On what basis do you suppose thye rate this at 13 amps, instead of the usual 15 amps for 14 gauge? The length? 100 feet
Their 12 gauge gets rated at 15 amps.
This is probably just someone who wasn't paying attention Down in the description it says "Rated 15A/125V/1875W, designed for use by contractors and industrial personnel "
It has a NEMA 5-15 plug on it.
Thanks.
Or it could be based heat tolerance of the particular cheap insulation products used in China .... or .... maybe someone is actually thinking about what happens when you put resistance in line with stuff. Or, I'm probably overthinking this.
Maybe.
Assuming these are valid U/L listings, that SJxx cord is rated for 300 volts (the "J" meaning 300v)
Also, what kind of plug would it have if it was a 5 amp cord??? Nema 5-15, right??? A 100 ft #14 cord would generally NOT be rated at 15 amps due to the resistance of the long cord.
The issue is a 5-15 is a max of 15a and the question was about a 12ga cord.
That affects voltage drop but it is not an overload on the cord itself. There is no enforceable code about voltage drop, just a "gee whiz" informational note.
A 15 amp 100 foot contractor's cord is #12. The voltage drop on a 14 ga 100 foot cord is too high - makes for problems running a 14 amp contractors saw, or starting an air compressor. Talking about code, even a 15 amp plug on a #8 or #10 cable would meet code
The biggest piece of equipment you can have rated for a 15a plug is
12a. 210.23(A) (1) Cord-and-Plug-Connected Equipment Not Fastened in Place. The rating of any one cord-and-plug-connected utilization equipment not fastened in place shall not exceed 80 percent of the branch-circuit ampere rating. 12a at 100' on a 14 would drop 7.4v. your saw would still run OK if the line voltage is not low to start with. Around here it cruises around 124 so I would not even give 7v a thought.
Buit starting current on a 12 amp motor can be a lot higher, and if the supply is not "stiff" it will draw high current for too long, tripping the breaker or blowing the fuse. My old Beaver saw would blow a fuse on a 50 foot #14 cord, and start perfectly plugged in directly or on the #12.
The number 12 will drop 4.6v at 15a. I doubt 3 volts will make that much difference and those universal motors they use on most power tools deal with low voltage a whole lot better than a regular induction motor. They just run a little slower. You generally start the saw (drill or whatever) unloaded anyway. Is 12ga better? sure. Would a homeowner ever notice the difference? Probably not. They use 16ga cords with skil saws all the time. I have too. To the experienced ear, I can hear the difference when I am in some tough wood but it works.
Contractors saws do NOT use universal motors. Mine was a repulsion start induction motor and as I said, on a long cord it would trip a breaker or blow even a time delay fuse. On a heavy cord or directly plugged in, it was NEVER an issue. Note - a "contractor's saw" is NOT a hand tool. It is basically a portable table saw. 10 inch blade. Same with my compressor - but I switched it over to 220 so the problem dissapeared.
The "average"homeowner's skill saw is what, about 7 or 8 amps? My 8
1/4 inch Milwaukee is 13 amps and my Rockwell is 12..
I guess that is why they sell 10 gauge cords.
Most people who shop at Home Depot would never notice the difference.
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