Power Tool Cord Replacements

[schmism]

i buy quality tools that have replacement cords.

just twist and pull

 

[Soundguy]

So many posts and no one has said a word about "Heat Shrink Tubing". .

I just kinda figured that was 'implied'.. IE. the post I made about having the know-how to be able to replace an integral part. things like soldering and appropriate insulators and the knowledge of how to take apart, remove, and replace the oem cord..

kinda like telling someone how to remove a battery from their truck.. you tend to skip the parts that are implied.. like.. 'get the tools OUT of your tool box', 'open the hood', etc.. etc.

my take anyway..

soundguy

 

[Short Game]

Short game-
Avoid the big-box urge; Grover's Electric over in Vancouver (WA) is an outstanding store- try giving them a call about cords.

As for batteries, Interstate (multiple NW locations) has rebuilt Milwaukee 14.4v batts for me right there in the store- don't recall the price, but it was reasonable, and they work well- I know a lot of tradespeople that keep their Milwaukees going by this method.

I've found where Grover's is, but where in SW Washington is an Interstate location. The terms I used in a search get overloaded with hits.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Branchchipper]

In Vancouver:
3421 NE 109th Avenue
(just east of I-205 and north of 28th St, in an industrial park of sorts).

This is an "all-battery center" (factory store, I guess you'd say)

Just let me know if you need more specific directions...

 

[Egon]

So many posts and no one has said a word about "Heat Shrink Tubing". When replacing or repairing most any electrical cord, it is a great insulator and works well for strain relief. Comes in may sizes and up to over 3' long or even by the real if you need a lot.
/QUOTE:

Use it when soldering the wires attached to the tool.:thumbsup:

 

[jimmysisson]

Soundguy - your remark about "implied" reminded me of what my wife told me the old Joy of Cooking had an instruction for new cooks: Stand facing the stove...
Jim

 

[Short Game]

In Vancouver:
3421 NE 109th Avenue
(just east of I-205 and north of 28th St, in an industrial park of sorts).

This is an "all-battery center" (factory store, I guess you'd say)

Just let me know if you need more specific directions...

Thanks. Tomorrow is the day I go that way. I did take a peek inside a Home Depot today. All I saw there was a replacement 14AWG cord for a Skil model 77 for $20.

 

[Soundguy]

Soundguy - your remark about "implied" reminded me of what my wife told me the old Joy of Cooking had an instruction for new cooks: Stand facing the stove...
Jim

reminds me of a microcomputer application class I took LOOOONG ago ( heck.. having the word micro-computer in the name ought to be a bit telling how long ago too.. )

anyway.. I remmber the first day.. everyone was standing by their old iron ( new iron then! ), and the instructor started talking about the basics of bootup, etc.. etc. and one person flagged down the instructor and said. 'whoa' how do i turn this thing on. '



Of course, it was a big red flip switch the size of your thumb at that time, and not on the front of the computer either.

soundguy

 

[CharlieS]

jelly conduit lube or wd-40 makes a great lube for pullingthe cable thru the strain relief.

The best lube i've found for this is dish soap. Lightly coat the cord and slide the strain relief on the cord. After a few days the dishsoap dries and becomes semi adheisive. It's inert and won't damage the cords, and is non-conductive after it dries. Wire pulling lube has the same properties of course but dish soap is cheap and found in every kitchen.

and if there is any water on the ground, who wants that 2-3 prong 'open' connection laying in a puddle?

Which is a good example of why NEC requires GFCI protected outlets in shop/garage/workspace areas.

On another note, (as a retired electrical contractor/master electrician), We always changed out the female cord ends on extension cords, and male plugs on tool's, to twistlocks. That eliminated the "borrowing of cords and tools" by other trade's, when we we didn't actually have them in use.

 

[Soundguy]

Which is a good example of why NEC requires GFCI protected outlets in shop/garage/workspace areas..

gfi or not.. who wants to walk over and reset the dern gfi every 10 seconds because the cord is so short and laying in a puddle.

thus my comment of a longer cord not needing an extension.

obviously not for everybody. I like to pull a vehicle or tractor up to my shop and have a few tools that reach all the way out to it. not everybody needs a drill or angle grinder with a 20' cord. it would be overkill for the average homeowner. for me.. it's great.



soundguy

 

[Short Game]

I loved Grover's. I was in a hurry as my appointment was coming right up when I was there. I got 6, 9' cords for $5.50 ea., and some plugs and other goodies. I wished I had the time to see the whole store.

