# Is there a such thing as a 220 volt extension cord?



## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

Is there a such thing as a 100ft 220 volt extension cord? and would it work in my dryer plug? To run my 3hp Unisaw.


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## GT350 (Dec 22, 2012)

I have never seen a long extension cord made with 220v plugs on it. You can take a regular cord and put 220v cord caps on it. I would get a little larger gauge than the minimum size though.
Mike


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## Built2Last (Nov 17, 2008)

Usually best to make your own. Buy the male and female dryer ends and 100' of 10-2 with ground wire. or you can just use the female end and wire it into your breaker box.


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## RonInOhio (Jul 23, 2010)

I'm not aware of any over 12' but I have heard of people running 220 well pumps 
with cords as long as 100 feet. It depends on the wire gauge of your 30 amp circuit and
the gauge of your extension cord and the motor size on the Unisaw.

I know someone who said he could run a 100 ft. 220 extension cord and stay within limits
as long as the wire diameter on the extension cord was 8 gauge.

Of course, I'm not an expert. Just passing along what I heard.


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## RogerC (Dec 20, 2011)

you can put whatever plug on the end of a cord that you want. At this Length and power requirment I would say you would need a GOOD 12AWG cord. Not just the cheapest peice of ******************** out there. I'm sure you could buy a 220v cord. Or I'd just goto an electrical supplier and buy 100' of 12-3 cord and ask for a male and female 220v cord cap


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## RogerC (Dec 20, 2011)

Depending on how much that motor actually draws you may want a 10-3 cord


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

Could I just buy a 220 volt cord pre made?


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## lew (Feb 13, 2008)

+1 for Roger. 100 feet- 10/3 w ground. Buy the plug and receptacle- it will be cheaper to make your own.


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Why do feel you need a 100' long 220 volt extension cord? No power to shop? Jobsite use?? Many here know a great deal about electrical and might be to help with any of the above.


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## RockyTopScott (Nov 16, 2008)

Why not 10/2? This is what I use.


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## AandCstyle (Mar 21, 2012)

Curious, apparently you didn't like the answers you got on another site, so asked the question here and are getting the same answers. Maybe you should ask the same question again on another site. lol


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## Dal300 (Aug 4, 2011)

50 amp RV cords are generally made from 6/3 SJOO. They come in 25', 35', 50' and 100' lengths.

Just be aware that you'll be paying a premium. I have a brand new 35' and it was $215.


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## doyoulikegumwood (Jun 21, 2007)

10/2 will not work you nee 2 hots a neutral and a ground. I would go with 8/3 personal NEC calls for 10/3 for runs up to 150 feet. this will be an extension cord so you want to factor in the run from the panel to the outlet and the cord from the tool as well. 10/2 no longer meets NEC standerds. im a fan of twist lock conector for the ends. just be aware the is not going to be cheap no mater witch way you go rv cords are a poor choice for it would be over kill and 10/3 or 10/4 cable is about 250 bucks for 150 foot roll. while i would say 8/3 is the way to go i think you would fine with 10/3 or 4 if you find your under 150. btw i keep saying 10/3 or 4 because cord which is what you want is often sold as 10/4 rather then 10/3. ultimately you need the cord to have 4 wires.


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## RockyTopScott (Nov 16, 2008)

If the plug from the saw has 3 wires including the ground, why do you need the neutral?


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

For the same reason your airplane seat has a life preserver under it, regulations… (laughing)


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## doyoulikegumwood (Jun 21, 2007)

thanks wood butcher stole the words right out of my mouth.


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## oxyoke (Dec 15, 2011)

10-2 what rocky said


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## Grandpa (Jan 28, 2011)

I ran welders on a 200' cord with 3-10 ga stranded conductors in it. Nothing ever burned up. The thing with a drop cord is you run it in the open air and not inside a wall where it will heat up as much. Also remember that stranded conductors will carry more amps than solid conductors. you can make it cheaper than you can buy it in this case…..I think. go check some prices. get good plugs so they will also carry the amps. Simple to make.


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## doyoulikegumwood (Jun 21, 2007)

hears the only thing with 10-2 charles will have a hard time finding it in cord form. using 10-2 romex to make a cord is bad chicken just sayin. if you have a electrical supply in you area you can get it there but most home centers no longer carry it because it no longer meets code. either way its way cheaper to make it then to buy one pre made.


