Want to fire up the beast - need help with a TIG welder

[Leland Pate]

So, I've got this Lincoln Electric 175 Square Wave TIG welder. I've never fired it up and recently got a whole mess of stainless steel bins and shelves for practice fodder. I am going to drop a 240 outlet right next to the breaker panel in my garage. A friend of mine, who is a residential electrician, looked at the plug and told me it needs "a 50 amp" breaker. So, taking that advice, I went to Home Depot and bought a 50 Amp QO breaker and a 50 amp outlet and box.

I get home and low and behold... the 50 amp outlet is a different shape than the cord on the welder.

FAIL.


So... I got online and looked up the manual on the Lincoln Electric website.

On page 8 of the manual, I see specs for DC TIG and AC TIG breaker loads... But I haven't the slightest clue what they mean.

Can anyone give me a hand here? What rating do I need on a breaker to do your run-of-the-mill light hobby welding with this thing?

Is there an easy answer?

[jpachard]

AC is used for Aluminium welding, DC is used for Steel welding. You will need to make sure your breaker can handle the startup voltage of the high frequency start and that it can handle the welders duty cycle.

Cheers, James

[MT930]

Look for the Nema# (National Electrics manufactures Assn I Think ?) # on the receptacle on the right side of the picture. Thats the one you need to use for that amperage TIG Machine 175 AMPS out put.

50 Amp Breaker should work fine for full capacity. The four prong is the new code for 50 AMP service. If you can not find a # just take the female receptacle to the electric supply store.

Buy the corded male plug with enough cord to reach the plug. Rewire the cord to the machine. Same colors as the old cord.

[greglepore]

Whatcha got on the welder is a standard "dryer plug" cable. The outlet that matches the plug should handle 50 amps. Make sure you use the appropriate wire gauge for the run length-code info is available online or one of the guys at Depot can help-should be #6 IIRC. Unless you're welding really heavy stuff, you'll never actually get near 50 amp draw... . While you're at it, I'd make up a good long extension cord for the welder as well, its nice being able to move it to the work. Use a flexible SO type cord-not cheap, but you'll thank me later.

Edit-didn't know the code had changed for 50 amp cords, we cross posted. If you're code be damned, it'll likely work just fine, did it for years, but they do rewrite the codes for a reason.

[Leland Pate]

Thanks guys.

I get you that the code has been updated and it may be best to just go buy a new cord and update the male end of the welder.

What I still don't get is the chart in the owner's manual I posted. On page 8, it gives a range of input amps from 40 amps to 125 amps at 230v 60 hz, depending on the AC/DC mode. What gives? Shouldn't I be able to see the maximum amp rating and find a breaker to match it? I've never seen a residential breaker go up to 125 amps.

[Joeaksa]

Leland,

I had the same thing hooking up my Lincoln Mig. Take the cord off of the welder, or draw the pin diagram and take it with you to a good electrical shop. Usually Home Depot or Lowes will not have this sort of outlet.

They can fix you right up, then get it wired right and you will be set. Using something like this is great as you can use the 240v outlet for other things in the garage like a super duty air compressor and the like.

A 50 amps CB was fine for mine and bet that this is what you need.

[jpachard]

Yes, this is not a residential machine. Welding machines running in AC mode require a ton of power.

[dhoward]

Wow. Lots of silly stuff here.
Welders duty cycle? C'mon...
MT's got it right 50 amp breaker with the new 50 amp receptacle.
I've got a 225 amp stick welder. Do you think I needed a 225 amp receptacle?
Duty cycle refers to the amount of time you can weld before overheating damage might occur.

[dhoward]

Originally Posted by jpachard

AC is used for Aluminium welding, DC is used for Steel welding. You will need to make sure your breaker can handle the startup voltage of the high frequency start and that it can handle the welders duty cycle.

Cheers, James

Breakers don't 'handle' voltage.

[billybek]

I don't think that you need a 4 pole receptacle for the welder.
One of the poles on that receptacle is for a neutral or identified conductor. If you were running a range that had a need for 115 vac for lights and clock functions that would be a handy thing. Looking at the wiring diagram for the welder, there is no need for the lesser voltage.
If the wire is sized to handle 50 amps, a 50 amp breaker should do the job. You can't run a smaller wire gauge to the load than the breaker is rated for. Wire will melt, bad things will happen, smoke will appear....

[Jim2]

Note that the format of the plug supplied with your unit is rated for 250 volt 50 amp, and therefore it should not have a breaker larger than 50 amp (2 pole). Obviously your panel should have sufficient capacity above 50 amp to service your house presuming this is where you are setting up. Your wire from your panel should be #6 for the 50 amp receptacle, though I seem to recall that the Squarewave 175 machines are only supplied with a #8 primary cord, though I'm not certain.

There is likely a reason why they print the "recommended" chart with such high capacity but I discussed this 50 amp breaker/plug issue with the electrician who wired my shop, as I requested all receptacles be like the one supplied on your machine. He advised of the 50 amp breaker limit to match the rating of the receptacle/plug I wanted to use.

My highest load machine is 375 amp output TIG, and though I never really do much beyond 220 or 230 amps and maybe 300 for a moment, I've yet to trip a 50 amp breaker even for long durations with a water cooled torch running A/C.

I've purchased the matching receptacle for your welders primary cord at Home Depot, though I had to go else where to get the correct cover plate. The receptacle goes into a 4"x4" box.

edit: The dryer receptacle looks similar but the blade prongs are about 1/4" wider apart. Also, a dryer receptacle is only rated to 250 volt 30 amp.

[Joeaksa]

Originally Posted by jpachard

Yes, this is not a residential machine. Welding machines running in AC mode require a ton of power.

Sorry but my residence has the same MIG welder that Leland is hooking up.

It has a 50 amp breaker, which might be a ton to some but not at my place.

[greglepore]

Lee-the chart in the manual appears to be for OUTPUT amps at the electrode, not imput amps to the welder-the welder is a big transformer-it can output greater amps |(at lower voltage|) than the input power. 50 amp breaker will be fine until you mig 3/4 in plate.

[jpachard]

Originally Posted by Joeaksa

Sorry but my residence has the same MIG welder that Leland is hooking up.

It has a 50 amp breaker, which might be a ton to some but not at my place.

Yes but he's not hooking up a MIG welder, It's a TIG welder. Different animal.

[dhoward]

Um...not when we're talking about input current.
If it came with a 50 amp plug, it needs a 50 breaker. Sheesh, there's no rocket science here.

[rick-l]

Are you sure home depot doesn't have a NEMA 6-50R?

My little 220 welder also has that plug (<< 50 amps). I think they expect that to be the standard receptacle in a welding area.