Welding Tips and Tricks

Ok, I am new to welding. I have a cheap ($75 maybe) stick welder. I want to get a mig and a tig. Tig will be first. Miller recommended one to me. My mom and step father are letting me make my own shed thing out back of our house. haha So, what is a good generator to get? I also want to get the beginner Miller stick welder.

I am chatting with a guy on youtube. He said generators are not good with welders. But, if I don't use a generator, I can't weld.

Welcome to the forum, and happy new year!

You *can* run a welder from a generator, but you have to make sure the generator's output ability matches the welder's input requirements. So if you're going to power different welders, get a generator beefy enough to power the welder with the greatest input requirements.

If you're going to buy an inverter welder, you'll need a generator with harmonic distortion of less than 5%, because the electronics inside the machine are sensitive and require "clean" power.

If you're shopping, I saw good prices on clean power generators at Northern Tool. And from what I've seen, if you have to hunt for the harmonic distortion rating, it will likely be greater than 5%.

Good luck with it, and let us know how it goes!

Both Miller and Lincoln make some small gas generator/welder combos. You can stick or DC tig off of them but I'm not sure if they make one that does AC tig. You might find you can kill two birds with one stone since you don't already have a generator. Plus then you don't have to worry about compatibility issues.
And Welcome!

Artie F. Emm wrote:Welcome to the forum, and happy new year!

You *can* run a welder from a generator, but you have to make sure the generator's output ability matches the welder's input requirements. So if you're going to power different welders, get a generator beefy enough to power the welder with the greatest input requirements.

If you're going to buy an inverter welder, you'll need a generator with harmonic distortion of less than 5%, because the electronics inside the machine are sensitive and require "clean" power.

If you're shopping, I saw good prices on clean power generators at Northern Tool. And from what I've seen, if you have to hunt for the harmonic distortion rating, it will likely be greater than 5%.

Good luck with it, and let us know how it goes!

Before I used my Maxstar 150s with a generator I contacted miller tech support.

They said it would run off any modern 5000w generator - low %THD was not a concern - I suspect because it was power factor corrected.
I ran it off my old Generac 5000/6250 and it worked well.

For the OP, list the welder you plan to use to get advice on generators.
Running electricity out to the welder is the best solution though in my opinion - and cheaper in the long run.
Even making a good, long, heavy extention cord is cheaper than a generator.

Yup, you're gonna wast A LOT of money on fuel. For the cost of a good-size generator, you can perhaps run a breaker off your main electrical panel (by someone who is qualified to do so) out to your shed. And you never have to worry about refueling.

What is your actual budget for the shed project?
How far will the shed location be from the main electrical panel?

Whoa, you guys threw a bunch of stuff at me. I was thinking about welding all night last night. It was like 2:30 am and I was looking at my ceiling saying "weld, tig, mig weld, weld mig. haha So, here are the ones I think I want to get. It will take some saving. Four months for the most expensive one. Thanks to Christmas money and what I am guessing will be birthday money.

Millermatic 125 hobby

Maxstar 150 s 120 – 240 v stick package

and either the Diversion 165 or 180. I also found something a spot welder last night. haha I shall get one of those as well. I look at things and see other things. I like creating stuff.

Now, as for budget, my mom and step dad are getting the shed I think. I can buy what I need in order to make it work. The problem is, haha, they told me last night, that much juice can not run out there because it would do something to the breaker. I think that is what they said. I thought about solar power. But, I've no clue as to anything about that. I would be doing any welding outside of the thing. Seems to unsafe to weld in an 8x8 wooden shed. haha Now, if I did not have anyone else to tell me no, I would call someone and put the power I needed out there. I noticed that two of the welders I listed can be run at like 115 and 140 I think. The other though has to be like 225. I know nothing about that kind of stuff. Power I mean. I wish I knew how to do it. I would. I do like chatting about stuff. This seems like a great site already.

My dad was a great welder. Mean guy though. Mentally and physically abusive. So, I never really learned much from him. Plus, he died in 03, when I was 17 or 18. Actually, about a week before my 18th birthday. Something happened to me in 03. Coma 6 weeks, blind when I woke up. But, I got my sight back. Lost my smell though. Anyway, I live a life now in which I just get a feeling to do something and I do it. This me getting the cheap welder. I am glad I did because I love it. There is just something, classic about it. Working with your hands. I want to take three types of welding in college this year. I guess I am 30 and a bit old. haha I know this has nothing to do with welding. But it has to do with ME welding. Everything fits into a place in ones life. Leads to another thing. I guess moments are like tacking. haha Then, when you weld that part of your mind, everything after that just fits together.