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## WhoMe (Jul 9, 2009)

As Dallas said, there are 50A and 30A RV extension cords. Although I have never seen a 100' one, I am sure they make one. The most common are 50', 25' and shorter ones. But, the RV cords are HEAVY with that 6GA wire and are a more than 1" in Dia and they are expensive. Heck, Copper is just getting bleeding expensive. I am sure you can save money by buying the length of cable and putting ends on it versus a pre made cable. BTW, Look on Amazon for the RV cords. That will give you some idea on prices. Minus shipping

You need to consult a table that identifies what gauge wire you need per what current you want to flow and how long it is. If you go to Home Depot/Lowes or any other big box store and look at their bulk wire area you can look at the table to see what you need.

Remember, the longer the distance, the more resistance in the copper, the more loss there is. That is why with longer cords, they increase in thickness (lower gauge number) to offset the losses with larger diameter copper.

So, you really need to figure out how much current you want to supply at the end and then determine how thick that cable needs to be.


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## RockyTopScott (Nov 16, 2008)

I got my 10/2 cut to length at BORG..and the plugs and it works find. Also 8/2 for my 5 hp PM2000 With twist lock plugs.


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## GT350 (Dec 22, 2012)

Keep in mind when you are sizing the wire that your saw is a motor load and that is different than a load such as a heater. On startup a motor will draw 2 or 3 times the rated amperage for a very short period of time. If you size it too small you may have problems starting.
Mike


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## madts (Dec 30, 2011)

Sail boats in marinas use these all the time for shore power. Just different plugs.


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

I make my own. There are a bunch of common fittings for 220v
plugs so it makes sense. 110v is way more standardized.


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## bladedust (Mar 12, 2012)

Home Depot sells them in 6' & 12' lengths. Needed one for my bandsaw


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## nwbusa (Feb 21, 2012)

I make my own as well, although mine are in the 15-20 foot range, not 100'. It's pretty easy to wire up an extension cord.


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## mattg (May 6, 2008)

Charles, here is a 50 footer I bought to use my 220v jointer.

http://www.praxairmidatlantic.com/gts-welco.aspx?pcid=88&ptid=1


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## JohnnyB (Nov 10, 2011)

Read your manual! The one from 2002 says you need a dedicated 20 Amp 220v time delay circuit breaker. In your breaker box it will probably be a pair of 120V breakers linked together. If your dryer circuit meets this spec, you can get the appropriate plug at your hardware store. This manual also says that 12/3 is sufficient for a 100 foot run. You can buy 100 feet of 12/3 power cable or a 100 foot 12/3 (or heavier) 120V extension cord and cut the connectors off. Buy the correct connector body to match the plug on your saw, and wire it up. Your dryer receptacle might have a Neutral wire, but it is not needed to run a single phase, 220v motor, unless your manual says otherwise. The ground conductor is essential for safety. It isn't rocket science, but if you have any doubts, have an electrician check your circuit and make up the extension cord. Read your manual!


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## Loren (May 30, 2008)

Keep in mind that over time, the rubber insulation
on heavier cords becomes brittle and cracks. A
long run of cord becomes costly to replace. You
can buy 3/12 cord and other formats by the foot
at Home Depot.

Hard wiring long runs is more economical in the
long run if you don't need flexibility.


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## runswithscissors (Nov 8, 2012)

Dryers and ranges use 3 wire (plus ground) because they have 110 v. components that require a neutral, such as motors (dryer) and clocks (range), as well as 220 v. stuff (ovens, burners, dryer heat). But this puzzles me: since any AC device can be manufactured to run on 220 v. (what do you think they use in Australia? And their outlets are 2 prong only, no ground whatsoever), why not make all the components of a range or dryer to operate on 220?

I have made a couple of 220 extension cords for my own use, though nothing as long as you need.


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## Brickman (Nov 28, 2011)

What you want to use is 10-3 SO rated cable and get the appropriate ends to make your own. SO cable is oil rated and has multi-stranded copper conductors so it is flexible and will not kink nearly as easily as solid copper. Some BORG's and most electrical supply houses sell it by the foot. It runs about a $1 per foot. Depending on when your house was built you will have either a 3 prong or 4 prong dryer cord. Your Unisaw will only use two hot wires and a ground as there will be no neutral on a 220v circuit. The cable will have a black, white, and green wire. The black and white will be the hot conductors and the green will be the ground.

