I’ve been in the market for a couple of extension cords – a 25-footer in 14/3, and a 50-footer in 12/3. Both should be capable of handling 15A tools if needed.
My criteria was simple. The cords should be rated for indoor/outdoor use, they should be rated for cold weather use, and they should be made in the USA.
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I came across plenty of suitable cords, but that USA-made criteria was tricky.
Over at the wholesale club, I came across some nice US Wire extension cords. 100 footers, which was more than I needed, and 14 gauge, which meant reduced max current load of about 13A.
I looked online, at Amazon, and the US Wire extension cords were said to be made “in the USA or China,” with some reviewers complaining that they received imported cords.
I came across USA-made Husky and Ridgid extension cords at Home Depot, but not all were made in the USA, and I found the prices to be a little high. $69 for a 50 foot 12 gauge cord? That seemed a little high.
So then I looked at alternative products, such hose reels, and other brands of extension cords.
After a couple of disappointing searches on Amazon and other retailers’ sites, as well as Google, I came across Flexzilla extension cords.
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Here’s what they offered:
- Bright green jacketing
- Lighting plugs
- Glow in the dark stripe
- Rated for -58°F to 167°F operation
- Flexible jacketing
- Abrasion-resistant
- Made in USA
Their 25-foot 14 gauge and 50-foot 12 gauge cords can handle 15A loads.
The prices were quite decent too – $20 for the 25-footer, $43 and change for the 50-footer.
Both cords arrived today from Amazon, and they appear to be as heavy duty as promised. And yes, they’re marked as being made in the USA. Hopefully they’ll hold up as well as promised.
There are a few other brands that make extension cords in the USA, but I had difficulty finding a sure thing, with the features I wanted, and at a price I liked.
It’ll be a while before I know whether this was a good purchase or not. Will the cord ends separate? Will the cords kink? Will the jacketing crack after a few uses in cold weather? Or will they serve me well for years and years?
I’m inclined to trust that I made the right choice, and that these Flexzilla extension cords will serve me well.
I feel a little weird, thinking that maybe I was overthinking things, and that I should have just picked a brand name and ignored the country of origin, wherever the cords came from.
If I wasn’t adamant about sourcing 15A-rated cords, I might have went with the Amazon Basics extension cords I previously wrote about. $15 for a 50-foot cord is pretty darned good. But I really wanted the bump-up from 16 gauge to 12 gauge for the 50 footer, plus the cold weather flexibility.
About wire gauge – I read on a few packages that a 50-foot 14 gauge cord should be able to handle 15A loads as well. Even so, I wanted the bump up to 12 gauge. I wish I could tell you there’s a firm reason as to why. Maybe because I think it’ll be more durable?
If you have used Flexzilla extension cords before, what do you think of them? Flexzilla also makes a lot of air hoses.
Buy Now(14 Gauge)
Buy Now(12 Gauge)
See More(via Amazon)
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Steve
Can you recommend an extension cord reel?
Stuart
No, but I’ve been looking at one by Alert Stamping:
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007JQAVFC/?tag=toolguyd-20
It’s a little short, but rated to 15A and has decent reviews. They make others with longer cords and more features.
A lot of other brands’ reels had atrocious user reviews, with mention of low current breakers, poor quality cords, broken springs.
Keith
That’s the exact one I’ve had in my cart for eons. I know I can get the Bayco SL-801 from Zoro on one of their 25% off days for ~$30, but I’ve heard the cord is too long for the housing, and the craptastic reviews for their other models leaves a bad taste in my mouth. I know firsthand the frustrations with a reel that won’t, well…reel!
For a timeless, unchanging design that is likely to last a lifetime, I believe I’ll pony up the extra $35, pull the trigger on that Alert Stamping, and save myself from headaches that a cord reel is supposed to alleviate.
Stuart
With something like a cord reel, you’ll forget about the price really quickly, but shoddy quality will haunt you every time you use it, or for a while until you spend again to upgrade.
Steve
Thanks.
Drew M
I should add a cord reel right next to the door on my garage. I’ll have to bookmark that model and grab it if it goes on sale.
We also have a few reels where I work and sadly, they mainly get used to bring power to places that we should have permanent outlets installed but getting work like that done is difficult.
Mike aka Fazzman
Flexzilla makes a cord reel with a 3 tap plug. Its on Amazon.
Drew M
… but it’s only 14awg.
Eric
Steve, Stuart, and Keith,
I just finished researching extension cord reels to ceiling mount for my garage. Typical uses will include the table saw, miter saw, shop vac, jigsaw, and power washer. Potentially also snow blower (if Ego fails to commercialize one this upcoming fall).
I was originally hoping to purchase the Flexzilla ZillaReel, but found out that it was not a heavy enough gauge to cover 15 amp tools (e.g. table saw, power washer) and the circuit breaker was in the wrong location for ceiling mounting.
