Suitcase and engine drive questions

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Hi all, just created a profile here hoping someone can help. I do a lot of welding for my own business on pipe fence, heavy equipment, irrigation lines and other odds and ends. I have an esab welder in my ship that I use and I have a pto driven generator. The problem is, my welder runs really bad off a genny. I’m looking to buy and engine drive that I can hook a suitcase too and weld in the field. I don’t want to drop $10,000 on this rig since I’m not a welder by profession. I was wondering if the Hobart champion 145 would power a suitcase enough to weld up to 1/2”? I doubt that it will. 145 amps would cover what I need with stick but what do I need with mig? Is 210 amps enough to weld 1/2”? Also does Miller or Lincoln make an engine drive around the same size as the champion 145 that puts out more amperage? I can’t really afford to tie up a trailer or truck bed with a welder so it would be nice to have something that size that I can load up as needed. Any advice is much appreciated. Thank you!
Reply:Those small engine drives are stick machines, meaning constant current. For running a suitcase you want constant voltage. Something like a Miller Bobcat or Trailblazer.
Reply:I have a Miller Trailblazer Pro 350D engine driven welding machine that runs a Miller Suitcase 12RC.  It welds like a dream, especially with dual shield wire (Lincoln Ultracore 71C and pure CO2 shielding gas).It uses 12" spools and can weld up to 5/64" flux core, or .052 solid wire.  With .045 Ultracore 71C wire set up for all position welding, you can go up to 400ipm at a 100% duty cycle (205A).Miller Trailblazer Pro 350DMiller Suitcase MIGMiller Spectrum 2050Miller Syncrowave 250DXLincoln 210MP
Reply:Miller Blue Star 185 -  Rayfrom New York, NY asked:I'd be interested to know if I can plug a MILLER SUITCASE X-TREME 8VS to this Miller Blue Star 185 Welder generator?Miller advises that the Miller Blue Star 185 Welder 907664 can be used to run a 8VS feeder. Since the Bluestar produces constant current weld output the 8VS would have to be run with the CC/CV switch in the CC mode and in this mode it will pretty much limit the 8VS to flux cored wire welding only.Submitted by: Cyberweld on April 30, 2018
Reply:This is one of those topics that is a little difficult to give a positive "yes, you can" or "no, you absolutely can't" answer to.   I have several suitcase feeders, and each one is set up for a different wire. One of them is an Ln 25 that is for self shielded wire only.   I do have a Lincoln Outback 185 welder, and I have run the Ln 25 off of it with .045 self shielded wire. I have never done any projects out in the field with it though, as my main engine drive is a 400 amp Miller CC/CV welder. But the little Outback did run the self shielded wire in the shop on some scrap plate. I just wanted to see what it would do.    One rather major issue you will need to decide is whether or not the suitcase setup provides you with enough of advantages that they outweigh the disadvantages. And I am only meaning as in running it off of the little Hobart, in your case.   I suggest you check out the deposition rates of the self shielded wire you wish to use. Factor in the duty cycle of the welding machine. Compare that to the possible deposition rates you may achieve with the stick process.It is very likely that you will find that there is very little to be gained in speed or performance using the self shielded wire.    About the only advantage I see with the equipment you mention is the possibility of less operator fatigue. You aren't sticking the electrode. And trying to re-strike. There is a possibility the finished product looks a little nicer. Maybe... maybe not.    All in all, on thinner metals you may like it. But from 3/16 and up I think using the stick process will yield better results.But try it out!! The world is a big place with lots of different situations. There is no such thing as a "one size fits all" in the welding trade. All the best. Sent from my E6810 using http://tiny.cc/Forums_reader