Do not push red button!!! (Lincoln welder question)

[Sebculb]

Hi everyone, so I was wondering if anyone knows about how a transformer welder works and can answer a question. I've got this thing made by Lincoln electric that they manufacture in Mexico and sell in the Latin American market, an AC-180. Pretty cool buzz box, can burn a hole in just about anything on 110 volt house current.

Funny thing though, in the instructions it says not to operate it on more than 110 amps when it's on the 110 volt setting (I know it's confusing, 110 amps vs 110 volts...). One day thought i really wanted more power so nudged it up to 125 amps and nothing exploded or caught on fire and my 1/8 stick worked a lot better. So now I use it on 125 amps pretty regularly when the machine's only getting 110 volt house current. Hardly ever blows a breaker even.

I figure that the abuse is on the house's system supplying the current, not on the machine since that's just a transformer passing the current through and not like a motor that's not getting enough power. But the truth is that I dunno anything about transformers so who knows, right? Then, today I was kinda standing cockeyed behind the welder and reached down to turn it down cuz it was burning too hot, and instead of cooling down it blew a hole right away in the tube I was welding. I'd gotten all disorientated in space and time standing behind the thing and had turned it up to 140 amps by accident instead of down to 110, but it didn't seem to hurt anything. Also had a noticeable increase in power, what with the burn hole I had to fix. But that was just an accident, not trying to push my luck too hard and still only use it on 125 amps max.

So what gives? Why does the instruction manual say to not operate it on more that 110 amps on 110 volts? Are they worried it'll wreck a household 110 volt supply system? or can it be bad for the welder? If it can be operated it on higher settings that'd be great, but I don't want to wreck the welder or set anything else on fire either.

Any insights? Thanks!

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

I would imagine it is the concern for the wiring of the house, but too I know some machines can be damaged if the breaker pops and the unit is wound up. Not sure why, but I've heard of that happening. But Lincoln might be a better choice to address this. I'm just taking an educated guess.

 

[Rock knocker]

I would imagine it is the concern for the wiring of the house, but too I know some machines can be damaged if the breaker pops and the unit is wound up. Not sure why, but I've heard of that happening. But Lincoln might be a better choice to address this. I'm just taking an educated guess.

The breakers protect the house wiring. Machines are potentially damaged if power is killed while the machine is running because all cooling is lost.

Lincoln probably wants to limit the output when it's on 110v input as opposed to 220v input because the higher current results in higher internal heat.

 

[NewfieDan]

With my electrical background my educated guess is this:

The manual says not to use the machine on 110A on 110v power supply because the load on the transformer will cause overheating of the transformer and shorten the life of the machine. With the extra current load on the transformer the winding's insulation will be affected. With enough abuse it could short out the machine.

In layman's terms, if you let the smoke out of the transformer, it is virtually impossible to put back in.

My suggestion is that if you need to run bigger rods, hook up a 220V outlet for the machine. It will run better and last longer.

 

[NewfieDan]

With my electrical background my educated guess is this:

The manual says not to use the machine on 110A on 110v power supply because the load on the transformer will cause overheating of the transformer and shorten the life of the machine. With the extra current load on the transformer the winding's insulation will be affected. With enough abuse it could short out the machine.

In layman's terms, if you let the smoke out of the transformer, it is virtually impossible to put back in.

My suggestion is that if you need to run bigger rods, hook up a 220V outlet for the machine. It will run better and last longer.

 

[Rock knocker]

You're correct


Twice

 

[Big Barn]

You're correct Twice

I appreciate your and NewfieDan's explanations. It's been said people have to tell me things at least three times before I get it

Terry

 

[Sebculb]

Thanks everyone for the information. NewfieDan, I actually emailed Lincoln Mexico and they told me pretty much the same thing. Terry, I'm the same way, I gotta get told three times for everything also and occasionally even have to experience the consequences regardless to really believe all the warnings. But it's just so easy to find 110v outlets and so difficult to find 220v ones...

 

[CNC Dan]

Thanks everyone for the information. NewfieDan, I actually emailed Lincoln Mexico and they told me pretty much the same thing. Terry, I'm the same way, I gotta get told three times for everything also and occasionally even have to experience the consequences regardless to really believe all the warnings. But it's just so easy to find 110v outlets and so difficult to find 220v ones...

Google for "quick 220"

Quick 220 Systems

 

[pat32rf]

Most of the old Lincoln buzz boxes were 220V only and you could weld 220amps with them for a short time(long cooldown breaks), or 110amp with only short cooldown breaks. At 110 amps 220V , you could use the rig on a 3-4KW genny or a 30 amp dryer outlet and seldom blow a fuse. Most of the components were what would now be classed as very oversized. My cooling fan quit many years ago and i still don't miss it.