My Ariens snowblower engine manual has this to say about using an extension cord for electric start:
Use appropriately
sized extension cord (a minimum of 16 gage, 3-wire, 13 amp, no longer that 25 feet, and suitable for outdoor use) to prevent damage to electric starter.
I would have thought that, at the end of the day, the only thing that matters (apart from the "outdoors qualified") is the amp capacity of the cord.
I have a 3-wire cord rated for 15 amps, but it's a lot longer than 25 feet. Can I use it in this instance?
Best Answer
(note: this post assumes that by "gauge" you mean AWG)
I expect the biggest issue with longer leads is likely to be volt drop, especially during startup when motors can draw substantially more than their normal running current. Volt drop during startup may cause slower startup or even failure to start which in turn can lead to overheating.
I would suggest that if you need to use a longer cord you should aim to keep the resistance of the cord no greater than that of the cord the manufacturer recommends. So if you double the length you should also double the cross sectional area (which in american terms seems to translate to reducing the AWG number by 3).