Tooliom Welder, And Odd Ways To Provide A Cord to Adapt to 240V

[Sberry]

Why would it be a mistake? The welder senses the incoming voltage and limits the output amperage accordingly (its a PowerArc 200STi and IIRC it limits itself to 120A on 120V but lets you go up to 200A when you plug it into 240V).

I doubt it limits itself, it probably trips the breaker,,,, but,,,, not familiar with all the new units so,,,

 

[Sberry]

(especially if you consider the possibility of running 30+ amps through a 15 amp rated plug).
Thats really not that much of a problem. Its its short circuit rating. Anything with a 15 end is limited to 20A, has a wire listed for short circuit to it. That allows it to be plugged to 50. There might even be a way to make the machine tolerate it but the adapter itself wouldnt be listed.
The thing is using the grounding conductor as the grounded conductor and allows 50 to a plug restricted to 20. It will run but by passes the safety.

 

[WranglerX]

Simply the TOOLIOM adapter is wrong and illegal ... They (Chinese engineers) did not grasp concept as did Hobart, Miller, and Lincoln on Multi Voltage Plug (MVP)...

This unit needs to be reported to Consumer Product Safety Commission and banned from import till situation is corrected...

 

[MinnesotaEric]

Speaking of correct plugs, On Miller's larger multi-voltage sensing welders, the welder must be wired with a dedicated plug for whatever voltage you're welding at. In my case, as I need to switch plugs between my welders on just about every job or project, when I got my new Miller Multimatic 255 welder, I used this 30/50Amp plug to wire it for 220v, 50A as it had a spacer on the cord that clamped good on the cord as well as my three wire, two hots and a ground, and has finger holes to aid pulling the plug. Thought I'd share.

 

[aczlan]

Which is why the Everlast one makes sense and the TOOLIOM one does not (especially if you consider the possibility of running 30+ amps through a 15 amp rated plug).

Aaron Z

I doubt it limits itself, it probably trips the breaker,,,, but,,,, not familiar with all the new units so,,,

It does limit itself, amperage is set digitally (knob that controls the computer vs hardwired taps on a transformer), if it's plugged into a 240V circuit it goes up to 200A, if it's plugged into a 120V circuit it will not let you turn it up over 120A (not saying that you won't still trip a breaker, but that is what you are limited to selecting from the controls).

Aaron Z

 

[Sberry]

I forget now, was this stick or feeder? Ha. I guess what I was trying to think thru was the nature of the primary protection on a 120V circuit. Its kind of like a power strip, the little button is thermal and lotd of the machine depends on the circuit breaker for fault protection.
On a real MVP a guy could probably cut the adapter out if it was wired to a current limited circuit at 30A,,,, but 6-50 is 50 so they got the adapter which is essentially a 30A circuit breaker.

 

[Sberry]

With an older one the only thing keeping a 140 from being legal on a 30A is the fact a 15A recept is current limited to 20 for other equipment. I was in a plant where the 120V was 30, had the ends and cords changed to 30 twist. 10 ga cords and Y like a spiderweb.