Where to get AWG 8 and 10 stranded wire that has fine strands?

[Ample]

I'm in a mobile environment and accepted wisdom is that I need to use stranded and not solid cables due to vibration. Sounds reasonable.

I've been able to locate 18, 16, and 14 gauge wiring with fine strands. I use them for lower power stuff like LED puck lights.

For some slightly higher current situations (10A at 24 feet, 3% loss), online calculators say to use AWG 10 cable. I might want to go higher to AWG 8.

The trouble is, I haven't been able to find a source for AWG 8 and 10 with fine strands. The local big box orange-colored building supply store has "stranded" 8 and 10, but geez, the strands are so thick and stiff that they might as well be solid! I can't see that stuff being very good in a mobile environment.

Interestingly, larger size cable, AWG 2 and 4, is available with very fine strands. (The AWG 2 cable I used was "welding cable".)

Does anyone know where I can get AWG 8 and 10 with fine strands?

 

[Ampster]

Some marine grade wire has fine strands. Welding supply is another source.

 

[Jim Burrow]

any home depot, lowes Ace hardware stores. that's where I get all my wire. Even bought 3/0 wire for a different project.

 

[Airtime]

https://www.genuinedealz.com/

 

[Dzl]

Any marine supplier will carry quality 105*C fine stranded wire. A couple options:
Baymarinesupply.com
Genuinedealz.com
PKYS.com

 

[Airtime]

Any marine supplier will carry quality 105*C fine stranded wire. A couple options:
Baymarinesupply.com
Genuinedealz.com
PKYS.com

Agreed, I've bought from all three

 

[schmism]

S/O (s-oh) cord is fine strand wire (flexable) and comes in 16 to 6 awg at most big box stores.

 

[Zil]

Please use marine grade stranded wire. You will avoid future trouble. "Zip cord", that is sold as lamp cord, is inappropriate for dc circuits in a vehicle.

 

[HRTKD]

My experience buying wire from Home Depot is that they have no comparison to real welding wire. Their stuff is stiff and hard to work with, not fine strands at all.

I bought all my big wire directly from TEMCo.com. They shipped quickly and resolved the minor issue quickly. Their tech support was quick to respond. You can purchase the correct ring terminals/lugs from the same site. Many of their products are also available on Amazon.com. I am very satisfied with the quality of their wire, terminals and tools.

I purchased the following wire from them:
1/0 awg red and black, 25' each
1 awg red and black, 25' each
6 awg red and black 50' each
10 awg PV red and black 100' each

When you purchase ring terminals/lugs, be sure you check the size of the stud that the terminal will go on.

 

[Jim Burrow]

I

My experience buying wire from Home Depot is that they have no comparison to real welding wire. Their stuff is stiff and hard to work with, not fine strands at all.

I bought all my big wire directly from TEMCo.com. They shipped quickly and resolved the minor issue quickly. Their tech support was quick to respond. You can purchase the correct ring terminals/lugs from the same site. Many of their products are also available on Amazon.com. I am very satisfied with the quality of their wire, terminals and tools.

I purchased the following wire from them:
1/0 awg red and black, 25' each
1 awg red and black, 25' each
6 awg red and black 50' each
10 awg PV red and black 100' each

When you purchase ring terminals/lugs, be sure you check the size of the stud that the terminal will go on.

I don't know about cars and your right, the wire at Home depot and others is stiff. But the code at least in my area for homes has to be THHN wire which of course is stuff and hard to work with especially the 4 to 8 AWG size. - but for me, with respect to home insurance and house fires, I better stick with the code and use that stiff thhn wire. - At least that is what the licensed Electricians are telling me!

 

[HRTKD]

I can't speak to building code requirements. All my wire went into an RV trailer that is 14 years old. There won't be any inspections or permits for the work done on my trailer.

The welding cable and the THHN wire from HD are both rated to 600v.

 

[Maast]

I don't know about cars and your right, the wire at Home depot and others is stiff. But the code at least in my area for homes has to be THHN wire which of course is stuff and hard to work with especially the 4 to 8 AWG size. - but for me, with respect to home insurance and house fires, I better stick with the code and use that stiff thhn wire. - At least that is what the licensed Electricians are telling me!

