Welder Extension Cord To Dryer Plug

[PearlWhiteGT]

I picked up a new Lincoln 180 HD for about half price off Craigslist and now have to learn how to use it. Never welded before in my life but plan on giving it a try. I've heard that I can use my 220V dryer plug to power the welder but would have to make my own extension cord. Have any of you guys made one? Trying to determine what size gauge of wire I would need. I would need at least 25' or more of an extension cord. Any help and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

 

[Musicinabottle]

I'd go 6 gauge, but you could get by with 8. I'd rather be overkilled myself though.

 

[mike93lx]

Just buy a premade cord on amazon or ebay, they are all over the place.

Your dryer won't have a 50a plug though, so that will be a problem.you can't add a circuit for this?

 

[alfredeneuman]

I'd go 6 gauge, but you could get by with 8. I'd rather be overkilled myself though.

Why use a 6 gauge? The unit only draws 20amps with a 30% duty factor, and the dryer receptacle only will supply 30amps.

20 x .55(Adjustment for 30% duty factor) = 11Amps

 

[sberry]

You need 12 or better. The recepts and plugs are Iisted for it. That is a very good machine. While buying a cord can be good it will not have the right plug for a dryer anyway.
As Alfred pointed out, under some conditions this unit only requires 14 wire but use 12 or better anyway. 12 solves a couple problems and could be used on a 50A welder circuit.
I believe that machine is based on 23A. Might be 23.8 or something like that.

 

[RustyJunk]

I have been seeing a lot of these same machines being sold cheap on Craigslist lately around here, brand new in the box, I was thinking either bootleg or somebody must have hijacked a truckload or something.

 

[sberry]

sberry: I looked it up in the manual (as 20Amps).

BTW, a 25' long #14 cord with an 11 amp load on it works out to something like 1.39% voltage drop, and that is welding full blast on the highest setting.

It is with 11A but the load is 23, it's only 30 percent of the time. The .55 doesn't derate the machine, just the wire.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I believe that machine is based on 23A. Might be 23.8 or something like that.

I looked it up in the manual (as 20A)

 

[PCustoms]

Go to home depot and buy a dryer whip that matches your current outlet. Then grab a receptacle that matches the welder. This makes up your adapter (if it's a 4 wire leave the neutral disconnected). Then order an 8awg pre made welder extension cord, I had found my 50', lighted ends, US made for under $100.

This was the cheapest option (for me) a few years ago.

If you need a shorter run, price out a plug to match the dryer receptacle, 30' of 10 awg soow and your welder recepcticle. I wouldn't go smaller then 10, as that is what your dryer circuit is. Technically you could use 12 awg...

 

[sberry]

It's been a while since I cracked a book on one. If you looked I assume it's right but I thought it was a bit higher. They build these to slide under a Nema class for these just before they need to upsize the components.
I have put quite a few of these under a meter. I have one and a 120v unit also. The welding wire size makes a little difference in how far they can turn up,, a little. Both units,,, the load on the conductors would be the same will draw around 22 at rated output and a change to larger weld wire can squeak another 1 or 2 out but the arc turns crappy.
The 210 and 211 will run near 24.
I don't have any 240 cords with 12 or 14 but have metered the 120v unit with 50 ft 12 and 14. At 22 about 3 or 4 v drop on 12 and 9 or so on 14 but not sure my 14 was actually 50 ft, maybe 40?
In a critical test environment could notice the setting difference a pinch, a hobby user likely couldn't tell.
The 180 comes 12 cord 50 plug. The mpg models come 14 and have additional protection in the adapter for 50A.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The .55 doesn't derate the machine, just the wire.

An extension cord isn't a wire??

 

[sberry]

An extension cord isn't a wire??

I am not sure I understand? The machine pulls over 20, the derating is for wire, doesn't change the machine draw. As the duty cycle rises the current being the same needs larger wire. If it was 100 percent would take a 10. Say a 12 wire, would be good for 80percent, very similar to its continious load allowance on a general circuit if I make sense with that. Would be good for continious at 16A.
Cords on 120v machines are 14, the single voltage 240 are 12.