Make sure you are knowledgeable about working with electricity. By doing this incorrectly you could make the surface of the table saw electrically "hot" if you mix up the wires and that could be fatal. You would hope the breaker would trip in this situation but they do not always do so. Be safe and if in doubt consult an electrician.


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## Beginningwoodworker (May 5, 2008)

Thanks guys I have something to think about.


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## kizerpea (Dec 2, 2011)

lowes got em…...RVs use 220 volt cords $$$$$$ to plug in at camp sites


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## woodbutcherbynight (Oct 21, 2011)

Has anyone wondered why the US adopted 110-120 volts as a standard?? Look it up it will make you laugh…


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## mking1 (Jan 11, 2011)

What Brickman said is correct. The only thing I'd add is a 3hp 220v motor will need a 20a breaker and the correct male and female plug (the funny looking ones that have one vertical and one horizontal pin made for 20a) ends all are available at Home Depot and the other Big Box stores.


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## RichClark (Jan 3, 2009)

Why not spend the silver and get a 30amp breaker and then run the box to where ya need it?


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## srzsrz (Apr 15, 2013)

The heating elements in US electric clothes dryers run on 220V, but other components (clocks, fans, what have you) often run on 110V.

Why can they not run the other components on 220V? My guess is that they are trying to save cost by sharing components between the gas and electric models of the same appliance. But whatever the reason is, it's commonly done.

Now if you have a dryer that needs both 220V and 110V, you're going to need to give it two hot wires and one neutral. It can then take the 220V from across the two hots and the 110V from between one of the hots and neutral. And you also want a ground, for safety.

But in the past, people often had dryer outlets with only three prongs: two hots, and a wire that sorta kinda acted as both neutral and ground. It was connected inside the dryer to the neutral terminal and the case.

Connecting neutral to ground anywhere except at the main panel, or simply using neutral as ground, violates the NEC and all that is holy. But in the past, it was allowed for dryer circuits. And it did work.

Was it unsafe? Even though neutral is hooked up to ground at the panel, neutral and ground are not at the same potential all around your house. If the neutral is carrying I amps and there's R resistance between where you are and the panel, then neutral where you are is actually at I*R volts. If we go hooking up metal things you want to be able to safely touch to a wire that, while it is ultimately connected to ground, also carries current and has resistance, then these metal things are going to have a voltage on them. Ouch!

The reason this was long considered not a big deal is because the components of a dryer that use 110V typically use very little of it, so the current was small, so the potential of the dryer case wasn't that big. Sort of. Hopefully.

Anyway. Does all this mean that you necessarily need to run four wires to your table saw? Only if it actually needs both 110V and 220V, like a dryer. If it only needs 220V, it's perfectly safe to run three wires, but if you are going to have other appliances on the same circuit, be sure that you run two hots and ground, not two hots and neutral.


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## LeafGuard (Oct 7, 2013)

Yes I know for a fact their is I have one for sale right now! $50.00 317 546 0600


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## shawnmasterson (Jan 24, 2013)

lowes has a generator cord, but when you figure out the price for the wire and plugs I think it was cheaper to buy buy the pieces than the cord.


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## crank49 (Apr 7, 2010)

Ya'll do know this thread is 6 months old don't you.


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## tefinn (Sep 23, 2011)

Crank, I think LeafGuard signed up just to sell his cord! LOL


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## Loco (Aug 11, 2013)

I've run a Miller dial arc at 200 feet on a 50 amp breaker.10/3. Nothing got hot(other than what I was welding). I dunno chit about elec-juice-tricity.


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## RPhillips (May 16, 2013)

What Brickman said is correct and probably the best advice I've read. I was a card carrying electrician (but since switched line of work) so I do have knowledge in this area, but I am no expert and if you want the cold hard facts, purchase a NEC code book.

Just make sure that if you use the 30amp dryer receptacle that you size the wire correctly, you can not use #12 wire on a 30 amp source. I believe the 10/3 SO would be your best bet and you can get it from HD or Lowes along with the correct connectors.

Dang it Crank, why didn't I read your post before responding… lol

*"this post is 6 months old" *


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## moke (Oct 19, 2010)

I have several cords that I made myself…as Loren said there are many different configurations of plugs. we have an outdoor kitchen for parties and such and I bought a commercial deep fat fryer. I use a 40' cable that I also use for other applications (tools) and I just made a 1 foot adapter that I built for the fryer. Be prepared for a little pucker. 10/3 is big bucks. I think I have more than a hundred dollars in the cord and adapter for the fryer. 
Mike


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