Dual Voltage Welder

blueriver · Nov 16, 2011

Does a dual voltage welder automaticly detect if its plugged into 110 or 220?

yomax4 · Nov 16, 2011

blueriver said:
Does a dual voltage welder automaticly detect if its plugged into 110 or 220?

Dpends on the brand.

elginfarm · Nov 16, 2011

I was able to attend the FABTECH show yesterday in Chicago. Every kind of welder or welding equipment as well as anything that you could imagine that has anything to do with fabricating, cutting, or robotics, along with consumables and safety equipment was represented and displayed. My main purpose was to look at welders, particularly dual voltage mig welders. I looked mainly at the Lincoln and the Miller. The Miller has a changeable plug and the unit decides the input voltage based on the plug. The Lincoln requires you to change the actual cord from a 110-120 to a 220. That is how the machines know their input voltage. I would think that with the Miller the cord only supplies one side of a 220 circuit to the machine when you change the plug from 220 to 110 since the cord is the same, while the Lincoln's input is based on which cord is plugged into the machine. I did not see any other dual voltage machines, but there were a lot of gray market representatives and I did not vist all of them. McCormick place is a pretty big place and my time was limited.
ESAB also had some great equipment, but I think that their equipment is out of my price range and they do not have a dual voltage machine.
The higher end mig machines ( over $1000, 220 input only) are pretty much goof proof and do all the thinking for you.
I hope this helps.

blueriver · Nov 16, 2011

elginfarm said:
I was able to attend the FABTECH show yesterday in Chicago. Every kind of welder or welding equipment as well as anything that you could imagine that has anything to do with fabricating, cutting, or robotics, along with consumables and safety equipment was represented and displayed. My main purpose was to look at welders, particularly dual voltage mig welders. I looked mainly at the Lincoln and the Miller. The Miller has a changeable plug and the unit decides the input voltage based on the plug. The Lincoln requires you to change the actual cord from a 110-120 to a 220. That is how the machines know their input voltage. I would think that with the Miller the cord only supplies one side of a 220 circuit to the machine when you change the plug from 220 to 110 since the cord is the same, while the Lincoln's input is based on which cord is plugged into the machine. I did not see any other dual voltage machines, but there were a lot of gray market representatives and I did not vist all of them. McCormick place is a pretty big place and my time was limited.
ESAB also had some great equipment, but I think that their equipment is out of my price range and they do not have a dual voltage machine.
The higher end mig machines ( over $1000, 220 input only) are pretty much goof proof and do all the thinking for you.
I hope this helps.

I read about that show today, appears it was a great display... good for you that you got to attend.

I probably don't use a welder over 50hrs a year so i'm looking at this one...thats why I posted the question. From what I gather this unit detects the voltage by the plug and then I'd build a pig tail.

boomer1025 · Nov 16, 2011

blueriver said:
Does a dual voltage welder automaticly detect if its plugged into 110 or 220?

Take a look at the EverLast PA140ST welder, it's 110/220 volts.
Very nice little portable unit. I set mine up to run on 220, some people use 110.

Hooked_on_HP · Nov 17, 2011

I think auto switching dual power is just one more thing to go wrong. What if you have been using it on 110v and then plug it in to 220 and it doesn't switch.
Bill