Kill two birds with one stone

[Whitnel]

I am looking for a welder for my house and I will also need a generator. Instead of getting two different machines has anyone just bought a gas powered welder/generator. I will not be welding all that often, or at least I don't plan to. I am looking at 220v wire fed welders 180's and 210's and they are running around $800 or so. I found a Hobart gas powered welder/10,000 watt generator tonight for $1,200. It could be my welder and back up house generator at the same time.

Has anyone run the pro's and con's of this?

 

[Clint S]

I have been thinking of the same thing

 

[Mendonsy]

There's nothing at all wrong with the concept! That should work OK as long as you don't mind the gasoline powered welder that you can't run indoors.
Is that Hobart unit a MIG?? I thought they were stick welders.

 

[PhysAssist]

I am looking for a welder for my house and I will also need a generator. Instead of getting two different machines has anyone just bought a gas powered welder/generator. I will not be welding all that often, or at least I don't plan to. I am looking at 220v wire fed welders 180's and 210's and they are running around $800 or so. I found a Hobart gas powered welder/10,000 watt generator tonight for $1,200. It could be my welder and back up house generator at the same time.

Has anyone run the pro's and con's of this?

Hey guys,

Let me rephrase or re-frame the question for you.

Where can you find a 10K Watt gennie for $400?

That is, after all, what you are talking about spending for the difference between a straight on welder vs the combo.

Added to that benefit is the benefit of having only one new small engine to maintain vs. 2 separate and subtract the small negative effect of having to run the welder "outdoors", which could be a small shelter annexed to wherever your shop is located.

Just saying...

Good luck with whatever you choose to do, keep us advised so we can celebrate with you, and remember, pictures or it never happened.

Thomas

 

[Whitnel]

Where can you find a 10K Watt gennie for $400?

That is, after all, what you are talking about spending for the difference between a straight on welder vs the combo.

Added to that benefit is the benefit of having only one new small engine to maintain vs. 2 separate and subtract the small negative effect of having to run the welder "outdoors", which could be a small shelter annexed to wherever your shop is located.

happened.

Thomas

Those were the two things that drew me to this idea. Just a 10,000k generator would be around that much money, not that I would have to have one that big. A 6k to 8k would be fine for my house to run the small stuff but it being bigger would not hurt anything.

I just have a hard time parting with money. I have been looking for a good used air compressor and a welder for a few months now. Just about to go buy a new air compressor and be done with it. Was thinking the same thing about the welder until I saw this unit tonight.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

This makes sense if you aren't going to be do much welding OR you are going to be making a living with it. Otherwise, it's going to cost you about 6-8 bucks an hour extra to have the unit sit there and run. If you are thinking about mostly generator use, then it's a good idea, but keep in mind it isn't clean powered, and is suitable for running only certain non electronic devices...definitely not TV's and Computers.

 

[Whitnel]

If you are thinking about mostly generator use, then it's a good idea, but keep in mind it isn't clean powered, and is suitable for running only certain non electronic devices...definitely not TV's and Computers.

I had not looked at that aspect of how clean the power was. That is one of the con's I was wanting someone to point out. The family might want to watch TV or play a DVD while the power was out, but might be a good reason for them to play a board game.

 

[bigdeano]

I think it's a myth that electronic devices require clean sine wave power. The first thing electronic power supplies do is change the power to DC. A laptop has an external power adapter that puts out DC to the computer. Other computers have an internal power supply that changes the power to DC, then to high frequency AC, then back to DC of various voltages. I've run many electronic devices on an inverter that puts out a modified square wave. The only thing you wouldn't want is large voltage spikes, but a generator shouldn't do that anyway. Do some research on it to satisfy yourself.

 

[RPW]

So true about clean power. First Hobart is made by Miller, and recently they changed the design on their generators to create a cleaner sine wave. Unless you need to run medical equipment I personally wouldn't worry about what electronic devices were run off of a generator.

 

[pwright]

I found a Hobart gas powered welder/10,000 watt generator tonight for $1,200. It could be my welder and back up house generator at the same time.

I'm assuming this is used? The only 10KW Gen/Welder from Hobart I've seen is $3300+ new.

Assuming that it is in good working condition I would jump all over that.

