lead size

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If the plug from the lead to welder is 3/8 diameter what would be the reason to use leads with a conductor larger than 3/8?Wouldn't the 3/8 plug be the limiting factor?The things that come to mind after a middle night pee break.
Reply:How many amps do you plan to run and how far do you need to go?
Reply:Many welders use a smaller diameter  "whip"  cable from the end of the welding cable to the rod holder to allow more flexibility and allow easier manipulation of the rod with less effort by the welder.  Although this short length of cable has higher resistance than larger welding cables supplying it and will tend to heat up slightly more, because of its short length it adds little resistance to the whole system, the majority of the resistance occurs in the welding arc, the welding rod and the metal between the weld and the work clamp.  Sometimes these cables have higher temperature insulation to help them last longer and be more flexible but often they are just a short piece of standard welding cable.The long electrode and work clamp cables are generally larger for a few reasons.  First they are stranded wire and have higher resistance than a solid copper rod would have of the same dIameter.   Also because they are long, being larger than necessary allows them to not heat up as much or cause as much resistance in the whole circuit which gives more voltage at the arc and longer life for the cables.  Also as they are flexed over their working life some of the copper strands break and over time the copper may corrode as well.  Being larger lowers the resistance of the cable over it's lifetime.  Also If you check with a welder manufacturer they will usually have a table in the manual that tells you what size cable you need to weld at a specified distance from the welder, the farther you go the larger the wire needs to be to ensure there is sufficient voltage at the arc.Hope this answers your question."The reason we are here is that we are not all there"SA 200Idealarc TM 300 300MM 200MM 25130a SpoolgunPrecision Tig 375Invertec V350 ProSC-32 CS 12 Wire FeederOxweld/Purox O/AArcAirHypertherm Powermax 85LN25
Reply:Everything on my truck is 2/0 except for my 25' stinger whip of number 1.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Interesting answers. I think too professional for a hobby question.Lincoln,Miller etc. sell welders with a max amps around 230. The leads are around 12 ft and #4 I think?Do they use these leads because they are just adequate and because of economics or is this the most optimal size combination?Would changing to a larger cable be an improvement and if so  at what point would those3/8 plugs make the increase moot?
Reply:Welcome Charliekilo, I had a locker partner in grammar school, Charlie Liko, just sayin.To get to your question, yes the manufacturers supply the minimum cable to do the job based on the welders output. Otherwise they would be wasting money which equals less profit. The only time you would need to go to a larger size lead is if you wanted to extend the length. For example, if you wanted to put a 50' lead on each side, pos & neg, you might need to go up a size to #2 gauge. Remember, if you are looking at a lead sizing chart, most often you have to consider the entire circuit, both sides, which in this case would be 100'. As far as the 3/8" connector, I don't quite know what you are referring to. The quick connectors I use are Tweco 2's or Lenco LC-40's. Hope this helps."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Originally Posted by CharliekiloInteresting answers. I think too professional for a hobby question.Lincoln,Miller etc. sell welders with a max amps around 230. The leads are around 12 ft and #4 I think?Do they use these leads because they are just adequate and because of economics or is this the most optimal size combination?Would changing to a larger cable be an improvement and if so  at what point would those3/8 plugs make the increase moot?
Reply:Thanks guys more of the info I was seeking.Stick-man the 3/8 plug I was considering as the possible  size of the conductor. If the plug is 3/8 diameter why use a cable of 1/2 diameter for the next 15 feet to the stinger? Seems kinda like adding 15 foot of 1/2 pipe to a 3/8 source.Also if you were in the military Charlie Kilo should click.Last edited by Charliekilo; 12-23-2012 at 07:33 PM.