I’m curious where ASMBLY bought the retractable extension cord drop hardware installed over the workshop tables?
I’m considering whether it might make sense to buy a couple for Scare for a Cure, since our organization has a community work shop area that could benefit from better power distribution.
Also, general opinions on durability? Scare for a Cure is all-volunteer, which unfortunately means that tools tend to take some abuse. We’d also be hanging these outside of climate control — i.e. under a steel shade structure so out of direct weather, but not protected from wild heat/humidity swings.
I bought the last batch from Northern Tool (these were on sale for $70 at the time). They’re not particularly industrial-grade but were similar to the ones ATXHS has had for ages and those seemed to hold up OK.
I don’t have any direct knowledge about weather-resistance other than the fact that I’ve had a very similar one (but green, from Grizzly) in my garage for ~10 years. It’s been quite sheltered from rain but heat and humidity haven’t seem to had any ill effect.
A common complaint is “the spring isn’t strong enough” but in my experience failure to retract is usually caused by the cord bunching up on the spool to the point it starts rubbing on something else inside the enclosure. I’ve yet to have a problem on mine at home that wasn’t remedied by pulling the cord all the way out and giving it a little side-to-side wobble on rewind.
A couple of the old ATXHS ones have busted ratchet mechanisms so they won’t stay extended; Ethan had a post about maybe fixing them recently but I don’t know if anyone’s tried.