Here is the best solution I could find:
General Manufacturing 2200-3015V – Mid Size Reel – Triple Outlet With Circuit Breaker
http://www.tooldiscounter.com/ItemDisplay.cfm?lookup=GMI2200-3015V
http://www.saftlite.com/pmid-size-plastic-reel-with-50-cord-and-tri-tapp1062
SPECS:
================
Gauge: 12 –> many are only 14 gauge
(e.g. Flexzilla E8140503 ZillaReel 50′ Retractable Extension Cord Reel; http://www.amazon.com/Flexzilla-E8140503-ZillaReel-Retractable-Extension/dp/B00FI0MXSE)
Amps: 15 –> most are 10 to 13 amps
(e.g. Flexzilla E8140503 ZillaReel 50′ Retractable Extension Cord Reel; http://www.amazon.com/Flexzilla-E8140503-ZillaReel-Retractable-Extension/dp/B00FI0MXSE)
Outlets: 3 –> many are only single outlet
Length: 50 ft –> General Manufacturing does not make a 100 ft version
Circuit Breaker: Yes
Circuit Breaker Location: In-Line –> many are on housing; problem for ceiling mount, as you would have to climb a ladder to reset (e.g. Flexzilla E8140503 ZillaReel 50′ Retractable Extension Cord Reel; http://www.amazon.com/Flexzilla-E8140503-ZillaReel-Retractable-Extension/dp/B00FI0MXSE)
Mounting: Steel
Swivels: Yes* –> only 1 axis
Color: Bright Yellow –> good visibility; differentiates from Flexzilla if using for air hoses
Made in USA: Bluffton, IN (need to confirm; I believe the Stubby II is made here; not sure on other products)
================
Anybody know of something better out there for garage ceiling mounting?
Keith
Now that’s a quality looking reel. My garage is small enough not to require anything over 20ft, and I’d imagine the recoil spring on that would have to be pretty beefy to handle 50 feet of 12/3 cord. Although – it IS made in the USA, a big plus for me. Will research their warranty a bit more.
And plus, it’s only $40 more than the Alert Stamping, and much less than a Reelcraft, for example. For a lifetime product, that’s a small price jump. I’d hate to think I’d be in a one-car garage forever! Gotta future-proof the tools.
James
The Flexzilla extension cords are made by Cerro and I had thought they were exclusively sold through Menards. I have a 100′ 10/3, 50′ 12/3, and 3 25′ 14/3. I have had no issues with them and they are still very straight with no twists to them. The only thing they lack are locking ends. I have looked at the Cerro cords and they appear to be a bit more stiff.
I also have 4 of their hoses and they look just like the cords after they both get dirty on the job site. If you have enough stuff going on in a small area it can get confusing on what’s going where.
All in all it’s a great product.
Brian
Im sure you know it, but you can tie a simple half hitch in the ends before plugging them together. It will keep them connected no matter how hard you tug.
fred
Also available at Home Depot
http://www.homedepot.com/s/flexilla?NCNI-5
fred
Many of the Ridgid branded extension cords are also made by Cerro Wire (a Berkshire Hathaway company) The clue is the UPC starting with 048243
Jimmie
50ft of 12ga (solid) copper wire has a resistance of around 0.08 ohm at 25C
50ft of 14ga (solid) copper wire has a resistance of around 0.126 ohm at 25C
(resistance for stranded wire found in extension cords is a little higher at 60hz mains frequency but for a ballpark figure, we’ll stick with solid numbers. at higher frequencies, KHz range and above, stranded resistance is lower than solid resistance for a given wire gauge due to greater surface area and the skin effect)
So at 15A, the voltage drops will be 1.2V and 1.9V, respectively. Either will probably be probably fine.
Anybody have experience with Flexzilla cords? How flexible do their jackets remain at low temperatures?
Jimmie
“probably be probably” ? Jeez. It’s too early to type coherently.
James
I framed a deck 12′ in the air the first week of January. It was around 10 F windy enough we shouldn’t have worked on it and in the shade the whole time. Their cord was no different than it would be in the summer.
Nathan
If anything like their air hoses it’s excellent – atleast down to 20F. which is about as cold as it gets here. but they do take 120F very well too. (don’t get so soft as to break down or peel)
Why my cords die I would absolutely replace them with flexzilla. especially if made in USA.
Something I’ve not seen on an extension cord in a while. I bought mine direct from Southwire years and years ago – probably decade or more now.
DaveVB
“The bitterness of poor quality is remembered long after the sweetness of low price has faded from memory.”
