Ratings & Reviews for Utilitech 50-Amp 125/250-Volt NEMA 14-50p 4-wire Grounding Heavy-duty Straight Plug, Black

Good old days......

I bought a exact looking product from Lowes that i liked very well under a different brand name (see photos). Item number 246879. Overall construction was very good and terminals for wire connections were very tight.

Difficult

This is a 50 amp plug which requires #8 wire. Putting this size wire into this plug is extremely difficult. Get ready for a challenge.

Dryer plug

I needed to make a longer cord for my dryer and this plug worked perfectly.

WORST 50A PLUG EVER!!!

I'm a Master Electrician and Electrical Engineer so I feel very qualified to say the this is the absolute WORST PLUG EVER! Cheaply made, not enough clearance and terminals too small for #6 gauge wire. Do yourself a favor...RUN away from this thing as if it is possessed and purchase a better made brand!

May be a good product for wire smaller than 6 awg

Fitting 6/3 stranded wire (3 conductors and a ground) into this housing is a nightmare. One of the nuts popped out as I was muscling the part to get the housing back together, good luck finding a replacement nut! They don't have it at Lowes. There is no reference to the collar area where the wire enters the plug but I'd bet your supposed to remove the strain relief for the 6 awg wire. Still trying to get the housing to close securely. There are no instructions about the strain relief.

Poor construction

The wire clamps would not grip the wires as all the other brands I have used. I was only using it for a 30 amp and was able to wrap the wire around the head of the screws. I would not have used it as it was designed designed to be used, it was unsafe.

Sort of flimsy

I don't review many Lowes products, because they usually don't merit a review. A bag of concrete is a bag of concrete, right? However, I feel this plug was a bit on the flimsy side, for something that handles such large currents. I would have selected a different brand/model if I had it to buy over again. The shell of the thing could stand to be a bit larger, so as to allow more room for the wires. I was using 7-stranded 6 AWG wire, which is not terribly flexible. I, was a bit uncomfortable maki...

Not worth the trouble

A 50A plug should be able to accept wire rated for 50A. This plug does not. The wire connections are smooth so the wires slide out when you try to wrestle the cable into place to force the back cover into place. I had to use a punch to dimple the inside of the connections so the wire would not slip out. I had to carve out the cord opening to accommodate the #8AWG/4 cond. cable. You would be better off spending more for a better quality plug that doesn't take 45 minutes to install.

Good product

Good no break housing .. Good connections.. But tight working space for #6 wires

It works but just barely

Need vice grips to hold covers together after wiring so you can hold nuts in place while fastening screws. Blade wire attachments are too small to safely secure 6 gage wires. The whole thing is small - it can be done with 6 gage but after this use for my Lions Club I am definitely spending more and getting one that looks and feels much safer. Over-all it is a pathetic design.

Best idea in a plug

I needed an 8' dryer power cord for a raised front load dryer. Of course, no one ever thought when they invented the raised pedestal they would need a longer power cord, and no one seems to make or carry them. Thus, I purchased this plug to build my own. Best idea ever, the back comes off, the prongs actually remove so you can attach the wires, slip back into place, put the back on, and WA LA, you have become a man of all trades.

Poor quality

Mounting screws for wire not designed for multistrand wire of an extension cord. Brass looking steel prongs.

I returned it

This is actually a 30 or 50 amp plug, it comes with both blades. I didn't like the way the wires were routed inside the housing. The blades are not insulated or seperated on the inside, and the bare neutral has to go around the other posts. Just wasn't comfortable with the design. Bought a more expensive different brand that had a larger housing, and a little more insulating plastic.

Good product.

A great product. Make sure you keep track of the very small nuts on the when they are removed to wire the plug.

plastic housing cracks too easily.

and screws don't hold 6 ga wire too well when tightened all the way. Very cheap construction.