110V Welder on a Portable Generator

hey guys...

heres a question that i havent been able to find an answer to...

i have a lincoln weld pak 110V welder... it is possible to run it off of a portable generator?

i have only ONE recept in my garage and with lights, a co110V compressor and sometimes a 55kbtu darth vader heater on, i spend more time going up and down the stairs resetting the breaker than i do working on the JEEP...

any suggestions?

TIA

 

Depends on the generator but if the welder pulls no more than 20 amps I'm gonna say yes.

 

any idea how to find out how much it pulls?

its both flux core AND gas... so polarity can be reversed if that matters...

and i also forgot to ask... if it WILL in fact run off of a portable generator, what size should i be looking for?

thanks again!

 

How much will the portable generator cost? Have you considered possibly putting that money toward upgrading the electrical in the garage? Just a thought.

 

I've been wondering about this as well. I doubt that a 110 welder would draw more than 20A. My concern would be if there is a lag between pulling the trigger and the generator kicking in. Not sure if any type of duty cycle would come into play but, I don't think generators have duty cycles. Size? I guess anything with a 20A circuit would do. Does a friend have one you could borrow and give it a whirl? Let us know how you make out.

 

you might want to look into getting another 20 amp circuit into your garage, it would probably be cheaper in the end, but as for generator size:
look at your welder and see how many Watts it uses, then base your generator size off of that.
the most it should draw is 110v x 20a = 2200watts
be aware some generators are sold using peak watts, so a 2200 watt generator can only put out that amount for a limited time, and may trip or be overloaded by the welder.
be sure to look up what amperage the generator puts out per outlet too.
as an example:
http://www.generac.com/uploadedFiles/Assets/SpecSheets/0191810SBY.pdf
this Generac 3250 watt generator only rates the outlet output amperage as 13.5 amps
way too low for your welder
hope this helps and don't be afraid to ask around for an electrician to quote you on another circuit into the garage.
it may be a lot cheaper in the long run.

 

true... maybe i ll call Mr Sparky and see what theyll charge to put in a 20A and maybe a couple receptacles....

thanks all... if i find a generator and can use it, i ll update you...

looks like 20A and 120V (from the machine)so... 2400W

says ON the machine... for use on a 20A branch circuit and 120V

 

I have a 4500 watt generator I use with my 110V flux core lincoln when I need to do heavy welding ....I plug it into the shop wiring which is very much outdated to do small welds but it normally will blow a breaker if I try and do 1/4 plate or similar. I am working on bringing in a better power line to the shop, the whole place was on a 70 amp service till earlier this year.

So yes, if you have a large enough generator , you can do it and do it pretty well. The upside is if I need to go on the road and weld something I still can.

 

I used to do some field welding and everything was done with miller bobcats. Heavy welding, we'd use the built in stick welder, but for quick stuff we'd just plug in a 220v wirefeed. I know that's a WAY bigger generator then is being talked about, but the lag was never an issue. You could definitely tell it was there, but didn't seem to cause problems. With the stick weld, that true DC was BEAUTIFUL.

 

excellent Bill...

thanks all for the info... may go generator shopping AND get a quote from Mr Sparky as well... just for fodder

 

Good stuff. Thanks guys.

 

Had an electrician out to the house today for a guesstimate...

i can do 2 20A ckts for about 450... plus some other stuff... to free up some juice for other stuff

outside outlets for tools, dedicate a ckt to the zapper (micro)... all told about 1k... but i think i can get away with ONE 20A for the welder (which i dont use all the time) and my compressor/lights when i need them...

then again... why not get MORE power first time round...

meaning 2 20As in the garage... just in case

thoughts/suggestions?

 

You'll never wish you'd put in less outlets or used a smaller breaker. I'd go that route over spending the same on a generator personally, unless you found a good deal on an old lincoln or miller portable welder (have a gen set built in, will power your house if you need to or weld anything in the world).

 

Guess cost would come down to how long you plan to stay where you are at. Long term get the electrical done, moving soon, buy the generator.
I was lucky, PO of the house had wiring run for a ceramic kiln, use that circuit for my welder. Have two generators currently my Dad got cheap after Y2K fizzled. The 4400 watt will run a 4hp compressor, the 4000 watt rated one will not. Am sure either will run my Lincoln 125.
Thinking about putting all my tools on a 2 ton grain truck, have them where ever it can go.
For home use, made up an extension cord with 220 male ends on both sides. Can switch off the main breaker and feed backward when the grid power is out to run the furnace blower and refrigerator. Have only had to use it once, lucky me. Better to have it and not need it than vice versa. Generator goes in the same catagory as insurance and fire extinquishers AFAIC. Make sure and drain the fuel when not in use.

 

good idea with the reverse feed for the house...

WISH i could find a good self contained unit like JeffsJeep said... but no such luck in this life time when i have the $$

going to stay here for a LONG time... we like it here so the upgrades are worth it... plus, if we ever build the detached garage, i can use the existing garage for a wood shop and have the new one wired the way i want... thats a serious possibility in the next few years....

i ll sit down with the CFO tonite and see what she thinks... im thinkin it ll be a go

i ll let you know what we decide!

thanks guys!!