Stick Welder Question

Morning everyone. Hope all of your day has started good. I've got a problem with where my welder is located I can't get my trailer close enough to weld on it. I think I know the answer but wanted to double check. It would be better to make my leads longer than it would to make the plug in longer correct? I can't put the welder anyplace else and trying to figure something out. Naturally the place that I need to weld in on the front and there's no way to pull in close enough or back in either. It's a miller stick welder. When I get moved out to my land in a couple of years I won't have that problem. I've had plenty of time to plan and build my shop out there as to not have that kind of problem. It's funny my dad used to say before he passed I don't understand why you built a pond and shop before you moved out there. I told him because I had plenty of time to plan them and build them like I wanted so I was doing what I could until I can afford to move out there! Thanks for suggestions.
 
I have a 25 ft power cord. I like to have welder closer to me so I can adjust the heat as needed. My 25 ft power cord is set up for two 220v welders with different 220v receptacles. I also have two 110v receptacles for saws or fans. I like to make all my sparks when welding or grinding and sawdust outside shop or barn. I always worry about fires and sawdust and sparks are a good way to start a fire.

So, if I were you, I would put a heavy 4 prong receptacle the size of the welder's near garage door and get a long power cord for everything. I've done this for 30 years without any problems.
 
I have made up a couple of heavy duty extension cords for my welders. I used #6-3 SO cord, it is flexible, easily rolled and stored. One good reason for extending the power cord is I can use it with either the stick, the wire welder, or the plasma cutter.

If you have any plans for getting any other welding or cutting machines, you will already be set.
 
Been a long time ago. I think the plug on my welder is a 50 amp plug, 8g??? Just ask for a 3 wire plus ground that can handle 50 amp, then put it on a 50 amp breaker. Never tripped my breaker, Lincoln stick 200a?? Rarely set welder on more than 105 amps. Then use metal boxes and mounted mine on a 2x6 to hold boxed and cord in place. Two 220v recepts, two 110v recepts.
 
I am not an electrician but I believe you cannot run 220v and 110 volts out of a 3 wire line. The 220 requires 2 wires, and the third is an equipment ground. for 110V you need one "hot: and a neutral, and a ground. You are missing the neutral. You need 4 wires to do what you are doing. It is against code I believe to use the ground for a neutral. Maybe an electrician will correct me or agree? Tom
 
I run a 220 ( 2 hot-1 ground) to a box on welding cart and split it into 2-110 lines. Build this about 16 years ago and works just fine.
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#8 will do but #6 would be even better. I have run an old Lincoln buzz box with #10 wire but that was all it could handle and did in fact get hot which is not good. On my welder I have 100 foot leads so that I do not have the problem your having. My welder is also mounted on a pillar in my shop siting about 3 foot up
 
CyberWeld has 25' and 50' welder extension cords with 8g wire. I have one of the 25' versions and it works great. If you do some searches on the web these can be had for around $60 which is probably less than the cost of buying all the components separately.

http://store.cyberweld.com/230voexco25.html
 
To me it is better to elongate the secondary leads. Making a longer cord just gets the machine closer to the work. Longer leads let you move all around the work. When shopping for longer leads I have found eBay [sold per foot] to be far cheaper than my supply house.
 
I made a set of heavy duty booster cables with welder cable. They can be used for welding or boosting. Both are 20 feet long.
 
Tom states " It is against code I believe to use the ground for a neutral. Maybe an electrician will correct me or agree? Tom "

YOU ARE EXACTLY CORRECT

The safety Equipment GroundING Conductor provides a dedicated low impedance FAULT current return path so the breaker can trip thereby de-energizing the circuit. ITS FOR FAULT CURRENT ONLY NOT normal return current!!!!!!!!!!!! It may be bonded to the outer conductive metal case/frame of tools or appliances which you're touching so I really don't like to possibly place myself in parallel with a live current carrying conductor (what the Neutral is) especially if standing on wet ground, but yall are free to do so if you like...........

The Neutral GrounDED Conductor is for normal return current ONLY and NOT fault current.

Doing otherwise is a flagrant code violation plus can be hazardous.

YES Billy Bob and Bubba I know things can still "work" if wired contrary to the above so do however you please.

John T NOT an Electrician but a retired Power Distribution Electrical Design Engineer
 
That's what we do. We have two old silo under cords that we use when needed. Would be nicer to have longer welding leads, but what we have works and doesn't cost us anything.
 
We took down poles as I had some of the overhead wire. It was aluminum, and worked ok to make longer leads. I wasn't welding really heavy, and yes the wire got warm, but it also got me out of a jam.
 
John T When I built my house in mid 70's we wired to code at the time and didn't need the fourth wire. All of our 220 electric appliances are three wire and have never had any problems. My folks home was built 5 years before mine and dad hired an electrician to put his electrical system in and they used 3 wire.
 
Why use wire bigger than any power cord? Yes better, but measure the amps under normal use. Bet it's under 30.

Good luck.
 
JT,
Didn't I say 3 wire and ground? My welder is only 3 wire. I used 4 to make universal extension cord.
 
I use bigger because I like to have over kill when I wire things. Like when code calls for 14 gauge wire I use 12 gauge and if code calls for 12 gauge I use 10 etc etc
 
I don't know your welder, but I doubt you need a neutral. If you don't need a neutral then 8-2 w/ground, or 6-2 w/ground should work.
Look for a rating label and let us know what it says, including duty cycle, there are several exceptions in the code for welders.

