Duty Cylce

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Maybe this is a stupid question...  How does the duty cycle of a welder work?  Does it alutomatically reduce its voltage.  Does it shut off?  Am I thinking about this all wrong?  It's likely.  Reason I'm wondering is I was welding some 1/4" with my Lincoln 180 mig and some times the arc seemed different, not as hot and strong.  I thought I might be hitting the duty cylce and the machine was backing off.  It is running on a 220 20 amp breaker.  Someone set me straight please.  Thanks, nick.
Reply:Everytime I have ever pushed a machine to its limit, it keeps running just impossible to use. Its a good time to go for a smoke. haha
Reply:duty cycle  means how many minutes out of a ten minute period the machine can weld..a machines  duty cycle at full out may be10% or  20% but at a lower output it may be 100%..i dont think it shuts off but just doesnt  putout any juice while it recovers..(cools)...
Reply:Why does my nickname have solderer next to it???? Im new here.
Reply:thats why
Reply:gotcha....
Reply:I think I may have been hitting the duty cycle of the machine.  Too bad.  We'll have to see how the welds hold up.  I did multiple passes anyway, because the 180 can't do it in one.  I guess I need a bigger machine.  Or I should have busted out the Invertec and tried stick welding it.  Hate doing that though.  Sooo dirty.
Reply:Duty cycle can be either caculated or based on actual run times and temperature measurements. It is the run time vs cooling time (based on ten minutes) a machine can be run at any given output without affecting performance or damaging the machine. Most duty cycles are also based on some where around 104º ambient. So in a way duty cycle is a pretty flakey referrence, but for the lack of anything better it does seem to provide some guide and a way to rate one machine against another. As for the thermal cut-off, that simply means the machine internals (usually x-former) is too hot or at least you have exceeded a temperature the manufacturer has determined to be too high. For instance when a machine goes into the thermal shut down you have already exceeded the duty cycle. The thermal shut down should not be used as a backstop instead of the suggested duty cycle times.
Reply:how can you rate a stick welder on running flat out for 10 minutes? i never saw a rod that long...
Reply:You can duct tape the rods together....sic