the knot right.
Ozlander
>>>To me, the only downside of the knot in the cord idea is that it doesn't necessarily work too well. The knot can roll away from the connectors, and you're back where you started.Yes, I know, and the problem is made worse by the fact that the tool is made with el-cheapo 16ga wire and the extension cord is 12ga. Incompatible for knots.>>>So, my reliable poor man's solution is to tie a foot and a half or more of thin sash cord (like 1/8" - 3/16") near the male end of every cord. I use an Ashley constrictor knot, but a clove hitch is OK, too.Ahhhh, most resourceful, you knothead you. (I am a great C. Ashley fan, and have a copy of his weighty tome of lore and skill. But I'm still a hack when it comes to knots). I'm afraid the convenience of NEMA plugs appeals to me in this case.Thanks though,Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.â€
I normally put a new #12 cord with an appropriate "man's length" on my new saws. At the very least, I'd cut the two prong end off and add the new three prong connnection that I posted about above. I found that I preferred about 12 to 15'. I tried longer but too long was as bad as too short. I'd start at 15' and every time I cut my cord, it would start getting shorter LOL! I know fifty ways to cut a cord. The most common was running my saw through a piece of plywood with the cord hiding under it. I've also cut my new stapler like that. Bummer! I've concluded that it's very dangerous to hide under a piece of plywood when I'm around. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
Someome here was selling a gizmo that helps keep cords together. Not the big ugly box, but a small lanyard with a plastic S-shaped thingie on one end. You lanyard the device to one cord and then engage the other cord with the S-shaped thingie. Got several at home, with a www address molded into the plastic, so probably could look them up.
What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite. --Bertrand Russell
CordSnake, http://www.cordsnake.com/
What is wanted is not the will to believe, but the will to find out, which is the exact opposite. --Bertrand Russell
Twistlock is more of an OSHA thing.
What I do is simply plug the prong thingy into the hole thingy and tape them together with some black phase tape. Just a couple of wraps and even bend over the last 1/2" to for a non-sticky tab so you can easily remove it.
This also helps keep water and mud out of the connection.
~Peter
Hmmm.. interesting. How much yanking will it sustain?Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.â€
I suppose if you yanked hard enough, something would give. But the idea is to simply avoid having the cord simply slide apart from its connection.
~Peter
Why not try QwikLok?
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Jon Blakemore
RappahannockINC.com Fredericksburg, VA
Cool. I'm going to look into that. About the same cost as the NEMA, but without the compatibility issues.Thanks,Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.â€
I started putting twistlock on my tools a long time ago and it was an expensive mistake imo.
I had two types of cord ends and adaptors. Invariably I would have the wrong one.
The twistlocks wear out too. So it falls apart just like the others.
They are heavy and bulky.
Probably one of the best solutions is to directly wire in a extension cord.
Or just get a cord and tape the connection.
The latest thing I do is to buy the tool and wire in some tool cord from the hardware store. I make the cord 10-12' long and put my own end on it. The tool cord is more flexible than an extension cord. Some of the tools are double insulated so the cord can be very small and light without a ground.
I tried wiring in a 50' cord and also a 25' cord. I found that I didn't like the "convenience" because it was a PIA when I had to walk fifty feet to untangle it from around my sawhorses, studs and other things. I actually preferred the heavier gauge cords. One important element about immediately installing a longer cord is that the connection is 15' away from the sawhorses or work area. This means that their is far less tension on the connection thus reducing the necessity of adding a twist lock. We constantly strain the connection on a 6 or 8' cord but rarely do on a 15' cord. Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
It sound like you are doing some pretty heavy work. It makes a difference how heavy your work is and the size of the jobsites.
I work by my self mostly now on small stuff.
I still have a heavy 30' ? 12 ga cord wired dirrectly into my skill saw though.
But lately I reach for my Makita cordless most of the time.
I like the idea for a lot of reasons, not least of which is it might persuade some of the lazier free-lance socialists around to steal a tool he can actually plug in, instead of stealilng mine.
But it would mean I'd need to assemble at least four or five 'adapter' pigtails to enable me to hook my tools and extension cords into the standard 15A outlets on the site. And it also supposes I have the budget to replace all the power cords on all my tools and all my extension cords with 14-3 SJOW and Hubbell twist-locks. While this is something I've been dreaming about for years, it hasn't happened yet due to my wish-list budget having been recently down-sized, sigh....
Dinosaur
How now, Mighty Sauron, that thou art not brought
low by this? For thine evil pales before that which
foolish men call Justice....
LOL... now that's a loaded post. Each of these could very well deserve their own thread:- lazier free-lance socialists
- instead of stealilng mine.
- it also supposes I have the budget
- While this is something I've been dreaming about for years
- due to my wish-list budget having been recently down-sized, sigh....Hahahaha.... please don't hold back Dino.... tell us what you really think.Scott.Always remember those first immortal words that Adam said to Eve, “You’d better stand back, I don’t know how big this thing’s going to get.â€
Quick-loc, I have 2, they were about $19 ea. ( GOOD standard female run you about $6 ) but THEY ARE THE GREATEST. I have a 14ga, 50 ft. I use most time and a 12 ga. 60 ft. Only thing to use if your up on ladder or a roof. And they are a gas to watch uninformed help try and disconnect them LOL !!!
IF IT WAS EASY, EVERYONE COULD DO IT !!!
I'll third Blakemore and Artworks' comments about qwiklok. The things are bulletproof, extremely well made. I have a bunch of them. One day just got completely fed up with plugs coming undone, knots coming out, getting hung up on everything, went down and bought TEN. Took a 100' 12 ga chord, cut it down to a 50 and two 25 footers and put the qwikloks on those and most my other chords. What a relief. Everyone that sees them wants one. Almost all plugs have a hole in the blades near the end. The qwiklok pins into these holes. Pulling a collar releases it. Sweet.
I do have a turnlok extension chord. Pulled 220ft of 8ga stranded wire through garden hose to reach neighbors house that I bought and am rebuilding. The turnlok is big enough to take 8ga and the hose diameter and with the locking feature stays plugged into the wall outlet (which I added just outside the panel) even with the weight of that massive chord. Put the turnloks on both ends and made a short adaptor from 12 ga extension chord. But I find the plugs are just too big and awkward for use with tools in a normal application. - r
Scott, do yourself a favor and skip the twistlock connector. Instead, go to the Home Depot and buy yourself a brand new heavy duty three prong plug. I think 20 amp males are best. You will be amazed at how much they hold.
I've lowered my saw down without out tying a knot.
The guys always wanted to tie the knots even though they saw me work all day with my solid three prong connections. Their knots provided them the means to yank with all their might without disconnecting the cords. The ultimate result was that they always had their cords being pulled out of the body of the saw. My system gave me the best of both worlds: a workable connection that held up to normal mild tension and the safety feature that would disconnect instead of letting me ruin the connection at the saw base.
I always kept a spare new three prong plug in my box. When the old connection started giving way, I switched it and I'd be good to go for another year.
Bob's next test date: 12/10/07
When I was framing, all our worm drives had twist lock plugs, worked very well.