Welding on a tractor - Avoid Damage?
- Thread starter rebel300r
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strokerduster
Silver Member
remove the negative cable from the battery.
escavader
Veteran Member
YES,ditto on the battery cable.ALSO dont put your grounding clamp on the opposite side of a bearing so electricity is passing through it.dont ask me how i know /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gifALAN
Soundguy
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Ditto what the others said. In general I try to "not" weld on a tractor.. but if I have to.. I disconnect the lines to the alternator, pull bat cables, and then put the ground clamp as close as practicle to the area being welded.. and as others said... don't let bearings conduct welding current!
Soundguy
Soundguy
Cord
Veteran Member
So long as you don't connect the welder right to the battery it won't be part of the circuit. There is no need to disconnect it.
Thanks a lot guys.
Ok, so far I have: disconnect battery and alternator, ground right next to the weld, don’t fry bearings and limit it to the minimum amount of welding I can get by with. Anything else before I start?
Scott
Ok, so far I have: disconnect battery and alternator, ground right next to the weld, don’t fry bearings and limit it to the minimum amount of welding I can get by with. Anything else before I start?
Scott
Boomerang1
Gold Member
If your tractor has an ECM or other computer components you should remove it before welding. Doesn't matter if the battery is disconnected or not, you could still fry the system.
Soundguy
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</font><font color="blue" class="small">( So long as you don't connect the welder right to the battery it won't be part of the circuit. There is no need to disconnect it. )</font>
In theory, that works.. However I have seen at lest a few examples of sensitive electronics on a car/truck damaged from welding ont he vehicle with everything hooked up. By disconnecting the battery.. you isolate the rest of the car.. that's why I like to disconnect it...
Soundguy
In theory, that works.. However I have seen at lest a few examples of sensitive electronics on a car/truck damaged from welding ont he vehicle with everything hooked up. By disconnecting the battery.. you isolate the rest of the car.. that's why I like to disconnect it...
Soundguy
SkyPup
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A flame resistant high temperature blanket can be used to cover sensitive plastic or parts you don't want sparks and high temps on.
slowrev
Elite Member
In addition to what the others have said. I disconnect both battery cables and use a jumper cable to short them together. This prevents any voltage buildup.
Ben
Ben
cqaigy
Silver Member
<font color="red"> So long as you don't connect the welder right to the battery it won't be part of the circuit. There is no need to disconnect it. </font>
Hmmm. I kinda thought the same thing until i was watching a buddy of mine weld on his moterbike and the battery blewup. And he had the ground clamp connect right on the same piece of metal he was welding back on.
Hmmm. I kinda thought the same thing until i was watching a buddy of mine weld on his moterbike and the battery blewup. And he had the ground clamp connect right on the same piece of metal he was welding back on.
hobbyfarm
Veteran Member
Why not fabricate what you need for the tractor off the tractor and then bolt the part on the tractor? That way it is easily removable.
Or is it an actual non-removable piece of the tractor?
Or is it an actual non-removable piece of the tractor?
KennyV
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I’d bet his battery blew up because a welding spark got in the hydrogen that was coming out of the battery… That is another thing to be aware of hydrogen plus welding spatter equals BOOM /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif. KennyV.
AntrimMan
Gold Member
Yeah, it has to be that or something very similar.
I am not an EE but I have slept in some motel's so here goes... electricity moving in a conductor creates an external field which will induce electricity in an adjacent conductor, that's how transformers and some meters work. You with me so far? OK, so if you drag the weding cables over and around any wiring on the tractor you may be inducing voltage within the tractors wiring harness while you have an arc going, battery or no battery. Now, it's difficult for me to believe that welding cables properly routed could cause any problems. If the tractor has bits and pieces that are that sensitive they won't last anyway.
Given the proximity of fuel, plastic and battery gases then, yes, it's a good safe idea to weld off the tractor when possible. I wouldn't even bother to disconnect the battery on mine. In fact I think I will try it just to see what happens.
Later, I'm going back out to sleep at a motel to see if I'm correct.
All the Best,
Martin
I am not an EE but I have slept in some motel's so here goes... electricity moving in a conductor creates an external field which will induce electricity in an adjacent conductor, that's how transformers and some meters work. You with me so far? OK, so if you drag the weding cables over and around any wiring on the tractor you may be inducing voltage within the tractors wiring harness while you have an arc going, battery or no battery. Now, it's difficult for me to believe that welding cables properly routed could cause any problems. If the tractor has bits and pieces that are that sensitive they won't last anyway.
Given the proximity of fuel, plastic and battery gases then, yes, it's a good safe idea to weld off the tractor when possible. I wouldn't even bother to disconnect the battery on mine. In fact I think I will try it just to see what happens.
Later, I'm going back out to sleep at a motel to see if I'm correct.
All the Best,
Martin
gizmo
Silver Member
Hey, EE here. Don't weld through a bearing or bushing, use common sense, and don't worry about disconnecting the battery. You should be fine. When I weld on my tractor I just try to ensure that the ground lead is attached directly to the piece that I am welding.
