Welding Leads

[kneedeep]

I need longer leads on my Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC machine. How long can I add to the factory leads and not cause any issues with power loss or changing the power setting?

 

[RNeumann]

They make different gauge wire for longer runs. How long and at what amperage are you trying to achieve? No sense paying for heavy gauge leads if you only need the long leads for 1/4" steel (low amps).

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

Here's a chart from Lincoln:

 

[Texasmark]

200 amp house utility power comes in on 00 for continuous duty with a max 2% voltage drop rating, distance obviously part of that 2%. Problem is conductor resistance vs temp. Course if your line drop gets too big to suit you, just up your voltage at the welder. Lots of 100' 0 our there for guys that do custom field welding with portable units. Besides, welding is not a 100% duty cycle normally so the utility co. resistance rating is half for 50% duty which would be more in line even in a production welding environment I would think.....you have to stop and put in a new rod, stop and wire brush, stop and chip hammer, stop and pick your nose, stop and see where you are, stop and make a slight adjustment, stop and check your dimensions, stop and add a part to be welded......

 

[Tractor Seabee]

You only need to add the bigger wire on the welder end. Use Tweeco Connectors and at a 50' section of 0 cable to each lead. Indicator you need larger leads is if they get warm, or worse, hot to the touch. Generating heat eats up amps and drops voltage. I always use a 10' #4 lead with the stinger to keep the weight off my hand on the end of the bigger stuff.

Side note: I worked in the shipyards pipe fitting once in awhile when building trade work was slow. This company ran out of spare welding lead so it was drag it up time. My partner and I took the lead we were using back to the machine. It was 250 CM wire and we were running 5/32 & 3/16 rod on big pipe (suction line on a Navy tanker). We finally got it all on the pier, 750'. Nobody ever went backwards, just add more lead to reach the next job and crank up the amps, several decks up and down and back and forth. That was big company, they had over 10,00' of lead accumulated that day on one ship.

Carl, can you top that one on your pier work?

Ron

Ron