X-cord for welder

the old grind · Sep 30, 2021

My HD 240v (welding) outlets are 10-50 and I use an adapter for the 'welder plugs' that come on them. (HFT, Everlast) My 20' ext is 6-3 w/10-50 ends & it doesn't need a Canadian Winter's temps to handle like a coil of 3/8" F-copper.

I don't quite unroll it, just pull the female end across the floor or out the door like it's a coiled air-hose. It'll get me pretty much anywhere in the barn & several feet outside any of three doors.

Parkworld 884937 Industrial 10-50 Extension Cord, 10-50P to 10-50R, 3-Prong, 50 AMP, 250 Volts, 12500 Watts (20FT) - - Amazon.com

www.amazon.com

GeneV · Oct 1, 2021

workinonit said:
But, 50 amps is 50 amps and I do agree it's better to run #6. I built my own out of #6 with an F box for the receptacle end and a weather proof spring door on it.

Well I dunno about your guys, I just wanna run my stick welder farther away from my 220v outlet, doing normal hobby type stuff w/o having to resort to using a 110v receptacle, and then having to run down to the basement to reset the 20amp breaker when I trip it. I'm never gonna max out the amps and/or light up the cord doing what I do.

GeneV · Oct 1, 2021

deereman75 said:
The off the shelf cords are cheaper, and the ends on them seem better. However I've found in a Canadian winter you may as well be trying to coil and uncoil a piece of steel pipe.

Of course making your own from cabtire leads to replacing the ends (especially the female ends) CONSTANTLY if they spend any amount of time outside or around fertilizer equipment.

What I'd really love to find is a factory made cord with the molded ends, that has the nice cabtire type rubber jacket. Even if they were 2-3x the price I'd gladly buy them.

It seems surprising that they don't exist, but I at least haven't been able to find such a thing yet....

If you have the space, uncoil in a warm spot ahead of time, fold it in gentle curves in long sections.

Sberry · Oct 1, 2021

Most of the machines plugging in to it have a 12 cord with the exception of 252 class wire feeders. Thats why the ready made 8 cords. When I make them I use 10. The minimums for 50A welder circuits is 12 single circuit in pipe, 10 cable or cord. Modern machines allow 14 with 30A
Having said that no one thinks the minimums is great and a min reason is the terminations and V drop over long distance. A 225 buzzer allows 12 @ 75 ft but there is a lot of droop, move up to 10 and most of that goes away, shorten it by half and cant tell any more.

deereman75 · Oct 1, 2021

GeneV said:
If you have the space, uncoil in a warm spot ahead of time, fold it in gentle curves in long sections.

That does work, the real problem comes trying to coil it back up after the job is done....

GeneV · Oct 1, 2021

If you must coil it, just make big big loops.

Sberry · Oct 3, 2021

If i was really gonna do this,, a cord works and sometimes its the only way. If i was doing this tegular would get a chunk of cable and run a new correct outlet.
Depending on intended welder and some as to distance get 10/2 and 6-50- R end and 50 breaker and wire it up. If its a main panel the ground goes to Nbar or gbar if there is one. If it goes to a 4 wire fed sub then it goes to Gbar.
Having said that,,, nothing wrong with a heavier wire but you dont need it and doesnt teally add to safety. Its not a bad thing but 10/2 isso much easier to find, dont have to save for weeks to afford it etc.

PILOON · Oct 4, 2021

You have to remember that most welders rarely use very heavy gauge wire anyway since the draw is intermittent by nature.
Most I've seen* use about #10 wired to a 30 amp 3 prong plug.
When coming to welding I'd suspect that gauge is more important for the voltage drop rather than amperage.
Also to consider is the duty cycles which on many is probably in the 25% range at full blast, besides I bet not many use greater than 1/8" or 5/32" rods.

* based on the 200 amp welders I'm familiar with.

LOL, once my welder switch dead shorted and blew my main panel breaker, made a a horrible smell in the shop. The welder circuit was # 6 back to the main panel and properly breaker protected. Simple breaker re setting and a new welder switch got me going again.

Sberry · Oct 4, 2021

You would be correct that voltage drop is really the issue on the user end. A short circuit or even overhrat and a 10 wire will trip a 50.
The machine needs the 50 breaker but doesnt really need a 50 wire.

Sberry · Oct 4, 2021

You would be correct that voltage drop is really the issue on the user end. A short circuit or even overhrat and a 10 wire will trip a 50.
The machine needs the 50 breaker but doesnt really need a 50 wire.