welder with portable generator

[jives]

Hi all;
Can a typical portable generator safely run a 240 V welder? Looking to buy my first welder, probably stick, but that is not the issue. My garage does not yet have power -- it is wired but connections to the main panel in the house are at least a year away (finances). It is wired for 240 V, but right now I only have 120V from the house via an extension cord.

I'd like to purchase a 240V welder and run it off my Briggs 5500 W portable, non-inverter generator, which does have a 240V, 20 A circuit (it may be 220V, 30 A). BTW, I assume that if it can run a 240 V welder it could also run a 120V welder.

I've Googled this topic and the advice is all over the place, dependent on the welder and generator specs. Given my generator, what stick welder would you advise?

Thanks.

 

[trackwelder]

I ran my miller 150s inverter welder for many hours off a Honda 6500 Watt with no issues

 

[PR1Gneon]

Hi all;
Can a typical portable generator safely run a 240 V welder? Looking to buy my first welder, probably stick, but that is not the issue. My garage does not yet have power -- it is wired but connections to the main panel in the house are at least a year away (finances). It is wired for 240 V, but right now I only have 120V from the house via an extension cord.

I'd like to purchase a 240V welder and run it off my Briggs 5500 W portable, non-inverter generator, which does have a 240V, 20 A circuit (it may be 220V, 30 A). BTW, I assume that if it can run a 240 V welder it could also run a 120V welder.

I've Googled this topic and the advice is all over the place, dependent on the welder and generator specs. Given my generator, what stick welder would you advise?

Thanks.

Match your welder watts and amps requirements to the generator constinious watts and the plug amps.

IMO buy a engine driven welder.



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[royesses]

It should be able to run a welder that needs no more than the generators max output current. Same with 120 volt. I have run both 120 and 220/240 volt welders off my Generac portable generator. It is 8 kw.

Roy

 

[sberry]

If I was starting over today would get a small inverter, Maxstar or even the Everlast 150 dvi and a genset for portable. Many/most maintenance type jobs can be done on 120V now, its about retired my engine drives. I wouldn't buy a portable welder unless I was going in the welding business and guys do this all the time too, one on this forum I would have to think of the name again but runs welding company from 8K in a trailer.
But,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, I would scrape enough in materials to get basic electric in for welding. Depending on distance might be able to do cord, could even run 120 but gas engine is a pitiful and expensive way to weld if you can find a way to do it from the line.
Inverters made most of this useless for small general work.

 

[txvwnut]

The experience I had says not really. I tried using my 6500 watt Generac and a friend of mines Miller dual voltage wire welder on the 110v side and it kept tripping the breaker on the genny. I was able to run about four beads three inches long then the breaker would trip, let it set for a couple of minutes then rinse and repeat. With my experience I wouldn't even try a 240v welder on a portable generator.

 

[strutaeng]

https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-how-to/pages/generator-size-detail.aspx

I would have thought it would work, but not according to Lincoln.

 

[Zewnten]

Entirely depends on the welder. Lincoln tombstone requires a 10kw generator to strike the arc. Little 90 amp can be run off of a 5kw generator. I bought a Miller legend for $1100 and that's about what it was gonna cost for a decent generator and ok welder.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Not only does it depend on the welder, it also depends how much you need to turn it up.

 

[sberry]

The experience I had says not really. I tried using my 6500 watt Generac and a friend of mines Miller dual voltage wire welder on the 110v side and it kept tripping the breaker on the genny. I was able to run about four beads three inches long then the breaker would trip, let it set for a couple of minutes then rinse and repeat. With my experience I wouldn't even try a 240v welder on a portable generator.

I would have plugged it 240 if I could. Some of the inverter sticks are made to run from ****** power.