Finding that Interstate Battery place, on the other hand, was a waste of time. The guy who rebuilds the batteries was not there and out for an hour. I could see cases of 1.2V cells and wished I knew where to get those cheap. The guy who waited on me, besides not having a clue, left me waiting on him while others came into the store. He had been scrolling through page after page of Interstate's website under a search for "Milwaukee" and "12v" before he left me standing there. After a bit, I reached over the counter top and clicked the next page in his search. He blew up at me for touching his computer mouse. I said, "see you around." A half hour and some gasoline I'll never get back.

 

[grsthegreat]

Now days OSHA inspectors will fine you and my electrical inspectors will simply cut the end off of any corded tool that is designed to run with a ground but doesn't have the grounded prong. Also, they will fine you if the end isn't molded to the cord.

The days of adding the home depot 2 screw end plug and receptacles are over. Not worth the fine.

I just buy the proper cord ends at the local too repair shop. Most are in the 6-10 dollar range. Not a ball breaker.

 

[Soundguy]

weird.. never had an osha inspector blink at an add-a-plug on our equipment as long as it was properly grounded and all shields and whatot were in place, good condition insulation.. etc.

soundguy

 

[Short Game]

weird.. never had an osha inspector blink at an add-a-plug on our equipment as long as it was properly grounded and all shields and whatot were in place, good condition insulation.. etc.

soundguy

I guess it must vary with the apparatchik. It's sad when we can make better than stock. I guess it's not good to take those jobs from the Chinese prisoners.

And it's not because removing ground prongs doesn't drive me nutz too. No way to put one back. (angry face)

 

[grsthegreat]

weird.. never had an osha inspector blink at an add-a-plug on our equipment as long as it was properly grounded and all shields and whatot were in place, good condition insulation.. etc.

soundguy

A framing contractor friend of mine just got fined last month. I tried to warn him, but he thought i was nuts hehe.

OSHA is doing anything they can to generate $$$ to stay in business. They fined me cause i wasnt wearing safety helmet and hard hat while installing a coverplate on an outlet....in a classroom full of kids (none of which had hard hats). Its getting so that i dont want to even work in the trades anymore, and the way the GOVT is handling things, i may not be

 

[Soundguy]

must be a northern thing.

While I agree many places are into revenue enforcement though. in fl.. it seems to be the DOT and HP doing the revenue enforcement deal.

so far osha inspects our shop and mines. have been cited for equipment not tagged out.. but never anything more than that. and I don't thik a single piece of our equipment has an oem power plug or cord. half of them have white romax..

soundguy

 

[Short Game]

God forbid we regulate Wall Street and the big banks.

 

[grsthegreat]

God forbid we regulate Wall Street and the big banks.

Thats cause if a cord messes up, it cou;d hurt 1 person. But if A bank shorth out (or the dam* stock market) it takes everyone with it. why bother to regulate that..... :ashamed: :confused2:

 

[Short Game]

Sorry for my knee-jerk. It was just that, "...they will fine you if the end isn't molded to the cord," tripped my wire. Regulation is needed somewhere. The question is, can we get regulation at those points? Making a hard hour for the little guy is safe for the apparatchiks. They don't bite the hands that feed them (or throttle their competition).

 

[Soundguy]

Figured I'd revive this thread.

I was going to lunch from work yesterday and passed a small school run by a church that was closing and had a rummage sale. Most of the good stuff was picked over.. but I did get a sturdy pine bookshelf, a set of encyclopedia, same style set I had as a kid ( ok.. so it';s dated info.. but good for memory lane! ), also picke dup a very HD roll around steel cart. was so HD and heavy that I thought I hearniated soemthing putting it in the back of my truck. also picked up a size-large student desk.. the kind with an attached chair and wrap around desk top. will make a great lil detail work bench for me to set down and work on detail stuff close to my face where I can actually still see it.

lastly.. they had a pile of old ( 12ys or so ) computers and stuff by the dumpster. stuff with no value, and another pile of newer ups units there too. all with bad batteries.

they let me have all the plug in cords off the computers, and I took all the backup units.. must have been 8 or 9 of them. I plugged in a few.. most just gave battery indicators. I actually hooked one up to my spare truck battery and it ran...

I use these to make farmyard inverters out of.. or if noting else spike protectors.

if I run across some truly dead, I'll cut that heavy 6' cord the size of my finger off and use as a donor.

all the bats are bad, I'll give them to our bat recycler.

good score!

soundguy