235 Stickmate

[tydogg]

I was wondering how to go about changing the end on this welder from a NEMA 6-50 to a NEMA 6-30 as this is the receptical that is currently in the garage. I use it for my heater in the garage in winter so I would like to keep it that way. Will this work or is there more that needs to be done. Just about impossible to get a electrician for these small jobs.

[Blacksmith]

Buy a power cord for an electric dryer; 'bout as easy as it gets.

[tydogg]

I think my biggest problem is my breaker in the house for the garage is a double forty and I think the welder requires 50. Is that correct or can you get away with smaller breaker ?

[usmcpop]

IF you are welding at the high end, the manual says 47.5 Amps, so a 50 Amp breaker (and plugs/wiring to match) would be in order. However, if you are welding at mid-range, you shouldn't be anywhere near tripping a 40 Amp breaker. If you are not tripping the breaker, don't be too concerned. A 6-30 is rated at 30A. Wire up a 6-30 plug and put in a 30A breaker and see how it goes.

P.S. Check the wire gauge on the receptacle you have now. Why is there a 40A breaker? Do you have 10 gauge wire? I'm not a sparky, just someone with a little respect for the technical aspects.

[Blacksmith]

I ran my Stickmate LX at 120-125 amps DC (about 3/4 power) for years off a 30 amp breaker. Never tripped it once.

[kctgb]

I run my 225 lincoln and my 220 hobart 210 on a 30 amp breaker with number 10 wire and I have never tripped the breaker. I have welded at 180 amps with the 225 and never tripped the breaker with some 5/32 rod.

[kctgb]

After I made my post I went to bed and started thinking about this subject. On a 220 plug there are two hot wires and a ground wire( some plugs have a ground and a neutral wire). For our discussion welders have two hot wires and a ground. If I hook a volt meter to my 220 plug I get 110 volts from each side of the plug. That is one lead from the volt meter to the ground and one to a hot wire. If I hook the leads from the volt meter to both hot wires I get 220 volts( or close to 220 volts). If my plug is wired with #10 wire and a 30 amp breaker I should be able to draw 30 amps off each hot side of that plug. That totals 60 amps from the 220 plug. I have a Lincoln 225 that I have run close to 200 amps and have never tripped the breaker and I have run my hobart handler 210 at max and haven't popped the breaker.
Let me hear what everyone thinks about my theory.

[Blacksmith]

Doesn't work that way. Residential wiring is 220-240 volt with a center tapped transformer to make a neutral. Plus and minus really don't apply to AC, so we'll call it top and bottom for this discussion. Your 110-120 volt outlets go between one leg (top or bottom, depends on their position in the breaker box) and the neutral. This is where you saw the 110 volts on your plug. A 220-240 outlet goes between the top and bottom (110 + 110 = 220). Your welder uses no 110, so 30 amps goes out the top and 30 amps goes back in the bottom; that's still only 30 amps. The ground is there to provide a low impedance path for stray current (create a massive short circuit) that will trip the breaker before you trip out if there is a malfunction that causes a hot wire to touch the metal chassis. Some appliances such as clothes dryers and stoves do use 110, so the heating element goes between the top and bottom for 220-240, the lights and timers go between one hot leg and the neutral (fourth wire) and the ground is still just a dedicated ground. Older systems used the ground for the neutral, but a loose or high resistance connection in the wrong place at the breaker box could allow the dual use line to "float" above ground and the ground lines became a shock hazard.

Short answer - 30 amps is 30 amps. But 30 amps at 220-240 is twice the watts or power than 110-120, which is why we all say "buy a 220 volt welder."

[Walperstyle]

I just spent a bunch of money having an electrician setup an outlet in my garage so I could run this same welder (and future stuff)

It require a 50 amp breaker. The electrician said that with this welder, I'd be hard pressed to get anywhere near that 50 amps. You could probably run a 30, but I would just stick with what is to code.


Do it right, or burn your house down.
(well, not really, but you know what I mean)