Entirely depends on the welder. Lincoln tombstone requires a 10kw generator to strike the arc

Yes, a ****** like that takes near 10K watts to run any rod. Should be able to run an inverter for 5. I would like to field test an Everlast. I have a Maxstar but havnt ran it on gensets. I know in light work they have used a couple 150 and a trailblazer, let them run 3 units from 1 machine.
This is something I would absolutely do. It takes a hobby guy a long time to put real hours on a welder and being able to run 1/8 lo hy is the benchmark for handi work. Only place I use any 5/32 is heavy portable, all my shop is 1/8. I could easily do what I needed to with a cheap setup.
The 150 Everlast is somewhere around 250$ I am not sure how efficient it may be compared to a max but its got to be close, it is DVI, might run on as little as 4K. Maybe 4500. A guy could have a portable welder that plugged in to the wall where it could for 800 or so all brand new.
For giggles I tried a 100$ Forney. It didn't really work except for 3/32 6011. It would trip a 20A on a 3/32 7018 about half or 2/3 way down the rod. The Maxstar will run them continuously, Forney gets hot, Max not.

 

[sberry]

My Max was 800 10 years ago. The China versions were just starting. Hobart should have had a 100A 120 way earlier. They did have a sister to the Max when they started but couldn't resist loading every feature on it, it didn't sell well. They should have had single voltage entry machine. I never use 240 on mine. I have another unit I use in the shop and 120 was what I bought it for. I didn't care about TIG, now the Chinas only cost 50 more for that.

If I can help it I like stick for portable. Its so fast and reliable. The skill level is way higher though especially for really neat work. I have used a couple 120V feeders but never owned one or had one until recently. The 023 wire is nice on a couple projects where the material is foil thin. 120 made it handy.
I wish they had these when I was a kid. Would have saved and allowed for a lot of work.

 

[FSrepair&fabrication]

Yes it can be done, the results are not so great on anything less than a 10k generator, but you can get by if thats all youve got. Is that 5500w continuous or peak rating?

Another thing to consider is that honda makes a generator that is a stick welder as well like the ew171. they can be had pretty cheap used and will do 130 amps - enough for 7018 on 1/4-3/8 steel. The next step up from there is a miller bocat or lincoln ranger or better which starts to get pricey (and noisy if you have neighbors)

How much do you plan on welding?

 

[jives]

Thanks for the advice, folks. As my first welder, I'm looking something cheap to learn on, then potentially pass it along to my son for him to learn on. I'm talking less than $150, enough to do 1/4" steel. I know, buy quality, it will make learning easier and I'll have it for a lifetime. But, at this point I really cannot justify the expense, as my welding needs are few. For example, I currently have a mower deck that needs repair, I'm fabricating a rockshaft for my garden tractor, and hope to turn an old garden tractor chassis into a mini-hay wagon. (I'm a Wheel Horse guy). I've managed to survive with a lot of grinding, hole cutting, and bolting. I'm thinking more fabrication stuff in my future as I'm turning a bit away from wood and into metal. But, that is speculation.

Regardless, it looks like 220V unit is out of the question for now.

 

[strutaeng]

How far is the garage from the main house panel? If it is less than 100' run can buy some long leads, although the leads alone are probably going to cost you $200 new.

Does welding have to be done inside the shop/garage? I prefer to do welding outside. I have a 25' power chord and a set of 50' leads that gives me plenty of flexibility to work around my backyard. I can set up to weld in my covered patio or under large oak tree in the shade. I've got a basic AC Miller Thunderbolt that I got for $40 without leads. Leads were another $100. Works well for me.

 

[jives]

How far is the garage from the main house panel? If it is less than 100' run can buy some long leads, although the leads alone are probably going to cost you $200 new.

Does welding have to be done inside the shop/garage? I prefer to do welding outside. I have a 25' power chord and a set of 50' leads that gives me plenty of flexibility to work around my backyard. I can set up to weld in my covered patio or under large oak tree in the shade. I've got a basic AC Miller Thunderbolt that I got for $40 without leads. Leads were another $100. Works well for me.

Garage is 60' from the house. I've already got a heavy extension cord running from an outside receptacle. . . 75 footer if I recall. That runs everything at the moment.

