What gauge extension cord for a GG6?

S

SwedishRider

New member
I'm trying to calculate the extension cord gauge needed for the GG6 I just purchased. The specs of the tool are listed as follows:

Motor: 7 Amps, 850 Watts
Power Supply: 120 Volts, 60 Hz
And the tool already has a built-in 10' cord (18AWG) that will obviously not be long enough by itself for use.

The breaker that feeds the outlets in the garage that I'll be using is 15A. Is there a calculation or rule of thumb that I can use to determine the gauge needed (preferably based on feet of cord away from the outlet)? I would think that a 25' extension cord would be ideal, making for 35' of total length to be typically used in a garage bay (but I'm open to other suggestions if others feel differently). I have no idea the distance of the garage outlets back to the main house panel.

Thanks! :)
 
Congratulations on your new machine..
I never see anyone going to the trouble to calculate the gauge of the extension cord - glad you think about these things..

Unless you are going to be running it non-stop for months on end, you will get by just fine with a good quality 14awg 25' extension cord..
I use these all the time only for the Rotary on small motor tools like that..

Everything bigger like my big honking Mytee Extractor that needs 20amp circuit, I use a good heavy, 12awg cord... Never any trouble with this arrangement, and this and a VX5000 steamer run hours when Im busy in the Shop..

Of course, a heavier cord is always going to be safer to use in any electrical arrangement, but for polishing, a 12awg cord at the end of the cord on the machine might be a little to heavy to lug around...

Good luck - sounds like you are getting all set up very nicely !!
DanF
 
Stokdgs is dead on, I have gotten away with a 16 awg cord that was just conveniently close by at the time but the cord and the plug got a little to hot for my liking.
 
Buy yourself a nice Rigid cord from home depot.
They are super flexible in cold weather and have lit end.
You can get away with a 16awg cord up to 50' for that polisher.
If you go longer I would go to 14awg.
As an electrician you want to worry about the voltage drop on longer cords.
Lower voltage increases current to the device.. so if it's a nice tool I prefer a 14awg cord.. . or larger depending on the load.If I were plugging any expensive tools in over 10a rating,

Take a look at the chart.
https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&sou...lHrvljVtjqyL-T1Ww&sig2=PNpctlshVrxb8hNsIjqnAg
 
From Griot's Customer Service "A 16 awg cord will be sufficient for up to 25 feet. Anything beyond that, your want to jump up to 14 awg."
 
If you are going to get an extension cord, get one that will work with any power tool in a standard 15A/20A circuit in the house: 12 AWG. The bigger wire will reduce voltage drop and in some cases extend the life of your motors like in leaf blowers, master blaster, etc. You need to have one good cord and it will last for years.
 
pwaug said:
From Griot's Customer Service "A 16 awg cord will be sufficient for up to 25 feet. Anything beyond that, your want to jump up to 14 awg."
Click to expand...

pwaug, where did you find this info? I searched the instruction manual and didn't find anything at all. Is this Griot's official requirement on extension cords?
 
Just wrote an email to Griot's customer service--4 years ago. Since I only use a 12' 16 awg, 2 way extension cord I figure I'm OK.
 
Get one that has a locking end. You will have times you pull on the cord and it gets stuck under a tire and comes unplugged. I have ruined a cord on a machine from loosely tying the ends. The locking mechanism has prevented this issue for me.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top