I don't get it. Whenever I look at a corded tool at amazon, I see that people are buying the tool with a cable with an incorrect gauge. Here is an example:
In this example a 13A mower is "frequently bought" with a Gauge 16 cable. Gauge 16 cables are very clearly labeled as maxing out at 10A. Especially for a 100-ft long extension cord, at least a Gauge 14 cord is needed.
Are so many buyers clueless, or are the guidelines to use a Gauge 14 cable with 13A device (for a 100-ft extension) overly conservative and one can get away with a Gauge 16 cable?
Best Answer
Many buyers clueless. Guidelines for extension cord wire size are only adequate for connected equipment and not conservative.
With an undersized cord for the load:
(1) The voltage supplied to a motor will be more than 10% below nominal, causing motor overheating and premature winding failure;
(2) The cord will run hot causing the cord insulation to fail prematurely;
(3) The manufacturer warranties of both equipment and cord will be void (if they know what happened);
However, if the utility supplies voltage at the high end of nominal (122v) and the mower is never used to cut thick grass then one will probably get away with using a #16 cord. The #16 cord is cheaper and less weight to haul around in the yard. Besides, someone is probably going to accidentally drive the mower over the cord in a couple of months chopping the cord to little bits...