Need Your Thoughts On A New Welder

[big bubba]

interesting the way the discussion is now considering a 100A box for welding needs in garage. plus room to expand garage circuits if necessary. imho far more useful than a single receptacle or gen set.

 

[Sberry]

The biggest hesitation I would have about buying a HF welder is not the quality, but the service repair if needed. I would be more inclined to buy a Chinese welder from a welding shop that would be able to service the unit if it broke. Lincoln, Hobart, Miller all have big service networks. Just one more thing to consider.

You dont repair these economy welders, you replace. Every part is available, all assembled.
Agree that service upgrade is not needed in most cases, the weld for a hobby type is so intermittent its insignificant and garages dont really add much to real load calcs.
The cost to add a panel is modest as the wire for it is cheaper than a 6 copper, way cheaper. You could hook the same wire now to a 50A outlet if it was protected at 50A.
Individual welder circuits are one of the code exceptions for wire sizing and can be treated differently, this welder only needs a 10 even at 50A. Its allowed to use 12 if its single circuit in pipe even 50A breaker. This is the legal limit and for hi draw like a Stickmate type and wide open effects performance a bit on long circuits, its allowed about 75 ft but once the wire is sized up to a 10 the performance issues disappear.

 

[Sberry]

I got a bud came by wanting to fix some pos,,,, had ran it like arented mule for 5 years and ewants to fix it, got all excited when I told him every part available,,, 500,,, the same he paid for it 5 years ago. He should have bought a Miller,,, true it might be still working but it cost 4K and he be in it for 800 a year at this point vs the 100 with the Everlast.
Would need the Miller to last 40 years and spend 4K today. The lastest version of these modern welders now have fit and finish very good and now very reliable with long warranties. I am a Miller Fan, Red too and all for Hobart but the nature of tools and these machine make it hard to ignore the math.
In maintenance work some of these could pay in an event or 2.

 

[Sberry]

I didnt have a Maxstar and went to a punch list job on a site I solicitated for a call and the super was sort of surprised I came with a full truck and engine drive. The work could have been done small electric and there was power. I since got a Max, when I got it the imports were just blossoming and now they have came up to speed while the cost has tanked.

 

[Sberry]

If anyone told me in 95 I would buy a sub 300$ DC welder in 2021, or a 50$ battery drill I would have said baleshit. I gonna buy another 50$ drill. Last one I bought was 150 before a 150 battery. Paid 150 for a blue 9.6in 92, the cheap azz PC at Wally was 50 with better battery, better run, more power and lighter.
I spose new wire feeds are the same way so not exactly where the money balances out but for the hobby and a lot of pros, maint setups for the new entrants to the welding world would start with 2 machines I would want anyway, a 200 mig and a 150 dvi stick inverter.
Boith at hobby level prices, disposable like a modest TV, way less than old stero back in the day, we paid 300 for some pos now cost 30.

 

[Sberry]

A DC Stickmate was 350 in 82 and 550 when they recently retire the same model. Can get a green dc dvi for near 250 I believe, hadn't really end priced them but the machine does the same work and as the ultimate bonus runs from 120V, put out 90A with 100 ft of cord.
Another bonus is the local infinite current adjustment, really handy dandy for fussy work with small electrodes. I still use my red buzzer, it works well enough but a couple A adjustment would be a bit advantage for position, fit all that not so controllable. Maybe more vert than overhead.
A good share of the worlds welding work done small electrode. 1/2 a nuke plant build with 3/32 at 92A

 

[Avenger]

So it seems a sub-panel is the way to go. People have mentioned 2-2-2-4 aluminum wire. I'll admit, I know nothing of this wire. Some googling did help, but seems like it is all wire for burying. I will need to run this wire though the house. I suspect that a conduit could/should be used? But at the rate of building materials these days, if I have to buy conduit with aluminum wire, is there any real savings over Romex? Getting back to the wire, can someone recommend a 2-2-2-4 wire that I should use for this 100ft run?
Along those same lines, I know nothing of sub-panel installs. If I was made of money, this would be hired out. But since I'm stretched very thin on this project already, and the wife keeps bugging me about how much more this welder is going to cost, I need to do the work myself. My retired friend is apparently out of the state visiting family for the summer. He is unavailable.

As to the amount of power I have in the home. Currently have a 200amp service. That services a few MAJOR circuits already in the home. To name a few: range, dryer, heat pump and AC, furnace, 50amp brewery, two well pumps (yes, two.), and a host of smaller 110 circuits. I get that not everything is running at full capacity 100% of the time. However, the well pumps kick on, the AC kicks on, the wife fires up the dryer, puts a kettle on the stove while she does her laundry, while I'm outside welding in the garage. It's possible that the house will pull 200 amps.

But I'm certainly not opposed to it running this circuit/sub-panel. I just know that I will need more power, eventually.

I can, in the main panel, make space for a 100amp breaker.

 

[fried1765]

So it seems a sub-panel is the way to go. People have mentioned 2-2-2-4 aluminum wire. I'll admit, I know nothing of this wire. Some googling did help, but seems like it is all wire for burying. I will need to run this wire though the house. I suspect that a conduit could/should be used? But at the rate of building materials these days, if I have to buy conduit with aluminum wire, is there any real savings over Romex? Getting back to the wire, can someone recommend a 2-2-2-4 wire that I should use for this 100ft run?
Along those same lines, I know nothing of sub-panel installs. If I was made of money, this would be hired out. But since I'm stretched very thin on this project already, and the wife keeps bugging me about how much more this welder is going to cost, I need to do the work myself. My retired friend is apparently out of the state visiting family for the summer. He is unavailable.

As to the amount of power I have in the home. Currently have a 200amp service. That services a few MAJOR circuits already in the home. To name a few: range, dryer, heat pump and AC, furnace, 50amp brewery, two well pumps (yes, two.), and a host of smaller 110 circuits. I get that not everything is running at full capacity 100% of the time. However, the well pumps kick on, the AC kicks on, the wife fires up the dryer, puts a kettle on the stove while she does her laundry, while I'm outside welding in the garage. It's possible that the house will pull 200 amps.

But I'm certainly not opposed to it running this circuit/sub-panel. I just know that I will need more power, eventually.

I can, in the main panel, make space for a 100amp breaker.

"I can in the main panel, make space for a 100 amp breaker"
Do that!

 

[LouNY]

2-2-2-4 SER cable is good for 100 amps and looks to be $1.50 per foot at Home Depot's.
The last I knew SER cable can be run any where romex is allowed.

"SER is used for powering the service drop to the meter base and the meter base to the distribution panel board. It is also used for dryers, A/C units, ranges and heat pumps. It is available with 2, 3 or 4 conductors."

 

[Avenger]

Thank you!