Source for 8/3 extention cord wire

tglass · Nov 28, 2011

magicheater said:
find a local electrical contractor supplier. 8-3 portable cable is not common, how much do you need?

Agree..someone like dealers elec, elliot elec. etc., who sell wholesale and to the public. Not that uncommen at alot of places like this. May have part of a spool left and give a pretty good deal and then again, an 8-3 is uncommen, but might have something larger at the same price. worth a try.

yomax4 · Nov 28, 2011

Every welding supply house has a roll of 8/3. They use it every day. Be prepared to pay upwards of 3 bucks a ft.

dstig1 · Nov 28, 2011

Hobart sells a pre-made welder extension cord that is 8/3 with a 50A plug on it. Our local Fleet Farm has them. Find a place that sells welding supplies that has Hobart and you should find one. Or frankly any LWS should have something, or can get it.

Or build your own from McMaster, but ouch - like $5-6/foot..
McMaster-Carr

Skyco · Nov 28, 2011

I'd be sure not to downsize the wire. When I got my first mig welder I was pretty disappointed in it. After I replaced the extension cord with the correct gauge it made all the difference in the world.

Haywire · Nov 28, 2011

8/3 w/ ground was $2.79 a foot at Lowes. They had 8/2 w/ground for 1.69/ft but it wasn't the right type of wire. It was flat instead of round.

Robert_in_NY · Nov 28, 2011

Haywire said:
I want to make an extension cord for my welder but haven't been able to source the 8/3 wire anywhere. The ready made cords you buy have the standard welding plugs on them and I'm set up for NEMA 10-50 plugs. I just need the wire.

Any suggestions? The Lowes big wire rack didn't have any and the electrical supply houses around here don't handle anything like that bigger than 10ga.

thanks,
Ian

If your local electrical suppy houses there don't carry 8/3 wire or couldn't even order it for you then those places are not very good.

Haywire · Nov 28, 2011

I'm sure they could order it if I wanted an entire roll. -shrug-

Chilly807 · Nov 28, 2011

You MAY be ok with 10/3, it's what I've been using to run both my AC/DC transformer and the Miller 180. I haven't noticed any performance problems or heating of the wire. Mine is a 25 footer.

I think if you ran at 100% for hours at a time it might get warm, but typical welding use would be fine.

What size cable is feeding the welder now?

Sean

grsthegreat · Nov 28, 2011

What you need is 8/3 or 6/3 SO cord. it is standard at any electrical supply shop ive ever worked thru (Calif, nevada,wash, oregon and idaho). Not cheap though, but is standard. You might have been looking for or asked for romex?? thats not what you want. its called SO cord, and is widely used. My supply house charges me $1.69/ft for 8/3 SO and $2.10 for 6/3 So the last time i ordered some (a few months ago). All that sized wire is sold by the foot, or by the 1000 ft rolls.