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Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Welding lead getting cheaper?
- - By Robert48 (**) Date 05-03-2011 02:01
By cheaper I mean cheaper made for an increased price. A guy at the welding supply showed me a roll of 1/0 they just got in today. It was marked the same as the old roll he had from the last order but the new was about the size of #1. The new #1 was about the size of old #2. I could visibly see the amount of copper was less in this stuff. How can they do this without chamging the amp rating. By the way this was excelene cable.
Parent - By DaveBoyer (*****) Date 05-03-2011 03:15
Check the strand size & strand count. It may be made from larger strands, but fewer of them, ad "look" like a smaller bundle, but have the same amp capacity and technically be the same wire gage.

Modern cable does not have nearly as thick a rubber coating as the old stuff, so the OD of the cable over the insulation is much smaller.
Parent - - By FixaLinc (****) Date 05-03-2011 15:07
Made in china ?
Parent - - By Caleb C. (**) Date 05-03-2011 15:14
All the Excelene cable I have ever seen was made here in the States.
Parent - - By awspartb (***) Date 05-04-2011 00:47
Walmart sells Excelene #1  so it's GOT TO BE GOOD!

Walmart lists country of origin as 'USA and/or Imported'.  I guess that means either or??  Ho Hah!

Model No.: 304-1-250-Y
Shipping Weight (in pounds): 0.32 
Assembled in Country of Origin: USA and/or Imported
Origin of Components: USA and/or Imported

http://www.walmart.com/ip/Anchor-Colored-Welding-Cables-Excelene-1-Welding-Cable-250-Feet-Yellow-304-1-250-Y-excelene-1-welding-cable-250-feet-yellow-Set-of-250/15636939
Parent - By Caleb C. (**) Date 05-04-2011 01:00
They will also sell you a new 300d or Vantage. Evidently they "must be good". Look it up smartass.

Caleb.
Parent - - By Johnny Walker (***) Date 05-04-2011 02:23
Part bs must be outa forum jail lol
Parent - By Caleb C. (**) Date 05-04-2011 02:32
I guess so...I think I hear someones ankle bracelet beeping already lol.
Parent - - By FixaLinc (****) Date 05-04-2011 18:53
Waldo world sells nothing but pure communist CRAP !   You must work there now ?  They sell meat and food that some how is exempt from USDA dept of ag inspections here and has origins from other countries that aren't inspected for meat and food safety.  Other things they sell just because it says made here is usually NOT.  It's know they do it in china and mexico putting made in America and Made in USA stickers and tags on stuff made there NOT here and NOT supporting jobs and economy here !
Parent - - By Caleb C. (**) Date 05-04-2011 20:40
No I damn sure don't work there. Believe me I can't stand the place either. My appolagies if you got irked by my comment about being able to buy a Lincoln engine-drive at wal-mart (hard to imagine anyone would order one from them but I guess it happens).

Caleb
Parent - - By FixaLinc (****) Date 05-05-2011 15:10
Asking Mr. BS if he worked there not you lol.  Go price welders there online they are way over Lincoln's list price.
Parent - By Caleb C. (**) Date 05-05-2011 17:52
Ahh gotcha...My bad fixalinc lol. And yeah they are high, can't imagine the sell many, but who knows there are some pretty slow
people out there! 

Caleb
Parent - - By RonG (****) Date 05-03-2011 16:39
If it's smaller (by standards) than what it's tagged, some one messed up or they are trying to rip you off. The standards have not changed lately. Measure it and check it against the standard.
Parent - - By rlitman (***) Date 05-03-2011 20:24
Wire gauge hasn't changed in our lifetimes.
A given wire gauge will have the same total cross sectional area of copper, and the same weight of copper per foot, even if the diameter varies.  I.E. a solid copper wire will be smaller in diameter than a stranded wire of the same gauge.  If the weight of copper per foot is less for the same gauge, you're being ripped off.
Yes, insulation thickness varies between manufacturer, insulation type and batch.
I just installed some 2/0 19 strand copper cable as a ground here at work, and it doesn't look much thicker than my #2 copper welding cable, because that has well over 100 strands (so there is more airspace in the middle) and thick rubber insulation (versus the thin plastic on the THHN).
Parent - - By Robert48 (**) Date 05-04-2011 01:01
I have to go in to pick up a torch in a day or two. I will take a mic in and check it out. I guess what concerned me was it has the same part number and specs printed on it as the older cable but clearly looks to contain less copper. I have some ultr-flex and understand how it is made and why it is smaller but don't think they are using that high quality method to produce cable marketed as standard grade.
Parent - - By Northweldor (***) Date 05-04-2011 12:22
Given the info above, I think you also need a scale and small piece of non-suspect cable.
Parent - - By Skaggydog (**) Date 05-04-2011 16:32
The new leads are for the new welding machines that put the amps out a little weaker.
Parent - By RonG (****) Date 05-04-2011 19:21
Yea they just shaved a few Joule's off and call it good. You'll need to put a Coulomb meter on it to know for sure ;-).
Up Topic Welding Industry / General Welding Discussion / Welding lead getting cheaper?

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