8 gauge or 10 gauge? Gonna be about 25 feet powering my Lincoln 175.
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.
Welder extension cord
- Thread starter MTBLAZER89
- Start date
You want thick cable when using as an extension cord for something that draws alot of amps.
10g =30 amp
8g = 40 amp
6g = 60 amp
4g = 80 amp
how many amps do you need for input voltage. I always step it up a guage when going 30ft away.
8g = 40 amp
6g = 60 amp
4g = 80 amp
how many amps do you need for input voltage. I always step it up a guage when going 30ft away.
The book says 230v input is 20 amps.
Wire diameter needs to increase with the length of the wire.
I just did a quick search and found this on a welding site.
HEAVY DUTY 50' 8-3 EXTENSION CORD
230 Volt Extension Cord features 50' of 8/3 power cable with molded NEMA 6.50 (pin) male (plug) and female (receptacle) at each end.
.
This extension is ideal for your 230 Volt welder and will mate up with all standard Miller, Lincoln, thermal Arc,Solar, Century,Hobart and ESAB 230 Volt welders with factory supplied power cords and plugs.
I just did a quick search and found this on a welding site.
HEAVY DUTY 50' 8-3 EXTENSION CORD
230 Volt Extension Cord features 50' of 8/3 power cable with molded NEMA 6.50 (pin) male (plug) and female (receptacle) at each end.
.
This extension is ideal for your 230 Volt welder and will mate up with all standard Miller, Lincoln, thermal Arc,Solar, Century,Hobart and ESAB 230 Volt welders with factory supplied power cords and plugs.
I have a 40 foot cord for my stick welder, 230 volt, 100 amp input. the cord is OO guage. heavy and big, but, it works.
BKinzey
1/2 ton status
If it's a 20 amp draw and you are only going 25 feet then 10 gauge will be good. Leaves you with plenty of headroom. 12 gauge is rated for 20 amps but no need to push the wire's limit.
Pookster
1/2 ton status
For safety, run one higher. You can run one lower, but... do it only if your assured that you run minimal power.
Ok yeah I got 10 gauge wire. The plug on my welder is a three prong and so is the plug on the wall. The wires inside are white black and green. I no nothing about 220 volt wiring. Can somebody help me out here?
Here are my two plugs.
Here are my two plugs.
Pookster
1/2 ton status
DO NOT QUOTE ME
(I MAY BE WRONG)In fact, I may be really really wrong.
Black=neg, white pos, green ground
but, here is the big but, you dont know who wired it up in the first place. Either use a meter and check, or check the wires in the fuse box.
(I MAY BE WRONG)In fact, I may be really really wrong.
Black=neg, white pos, green ground
but, here is the big but, you dont know who wired it up in the first place. Either use a meter and check, or check the wires in the fuse box.
black is positive, white is neg. green is ground
Ok thats pretty much what i figured. Are the L shaped prong and the circle the grounds? The other two can be either i would assume.
NOT on 220 volt. You have 2 line and one ground. White and black in a 220 systems are hot, green is grounded. I use only 6-3 at 60 feet. Red and Black as line, green as ground prong and white to the housing on the plug.
Something else to check is the wire size to the plug you are connecting the cord too. That needs to be added in to the load calcs.
I have welded at other shops and could not figure out why the welder worked like crap. It is always the feed length too long, wire size too small.
Hope this helps.
I'm running 10/3 water resistant cable 25' for my Hobart 180. It was cheaper to make it rather than buying a pre-made cord.
Got the wiring figured out
Yeah cheaper to make it over buying it and didn't have to wait for it to arrive. Put it together in 30 min on my living room floor. Wire was about $40 for 10-3 and the $20 for the ends.
Yeah cheaper to make it over buying it and didn't have to wait for it to arrive. Put it together in 30 min on my living room floor. Wire was about $40 for 10-3 and the $20 for the ends.
BKinzey
1/2 ton status
That female end is not made for 220v. That looks like a 110v plug. Your welder has a male end that fits that plug?
If it's the original plug then there is some serious doubt that it is a 220v welder. I suspect someone has replaced your plug in the past. The danger isn't in plugging your welder into 110v, if it runs it will run like crap. The problem and potential danger is plugging a 110v item into your 220v extension. At 220v a 110v item will run very fast for a very short time or possibly smoke instantly and maybe do both. There is a chance it will melt or catch fire as well.
Look at that female plug. Somewhere on it there should be a rating I'm going to guess it will say 110v, 20A. Worse will be 110v, 15A. At best that plug will be at peak amperage or if it's only 15A or 15 amps you'll burn it up as well.
Better look into it before using it.
The cable actually has a slight problem as well technically. For practical purposes though you can ignore this if you choose. Black, white & green are supposed to be used in a 110v circuit. Black being power or positive, white being neutral or negative, and green being ground. For 220v generally one uses black, blue, green or black, red, green for the 3 colors. As mentioned 220v has 2 power, or positive, and a ground. If it were me I'd go ahead and use the cable anyway and figure since the wires are covered by the plug case no one will know but me and anyone opening up the plug should be able to figure it out.
I would check that female plug out before using it though
If it's the original plug then there is some serious doubt that it is a 220v welder. I suspect someone has replaced your plug in the past. The danger isn't in plugging your welder into 110v, if it runs it will run like crap. The problem and potential danger is plugging a 110v item into your 220v extension. At 220v a 110v item will run very fast for a very short time or possibly smoke instantly and maybe do both. There is a chance it will melt or catch fire as well.Look at that female plug. Somewhere on it there should be a rating I'm going to guess it will say 110v, 20A. Worse will be 110v, 15A. At best that plug will be at peak amperage or if it's only 15A or 15 amps you'll burn it up as well.
Better look into it before using it.
The cable actually has a slight problem as well technically. For practical purposes though you can ignore this if you choose. Black, white & green are supposed to be used in a 110v circuit. Black being power or positive, white being neutral or negative, and green being ground. For 220v generally one uses black, blue, green or black, red, green for the 3 colors. As mentioned 220v has 2 power, or positive, and a ground. If it were me I'd go ahead and use the cable anyway and figure since the wires are covered by the plug case no one will know but me and anyone opening up the plug should be able to figure it out.
I would check that female plug out before using it though
The female plug he has is a 220V plug just not the same amperage as the male plug.
The male plug is 30 amp, the female is a 50 amp. Check the breaker for the 220. It should be a 30 amp also if the female outlet was existing.
Not unless those are miniature bricks and tools in the picture! A 110V plug face is only about 1" square, so those bricks would only be maybe 1.5" wide by 4" long and the tools tiny!
Looks like maybe a NEMA 6-50 size plug (220V, 50 amp), which is probably at least 4 times the size of a 110V plug. Very simliar orientation as a regular 110V but much bigger.
Haha yeah I never really looked at the pictures. The top one does make the female plug look very small like 110, but in the bottom picture you can tell how big it is. The welder is definetly 220 and the plug fits. It's a Lincoln 175.
You are right a 30 and 50 amp. I'll check that breaker too
You are right a 30 and 50 amp. I'll check that breaker too