I have a Miller Dynasty 200, and it runs off of a 30 amp breaker wired to a 220V/230V AC line. To relate this breaker and line combination is also what a home's clothes dryer uses.

This next bit of information is from my owners manual. When the machine is TIG welding at 150 amps, the amount of amps it consumes from the power lines going into the breaker box from the street is 15.8 amps. When the machine is Stick welding at 130 amps, the amount of amps it consumes is 20.0 amps. While the machine is powered on and just idling, it consumes a mere 0.23 amps.

As for what the machine contributes towards the power bill, the kW (kilowatt hour) that it consumes while TIG welding at 150 amps is 3.6 kilowatts per hour. While Stick welding at 130 amps, it consumes 4.7 kilowatts per hour. While the machine is powered on and just idling, it consumes a mere 0.02 kilowatts per hour. How this information is useful? Using the Miller Dynasty 200 specifications for the example. With a power bill in hand to see what your power company charges per kWh (kilowatt hour; another way to abbreviate the term) (including any fuel surcharges). Multiply this totaled amount (kWh + fuel surcharge) your power company charges by 3.6, and then by 0.02; you'll know what it costs to use the machine for every hour of actual welding in either process, as well as, for every hour the machine is powered on and just idling.

As for what your folks mentioned about it using too much power for the breaker box.

See what the maximum amount of amps the breaker box for your residence is rated for first. Then add up everything already wired into it. Add up all the circuit breakers in the panel [on the inside and any located on the same side the meter is on] by what they are rated for (numbers on each circuit breaker throw [switch to open and close breaker]. Then, add up the amount of amps of all the appliances, etc used throughout the home) to see how much of that available amps is already reserved. This would be based on if, hypothetically, everything throughout the house if plugged into an outlet was powered on at the same time.

After factoring everything needing power above, if the breaker box is still able to accept an additional amount of amps the welding machine would need to run without nearing what the breaker box is rated for; and there is also an empty slot available to install the circuit breaker the welder will use. An additional 220V AC line would be able to be wired into the breaker box.

I'd go 220V/230V AC for input power due to having more welding amperage available, as well as, a better duty cycle than using an input power of 115V AC (the input voltage lights, television, microwave, et cetera used in a home). Then, pick a machine that is a multi-voltage capable machine to be able to still use 115V AC if needed.

The welding machines you are interested in, look in their owner's manuals; or the sticker on the machines to find out how many amps the machine would need, and how much power they would consume when used if wanting to know this information.

Your words go into my brain and then it hurts. haha I am going to post this on my facebook. My mom and grandfather will 100% know what you are saying. Thank you for all of the information. I do love welding. Took me 30 years to find out. Super fun.

While I m at it, if I am going to spend thousands of dollars on a welder, I really want one with a good duty cycle. Any thoughts? I was looking at the engine driven ones. Then I saw a 20% duty cycle.

While I am at it, if I am going to spend thousands of dollars on a welder, I really want one with a good duty cycle. Any thoughts? I was looking at the engine driven ones. Then I saw a 20% duty cycle.

I took up welding when I was 29, so it's never too late. But all this we're telling you, we're telling you for your own good. You don't need to know the details of wiring up electrical panels to learn welding, but you DO need to take the advice of those that do know about electrical panels that you need to consult an electrician to see exactly what you are dealing with. Look up the yellow pages in your phone book and see if any can come do free estimates. For the most part a 220 volt, single-phase, 50amp breaker will suffice for the welder.<----that is one of the most important bits of info you need to tell the electrician to see if it is even possible to wire that up from your current, existing electrical panel. You will also need to tell the electrician that you will obviously need to run some shoplights, and maybe even heaters if you plan to utilize your shed for working in cold weather months. Then the electrician can make suggestions if need be so you can also have 110V normal household current in there.

Don't get into a rush. You still have to do learn a lot, and I mean A LOT, about welding; so much in fact that saving up for [for example] 6months for a proper electrical set-up is literally nothing when you compare it to the YEARS that it will take you to become a proficient weldor. Yes, years.

Nothing wrong with having a generator, as a back-up. In fact I have one that I can run my welders off. Do I use it to power the welders? Nope, I ran proper electrical power to the area that needed it. Sucked to have to spend hundreds to buy the necessary things, but now I can weld any hour of the day without so much as a single issue. It was worth it.

Thanks for the info.