Can I run it?

[SpecElim]

As you guys know I just bought me a Big Blue 400. It has 3000 Watts output. I have a very good feeling that I can't run it but thats why Im asking. I also have a Lincoln PowerMig 140. I don't know what it draws off the top of my head but I think it's more than the Big Blue puts out.

Thanks guys.

 

[yomax4]

You can sure find out. Plug her in and see what she will do. I think you will get more than 1/2 power out of the 140.

 

[jenkinsph]

Is this a new Big Blue 400?

If it is the output is 5500 watts single phase, I looked it up because your 3000 watt rating sounded low for this sized welder to me. I know my older Trailblazer has about 8000 watt output.

 

[smfcpacfp]

I am sure you can run it unless it 3 phase, but you may have to add a special circuit for the unit and get the appropriate sized wire and circuit breaker to do the job.

 

[KWentling]

My Powermig 255M wouldn't run on generator power. The owners manual states that it may not. I tried it on a Winpower 50KW I was wanting to load test and it wouldn't even light the displays. So even if it has enough output, it may not work.

Kim

 

[SpecElim]

It is a 1994 model and the manual says 3000 single phase.

 

[yomax4]

Anything 110v will run up to a certain amp output. Higher out put welding would be better done with a Suit Case Wire Feeder. I have however ran my Thermal Arc 251 off of an 8000 watt Lincoln Ranger 8 Generator Welder at 150 amps output. I was able to weld 3/8 very nice. "Some" of the 230v welders will not run off of Dirty Generator Power. The Small 130 Amp 230v carry around welders do a nice job on Generators.

 

[Cami]

@jenkinsph: Some welders, especially older ones, put out relatively little power. A fellow who does nothing but welding doesn't need to run much more than a grinder.

A lot of the older machines(and a few new ones, I understand) actually output DC power to their auxiliary outlets. Lights and the universal motors in grinders run just fine on DC but you need to be careful not to plug in something that can't take DC or you'll let out the magic smoke.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Hi,
I am new here, but the PowerMIG 140 C from Lincoln shows that it require 20 amps input power at 120V. Volts x's Amps equal watts. So if you have 20 amps input with 120V, it would require only 2400 watts of power.

I read the post where the PowerMIG 255 wouldn't run on a genset. A lot of inverter welders or heavily electronic welders are dependent upon "clean" power. 50kw is more than enough power to run it, but the "quality" of the power is significant.

I believe the 140 is a standard transformer welder and shouldn't have a lot of issues running off most decent power sources.

 

[yomax4]

The 140 will run off of most generators just fine. It does not have 140 amps output however. Its more like 80-90 on 115v. 80-90 is all you can get out of 115v. Still a decent unit.

 

[FredH]

From past experience , a Lincoln 255 will NOT run off a generator similar to the above post about the Powermig welder not running off a 50k generator . A Miller 212 will run off a very old miller 225 bobcat though very nicely .
As mentioned by Mark , even though a generator produces " x " amount of power which " Should " be enough to power a given welder , plasma cutter , etc..... , some require " Clean " power to operate .

Another tip : Look for a generator with " OUT " auto voltage regulation . In other words a " Brushless " design . Most if not all auto voltage regulators cannot keep up with a welder , at least they ones we tried with the lincoln 255 we had including a generac 15,000 watt model . Totally weirded out the generator and welder as soon as the welder was turned on . Yet as I mentioned , a miller 212 without all the digital electronic stuff runs flat out on that old miller bobcat .

On another welding board , a wise person explained to me about the auto voltage regulators and how a mig welder operates , something about how the voltage or ???? changes 100's if not 1000's of times per second , pulses is the word I think he used , and voltage regulators cannot keep up thus welder does not work right or maybe not at all .

I am no rocket genius by a long shot , just information that I learned from others when going down a similar path as topic posted .

Fred H.