Best Extension Cords We’ve Found!

Quality extension cords make a big difference in the shop, around the home, and on the jobsite. We’ve found that all cords are NOT created equal - getting a better cord really does make a difference. We’ll show you why.

#extensioncord #powercable #powercord

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I’ve had my share of cheap extension cords. And with the present level of inflation and the cost of good copper, getting a good extension cord is not going to be cheap. It’s true that you’ll get what you pay for.

At first glance, all extension cords may look the same. But look closer. While similar, there are significant differences depending on how high of quality of a power cord you buy.

First, there is the outside jacket of the cord itself. There are different standard designations in the cable industry that will tell you what you are buying. Here’s a listing of the codes that are used:

"SJ" stands for Service Junior (meaning 300V rated service cable)
"T" stands for Thermoplastic Jacket (meaning PVC jacket)
"E" stands for Thermoplastic Elastomer Jacket (meaning TPE jacket)
"W" stands for Weather and Water Resistant (Outdoor rated cable)
"O" stands for Oil Rated

So, if you combine some of those types, you’ll see products like an SJTW cord which is
a 300V-rated PVC Outdoor Extension Cord. Or, you may see SJEOW designating a 300V-rated oil-resistant outdoor extension cord.

The most common jacket you’ll see in most retail outlets is the “T” type, which is a PVC jacket. It is shiny and tends to be somewhat stiff, and gets stiffer yet in cold weather.

That SJEOW cable is going to be less shiny, more rubbery, and more flexible, even in low temperatures.

The cables we featured are from WattsWire.com. We really like the fact that they don’t even offer lower capacity/gauge cables. So, you won’t find 16 or 18-gauge cables in their catalog. When it comes to wire gauges, the higher the number, the smaller the wire and its current carrying capacity. So, Watts Wire offers only 10, 12, and 14 gauge wire sets.

Another area to check the quality of the product is the moldings for both the male and female plug ends. Watts Wire moldings are truly impressive. The finish and “beefiness” of the molded pieces are really nice. They are translucent, so you can see the conductors and the female end has a power indicator light that is really handy both to know you have an energized cord, as well as to locate the plug end in low light.

Watts Wire offers a 3-plug tap on their products. They are "fanned-out" a bit, so that allows you to plug in 3 difference devices with bulky plug ends. Just be sure to draw more power combined that 15 amps.

We enjoy finding products that we’ll use around our hobby farm or on the job site and pass it on to you. Our initial impression is that these are very high-quality cord products. As is our custom, we’ll come back in a year and tell you how well these products have faired.

You can check out our one-year review here: COMING APRIL 2024.

You can check out the entire line of electrical supply products at Wattswire.com/DFJ. We think you’ll like what you see!

JUST DO IT YOURSELF!

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