generator to welder question

Ron in NS · Mar 4, 2015

I'm no electrician, so I don't fully understand how this all works.
Will a 5500W gas powered 11hp generator that puts out 24 amps at 230V and 15 amps at 115V run a portable welder?
Will it run a Lincoln AC225 Tombstone welder, or just a 230V mig welder? How about a 110V mig?

john *.?-!.* cub owner · Mar 4, 2015

I also am NOT an electrician, but I think you will find it will power it on lower settings, but not the higher welder settings. Problem will be the generator governor reacting fast enough to provide the higher power needed when you strike the arc. May just get a brief flash and lose the arc.

JMOR · Mar 4, 2015

(quoted from post at 16:59:11 03/04/15) I'm no electrician, so I don't fully understand how this all works.
Will a 5500W gas powered 11hp generator that puts out 24 amps at 230V and 15 amps at 115V run a portable welder?
Will it run a Lincoln AC225 Tombstone welder, or just a 230V mig welder? How about a 110V mig?

ook at the name plate of the welder that you want to use & see if ampere number is above or below that of generator. You can't go by stick, MIG, TIG, etc.

merlynr · Mar 4, 2015

I mig welded with Hobart 135 using 030 flux wire and a 4000w generator on a metal fence post and brace successfully.
ps 110v

Steve@Advance · Mar 4, 2015

It should run the stick welder with thin rods and low amp setting, will run a mig better.

Mig typically needs about 35 amp max at 220v, which you have.

I would stay away from the 120v mig. They will work, but push the limit. At 15 amps on the generator, you'll be tripping the breaker, taxing the generator to the limit.

JGayman · Mar 4, 2015

I contacted Lincoln to see if my 6500W generator would power an AC-225 and they told me that a 10KW generator was required. They said that due to the transformer design even lower amp settings may have issues starting an arc.

I never bothered to try it. I simply replaced my AC-225 with an Inverter stick welder that runs fine from my generator.

old · Mar 4, 2015

It might handle it on low amps settings as for the arc welder. The Lincoln buzz box calls for a 50 amp breaker so your 24 amp is less then half what is called for as by going by breaker size

buickanddeere · Mar 4, 2015

A 240V welder is the only way it will have a chance to weld.
You maybe able to stutter away with a 1/8" rod by limiting the duty cycle.
As previously stated, depending on the type of MIG welder it could work ok with small wire and low current.
Of course having a capacitor circulating about 10amps of reactive current across the 240V welder input would help.
Not a project for a casual electrician. 100-110mf worth of oil filled AC capacitors are not an everyday item either.

Brad Buchanan · Mar 4, 2015

I have done it before with a 5500 watt gen and a Lincoln AC225 welder

Even with a 1/8 inch rod very hard to start and maintain an arc.

So, possible yes but very poor performance and weld penetration.

Brad

Dusty MI · Mar 4, 2015

(quoted from post at 13:59:11 03/04/15) I'm no electrician, so I don't fully understand how this all works.
Will a 5500W gas powered 11hp generator that puts out 24 amps at 230V and 15 amps at 115V run a portable welder?

If it's 24 amps @ 230V then I would think that it would be 12 amps @ 115V.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 4, 2015

I must not be average. I have many 5 gallon buckets
full of the old run caps I took out of air
conditions, but they are full of PCB's.

I used 200 mfd to power factor a 3/4 hp well pump
to make it easier to power in case I need to use
3500 w RV generator.

Could this guy get by using an RV generator that
puts out 30 amps at 120v to power a cheap 120v mig?

David G · Mar 4, 2015

I do not think it will handle the inrush of striking an arc even at low amperages.

Den N Ms · Mar 4, 2015

I have run my 220 volt L-Tec MM 250 mig welder off of a 4000 watt generator several times and it worked good.I welded 1/4"x2 " angle and 1/4" x 2" flat with no problem.I never tried 3/8 or thicker but I believe it would do that also.

Ian Beale · Mar 5, 2015

I've run a Lincoln 225 off a 7.5KVA genset (old type Briggs 16 hp) for quite a while on a 30 amp plug.

Works fine on 2.5mm and 3.2 mm.

Didn't think any more might help the friendship.

No problems striking the arc, My local long term Lincoln seller said that the older gensets were better for this as they threw everything in on the initial acc.

Bret4207 · Mar 5, 2015

(quoted from post at 17:59:11 03/04/15) I'm no electrician, so I don't fully understand how this all works.
Will a 5500W gas powered 11hp generator that puts out 24 amps at 230V and 15 amps at 115V run a portable welder?
Will it run a Lincoln AC225 Tombstone welder, or just a 230V mig welder? How about a 110V mig?

I posed the same question to our local, very experienced electrical repair shop. Anything electrical these guys know in and out. I was told a 5K home power type genset won't do it and not to even try with 220. was told I'd need at least 10K and 15 would be better, that or get a welder-generator that's built for it.
I ended up with a 25Kw PTO unit and it works good.

Mike M · Mar 5, 2015

Tried the Lincoln buzz box on a PTO generac of at least 25KW and fried the electronic voltage regulator.
Coincidence ? I'm not going to try it again to find out !!! Too expensive to repair.

Ron-MO · Mar 5, 2015

I have done a bit of welding with an old Lincoln 225 plugged into my 10 HP generator, and while it does not like it, and sometimes trips the breaker, it I have welded with it. I know I cannot weld on higher settings, but I "do what I have to do". I have also used a small Lincoln 110 wire welder and that welder seems to do better due to obviously not needing the higher current to operate. While the bigger 225 Lincoln does call for a 50 amp circuit, that is in my opinion "worst case" and only during spike with the welder turned up, and probably initial strike. Has anyone noticed the internal wiring in one of those? There would be no way the internal wiring on the Lincoln 225 could handle near that load for any extended length of time. Short answer is it should work if you keep the welder amperage down some, and depending on material you are welding (not so good for rusty pipe fence and sucker rod which is what I was doing).

buickanddeere · Mar 5, 2015

Must have been honking big airconditioners.

Chris(WA) · Mar 5, 2015

I had to do some welding at a break down site a while back. the local rental company did not have a gas powered welder on hand so they rented me a gas generator about that size and a wire feed welder. (ran it at about 120 amps) Worked just fine. Not something I would do every day but in a pinch? Go for it!
Fire it up and see what happens on a practice piece. Start at a low amp setting and see what it does.If everything is working as it should at worst it should protect itself.

Geo-TH,In · Mar 5, 2015

Mostly residential, some commercial. All from junk
AC's I scrapped out. By biggest are 55 mfd's
440vac, which 30 years ago my dad used to make
phasers with.

jimg.allentown · Mar 5, 2015

The Lincoln buzzbox is a probable no. I have one in my workshop, and it will trip the main breakers if I set it over the 75 setting. At 90, about as soon as I strike the arc, it blows the breaker. My mains are 30amp I think, and that is already more than your generator's capacity. You may get it to light up, might even strike an arc, but it will either overload the generator or trip the breaker very soon.

caterpillar guy · Mar 6, 2015

I guess I don't understand why one wouldn't just buy a welder. It will do the work of the generator as well as weld and not much difference in cost.
My miller welder is about 265 amp welder with 6or 8000 watt generator. I think it is the 8000 with 6000 continuous. I like it as it will run the entire house if I start with stages.

Ron in NS · Mar 7, 2015

I was just asking because those are the pieces of equipment I have on hand, and when I need to go away from my garage to fix something in the field or woods, that's what I have to choose from, unless I spend money I don't have right now. I'll just have to bide my time, and get a bigger generator when the $$$ comes available I guess. Thanks for all the help.

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