It's Not Just Battery Cable Any More

Remember the good old days when you had a simple choice between battery cable and welding cable? Battery cable was the stiffer stuff that had the hard plastic PVC jacket that was resistant to solvents and abrasion. Welding cable had that rubber insulation and was fine wire so it really flexed well in cold weather. Battery cable was great for under the hood and welding cable made great booster cables.

Well now there are more kinds of battery cable and you have choices to make.

The first step was marine battery cable. It is a fine stranded cable similar to welding cable, and like welding cable is rated to 600V while basic battery cable is only rated to 60V. Most importantly, the copper strands are tin plated for added corrosion resistance in marine environments.

In the latest Quick Cable catalog, there are two new battery cable choices: SGX High Temperature Rated Battery Cable and Fine Stranded Battery Cable that performs well at low temperatures. Both are fine stranded cables rated to 600V.

The insulator on SGX cable is a polyolefin and it is designed for underhood temperatures up to 257°.

The insulator on Fine Stranded Battery Cable is SGT thermoplastic rubber; the cable is very flexible like welding cable but more resistant to solvents and abrasion. It would be a good choice for making up booster cables—it stays flexible to -50°C.

Things may not be as simple as they used to be, but you have more choices for the right cable in any environment.