What Extension Cord Is Needed For A Lawn Mower
Country notes What extension cord is needed for a trimmer or trimmer in the country. Calculation of the required cord length and power, cable marking. Reliable domestic and imported
How to choose an extension cord for a lawn mower: recommendations and tips
Gasoline technology, of course, is good for a summer residence, but the exhaust gases do not harmonize with the green riot of the surrounding nature. Electric cars, quiet and easy to operate, are just what is best for suburban estates. But on the site you cannot attach an outlet to each tree. A special extension cord is already required here. A lawn mower, trimmer, and any other gardening equipment requires an electrical supply that can provide the most powerful tool that is supposed to be used in a particular area.
Maximum power
There will be a little theory, but omitting Ohm’s law and “complex” calculations, we will be satisfied with empirical data, because our goal is just to understand how to choose an extension cord for a lawn mower, based on its power consumption.
Among the parameters of the cable, its cross section is important to us. The permissible overheating at the maximum transmitted power depends on it. Although the obtained value does not coincide with the passport data of a particular cable, in practice, the conductor cross-section in mm² is simply multiplied by 10 and this number is taken as the maximum permissible current. And the power in watts is already calculated by multiplying the voltage of the 220 volt network by the current in amperes. The result is a table like this:
- 0.75 mm² corresponds to 7.5 A, or 1650 W, for tools up to 1.5 kW with a small margin.
- 1.0 mm² corresponds to 10 A, or 2200 W, up to 2.5 kW with a margin.
- 1.5 mm² corresponds to 15 A, or 3600 W, up to 3.5 kW with a margin.
- 2.5 mm² corresponds to 25 A, or 5500 W, up to 5.5 kW with a large margin.
Design of plugs and sockets, their number
The design of the plug and socket can be selected with or without grounding. At the same time, it will be difficult or impossible to insert the plugs of Soviet electrical appliances into the version with grounding contacts and deep sockets. To connect not too powerful household appliances (up to 1 kW), the version with shallow sockets will be universal.
Structurally, forks can be cast and collapsible.
Cast forks will last longer, and collapsible ones will be replaced faster. When choosing an extension cord, take into account the fact that specimens with collapsible plugs can often turn out to be counterfeit products, that is, the so-called samopal.
It is also important to choose the right degree of dust and moisture protection. For outdoor use, for example in a summer cottage for connecting a lawn mower or in a building for a welding machine, you must take into account the possible ingress of water droplets. In this case, you need to choose an extension cord with the highest possible degree of protection, it is marked as IPxx, where xx are digits and the larger they are, the more protected the device. In the photo below, you can see an example of a model with lockable sockets.
Sockets can be from 1 to 4. Less common are models with 5 or more sockets for connecting a plug. Do not buy a carrier with 4 outlets if you know for sure that you need it for a specific device and you will not connect anything else. In this way, it will last longer and be safer.
The presence of a power filter and a shutdown button
An important feature of using an extension cord for powering electronics is the presence of a power filter and a button for disconnecting from the network. A surge protector is a device for suppressing electromagnetic interference generated by your equipment on the mains supply. Their occurrence is due to the principle of operation of pulse converters and will not be considered within the framework of this article.
In addition to the filter, a varistor is installed in such devices, which protects the connected electronics from high-voltage surges and voltage surges, as well as a fuse and a button to turn off the power. It is convenient to use it by turning off the power to the equipment when you are not using it. This way you further reduce the risk of damage from power surges if you choose an extension cord with extra protection.
Section, length and type of cable
The main thing to check when choosing is what power or current the electrical extension cord can withstand. This information should be indicated on the packaging or determined by the product itself, now we will tell you more.
Sometimes people mistakenly believe that if an amperage of 16A is written on the outlet or plug, then the entire extension cord will withstand this current. Not a fact! To select the appropriate amperage, some electricians use rules such as:
10 A per 1 sq. Mm of conductor cross-section
And this works in most cases, albeit with slight deviations. That is, an electrical extension with a cross-sectional area of the cores:
- 0.75 sq. Mm. Suitable for 6 A;
- 1 sq. Mm. 10 A;
- 1.5 sq. Mm. 16 A;
Extension cords of large length (from 25 or 50 meters, including those made in the form of a coil) are made with a wire with a cross-section of TPZH of 2.5 sq. Mm. Firstly, to reduce losses, and secondly, to make the product more durable.
But for everyday tasks, such as connecting a washing machine or for a heater, it is enough to choose an extension cord 5-7 meters long with a cross-section of conductive conductors of 1.5 square meters. Mm.
An electric wire of the PVA brand is excellent for an extension cord. It has thick insulation, a circular cross-section, and a dielectric-filled gap between the conductors, which improves performance and resistance to damage. It bends well, but such a structure is quite dense and an electrical extension cord with 2.5 sq. Mm turns out to be quite heavy and voluminous.