If you're referring to the local adoptions of the NEC article 690 says that does not apply below 60V which means your battery bank can be done with actual thin stranded battery cable. BTW, if you want to find thin stranded battery cable locally go to a battery shop, they usually have it in all sizes.

 

[HRTKD]

If you're referring to the local adoptions of the NEC article 690 says that does not apply below 60V which means your battery bank can be done with actual thin stranded battery cable. BTW, if you want to find thin stranded battery cable locally go to a battery shop, they usually have it in all sizes.

Local options was a tough one. I looked around and put out some calls. The sources that looked promising turned out to be wholesale only. The true retail sources wouldn't call me back. I thought about trying a welding store. Their website listed a lot of products, but not welding cable. In the end, I bought online because I could order exactly what I wanted.

 

[Zil]

Don't confuse brick and stick with mobile applications. RV and van dc builds require fine stranded wire. The problem with welding cable compared with marine grade. There is no real standard for welding cable except what the individual manufactures say. With marine grade the Coast Guard and international insurance organizations set standards.

 

[Airtime]

Don't confuse brick and stick with mobile applications. RV and van dc builds require fine stranded wire. The problem with welding cable compared with marine grade. There is no real standard for welding cable except what the individual manufactures say. With marine grade the Coast Guard and international insurance organizations set standards.

Plus it is tinned

 

[LanduytG]

I bought mine off Amazon. Silicon insulation and very very flexable.

Greg

 

[Ample]

Please use marine grade stranded wire. You will avoid future trouble. "Zip cord", that is sold as lamp cord, is inappropriate for dc circuits in a vehicle.

Why is that? I was eyeing some AWG 12 zip cord, sold as speaker wire. It was nice and finely stranded. Not that it would make a difference but the jacket was clear plastic (and thus I could see that the strands were fine).

 

[Ample]

My experience buying wire from Home Depot is that they have no comparison to real welding wire. Their stuff is stiff and hard to work with, not fine strands at all.

I bought all my big wire directly from TEMCo.com. They shipped quickly and resolved the minor issue quickly. Their tech support was quick to respond. You can purchase the correct ring terminals/lugs from the same site. Many of their products are also available on Amazon.com. I am very satisfied with the quality of their wire, terminals and tools.

I purchased the following wire from them:
1/0 awg red and black, 25' each
1 awg red and black, 25' each
6 awg red and black 50' each
10 awg PV red and black 100' each

When you purchase ring terminals/lugs, be sure you check the size of the stud that the terminal will go on.

The AWG 2 welding cable came from automotive stores and a discount store like Harbor Freight. It was finely stranded and flexible.

The Home Depot "stranded" AWG 8 was tough to use. It was like a few strands of solid AWG 16... Super stiff.

 

[Ample]

I should have mentioned this but I only need small amounts. It's a van and so 50- and 100-ft rolls are not just expensive but wasteful when I need like 20 feet. That's why I look at places that sell it by the foot, like Home Depot. I've had good luck with the bigger sized cables at auto and discount tool shops (that sell welding cable). Small sizes too, are easily found in fine strands.

It's just the AWG 8 and 10 that's sort of a neither here nor there size that I'm having trouble finding (in fine strands).

 

[Airtime]

I should have mentioned this but I only need small amounts. It's a van and so 50- and 100-ft rolls are not just expensive but wasteful when I need like 20 feet. That's why I look at places that sell it by the foot, like Home Depot. I've had good luck with the bigger sized cables at auto and discount tool shops (that sell welding cable). Small sizes too, are easily found in fine strands.

It's just the AWG 8 and 10 that's sort of a neither here nor there size that I'm having trouble finding (in fine strands).

You don't have to buy a roll. From the marine wire sources that @Dzl listed above you can buy by the foot, specify your length, and even have the (tinned) lugs crimped so you have finished cables at a pretty reasonable cost. And then you have tinned cables with tinned lugs that will do a lot better long term. In the grand scheme of things it's not that much more money into your conversion.