Extension / electric cable - the rubbery stuff?

[Distinterior]

I bought a pre made 16a "Commando" extension lead with a Male plug on one end and a female socket on the other end for use with my recently acquired MIG welder.
Its Blue cable and uses 2.5mm Arctic type cable.......Its okay for flexibility and fairly tough, but as @Phil Pascoe said, it's not a patch on H07RN-F.

 

[Phil Pascoe]

I bought a nearly new twenty five metre x 2.5mm 110v extention last week at the car boot. £4.50.

 

[Distinterior]

I bought a nearly new twenty five metre x 2.5mm 110v extention last week at the car boot. £4.50.

Result!

 

[Stevekane]

I thought the “Artic cable” in both blue and yellow (110v) was for site work where it could be seen, and of course the Blue is used for caravan hook ups for the same reason. The old stuff, say 20yrs ago was indeed very rubbery and flexable but of late Ive been very disapointed, esp the screwfix stuff. Your much better with the black rubber stuff as mentioned above, esp for replacing the cable on tools etc.
Steve.

 

[ChaiLatte]

I have a 1/2" router with a damaged lead that needs replacing.

The router is likely to be double insulated, so you would only need 2-core.

It helps if the replacement cable is close to the diameter of the existing cable or the strain relief can be a tight fit and the cable grip inside the machine might struggle.

 

[undergroundhunter]

I use this when replacing cables, it doesn't go really stiff when it gets cold like other pvc cables.
https://www.screwfix.com/p/time-3183p-black-3-core-1-5mm-flexible-cable-10m-coil/994jy

Matt

 

[pe2dave]

Arctic ordered: I'll report back on flexibility.
Hoping butyl not needed @rob1693

Downside (minor) Sheath o/s diameter is 8mm. Not many 13A plugs will take that happily.

 

[flying haggis]

These are probably the best plugs to fit larger size cables into

https://www.vdctrading.com/products/mk-toughplug-black

and they are very good quality as well

 

[pe2dave]

These are probably the best plugs to fit larger size cables into

https://www.vdctrading.com/products/mk-toughplug-black

and they are very good quality as well

Plenty of room for bulky inners and sheath?
Thanks for the tip.

 

[Sideways]

When you open a plug and look at the plastic strap used for the cable grip, many of these are assymetric. If you fully unscrew the strap and turn it over, it works better for thicker cables.
Not all are like that but the plasplugs type that are typically sold in screwfix etc - black, white, orange - are normally like that.
You'll get a 1.5mm2 rubber flex in them ok.

 

[pe2dave]

When you open a plug and look at the plastic strap used for the cable grip, many of these are assymetric. If you fully unscrew the strap and turn it over, it works better for thicker cables.
Not all are like that but the plasplugs type that are typically sold in screwfix etc - black, white, orange - are normally like that.
You'll get a 1.5mm2 rubber flex in them ok.

Inner cable is less of a problem, it's the 9mm outer sheath that is 'oversized'.

 

[Sideways]

Inner cable is less of a problem, it's the 9mm outer sheath that is 'oversized'.

Absolutely.
There's a detail in the British Standard spec for 13A plugs that was pointed out by someone on this forum.
Plugs aren't required to accept more than a 1.5mm2 conductor and there was probably a max diameter sheath as well, I forget.
There's nothing but cost and bulk of the plug to stop a manufacturer from building big to accommodate larger flex, but they don't have to.
The cable grip must always secure the sheath, never the inner conductors and yes, with some plugs you can get a larger dia cable into it by turning the strap of the cable grip over.

 

[stuart little]

These are probably the best plugs to fit larger size cables into

https://www.vdctrading.com/products/mk-toughplug-black

and they are very good quality as well

I use a similar one - orange.