Dusty
 
I have heavy extension cords on my portable cart. One for the 220v running the welder/plasma ( 8 ga.), and one for 110v for hand tools (12 Ga.). Very seldom does the stick machine get used. Most things are with gas and solid wire, small amount of flux cored wire used.
 
That's how they did it in the old days but the new system is much better and safer. When the NEC has an update or makes a change its often because someone got killed or a house burned down which they investigate and then make changes or improvements as needed. I have attended their seminars wowwwwwwww are the experts on the board sharp gents.

Again anyone can do as they like is fine by me, no skin off my nose lol

John T
 
I was responding to Tom who was CORRECT in his statement. I didn't know how you did it.

John T
 
Here is a simple fix. Use an RV 50 amp 3 or 4 wire 8 g extension cord. My have to change end on welder. I would use 4 wire cut the one end off and make my universal cord.

If you only wanted to power up a welder go with 3 wire if your welder is 3 wire like mine.

Yes it might be cheaper to make your own extension cord. I would buy the pre made with molded ends. It a witch working with 8g and putting two ends on wire.

check out ebay or amazon. Leaving you a post to ebay's
RV.
 
D beatty,
If your Lincoln is AC only I have the same one. I'm really getting the itch to buying a Lincoln AC/DC from Home Depot for $550 the next time I go visit my kids at Indy at the end of August. geo.
 
I have a extension cord for my welders and plasma cutter, made out of an silo unloader cord. It is sixty feet or more long.
 
George it is a AC/DC and I have had it maybe 15 years and like it but have been told if I tried a wire welder I would never go back to a stick welder.
 

Some folk need to learn how to read before they start preaching code.
He said it his post 3 wire PLUS ground, that's four wires where I come from
 
I think you should read his post again. He stated nothing about a three or 4 wire. He wanted to know if he should make leads longer or longer cord to welder.
 
The short answer is it's MUCH cheaper to extend the primary power cord but more practical to extend the welder leads.

Why not do both? Adding 25 feet to the power cord and 25 feet to the leads should allow you to do pretty much whatever you need to do.
 
D beatty ,
Don't believe everything you are told.
I have both a mig and stick. Mig is not a cheapie. It's a 220v, sold by NAPA, has many functions. The guy I got it from had a body shop. One of the features was a spot weld function, Set it for so many seconds and make your weld.

I use mig clean, rust free metals, mostly welding body panels, tin. Doesn't work as well on old metal like a 6010 will

It's a pain to change wire. If you want a clean weld, have to use gas, and gas isn't cheap. Flux wire is about $5 a pound. Again different sizes for different heat ranges, very ugly weld.

I'm very happy with my Lincoln buzz box. Can easily use different size and types of rods.

Use the person's mig that tells you how great they are before you buy one.
geo.
 
In the event its straight 240 VAC (NOT 120 and 240) and uses a 50 amp plug and receptacle (typical of older buzz boxes) all it takes is 3 conductor (2 Hots and Ground) 6 gauge rubber extension cord and an outlet to plug it into WHICH IS CHEAPER THEN TWO HEAVY GAUGE WELDING CABLES.............Are your welding leads long enough now??? If so Id just add a 240 volt outlet that's closer to where you work and can roll the welder out there.

John T
 
If you buy a good mig and use solid wire with gas your statement is true. If you buy a cheap welder or use flux core your results will vary. I use my mig for virtually all farm machinery repairs and only use stick when 7018 is required. Even then if it's a big job I'll use dual shield in the mig. If you buy a name brand in a 220v suitcase mig you will be able to weld anything up to 1/4" well and can do heavier. They are awesome machines.
 
I have a long power cord on mine but the welder is on a cart and easily moved about. If yours is not so easily moved then you should extend the cables. As with the other poster I have also used my long jumper cables to get another 16' of reach a few times.
 
Hi Mark; I'm interested in why you say it's more practical to extend the leads than to get a longer primary power cord. I'm just curious; your answers are typically well reasoned, but this one seems like a close call to me. The benefit of not having to move the welder to the work would be largely offset for me on the occasions when I had to make multiple adjustments to the settings. For instance, a couple of days ago I was repairing a steel railing that required out of position welding. What I probably needed was 3/32 6010, which I didn't have. (Actually, what I needed was MIG, but I didn't have that, either.) I had 3/32 6011, 6013, and 7014, and 1/8 6010. The 6011 was probably fine---3/32 6010 wouldn't have improved my technique---but I kept trying different rods and different settings to find something that wouldn't blow through the thin steel or burn off the decorative relief. It definitely would have increased the frustration for me to have to walk further to make adjustments. Otherwise, longer leads are definitely a good thing.

Stan
 
Thanks Jon & Geo for for your comments I have never used wire and know really nothing about it. The only thing I know is wire is nice welding thin sheet metal.
 
Hi Stan, your point is well taken. That's why a lot of portable welders have remote controls.

I guess my point is that there is really no substitute for longer leads when you need them. I don't have a stick, and I know firsthand from my MIG outfit what a pain it is to work with welding leads that aren't quite long enough. If you need to work on a ladder, for example, you probably don't want to drag your tombstone up there with you.
 

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