Pilone vs Prime Cables: measure the conductor, don't take the label

PILONE CABLES TECHNICAL TEAM

We will not rate another maker's cable. We have not tested Prime Cables, we hold no test reports, and we have found none published for either company.

What we can hand you is the measurement that settles the question on any brand, ours included: count the strands, measure one with a micrometer, and do the sum. Seven strands of 0.85 mm works out to 3.97 mm² — that is a genuine 4 mm² conductor. Run it on the coil in front of you before you pay for it.

The check: count the strands, measure one, do the sum

A conductor's cross-section is geometry, not opinion. Area = π ÷ 4 × d² × n, where d is one strand's diameter in millimetres and n is the number of strands. That is the one claim on a cable jacket a buyer can settle with a micrometer at the counter in two minutes, and it is the claim that decides whether the cable carries the current the size promises.

1. Cut back 30 mm

Strip a short length off a cut end — not off the middle of a coil you have not bought. Untwist the strands and count them. A class 2 fixed-wiring conductor runs 7 strands up to 25 mm², 19 from 35 to 70 mm², and 37 above that; a class 5 flexible conductor has dozens at every size.

2. Measure one strand

A micrometer or a vernier on a single strand, across its diameter, in millimetres. Take two readings at right angles — a drawn strand is round, and a reading that is not tells you something on its own.

3. Do the arithmetic

0.785398 × d² × n. For 7 strands of 0.85 mm: 0.785398 × 0.7225 = 0.5675 mm² per strand, × 7 = 3.97 mm². Compare it against the row below for the size printed on the jacket.

Standard strand builds and the area each one computes to, by area = π/4 × d² × n. Stranding and conductor classes per IEC 60228: class 2 for fixed wiring, class 5 for flexible. Small differences from the nominal size are normal — the standard governs conductors by their resistance, not by their geometry.
Sold as	Class 2 build	Computes to	Class 5 build	Computes to
1.5 mm²	7/0.53	1.54 mm²	30/0.25	1.47 mm²
2.5 mm²	7/0.67	2.47 mm²	50/0.25	2.45 mm²
4 mm²	7/0.85	3.97 mm²	56/0.30	3.96 mm²
6 mm²	7/1.04	5.95 mm²	84/0.30	5.94 mm²
10 mm²	7/1.35	10.02 mm²	80/0.40	10.05 mm²
16 mm²	7/1.70	15.89 mm²	126/0.40	15.83 mm²
25 mm²	7/2.14	25.18 mm²	196/0.40	24.63 mm²

A conductor that computes to within a couple of percent of its nominal size is what the size means. One that computes to 3.0 mm² is not a 4 mm² conductor, whatever is printed on the sheath — and that gap is where the trade's imperial codes cause most of the confusion, because 7/.029 computes to about 3.0 mm² and is sold as 2.5 or 3. The full imperial-to-metric table is in the 2.5mm vs 4mm cable guide.

A conductor that measures well under the size printed on the sheath costs you more than copper: the MCB on that circuit was chosen for the size on the label, so the protection no longer matches the cable behind it. Do not install a cable you cannot verify. Have a licensed electrician confirm the size the circuit needs, or size it from scratch in the cable size calculator.

What we will state about our own cable

Plain annealed copper conductors drawn on our own line in Lahore, to IEC 60228 class 2 for standard cable and class 5 for flexible cable, PVC insulated and sheathed at 450/750 V for fixed wiring. Roots in the copper trade since 1992; the cable line itself is newer. Priced at the day's copper rate, factory-direct, with no dealer in between — Punjab in 1–2 days, the rest of Pakistan in 2–4.

What we do not state: a purity percentage, a test-report number or a laboratory result, because we hold none. Judge us on the measurement above, and on the conductor resistance printed on the datasheet for each size in the standard cable range.

Questions to put to any supplier, including us

What is the strand build — count and diameter — for the size you are quoting?
Is the conductor IEC 60228 class 2 or class 5, and does that match the job?
Is the insulation 450/750 V fixed-wiring or 300/500 V light cord?
How long is one coil, in metres, and is the rate per metre or per coil?
Is the price the factory rate, or does it carry a dealer margin?

The longer version of this list, with what each answer tells you, is on how to choose a cable supplier in Pakistan.

Frequently asked

Which is better, Pilone or Prime Cables?

We are not going to answer that, because we have not tested their cable — we hold no test reports, and we have found none published for either company. Ask both suppliers for the strand build at the size you need, measure it against the table above, and compare the delivered rate per metre. That comparison you can actually make.

How do I check a cable is the size it says?

Count the strands, measure one strand with a micrometer, and work out 0.785398 × d² × n. Seven strands of 0.85 mm gives 3.97 mm², which is a real 4 mm² conductor. A result a few percent off nominal is normal; a result a fifth under is a different size in a 4 mm² jacket.

Does a bigger strand count mean better cable?

No, it means a different job. Class 2 uses few thick strands for fixed wiring in conduit; class 5 uses many fine strands so the cable bends around an appliance without work-hardening. At 4 mm² that is 7/0.85 against 56/0.30, and both compute to about 3.96 mm² of copper.

Compare on measurements, not brand names

Send the size, the core count and the metres. We quote the day's factory rate on WhatsApp and tell you the strand build for the size you asked about.

WhatsApp for a quote