Hi,
I need a 20m extension cord to do gardening (trimming).
I tried connecting a bunch of shorter cords but they got very hot (and iirc it stopped working).
Do i need a special extension cord (like thickness) to go 20m?
Where's the cheapest to buy one- supacheap auto, bunnings?
Go for the Heavy Duty, not just the cheapest.
+1
last time i looked, bunnings sold a cheap 25m(?) cable for < $20. one is orange and one is yellow with a neon light.
Hardware store, approx $25. I chain 3 of them together without issue.
Crappy cords are more likely to have crappy joints, so not only is the thin gauge wire more likely to heat up, the joins (ie where cable connects to a pin) are even more likely to.
For a low current device plugged into the cable/chain, this wont matter too much, but for a high current one, the crappy joins and skimpy cable will act as resistors, hence the OP's cables heating up.
Ideally you shouldn't chain extension cords together at all, cause every joint (no matter how high quality) is introducing resistance.
Get a good quality heavy duty extension lead.
15A cable with 10A plugs - http://www.bunnings.com.au/hpm-20m-heavy-duty-tradesman-exte…
extra heavy duty cable. 1.5mm wire
Costco (if you can shop there). Otherwise Bunnings (who were about $10 dearer than Costco for the same thing when I checked a few months ago).
Also look for one that is nice and flexible. I have two for the garden/shed. One is nice a flexible and easy to move around, the other is more stiff and tends to hold its shape a bit when coiling back up which makes it messy and more prone to tangles. I bought the good one from the big green shed for around $20, the other was inherited from my brother in law afte he cut the half a metre off with his hedger, new plug and it's all good except for the flexibility.
You don't really NEED a heavy duty just for an electric trimmer. I have one of each type - and have to join them together to reach. If I position the heavy duty cable at the trimmer end, be aware they are often thicker - and trimmers usually have some kind of hook of plastic, that you can jam the cable into, to stop it unplugging as you move around… and heavy duty cables (well mine at least) don't fit into that hook. So you'll be plugging a short, thin cable in anyway, then having to "tie" the two together at the join to stop them unplugging, getting that join caught on every corner when you straighten it out, etc. Less frustrating to have one thinner cord.
Depends how powerful the trimmer is.. If it's pulling 2400W I'd choose a Heavy Duty and youtube how to tie a join to put the tension on the cable not the connectors.
longer the cord/wire the more resistance, if it pulls a lot of amps you need HD
And the thinner the conductor diameter (which is the difference between Standard, HD and XHD)
I saw some heavy duty ones from bunnings..colored orange and green on the cord.