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Is Welding Cable The Same Thing As Starter Battery Cable, Please?


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I need to buy some 35mm starter battery cable to make up a number of high current leads.

 

Looking at e-Bay, some outlets are selling welding cable as if it is the same spec as starter battery cable.

 

Example here

 

On the whole the stuff being sold in this way often seems significantly cheaper.

 

So is it the same stuff or not? Same number and thickness of strands? Same insulation, etc?

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I need to buy some 35mm starter battery cable to make up a number of high current leads.

 

Looking at e-Bay, some outlets are selling welding cable as if it is the same spec as starter battery cable.

 

Example here

 

On the whole the stuff being sold in this way often seems significantly cheaper.

 

So is it the same stuff or not? Same number and thickness of strands? Same insulation, etc?

All the starter battery and associated wiring on my boat is in 70mm sq welding cable. Still going strong after nearly 14 years. Welding cable is just extremely flexible cable with many strands. I have heard it argued that welding cable (and tri rated cable) has too many strands for the boat job, but both types have been fine on my boat. Would definitely use welding cable again. Having seen how some welders treat their cables, I am sure it will be fine on a canal boat!

Edited by Guest
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Colour is the only down side IMO if the size is right

 

Its also available in red, but now I look, at that particular supplier red is a lot more expensive than black.

 

Maybe not such a saving if you want both colours then!

Edited by alan_fincher
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Its also available in red, but now I look, at that particular supplier red is a lot more expensive than black.

 

Maybe not such a saving if you want both colours then!

If you are happy to put coloured sleeves at the end and part way along not a problem, that is a personal choice.

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The BMEEA code of practice and ISO 10133 recomend the use I tri rated cable for starter motor and alternator cables, of which 35mm would definately be to small for the starter motor. Welding cable is perfectly acceptable. Hope that helps.

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...................of which 35mm would definately be to small for the starter motor.

 

I didn't actually say it was for the starter motor, (it isn't, in this case).

 

But I would have thought many starter motors on boats are wired with nothing bigger than 35mm?

 

It seems to be good for 240 amps, and the two starter motors I have put a clamp meter on use less than that to crank, so why "definitely to small", please?

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I'm not qualified to say with certainty but in my limited experience welding cable has a core identical to battery cable but the insulation is far more flexible and given it's intended use, probably far more durable too.

 

I strongly recommend buying a terminal crimper from ebay and a stock of terminals so you can make up your own leads at will. I've always found it impossible to accurately predict the number, length and colour of all the cables you need until you get started on the work.


Oh and a stock of heat shrink sleeving too. If you get both red and black you can use exclusively black cable. Shrink it on with judicious use of a blowlamp if you don't have a heat gun (or 240v power supply for it).

  • Greenie 1
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Well most people selling 35mm cable are quoting 240 amp (or more), but it's not an issue for my intended use, as I'm looking to upgrade some existing cabling that will never carry anything like that. The existing cable is definitely on the thin side, and that is all I'm out to solve. Even if it were 178 amps, that is more than I need.

My question wasn't intended to be "will 35mm cable be suitable for my use", as I'm confident it will be. I was simply interested if there are any downsides in using something principally being marketed as "welding cable" in lieu of something only claiming to be battery cable. the answers so far would seem to indicate it will be absolutely fine, and if it is rather more flexible that will be a plus point for some of what I want to use it for.

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I strongly recommend buying a terminal crimper from ebay and a stock of terminals so you can make up your own leads at will. I've always found it impossible to accurately predict the number, length and colour of all the cables you need until you get started on the work.

 

Oh and a stock of heat shrink sleeving too. If you get both red and black you can use exclusively black cable. Shrink it on with judicious use of a blowlamp if you don't have a heat gun (or 240v power supply for it).

 

Yes, I have hydraulic crimpers, although my e-bay purchase doesn't seem to make 25mm crimps tight enough, and I actually have to go for the next set of dies that is smaller than that. I thought it was me, but someone from a well known boat yard told me today they had experienced exactly the same.

 

I find the heat shrink I currently have will work fine with no more that a very gentle flame from a basic Poundland gas lighter. It doesn't seem to need a lot of heat.

 

I'm quite comfortable doing all this stuff, as well as correctly sizing cables - it is the "welding cable" distinction (if any) that interested me.

