Sizing crackerbox to power supply

Tell him to buy a Miller Bobcat. More money, but a lot more capability/flexibility.
 
Is this for Jennifer?
 
Yes and budget is limited, the all-in-one will not work. ($)
Is it as simple as "200A output welder needs min 200A input"?
 
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Let'sgoflying! said:
Yes and budget is limited, the all-in-one will not work. ($)
Is it as simple as "200W output welder needs min 200W input"?
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I would believe that you'd want to oversize the generator a bit. Depending on duty cycle, running a 200W genset at 200W means 100% capacity whenever the arc is running. Since welding is very current stability critical, oversizing the generator would go a long way towards good welding results. Do you really mean a 2KW generator? If you do, then a 2KW generator on a 200W welder gives a 10 to 1 power surplus. Seems like plenty to me.
 
To find out the current drawn from the supply breaker, the arc voltage should be known and this is usually indicated in the specs plate of the equipment. If it says 40 volts, then your supply line and breaker should be higher than 30 amperes. If it is 30 volts, then a 30 amp supply breaker and line ampacity is just on the margin, 28 amps. If it is 50 volts, you really have to change your power supply line capacity to a little bit better than 50 amps. at full load of 225 amperes.

according to Lincoln Welder literature your model requires a 50amp input @ 230V single phase 60Hz at rated power.

http://content.lincolnelectric.com/pdfs/products/literature/e230.pdf

a 12KW generator would be just big enough, a 15KW unit would be better and relatively inexpensive
 
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So this one is undersize?

Steve said:
To find out the current drawn from the supply breaker, the arc voltage should be known and this is usually indicated in the specs plate of the equipment. If it says 40 volts, then your supply line and breaker should be higher than 30 amperes. If it is 30 volts, then a 30 amp supply breaker and line ampacity is just on the margin, 28 amps. If it is 50 volts, you really have to change your power supply line capacity to a little bit better than 50 amps. at full load of 225 amperes.

according to Lincoln Welder literature your model requires a 50amp input @ 230V single phase 60Hz at rated power.

http://content.lincolnelectric.com/pdfs/products/literature/e230.pdf

a 12KW generator would be just big enough, a 15KW unit would be better and relatively inexpensive
Click to expand...
 
Dave:

Does Jennifer have a tractor (or know someone with a tractor)? Using a PTO generator might be an option.

Might also be a good opportunity to do some Craigslist-surfing.
 
Is this a fixed or portable application?

If fixed, it's worth looking at what it would take to run power to the shop or wherever it's going to be.
 
She is going to half to rethink this, might be out of the budget.
Thanks for the input, you probably saved her some $
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
She is going to half to rethink this, might be out of the budget.
Thanks for the input, you probably saved her some $
Click to expand...

If you could let us know what kinds of materials and thcknesses she needs to weld, we might be able to come up with a more economical solution.
 
She is mostly welding thick walled upset tubing for horse pens.
Yes she can get power from the mains for this project but there are other projects planned where it will be several hundred feet to any power supply......and she would like a self contained generator for other uses like running the fridge when the power fails.
 
How about getting a cheapo 3.5kw generator for the fridge and either rent a big enough generator or an entire welder for the couple of projects that require off-grid welding capability.

The best source for this kind of equipment are either farm estate auctions or going out of business auctions.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
She is mostly welding thick walled upset tubing for horse pens.
Yes she can get power from the mains for this project but there are other projects planned where it will be several hundred feet to any power supply......and she would like a self contained generator for other uses like running the fridge when the power fails.
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50 amps at 230 volts will run a heck of a lot more than just a 'fridge...
But you probably would only want to run one or two electric burners on the stove if you have the central AC running.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
A friend asked this.
Which generator is the correct minimum size for this welder

Generators - 105 selections
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The 225 number you mentioned is the current (amp) output of the welder and doesn't directly relate to the required current input.

That welder is expected to connect to a 50A 240v circuit which equates to 12KW. Typically devices attached to a 50A circuit average less than 40A but the peak input power could be as high as 60-75A (briefly). For that reason I'd go with something rated for 10KW continuous and 18KW surge (peak) as a minumum. That's a pretty big (and expensive) genset.
 
gismo said:
The 225 number you mentioned is the current (amp) output of the welder and doesn't directly relate to the required current input.

That welder is expected to connect to a 50A 240v circuit which equates to 12KW. Typically devices attached to a 50A circuit average less than 40A but the peak input power could be as high as 60-75A (briefly). For that reason I'd go with something rated for 10KW continuous and 18KW surge (peak) as a minumum. That's a pretty big (and expensive) genset.
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You think 10Kw genset for that box? That's a lot of genset, you can buy an old gas powered welder on wheels for under $700.
 
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