Recently purchased an old Miller Thunderbolt 225 AC/DC welder. No ground clamp or electrode holder came with the unit. So what diameter cable should I get? (#4 or #2) It will be used mostly for light fabrication/general repairs. Twenty five feet of cable should be enough for my needs.
What size welding cable?
- Thread starter Harvster
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shaley
Platinum Member
See Chart at bottom of page.
#4 should do it.
#4 should do it.
George2615
Super Member
I'd get 1/0 cable. Can't hurt to be bigger cable. That's what I use on my Miller Bobcat 250NT
Farmerford
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The table is for one way distance. Harvester is 25' one way, and the table does not go below 50' one way. Considering voltage drop alone, Shaley is probably right that #4 will work. But #4 is not rated for over 150 continuous amps at 30 deg C ambient (88 deg F) because of its 105 deg C (221 deg F) insulation. So, on a hot day, in the sun, with the welder running regularly over 150 amps, the copper cable could get hot enough to melt the insulation. Of course, the duty cycle at 150 amps is probably 50% or less, and 150 amps is plenty for most light farm fabrication. So that combination is very unlikely.
I would probably get #2, but #4 is not likely to give trouble.
I would probably get #2, but #4 is not likely to give trouble.
sandman2234
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I put #1 on my 225 welder, and had a lot of problems getting it installed. I wanted to be able to use the lead on another welder if I had to, which was the reason for the larger size.
My buzzbox came with about 25 foot of lead, and I went with 60 foot on the stinger and 40 on the ground. I figured I could clamp the ground to a piece of angle iron and tack it to what ever I was working on if I didn't have enough ground. Kind of hard to improvise on the stinger side. Some projects are longer than 25 foot, much less the distance to them, and a couple feet for elbow room. Buy more than you figure you will need, cause your going to need it.
David from jax
My buzzbox came with about 25 foot of lead, and I went with 60 foot on the stinger and 40 on the ground. I figured I could clamp the ground to a piece of angle iron and tack it to what ever I was working on if I didn't have enough ground. Kind of hard to improvise on the stinger side. Some projects are longer than 25 foot, much less the distance to them, and a couple feet for elbow room. Buy more than you figure you will need, cause your going to need it.
David from jax
Sandlot
Gold Member
At work we use 1/0 to get from the machine to the job. We make up shorter whips (15') out of 4 or 6 to attach our stingers to. Makes way less weight to hold up while welding in any position.
patrick_g
Elite Member
Don't waste time and money making a cable just barely long enough to reach and or just barely heavy enough to carry the current. It is way better to err on the side of extra length and wire size. You can also use aluminum welding cables, sometimes cheaper. They will be larger in diameter for the same current but not heavier.
Having at least a 10 ft or longer "whip" on the end of the stinger run is a nice to have. Toss in a few bucks extra and get the EXTRA FLEXIBLE wire for the whip and not have to downsize it too much to get flexibility.
Buy good wire with good "flexible when cold" insulation (ESPECIALLY THE WHIP) and you will thank yourself if you have to weld in the cold.
If you get good wire and don't abuse the dickens out of it you will get decades of use out of it. Harsh use is things like having a grass fire start from sparks but go unnoticed because you don't have an auto-dimming helmet until after you ruin the insulation. That or dropping an excavator bucket (4 ft wide) on a track hoe on it and on and on.
Pat
Having at least a 10 ft or longer "whip" on the end of the stinger run is a nice to have. Toss in a few bucks extra and get the EXTRA FLEXIBLE wire for the whip and not have to downsize it too much to get flexibility.
Buy good wire with good "flexible when cold" insulation (ESPECIALLY THE WHIP) and you will thank yourself if you have to weld in the cold.
If you get good wire and don't abuse the dickens out of it you will get decades of use out of it. Harsh use is things like having a grass fire start from sparks but go unnoticed because you don't have an auto-dimming helmet until after you ruin the insulation. That or dropping an excavator bucket (4 ft wide) on a track hoe on it and on and on.
Pat
Egon
Epic Contributor
Usually "Real Good" welding cables have a tendency to grow legs if they get abused in any way. 
MikesTractor
Silver Member
One of my best friends works in a local welding shop. Their insurance company makes them change out the welding leads when they get any kind of damage to them. When they change them out, they sell them at scrap price to employees if they want them.
A few months back, my buddy brought me 150 feet of #1 cable. This cable came off one of their welding trucks with a portable welder. There were a few small nicks in the cover but nothing major. Nothing that would bother me, anyway.
I just bought a new welder recently. It came with a 15 ft. #4 electrode cable and a 10 foot #4 ground cable. I cut the 150 feet of #1 in half, hooked these two to the welder and then hooked the smaller new leads to them.
My welder sits beside one of my shop doors. With the cables hooked together this way, I can reach anywhere inside my shop, and half way across the shop lot outside. Makes for easy repairs if I can't get something inside the shop.
Mike
A few months back, my buddy brought me 150 feet of #1 cable. This cable came off one of their welding trucks with a portable welder. There were a few small nicks in the cover but nothing major. Nothing that would bother me, anyway.
I just bought a new welder recently. It came with a 15 ft. #4 electrode cable and a 10 foot #4 ground cable. I cut the 150 feet of #1 in half, hooked these two to the welder and then hooked the smaller new leads to them.
My welder sits beside one of my shop doors. With the cables hooked together this way, I can reach anywhere inside my shop, and half way across the shop lot outside. Makes for easy repairs if I can't get something inside the shop.
Mike