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Yes, I have hydraulic crimpers, although my e-bay purchase doesn't seem to make 25mm crimps tight enough, and I actually have to go for the next set of dies that is smaller than that. I thought it was me, but someone from a well known boat yard told me today they had experienced exactly the same.

 

Hmmm I probably have the same hydraulic crimper as you then, as I've found exactly the same. I'm using the 25mm2 die set for 35mm2 terminals and cable.

Black and yellow crimper in bright yellow case from ebay, £17. Yes?!k

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Hmmm I probably have the same hydraulic crimper as you then, as I've found exactly the same. I'm using the 25mm2 die set for 35mm2 terminals and cable.

Black and yellow crimper in bright yellow case from ebay, £17. Yes?!k

 

Yes - probably more than that when I bought them though - they have got cheaper, I think.

 

Next die size down from 25mm is actually 16mm, so not ideal on 25mm crimps, but it seems to work fine. Fully compressed the 25mm die often has not fully clamped the cable. I've not done any 35mm yet, but it sounds like I can expect the same problem when I do!

 

Someone will now say "avoid that make, they are crap!".

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Avoid that make, they are crap.

 

Most other crimpers seem to use a cone that is pressed into the terminal sleeve to make an indentation that supposedly grips the conductor. This seems a bodge to me but maybe it works. I prefer the 'hexagon' shape formed by the hydraulical tools :)

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I discovered a neat trick whilst making up some 50sqmm cables today. I was cutting the cable using some long-handled pruning loppers, which work quite well, but do tend to chew up the ends of the strands. Cutting the the cable with a hacksaw tends to have the same effect. If the cut end of the cable has bent strands, it can be really difficult to get the cable into the crimp.

 

To overcome this, first use a pair of pliers to roughly straighten all the bent strands. This will leave you with a set of straight copper strands that are not parallel, they splay out since the strands have been disturbed. Now, take a nylon cable tie and pull it tight around the copper, next to end of the insulation, then slide the cable tie towards the end of the cable, pulling the splayed strands back together. Stop just before the end. Now it will be easy to push the crimp on, and as it slides down it will push the cable tie back towards the insulation. Cut the cable tie off and push the crimp the last few mm to the insulation and then crimp as usual.

 

Cheers,

 

MP.

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I discovered a neat trick whilst making up some 50sqmm cables today. I was cutting the cable using some long-handled pruning loppers, which work quite well, but do tend to chew up the ends of the strands. Cutting the the cable with a hacksaw tends to have the same effect. If the cut end of the cable has bent strands, it can be really difficult to get the cable into the crimp.

 

To overcome this, first use a pair of pliers to roughly straighten all the bent strands. This will leave you with a set of straight copper strands that are not parallel, they splay out since the strands have been disturbed. Now, take a nylon cable tie and pull it tight around the copper, next to end of the insulation, then slide the cable tie towards the end of the cable, pulling the splayed strands back together. Stop just before the end. Now it will be easy to push the crimp on, and as it slides down it will push the cable tie back towards the insulation. Cut the cable tie off and push the crimp the last few mm to the insulation and then crimp as usual.

 

Cheers,

 

MP.

Neat trick ;)

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Its also available in red, but now I look, at that particular supplier red is a lot more expensive than black.

 

Maybe not such a saving if you want both colours then!

As others have said more in number of thinner strands of copper core. Buy the black if cheaper & slide a couple of red lengths or other colours to suit you 2" or so of heat shrink on each end of the + lead/s or more if you require

Edited by X Alan W
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Yes its fine to use. I'd just buy 1 colour and use the coloured sleeves at the ends. The yellow crimping tool someone posted for £17 is great I have that exact one and I also have another more expensive brand that cost £100+ and they are identical...

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We used to use multiple paralleled 70MM2 Wending cables to connect 415 volt, 3 phase, mobile generators to telephone exchanges.

 

As others have said it is extremely flexible compared to normal cable due to the many small strands of copper.

 

Therefore it is eminently suitable for 12 volt purposes.

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Hmmm I probably have the same hydraulic crimper as you then, as I've found exactly the same. I'm using the 25mm2 die set for 35mm2 terminals and cable.

Black and yellow crimper in bright yellow case from ebay, £17. Yes?!k

Do we all have one then

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