Such a wire is great for assembling an extension cord with your own hands. Electricians often use a flat cord of the SHVVP brand. It does not have too thick insulation, in comparison with the previous example, however, it is quite suitable for laying and permanent work, while at a construction site it will quickly become unusable.
And for work in difficult conditions, it is better to choose an electric extension cord, which is made of KG cable.
The thicker the wire, the easier it will transfer mechanical stress. But its thickness does not guarantee the same thick veins. Cheap products do not have markings on the wire at all. Beware of them.
So, first of all, the choice of an extension cord occurs according to the power of the equipment that you will connect to it, and the distance from its installation to the nearest outlet.
Extension cord: which one to choose for carrying, self-winding for a lawn mower, which one is needed for a trimmer. What does a garden one consist of
Electric lawn mowers are good for everyone: they are lightweight, mobile, relatively inexpensive, productive and environmentally friendly.
The only big drawback of such devices is the dependence on the electrical network, which causes a lot of inconvenience if you need to process a spacious lawn in the absence of a sufficient number of connection points (sockets).
You can solve the problem with an extension cord. After reading the information below, you will learn how the lawn mower extension cord works, and you will receive recommendations for choosing the right device and its subsequent operation.
How to choose an extension cord
When choosing an extension cord designed for use in conjunction with an electric lawn mower for grass, you need to pay attention to a number of significant parameters and characteristics.
Firstly, choose the optimal extension length. At this point, focus on the size of your site. Additionally add a couple of meters “in reserve”.
You can use the following diagram to find the approximate length of the extension cord.
Given: rectangular section 20×30, i.E. Standard 6 ares.
Find the square of the diagonal of the plot by summing the squares of its sides. Next, you need to root out the resulting value to get the length of the diagonal. In the case of this section, it will be 36.06 m.
Nearest standard extension length. 40 m. We buy such a product. The stock will be used to compensate for turns, bends, etc. It is possible to round the estimated length downward only if the stationary sockets are installed in different corners of the structure located on the site.
In the case of trimmers, the recommended cable sizes are as follows:
- For a device with a power not exceeding 1.5 kW. 0.75 mm;
- 1.5-2 kW. 1 mm;
- 2 kW and more. 1.5 mm.
The cross-section of the extension cable for use with a lawn mower with a power of more than 2.5 kW must be at least 1.5 mm.
Thirdly, you need to resolve issues with the features of the grounding of the extension cord. If grounding is necessary (and its presence is highly recommended), buy a product that has the number “3” in the marking. As an example, we can consider the KG extension cable 3×1.5 mm from the popular Atlas brand.
Features of the extension cord on
Fourth, you need to select the appropriate extension cord design. As noted, such products can be made on a reel or in a coil. The first option is the most preferable. The second is used mainly on an industrial scale and allows you to connect more powerful equipment.
Fifth, it is necessary to take into account a number of general recommendations for choosing an extension cord for a lawn mower:
- The extension cord must be equipped with one rubberized socket. The presence of two or more sockets will create difficulties when connecting an electric lawn mower and will cause inconvenience in the process.
- For use in combination with lawn mowers, extension cords, the cord of which is colored orange, are best suited. These colors are simply more visible on the ground, thereby minimizing the chances of accidental cable damage and related problems.
- Due to the fact that lawn care works are carried out mainly in the warm season, it is preferable to choose an extension cord with a PVA wire for use in conjunction with an electric lawn mower.
- If the extension cord will be used not only in conjunction with a lawn mower, but also for various work in the cold season, give preference to models with KG wires.
Principle of operation
The principle of operation of an extension cord for a lawn mower for the end user is not much different from the mechanism of action of an ordinary network carrying: the device is plugged into an outlet, transferred to the required distance (unwound to the desired length), where the device is connected to it, in this case, a lawn mower.
In its turn, extension cords per spool are also classified into 2 groups. Representatives of the first category look like a coiled extension cable, one end of which is equipped with a molded socket. Directly the coil and plug are located at the other end, located at the point of connection to a fixed outlet.
This design is very convenient to use. The user does not need to carry the coil itself, it is enough to simply unwind the wire. Thanks to the features of the casing, unwinding and reeling of the cable is quick and effortless.
The second type of reel extension is noticeably different from the model discussed above: here the coil is equipped with multiple sockets, allowing more than one device to be connected at the same time.
For use in combination with electric lawn mowers AL-KO, Gardena, Stig, Bosch Rotak 32, Stihl, Makita, Champion, reel extension cords of the first group are best suited, because for safety reasons, it is strongly discouraged to move the coil away from a fixed outlet.
Along with this, models are available for sale, made in a waterproof case. If possible, use just such an extension cord for a lawn mower on a reel.