 

[Musicinabottle]

Why use a 6 gauge? The unit only draws 20amps with a 30% duty factor, and the dryer receptacle only will supply 30amps.

20 x .55(Adjustment for 30% duty factor) = 11Amps

Because I could use it for other applications. This is the way I think anyways. Like I said, 8 would do it. I just tend to overkill.

 

[sberry]

What other appliances would one use it on?
The reason these welder cords come ready made with 8 is that it covers all welders that come 50 end, specifically the 250 migs that can have high duty cycles.

 

[sberry]

I own a lot of ****, stuff most others don't have and don't have a single thing that 8 welder cord would apply to other than the mig. Ends only rated to 3 hp.

 

[JimDon]

He's referring to the spool of wire in the MIG as "the wire." That is what would make the slight difference.

 

[alfredeneuman]

The machine pulls over 20, the derating is for wire, doesn't change the machine draw.

I looked in the manual. It says 20Amps.
If the derating applies solely to the supply wire size to the welder, and the extension cord is wire, why wouldn't it apply?

The 3hp figure doesn't have anything to do with welders.

 

[sberry]

It does apply to the cord. The ends I mention was in reference to the cord having other uses. Can't use it on 5 hp motors, ranges come with different ends. Could use it up to 3hp but that only needs 10 cord.

 

[sberry]

I am not arguing that you read 20, i cant recall ever seeing one, maybe they wrote it for that market. 20/23 doesn't make a lot of difference to the principle. If it's 20 then it still isn't 11. The wire needs to be equivalent of one that carries 11 continious.

 

[alfredeneuman]

From the manual:
Standard Voltage/Frequency
Input Current
230 V 60 Hz
20 Amps @ rated output

 

[sberry]

That is rather vague as it doesnt say the rated output figure. I believe,,,, there is a spec sheet with the particulars. I got a manual somewhere but,,, best i can recall its 22 at 130. But that's not gospel.

 

[wyliesdiesels]

I picked up a new Lincoln 180 HD for about half price off Craigslist and now have to learn how to use it. Never welded before in my life but plan on giving it a try. I've heard that I can use my 220V dryer plug to power the welder but would have to make my own extension cord. Have any of you guys made one? Trying to determine what size gauge of wire I would need. I would need at least 25' or more of an extension cord. Any help and advice would be much appreciated. Thanks.

What kind of dryer plug do you have? (3-wire or 4-wire)

And does it terminate at the main service panel?

 

[sberry]

I looked at a website and it says 20 in at 130. Something is different about that, Lincoln guys sniff the circuit board glue before they write the manuals anyway. Seems I read in an older one they called for 8 wire and 40 breaker for one.

 

[GirlnAgarage]

Go to home depot and buy a dryer whip that matches your current outlet. Then grab a receptacle that matches the welder. This makes up your adapter (if it's a 4 wire leave the neutral disconnected). Then order an 8awg pre made welder extension cord, I had found my 50', lighted ends, US made for under $100.

This was the cheapest option (for me) a few years ago.

If you need a shorter run, price out a plug to match the dryer receptacle, 30' of 10 awg soow and your welder recepcticle. I wouldn't go smaller then 10, as that is what your dryer circuit is. Technically you could use 12 awg...

That's about what I did. I used 30' of 10awg SOOW. Paired it with the matching dryer receptacle and welder plug.

 

[alfredeneuman]

I looked at a website and it says 20 in at 130. Something is different about that, Lincoln guys sniff the circuit board glue before they write the manuals anyway. Seems I read in an older one they called for 8 wire and 40 breaker for one.

Blaming the people that wrote the manual?
What the heck is circuit board glue anyway?

 

[rsanter]

I did it that way for a while.
I got a dryer plug, bought some large Romex(don’t remember the gauge) and put a box on the other end.
I used to unplug the dryer and plug the extension in.
Did that for a while with no issues, later I added a separate plug in the garage but still used the extension

To this day I still run my welders off an extension so o can get all over in my shop

Bob

 

[PearlWhiteGT]

Thanks fellas for the feedback.

