Arc Welder Breaker
- Thread starter pohorsky
- Start date
- Views: 3403
maddenfarms
New member
- Joined
- Aug 22, 2013
- Messages
- 5
- Location
- long creek, arkansas
- Tractor
- 9000 kubota, 5520 john deere, 5030 allis
You don't say how old the unit is, the older the better. I have used these little cracker box welders 12 hours a day in a industrial setting. I like using a double 50 but you can get by with a 30 or 40.
MinnesotaDaveChalmers
Platinum Member
If you check the data plate on the machine, it will likely say 50 amps.
It's a good habit to check data plates on any machine you buy just to be sure you know what to feed it.
Good luck with your new machine and have fun
It's a good habit to check data plates on any machine you buy just to be sure you know what to feed it.
Good luck with your new machine and have fun
Don't know exactly. From what I have read they didn't put any serial number, just an extended model number 9291-803.
As far as power, I would like to use it in our garage, which currently has a sub-panel that is being fed with #6 off a 30 amp breaker.
It does say 50 Amp, but I wasn't sure whether or not that was the required breaker or not.
LD1
Epic Contributor
You can run it on 30A but may not be able to use the higher settings.
Good thing you have 6ga wire. You can upsize that breaker with no worries
Good thing you have 6ga wire. You can upsize that breaker with no worries
dstig1
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2010
- Messages
- 5,629
- Location
- W Wisc
- Tractor
- Kubota L5240 HSTC, JD X738 Mower, (Kubota L3130 HST - sold)
Why is your panel fed with #6 but only a 30A breaker? Is it an exceptionally long run? #6 is good for 55A, and an exception in the code allows you to round UP to the next common breaker size if the rated wire size is not available. So #6 can take a 60A breaker. Then put a typical 50A 3 wire welder outlet in there for the welder and be happy.
...It just occurred to me - you mean #6 copper or Aluminum? The above assumes copper. It would not be true for alum!
...It just occurred to me - you mean #6 copper or Aluminum? The above assumes copper. It would not be true for alum!
It's a long story. The subpanel that feeds to sub panel in the Garage had a burned part of the bus bar rendering some of it useless, so we had a local electrician come out and he moved some stuff around and was able to get everything to fit, but removed the 40 amp breaker and put a quad thirty in its place. I might see about getting a quad with 20-40 or the like, but I'm not sure what the likelihood of that is, as the breakers for this box are hard to find. A while back I tried to find a 20/15 but was unable to do so.
Copper - 6-3
It's a long story. The subpanel that feeds to sub panel in the Garage had a burned part of the bus bar rendering some of it useless, so we had a local electrician come out and he moved some stuff around and was able to get everything to fit, but removed the 40 amp breaker and put a quad thirty in its place. I might see about getting a quad with 20-40 or the like, but I'm not sure what the likelihood of that is, as the breakers for this box are hard to find. A while back I tried to find a 20/15 but was unable to do so.
Copper - 6-3
aczlan
Good Morning
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2008
- Messages
- 17,540
- Tractor
- Kubota L3830GST, B7500HST, BX2660. Formerly: Case 480F LL, David Brown 880UE
Sounds like you might want to replace the box with a new one that isn't burned and which you can get breakers for
Aaron Z
aczlan
Good Morning
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2008
- Messages
- 17,540
- Tractor
- Kubota L3830GST, B7500HST, BX2660. Formerly: Case 480F LL, David Brown 880UE
I'll swing by next time I am in the area (might be a while though)...I would love to, but it's a little big for me to do and the cost of getting it replaced is stoping us, but if you want to stop by and take care of it, let me know.
View attachment 421643
What kind of breakers does it take?
Aaron Z
buickanddeere
Super Member
Cable and breaker rated for 125% of the name plate 240V current .