 

[Mighty Dodge]

I have an old Lincoln G8000 welder/8000 watt generator. It's got a 16hp Briggs Vangaurd and burns just about a gallon an hour. I'ts come in mighty handy during extended power outages. Ran it four days during Isabel. It won't run the entire house but keeps the necessities going. I have an electric hot water heater, if I need to warm it up I turn off the breakers to the freezer, fridge and well pump. Once it heats up I turn off the water heater breaker and turn everything else back on. There are only two things that wont run off the generator, that's my new washer and dryer, everything else, tv, computer, microwave etc. runs fine.

John

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I think it's a myth that electronic devices require clean sine wave power. The first thing electronic power supplies do is change the power to DC. A laptop has an external power adapter that puts out DC to the computer. Other computers have an internal power supply that changes the power to DC, then to high frequency AC, then back to DC of various voltages. I've run many electronic devices on an inverter that puts out a modified square wave. The only thing you wouldn't want is large voltage spikes, but a generator shouldn't do that anyway. Do some research on it to satisfy yourself.

It's NO myth...if you want to watch your electronics smoke, go put them on a dirty sine wave generator.

 

[yomax4]

Mark is correct..If you are not worried about running sensitive pieces of equipment like computers off of a generator, You have research to do. I would enjoy watching a lap top pluged into a lowly Hobart/Miller engine drive. 1st thing to go is the power module on the laptop cord. Poof!!!Then the motors inside would default. Don't do it. An inverter is one thing.. An engine drive welder is another.

 

[Whitnel]

I'm assuming this is used? The only 10KW Gen/Welder from Hobart I've seen is $3300+ new.

Assuming that it is in good working condition I would jump all over that.

Yes, it is used with 100 hours on it. The price does seem low to me as well.

 

[Whitnel]

Mark is correct..If you are not worried about running sensitive pieces of equipment like computers off of a generator, You have research to do.

Would having those sensitive devices behind a UPS make a difference? I know it would not filter the power but did not know if it would change anything?

 

[Oliver1655]

As you start welding, if you are like most of us, you find more & more things to build / modify / repair. An electric welder is much cheaper to run, quieter, & is able to be used inside.

Used AC stick welders are easy to find used for less than $150.

Harbor Freight has a 7 kilowatt generator on sale regularly for $600. This generator uses around 1/2 gallon of gas per hour vs 1 gallon per per hour for a welder/generator combo.

By having 2 smaller unit versus 1 larger one, they would be easier to move around & store. While the welder / generator combination is a good price, will it be a real bargain if it causes more to purchase & operate? To me not unless you need to have mobile welding capabilities.

 

[pwright]

Would having those sensitive devices behind a UPS make a difference? I know it would not filter the power but did not know if it would change anything?

Not really. A good power filter would smooth out the transients but you are still talking about a modified sine wave output and that is hard on some electronics. Some chargers for battery powered tools are particularly sensitive.

 

[bigdeano]

Mark is correct..If you are not worried about running sensitive pieces of equipment like computers off of a generator, You have research to do. I would enjoy watching a lap top pluged into a lowly Hobart/Miller engine drive. 1st thing to go is the power module on the laptop cord. Poof!!!Then the motors inside would default. Don't do it. An inverter is one thing.. An engine drive welder is another.

To each his own. I've run everything in my house for days on my 10KW generator. My laptop power adapter says 100 to 240v 50 to 60hz. A generator can't hold that tolerance? Must be the worst one ever built. Someone should put a scope on it and see what it looks like. It can't possibly be worse than a square wave from an inverter.

 

[yomax4]

I'm not sure what you have for a generator and I am speaking of past problems with my Lincoln ranger 8.. It runs pumps, Lights, Furnace and a couple lights. it did however burn up a grinder a lap top and a battery charger. That is the basis of my replies. If your generator is more pure or even different, Good for you.

 

[deereman75]

To each his own. I've run everything in my house for days on my 10KW generator. My laptop power adapter says 100 to 240v 50 to 60hz. A generator can't hold that tolerance? Must be the worst one ever built. Someone should put a scope on it and see what it looks like. It can't possibly be worse than a square wave from an inverter.

Send me the gnerator, and I will put one of my scopes on it. I havea nice tektronix just begging to be used.
I might do some testing in the form of hooking up a scope to a selection of old gensets.... See how bad they really are..... LOL