 

[PearlWhiteGT]

What kind of dryer plug do you have? (3-wire or 4-wire)

And does it terminate at the main service panel?

It’s a 4-wire dryer plug.

 

[The Cobbler]

When I did hardwood floor refinishing we used a 120/240 -30/50 amp plug with the neutral blade removed so we could plug into either a drier or range receptacle for the sanders

 

[sberry]

Blaming the people that wrote the manual?
What the heck is circuit board glue anyway?

They fixed it in later versions of the manual. I never figured out how they called for 8/40 for a 130 and 10/50 for 255.
Miller has a couple engineers too that are not real familiar with welder wiring. They are probably electronic guys.

 

[alfredeneuman]

Miller has a couple engineers too that are not real familiar with welder wiring. They are probably electronic guys.

It's probably a good thing he picked a Lincoln welder instead of a Miller then.

 

[sberry]

Good thing he got more than one response here or he would have been looking for an 11 amp wire.

 

[dogdog]

WTH is a Welder Extension Cord? What is the differences between that and a regular extension cord for normal people that can handle the amp and the environment it is used in... ?

 

[mike93lx]

WTH is a Welder Extension Cord? What is the differences between that and a regular extension cord for normal people that can handle the amp and the environment it is used in... ?

Pedantic much?

Searching to a welder extension cord gets you there in one step. Why would you search for it differently?

 

[75gmck25]

Does anyone else get confused about the differences in the Lincoln product line? For just the "180" welders you have Easy Mig 180, Pro-Mig 180, Mig-Pak 180 , and Weld-Pak 180HD, and prices are different for each package. On the Lincoln web site, the short description of each of these packages has identical wording.

Maybe people are selling them because they think they are buying one set of capabilities, but are then getting something different?

Bruce

 

[mike93lx]

Does anyone else get confused about the differences in the Lincoln product line? For just the "180" welders you have Easy Mig 180, Pro-Mig 180, Mig-Pak 180 , and Weld-Pak 180HD, and prices are different for each package. On the Lincoln web site, the short description of each of these packages has identical wording.

Maybe people are selling them because they think they are buying one set of capabilities, but are then getting something different?

Bruce

I bet they are exclusively sold at certain retailers. That way HD has a different product than lowes

 

[alfredeneuman]

Good thing he got more than one response here or he would have been looking for an 11 amp wire.

Do you remember what you posted earlier?
"The .55 doesn't derate the machine, just the wire."
"If it's 20 then it still isn't 11"
****************************************
20X.55=11
#14 at 25' (the length of the cord)with an 11A load = Actual voltage drop loss at 0.62% for the circuit.

23 (Your figure)X.55=12.65
#14 at 25' with a 12.65 = Actual voltage drop loss at 0.71% for the circuit

There's nothing in the Code that says the wire's limited to 80%, as continuous loads are.
An extension cord is a wire

 

[sberry]

It isn't an 11 amp load, it's a 20A load.
I agree it's not limited to 80 percent, actually the opposite. It's allowed to be overloaded for a limited period of time.

 

[Sevenhills1952]

Years ago I bought a heavy gauge extension cord on sale. Then I bought a male & female dryer plug. I cut the extension cord about 3ft. from male end and wired female dryer socket to it. Then wired cord end to male socket.
When you plug dryer sockets together, I still have a 120V extension cord.
When I plug 120Vac ends together I have a 240V dryer extension cord for welder.
I like versatility.

 

[sberry]

I bet they are exclusively sold at certain retailers. That way HD has a different product than lowes

Yes, they are the same machine with a different jacket. Back in the day before the total spread of the box store they made 2 models. A T and a C. The C,, for continious voltage was for sale at dealers the way the power mig that replaced it is now. The T for tapped was spun off for the box stores. They often only offer the models with all the newest features at the dealers, I don't know if the boxes get and dvi etc I don't recall and am out of the loop a bit so this is generalization.
ITW, parent company of Miller and Hobart does this. Most of the models have some minor differences, mostly the feeders but the Miller is dealer sold and the Hobarts thru other stores.