I need a welder....

[3RRL]

That's pretty good advice highbeam, since I'll be welding from the generator this weekend. (The toothbar we are both commenting about in another thread)
I Have never done that before and I was wondering exactly the same thing. Thanks everyone for the information and confidence. I have a Generac 5500-8500surge, so it should be fine from what you've said.

 

[AL_Josh]

OK, I can get the Lincoln Electric Welder from Lowe's for $215.00 because they will meet and beat Home Depots price of $239.00.

What kind of adapter will I need to get and wire up to the generator? I have freinds I can ask how to but I do not know which plugs I need.

I am waiting on some other stuff before I purchase it. I am just trying to gather all the info.

Thanks again!

 

[zuiko]

It will have the big 50amp 3 pin plug... don't remember the name off hand but it looks like a normal polarized plug only a lot bigger.

 

[CT_Tree_Guy]

Al, I think MMM was referring to "Out of Position" welds when he used the term "OP". Overhead passes might also be correct, but I think you probably get the basic idea from his post. If you're working on something large that you can't really move around the way you want so that all the welds will be "in position" (like butt-welding two pieces of steel that are lying flat on your welding table), some of the welds will be vertical or overhead (Out of Position), which requires a bit of extra technique and practice to perform as well as "in position" welds. For vertical welds, I usually go from the top down with MIG, and with overheads it doesn't really matter which way you go, just wear your welding hat. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

 

[Highbeam]

Cool, good price. You need to figure out which female plug your generator has and then which male plug your welder has. The wire between the two plugs needs to be capable of handling the amps of the generator. You will find the wire labeled as flexible extension cord. It only needs three conductors since that is all your welder needs but it will be confusing because your generator plug actually has 4 prongs. Get one of those electrical friends to make the adapter pigtail since you need to know which of the four wires to leave out.

I'll repost in a few with my adapter photos.

 

[Highbeam]

Here's the welder and cord.

 

[Highbeam]

This is 1/2 plate sorta buttwelded to 3/16 channel. Anyway, the AC225 can lay a bead.

 

[sodamo]

I have new found respect for this thread today. I hooked my Lincoln AC225 (HD $240) to my Generac 7550EXL (13500 surge watts). I made an adapter cable using the receptable called out in the Lincoln manual and the plug identified in the Generac manual and 20 ft of 10/4 cable. I live off grid, so this is my only option. I suspect if I hadn't tripped the generator circuit breaker 1000 times, my project may have taken half as long /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
Actually, this was my first time ever using a stick, and if memory serves, my last welding experience was oxy/acet torch about 50 years ago when I was in 4th grade.
Can't say my welding is even close to your quality, but I think it improved over course of the day.
Tomorrow I will post pics of the completed project (paint is drying) probably Here

David

 

[Highbeam]

Even my ugliest welds have held far beyond expectation. The weld pictured was a single pass. Bigger metal, more heat, well ground, new rod, and indoor welding make that tombstone shine. My ugliest welds were done in the wind, on thin metal, with wet rod, through paint. Looks like birdpoo but holds.

I am curious why you kept popping the circuit breaker? That generator sounds a good bit more peppy than mine and I have yet to pop the breaker welding unless I also run the set of 110 flood lights.

 

[AL_Josh]

Well, I was looking on the Lincoln Electric web site and found they have a AC225C which has a Rated CC AC Output of 170/25/20%.

What would be the diference in the regular AC225 Rated at 225/25/20%?

Would it be as capable?

It is more compact.
AC225C
Thanks again.

 

[Highbeam]

Looks as though the C version's duty cycle is calculated for 170 amps. The duty cycle for the standard AC225 is calculated at the full output of 225 amps. So what you're getting with the C is a reduced duty cycle, less capable. The kinds of things that would trigger a reduced duty cycle would be smaller and lighter components that are less able to run the current without burning up. It is probably lighter and cheaper because of it.

 

[bobodu]

That breaker is being blown because of excess amperage draw.
Using the formula of volts X amps=watts
220 v x 60 amps = 13200 watts

Were you trying to weld over 60 amps???
Bear in mind that's at SURGE...
With a safety factor of -25% the best you would want to run is 45 amps. The 10 gauge wire is another story....


After puzzeling this over in the shower and realizing I'm missing something....
What's the rating on that breaker??? 50 amps or is it less?
I have run from the barn on as low as a 40amp breaker but not more than 150 amps at the welder.

 

[Highbeam]

You're definitely missing something, a fundamental. A welder welds at 25 volts by going through a transformer. Start over with your math under that assumption and you will find that a 225 amp weld setting is only consuming 5625 watts. True, there is a startup spike and a transformer efficiency loss but also bear in mind that the circuit breakers on a generator are of the slo-blo variety and will get through a moderate overload surge with flywheel inertia.

Just because an appliance uses a 50 amp plug does not mean it consumes 50 amps. As you can see, a 30 amp circuit would feed the welder just fine.

 

[JustGary]

My brother-in-law has a 6.5 KW generator that pops its breaker while running a loaded-down Skil saw. My 5.5 KW generator runs several saws at the same time just fine. I suggested to him that he replace the breaker.

Your breaker spring may be weak or otherwise damaged, so if you can find one for a reasonable price you might try that.

Good Luck!

- Just Gary

 

[bobodu]

I KNEW it!! /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

Whilst getting ready for my shower,I was looking through my trusty TSC catalog and found some of the same sized gensets with 50 amp breakers...
Yep..I too think it must be a weak breaker.

 

[Highbeam]

"My brother-in-law has a 6.5 KW generator that pops its breaker while running a loaded-down Skil saw."

Another funny and sometimes irritating thing about the 220/110 volt generators is that they rate their output as combined from both 110 phases. This means that a 5000 watt generator only has 2500 watts available to any single 110 volt socket. The only way to suck the full 5000 is to either have two 110 volt x 2500 watt appliances running at the same time on different phases or to have a 220 volt 5000 watt appliance plugged in. The good news is that very few single 110 volt appliances pull 2500 watts, that is until you get into the RV world where the RV is powered by a single 110 volt x 30 amp plug and needs several thousand watts just for the AC plus a 1000 for the microwave.

 

[sodamo]

Well, I can lay claim to some ugly welds, but I do think they are strong. I was having wind from time to time.
As for the breaker - have to admit, I was cheating a bit. Being as I had to run the genset, I also had my inverter/charger plugged in so as to be charging my battery bank, so it could very well be it only popped because of this, but I have no way of knowing and the 120 breaker did not pop. Of course, as also stated, could be I've got a weak breaker. Guess, I might investigate replacing it sometime.

David

 

[sodamo]

Just thought I'd post an update. Had a new project, welding some simpson post caps to pipe coupling. Used the 60 amp setting and everything worked fine, never popped the breaker once.

David

 

[kylebosch808]

Hey there, Im 16 yrs old almost 17 now and a while ago my dad bought me a lincoln flux cored welder. It didnt work very good for what i wanted to do so i sold my dirtbike and bought the lincoln Mig pak 10 with the gas hook up. i tell ya that makes some of the best welds i have ever seen. if i were you id buy the lincon mig pak 15. My school has one and it welds anything really. in my mind it works just as good as the miller DVI which my school has to. hope this helps