Dftodd
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2014
- Messages
- 10,551
- Location
- vilonia, arkansas
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S
This actually answered some of my questions as well. Was given an old montgomery ward stick welder a couple weeks ago. Started looking in the subpanel that's in the garage to see what was in it. Breaker for 220 that isn't being used is only a 30amp. Started looking at the subpanel a little more closely and probably gonna have to suck it up for an electrician. The picture posted of the panel looks like like it was taken in my garage :shocked: already had to have half the breakers replaced and the subpanel looks worse. Plus no shut off. Was just piggy backed off the main breaker on the main breaker box
This actually answered some of my questions as well. Was given an old montgomery ward stick welder a couple weeks ago. Started looking in the subpanel that's in the garage to see what was in it. Breaker for 220 that isn't being used is only a 30amp. Started looking at the subpanel a little more closely and probably gonna have to suck it up for an electrician. The picture posted of the panel looks like like it was taken in my garage :shocked: already had to have half the breakers replaced and the subpanel looks worse. Plus no shut off. Was just piggy backed off the main breaker on the main breaker box
If it wasn't for the distance between us, I'd swear the same guy installed both. The guy that installed ours piggy-backed off the main lugs 400 amp, but didn't run the same size wire to the sub-panel. I just double checked, and the wire is #8, not #6, so I guess I'll pop a 40 in there. The breakers are Challengers, which are also the famous Zensco breakers I'm told. Here is the inside of the panel, including the fried section of the buss bar.
Dftodd
Super Star Member
- Joined
- Oct 19, 2014
- Messages
- 10,551
- Location
- vilonia, arkansas
- Tractor
- Massey Ferguson 1825E, Kubota Z121S
The former owner of my house had a son who had a "handy man" buisiness. He currently isn't allowed to have a buisiness licence and wasn't very handy. Knew just enough to butcher the job. Was crawling around the attic and got shocked. Found an open splice going to some lights. No wires nuts, tape or junction box. Just bare wires twisted together. Ended up having to cover every square inch of attic space and having to fix a total of eight such connections.
Original breaker box in my house is an ITE. Got lucky though and it just takes square D breakers you can get anywhere. Sub panel is a GS. Looking af the wiring diagram it can be wired two different ways. One of which is with a main breaker which takes up the top left two spots. Might get lucky and be able to get an electrician to just wire in a proper main breaker and swap the 220 breaker to a 50 amp Sub panel is next to the main breaker box, so he can update the wiring to the panel with a two foot piece with out trouble
Original breaker box in my house is an ITE. Got lucky though and it just takes square D breakers you can get anywhere. Sub panel is a GS. Looking af the wiring diagram it can be wired two different ways. One of which is with a main breaker which takes up the top left two spots. Might get lucky and be able to get an electrician to just wire in a proper main breaker and swap the 220 breaker to a 50 amp
Sub panel is next to the main breaker box, so he can update the wiring to the panel with a two foot piece with out troubleMy parents house was the worst job I ever saw for wiring (done before they bought it). The electrician must not have had enough wiring, so whenever there was a long run he just tied it to another circuit and then pulled it out when he got near the box. Scary, but we never had to reset a tripped breaker!:laughing: Of course you had to shut down the house completely to change a switch or outlet.
dstig1
Super Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2010
- Messages
- 5,629
- Location
- W Wisc
- Tractor
- Kubota L5240 HSTC, JD X738 Mower, (Kubota L3130 HST - sold)
I don't know that type of panel, but it looks like an awful design to me. I like Siemens, and Square D are decent too. Replacing a panel isn't hard if you plan ahead. Label everything first. Loosen everything you can to save time before you call for the electric co to shut it off (early in the day). Then work like mad until you are done and inspected and get it back on late in the day. Have plenty of flashlight batteries charged up, or even better, an extension cord from a neighbor if there is one close by for some lights. Or even a generator, if you have one. Replacing a panel is pretty much a 1 for 1 job. You know exactly what you need before you start. Heck you could even preload the new panel with breakers and label them with tape if you really wanted to. You would have to get a permit for this as the electric co won't light up the new panel without an inspection (at least around here). But that allows you to talk with the inspector ahead of time to see what you have to do that might be different from what you have in place now.
the 30 will do you fine, there usually rated around 47 amps at wide open current output. which you will never use! as long as you stay with 3/32 or 1/8th rod as most people do around the house you have no reason to ever crank the welder up that high. keep your eye out for that elusive 40 amp brkr and If u can find it at a fair price buy it and snap it in, but till then weld away worse case scenario youll pop your breaker
buickanddeere
Super Member
The supply cables to a pony panel only have to be 1/3 the ampacity of the main panel if they are 10ft or shorter. Eg a 30amp sub panel needs to be supplied with 66amp or higher rated conductors.
