tractor welding

pat sublett · May 13, 2015

What electrical is necessary to disconnect on a tractor before welding on it to prevent burning up the alternator?

D beatty · May 13, 2015

I was told to remove ground cable on battery but I feel safer and remove both cables.

old · May 13, 2015

I have welded ton of stuff with out doing any thing to them and have done tons of stuff and unhooked the - lead. NEVER had any problems either way

Alan K · May 13, 2015

If I remember correctly from Vo-Tech, it will burn out the diodes in the alternator. I do agree I don't believe I have had a problem either way as well.

tractorguy2 · May 13, 2015

You need to unplug the alternator. Welding will cause damage to the alternator.

old · May 13, 2015

NEVER burned out an alternator yet in the 40 plus years I have been welding on cars/truck/tractors

tractorguy2 · May 13, 2015

I've burned out four welding on combines.

old · May 13, 2015

A lot depends on where you hook up the ground. I hook up as close to where i am welding as I can and as I said have NEVER burned out an alternator yet and have welding on hundreds of cars/ truck/tractor and even motorcycles

JDB · May 14, 2015

If it has an on board computer, then disconnect the battery. Never fried an alternator yet and have welded on plenty of vehicles.

Bob · May 14, 2015

Pat, we can beat this stuff to death, and listen to the drama of someone "killing" a handful of alternators on combines, etc., but the bottom line is that the odds are greatly in your favor of nothing bad happening if you simply make the repair and move on.

Alternators or 'puters are pretty well protected from such voltage spikes.

If you are worried, disconnect the battery and clamp the two battery cable ends together with a ViseGrip.

This will bond the electrical shystem to chassis ground vs. disconnecting a battery cable and leaving the ungrounded side of the electrical system vulnerable to voltage spikes, entirely defeating the pu0rpose of this thread/

Traditional Farmer · May 14, 2015

The main thing when welding on anything with something electrical is to put the ground as close to the welding as possible and on a solid piece of metal that is solid (not bolted) to where you be making the first arc.

Part Time Pete · May 14, 2015

I just disconnect the ground wire from the battery, and as others have said, keep your ground and stinger as close together as possible.
You don't want the welding current to have to flow through bearings or anything electrical
Pete

David G · May 14, 2015

I really do not see how removing the battery cable makes any difference, keep the ground clamp as close as possible to welding area to reduce stray current.

rustyfarmall · May 14, 2015

It takes less than 5 minutes to disconnect the battery ground cable and to unplug the alternator. Doing so will pretty much guarantee the charging system will not be damaged, and you will not be heading to town to buy a new alternator.

jeffcat · May 14, 2015

I like how BOB clamps the two cable together. Sounds good to me. A couple of minutes verses the price of an altinater.

tractor welding

pat sublett

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D beatty

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old

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Alan K

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tractorguy2

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old

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tractorguy2

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old

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JDB

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Bob

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Traditional Farmer

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Part Time Pete

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David G

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rustyfarmall

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jeffcat

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