Can you weld with a generator?!

[@kylechristie5792]

Transformer welders dont give a shit about THD. You can plug it into a diesel generator or a inverter. Inverter welders must have a inverter generator. Harmonic disruption rate is real. Needs to be under 5% or you fry your welder cheers.

[@thecatsupdog]

I use a cheap inverter welder on a non inverter generator and it seems to work fine. May depend on something.

[@shermanyoung8185]

@kylechristie I run a cheap flux core /stick inverter welder off a 6250/5000 running watts generator off the 120v/240v outlet all day long with no problem on our farm🧑‍🏭

[@tracyjohnson737]

I have been running my Lincoln 180 220 volt MIG welder from a 8750 inverter generator from harbor freight. I have had to warranty the f****** thing five times but it worked.

[@24BLUEELMO]

The generator or the welder ?

[@robp9696]

@@24BLUEELMO Yeah, I'd like to know which one as well.

[@lucifchristo]

What about a 3kw 107 amp military generator from 1968? What would be the the most you would get from this if anything using say an old Transformer arc welder

[@thecatsupdog]

I think 3kw is too small. My 3.5kw honda can't do it. 3kw at 120/240 volts is 25/12.5 amps though. Makes me wonder about your 107 amps. If it's 107 amps at say 120 volts that would be a 13kw generator. That size would work just fine. You could build a battleship!

[@SuperSkyhawk81]

I've just tried welding with a 2.6kW (2.9kW peak) 230VAC gasoline generator. Driven by a 7hp Honda GX clone engine. Rated current is 11.3A. The welding machine is a german made Rehm Booster 170 MMA inverter. Up to 90Amps DC there was no issue with welding. It's not that much but to my surprise at least it worked.

[@aaronanthonymoat]

I have an inverter 250amp welder I can find up to 135amps on a UK 13 amp plug. To power it at 250 amps you need a 32 amp plug. Hope that helps people.

[@kingofthepod5169]

Some welders play nicer with generators than others. I have a powerkraft from the 60's (180 amp where you plug the cables into the socket labeled for the amperage you want) and that's happy on a generator. My buddy's lincoln square wave plays dead on some generators. Oddly, I have a campbell hausfeld buzz box that hates generators and extension cords.

[@thecatsupdog]

Hmm. I wonder if there's a good way to know in advance if a welder will work well.

[@mjack1935]

@@thecatsupdog if it is about the start current supply, some capacitors parallel to the Ac hot wires might work

[@thecatsupdog]

@@mjack1935 That's an interesting idea. I wish I had high frequency box or whatever it's called. Probably just a box of caps!

[@jeanmichel9207]

For using with generator you need a welder that have a selector switch for output the red Lincoln is for example why this welder is good because he use leakages induction theory to control the amps and this kind of welders he can work without air circulation fan and can weld for long time without issues

[@billarroo1]

Thanks, I've been wondering how it would work

[@thecatsupdog]

No Problem. Thanks for watching!

[@andystansbury8576]

I have the same welder been using it for at 30 years and I now have a predator 9000 watt generator and also have a little harbor freight flux core welder been wanting to welding with both off my generator

[@thecatsupdog]

Good luck!

[@leokelly359]

I mig weld with my champion generator as a matter of fact my generator runs everything in my barn/ building led lights, heat, fans and compressor. because power company wanted way to much money to run a power pole out to my field and set me a drop now granted I have to pick and chose what to run when I weld but I can get myself set up before hand and then switch over to welding

[@thecatsupdog]

I'd love to see your set up! I got a quote from the power company and it's $30,000 for me to get power on my property. The nearest neighbor is 1/4 mile away, which is good, but so is the nearest power pole!

[@thecatsupdog]

@@leokelly359 It's pfisher at gmail. I'll probably delete this comment in a couple days though.

[@thecatsupdog]

@@leokelly359 Yes sir

[@leokelly359]

@@thecatsupdog go ahead and delete all the stuff from here I'll get you pics later

[@Max-kn9yi]

They do it all the time when they're putting up new steel buildings where no electric has been run to the site yet. Large generators for heavy heavy steel construction.

[@pablorosales8538]

What was the highest amps you could weld with that set up?

[@thecatsupdog]

Maybe 90. DC was better than AC it turns out.

[@pablorosales8538]

@@thecatsupdog Can you weld a few rods back to back without tripping anything?

[@thecatsupdog]

@@pablorosales8538 Yes

[@pablorosales8538]

@@thecatsupdog Ok thanks!

[@MikesGarage96]

Thanks for the info! I was wondering if I could power my old Lincoln buzzbox off of my 7000 watt generator. 90-100 amps will be the highest I’ll be running

[@thecatsupdog]

If it works and you remember it'd be great if you could say so here. Or if it doesn't work too.

[@MikesGarage96]

Off Grid Shop Oregon will do. I ordered an adapter plug off of Amazon. I should be trying it out within the next few days.

[@somethinburnin]

3500 will only get you up to maybe 50-60 Amps tops on a 110V inverter welder. 5000 you can get all 80. As far as pushing to feed a transformer welder, which usually runs on 240V 50A breaker, I think you need 11,000 watts to get up to 200 Amps on the AC side.

[@thecatsupdog]

It won't get anywhere close to 200 amps, that's for sure. Also, it kinda seems like DC is actually more efficient.

[@somethinburnin]

So it's working pretty good on the DC side, nice! I am use to running AC but recently got a small DC inverter from Harbor Freight. Obviously not the beast my old Montgomery Ward PowrKraft 230 AC machine is (built by Century, top mounted slider knob), but it will help me get some small projects done in remote areas.

[@thecatsupdog]

@@somethinburnin good luck!

[@terrinewman5954]

if you have the right generator, you bet!!!

[@thecatsupdog]

Very True!

[@shannonlawsonnashville]

I dont think your twist lock on the generator is a 240 V. More than likely, it’s a 110 on a 30 amp

[@thecatsupdog]

It's a 240V 30A. You can't fit a 110V 30A plug in it. I have a 110V 30A on my other generator, so I've used both. Thanks for you comment and please subscribe!

[@bfurl69]

Did you ground the generator?

[@thecatsupdog]

I think the generator is grounded to it's own frame, but I didn't attach it to the earth through a ground rod or anything like that.

[@bfurl69]

@@thecatsupdog ok. I'm looking to do some welling off my new generator and I'm concerned...I might just go buy a ground rod to be safe.

[@thecatsupdog]

@@bfurl69 I wouldn't bother with taht. 1) Grounding doesn't matter for the welding part. 2) It could protect you if you are standing in water and somehow touch a bare wire that's connected to the generator's output. But that's unlikely, so just be reasonably careful and you'll be fine.

[@bfurl69]

@@thecatsupdog thank you for the tips. Well, I literally just got back from Lowes with a 10$ grounding rod. Might as well use it.

[@thecatsupdog]

@@bfurl69 Well, I've subscribed to you in case you make a video of putting in that ground rod!

[@gregmccarter2176]

Older welders and older generators are way better than new ones..the older generators will give nasty power to inverter welders..so you should run inverter for the new inverter equipment...the old generators are not good for computer circuits..

[@tracyjohnson737]

Yeah Myr 5000 would not work I went to a 8750 in it works with my Lincoln 180 mig