SLx Outdoor Extension Lead, 40m, 4 Socket Extension Reel, Heavy Duty Extension Cable, Thermal Cut Out, Extension Lead for Garden Lawn Mower Office, 13A Fused UK Plug

Product Information

The main thing that I think will put people off is the bright green casing and cable. Personally, I didn’t really like it, and thought it made it more difficult to see the cable in the grass. It did make things easier when the sun went down though, so I guess it comes down to personal opinion. No, we wouldn’t recommend it. Connecting two or more extension leads together, sometimes referred to as ‘daisy chaining’, is benign on its own but the problem lies in the likelihood that you will be plugging in too many devices that use too much power all at once. This overloading, as described above, increases the electrical resistance in the chain and is often the root cause of fires. You need to be careful when winding or unwinding a cable reel as it is so easy to get the cable twisted, knotted and tangled up without realising it until it’s too late. Then you have to spend some time carefully untangling it, and it can be really frustrating. This is a common problem with some self-retracting cable reels. When fully wound, the cable has a maximum current of 3 amps, or 720 watts, which isn’t a great deal and probably wouldn’t be enough to run your lawnmower without getting too hot. However, once you unwind the cable, that maximum current jumps to 10 amps (2400 watts) which is much more practical and should allow you to run two electric garden tools at the same time without issue.

Also on the power, you’ll see there is a thermal reset switch on this model too. When you compare them you can quite clearly see they are almost identical in that respect. I just prefer the feel and wind of this slightly different model.So you’ll like the design – as you place in your plug, the lid will come down and encapsulate the plug creating a water tight seal. Here’s a look at that: Both the metal stand and the plastic reel feel strong and sturdy, and the cable is 13A high quality stuff, not the 10A that is sometimes used in low-cost products claiming to be heavy duty. Although this is advertised as ‘heavy duty’, you should take it with a very large pinch of salt. The plastic used for the casing and other parts isn’t the best, and in some parts felt a bit loose or less than robust.

Just looking for a low-cost extension reel to plug the lawnmower or hedge trimmer into at the bottom of the garden? Well, the Centurion EXT1038 might be the kind of thing you are looking for.Being IP54 rated means it’s protected from water spray in any direction by law. Needless to say, electric and water don’t mix so when you are done with your power outside, absolutely ensure you unplug the power inside the house first and disconnect any electric from the unit if it’s been splashed or you got caught out and rained on etc. Don’t make the mistake of thinking waterproof means safe! An absolute golden tip is to stand your power reel upright and have the plugs facing down vertically so water runs down and off the plug. If you just lay it on its side water has a far better chance of getting in! With regards to this being waterproof it most certainly is not and should not be used in the wet. The cable is 1.25mm and you can send a sensible 3000 Watts of power through the lead without cutting out BUT make sure the cable is unwound. If the cable is still reeled and you put some hard work on it, then it’ll overheat and cut out. I had one that failed and actually melted the cable together once (not this model or manufacturer) but worth remembering just how important it is to unwind the cable.