 

[dnschmidt]

You're never going to properly weld 1/4" steel with a 110V welder if it's a wire feeder. It might look nice but it will not stick for ****. The best tiny stick welder for the money is the AHP for $240. That will easily do 1/4 steel all day long and can run 3/32" rods on 110V.

 

[MoonRise]

Thanks for the advice, folks. As my first welder, I'm looking something cheap to learn on, then potentially pass it along to my son for him to learn on. I'm talking less than $150, enough to do 1/4" steel. I know, buy quality, it will make learning easier and I'll have it for a lifetime. But, at this point I really cannot justify the expense, as my welding needs are few. For example, I currently have a mower deck that needs repair, I'm fabricating a rockshaft for my garden tractor, and hope to turn an old garden tractor chassis into a mini-hay wagon. (I'm a Wheel Horse guy). I've managed to survive with a lot of grinding, hole cutting, and bolting. I'm thinking more fabrication stuff in my future as I'm turning a bit away from wood and into metal. But, that is speculation.

Regardless, it looks like 220V unit is out of the question for now.

1/4" steel welding capability for $150?

That pretty much means a used transformer-type SMAW (aka stick welding) machine (like a Lincoln 'tombstone' or similar).

To run that type machine off of a generator, as someone posted the info right from the Lincoln webpage, you need a MINIMUM 15 kW generator.

Which is going to be a LOT more bucks than the $150 budget you've set for the 'welder'.

With a little 120V 'modern' inverter based stick welder and running off of your extension cord, you are still going to be limited as to the biggest diameter stick electrodes you can run.

Probably forget even trying 1/8" electrodes on 120V power, even a 20 amp capable outlet/circuit with NOTHING else on that circuit!

You might or might not be able to reliably run certain 3/32" electrodes on 120V power. Or you might have to run the tiny 1/16" sticks. A lot will depend on the exact inverter machine you are trying to do the welding with.

But running a $150 used transformer-type stick welder off of a 5500 W (that's most likely the 'peak' rating', so more likely it's a 5 kW generator at best)? Nope.

Just save the money and get 240V power to your garage.

Or wire a 240V circuit in the house and run a 'short' extension cord into the yard and use THAT power source to weld with. If your house has an electric clothes dryer, those are usually 240V 30A circuits, which can be used to run some 240V welders.

 

[sberry]

Thanks for the advice, folks. As my first welder, I'm looking something cheap to learn on, then potentially pass it along to my son for him to learn on. I'm talking less than $150, enough to do 1/4" steel. I know, buy quality, it will make learning easier and I'll have it for a lifetime. But, at this point I really cannot justify the expense, as my welding needs are few. For example, I currently have a mower deck that needs repair, I'm fabricating a rockshaft for my garden tractor, and hope to turn an old garden tractor chassis into a mini-hay wagon. (I'm a Wheel Horse guy). I've managed to survive with a lot of grinding, hole cutting, and bolting. I'm thinking more fabrication stuff in my future as I'm turning a bit away from wood and into metal. But, that is speculation.

Regardless, it looks like 220V unit is out of the question for now.

Get away from the 150$, as was said, AHP or similar, 240$ and its going to work. There is just a bottom line limit to it. Buying a super cheap welder that doesn't work right is no "way to learn" .

 

[WittHay]

Even inverter stick welders take some juice when you crank them up. We have a Onan 30KW pto generator powered by a 70 hp tractor.Use either a Miller Dynasty 200 or a Lincoln 210MP with it.

Last time with the Lincoln, we were welding 1/2" plate to 5" tubing that was 1/2" thick using 5/32" 7018 rod. Guy put the wrong pto shaft on the generator. Slip clutch kept slipping and the 50 amp breaker tripped. No harm to the Lincoln, just put the right pto shaft on but you can hear the tractor working when welding.

I am wondering if you have a cheaper inverter welder with not enough power to run it, will it damage the welder or just blow the breaker on a small generator?

 

[jives]

Okay, okay, I get the message. Pony up and don't be so darn cheap. . .