Chance
Not sure why you had such a hard time finding a good quality made in USA cord. Around here I can’t walk into a Fleet Farm, Menards, or Acme tools and not stumble across a half dozen or more nice USA cords. I probably have 20 made in USA cords, all 12 gauge, 25′ – 100′, and almost all of them work great in the cold and have been very reliable. I have bought several lately and they are excellent in the cold and I paid less than you did for your cords.
Stuart
There’s no Acme, Menards, or Fleet Farm around here.
Adam
I chose 12 guage for my 50′ only because I didn’t want their to be the one time I run something t powerful and overheat the cord. Often their would be splitter at the end, so why chance not having enough juice.
After seeing the amount of electrical tape patches on the drywaller’s electrical cables, I know I will never under-buy. I also won’t understand why they didn’t go and buy the Dewalt drywall gun when I told them about it. With the amount of time I saw wasted in cord setup / rearranging / cleanup, they would have been paid for in days.
Jimmie
On the strength of the recommendations here and on Amazon, I think I’ll grab a couple. Can never have enough 25-foot cords…
Looks like Flexilla has a pretty highly-regarded line of garden hoses as well. Tempting.
Topic shift: How about pressure washer hoses? Anybody have recs for an honest-to-god flexible 4000psi 3/8″ hose?
Mark
Is it really the same jacket material as the air hose? I love the flexibility; hate how it picks up every bit of grime on the floor. The PVC and rubber hoses don’t seem to get near as dirty or at least they do a much better job of hiding it.
cody
Are.Yellow Jacket cords made in USA. Own several have always been happy
Chris
What about Carol Froghide cords?
Pricey, but US made and lifetime warranty. I used to work for a tool store, and the company rep would say you could cut the cord in half, send it in and you would get a new one back. No questions asked.
http://catalogs.generalcable.com/Viewer.aspx?docid=9bf6ad29-9519-4768-9e65-a436016e643e#?page=66
Stuart
This is the first time I’ve heard of the brand (thank you!). While they look great, they look to be above my needs, and certainly priced higher too. If I need a heavier duty solution, or develop the need for a daily use heavy duty extension cord, I’ll short-list that brand.
Chris
I do have a 100′ Froghide cord, and it is great, BTW.
A little heavy, but well worth it, and it does stay flexible in cold weather.
The ends are strong and won’t fray or get strained. I highly recommend this cord.
The only thing you have to worry about is either loosing it, or someone walking off with it…
Clayton
2 pack u.s. wire and cable 12/3 lighted end cords for 36.99 @ costco just saw them last week.
Stuart
BJ’S only had USA-made US wire 100 foot 14 gauge cord.
Shawn
I just purchased the US Wire (2 pack) lighted end cords 50ft, 12/3 at Costco. My Costco had them for $34.99. They are US Wire brand and this works out to $17.50 for a 50ft 12 gauge extension cord. That’s hard to beat at this price.
Shawn
The box shows that they are US Wire and Cable Model #74050PK2, so presumably two of these: http://www.amazon.com/US-Wire-74050-50-Foot-Extension/dp/B0020YHX0E , but a total cost $35 at Costco for the two cords.
Keith
Enco sells 12/3 and 10/3 US-made extension cords (WorkSmart, Coleman Cable) for a decent price; even better with a 20% off and free shipping code:
http://www.use-enco.com/CGI/INPDFF?PMPAGE=1060&PMCTLG=00
ex: 50ft of 12/3 CC for ~$36 shipped after code
Keith
Didn’t mean to reply to you. Oh well!
Clayton
Sorry forgot the length in the last post ,
2 -50 footers
William
Any idea why the 12g 100′ cord is roughly 2.5 times more than the 50′? I would have expected it to be around $70-80 based on the 14g cord pricing structure. If I wanted 100′ of cord I could just buy 2 separate 50′ 12g cords and come out $18 ahead of a single 100′ 12g. Plus, then I would have two cords instead of one!
Stuart
Right now, the 12g 100′ cord is sold by a 3rd party and not by Amazon. They might have bumped the price up to adjust for the higher shipping fee. Other than that, I’m out of guesses.
The 14g 50′ cord seems to be (temporarily?) reduced in price, leading to odd pricing there. The 50′ cord is way less than double the price of the 25′ cord.
Paul
Stuart, how have these extension cords been working out?
Ed
The Amazon description for the Flexilla 12/3 25 ft extension cord says “Made in the USA” but, on the same page, the section with Specs says the origin is Taiwan. Anyone know whether or not these are really made in the USA? I’ve gotten sick of buying low-quality Chinese imports. Maybe Taiwan makes better stuff than what I’ve been seeing from mainland China but I’d still rather buy stuff made here.
Stuart
Mine were labeled as USA made, but COO can always change.
Joe M (sparky)
fyi, don’t forget to factor in the number of feet of wire and gauge of wire from outlet to breaker box, 25 feet of #12 is a whole lot different that 100 feet of #14, 50 years of electrical work has taught me that.