110V Stick Welders for 1/4"

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I am wondering if 110v stick welders are any good. I have seen a little Clarke for $109 at Menards that is a 110v and it got me thinking.  I need something for better penetration for my bumper projecthttp://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...751#post174751I need to make some nice 1/4" beads, and instead of paying the welding shop I could cough up a bit more and buy a new machine.  Right now I run a Clarke 130EN that I have had no problems with, but i need something more efficient on a standard outlet. My clarke right now will trip the breaker if I hold a bead more than about 5 seconds.Is a little stick machine the right answer?  I need more penetration, and less pull from the outlet.What else could I do to solve this?I'm 21 and learningAvid 4wd enthusiastASE Master tech (Automotive), mechanic/fabricator by trade
Reply:That machine wont do you any good for this project.....the only stick machine running from a 120v that would do any good would be an inverter like a Maxstar 150 etc...Mike
Reply:redhatman,  Some people use an adapter to utilise the 220v clothes dryer outlet to run a larger welder. It's inconvenient, but lets you get into a 220v machine that can weld some larger stuff without adding electrical outlets.( which is the proper solution
Reply:installing a 220 outlet really isn't hard. i just put one in tonight so my bride-to-be could try out her new stick welder, it only took me 30 min tops. i make a much better electrician than i do a welder thats for sure and oh yeah HI im new here.
Reply:What all did it require? How far away is your fuse box from the 220 outlet? Mine is pretty much, opposite floor, and opposite side of the house.I do have a dryer outlet accessible though. Too late, already bought my welder though.I'm 21 and learningAvid 4wd enthusiastASE Master tech (Automotive), mechanic/fabricator by trade
Reply:It sounds like you would have a farther run than I did but that doesn't mean it cant be done. What I did was figure out how many feet of wire I needed then went to Home Depot and bought 6 gauge wire, 50amp double pole breaker, 50 amp outlet, box and cover. First I wall fished the wire from the breaker box to the crawlspace. Then I ran the wire across the crawlspace and drilled a hole from the crawlspace and into the wall in the garage. Wall fished the wire in the garage wall. Installed the box, made my connections and installed the cover. THEN I went back to the breaker box and made my connections there. After all that I went BACK to the outlet and sure enough my multimeter was reading 250 volts and we were up and welding!If you are in a situation where you can't wall fish you could always punch a hole in the wall to the outside of the house and run some PVC conduit. The biggest pain is working with that 6 gauge wire. It's GREAT for carrying 50 amps but it doesn't bend very well and in tight spots it will fight you till the death.If it makes you feel any better I am NOT an electrician. I'm just a dumb DirecTV installer.
Reply:There are a lot of threads here on how to make an adapter from your dryer receptacle.  It's easy and not very expensive.Sounds like you already bought a machine that won't do the job you asked of it, though.A receptacle dedicated FOR WELDER USE ONLY can have a 50A breaker and run with #10 wire.  Just don't leave it that way for the ignorant guy after you.
Reply:There is still time to return the baby welder and get a welder that you will enjoy using that wont trip the breaker  though. I'd take Kc8yhk's advice and put in an outlet for the welder, he did a great job installing my outlet for my new welder yesterday :-)Certified Welding Inspector at your service...Level II Nuclear Welding InspectorLevel II Nuclear Electrical InspectorLevel II Nuclear Civil InspectorLevel II Ultrasonic Thickness Testing TechnicianCertified Smartass,and Wise Acre
Reply:Also, I hope you didn't use individual #6 (THHN) wires- those are designed to be used through conduit only.  You need 6/2 with ground (or 10/2 with ground for a welder only outlet like MAC702 said).Hobart Stickmate LX AC/DC, Millermatic 252 & 30A spoolgun, Thermal Arc 185 TIG, Miller BWESmith Oxy-AcBridgeport 2J , South Bend 42" 9AHusky 7.5 HP 22.3 CFM 80 gal compressor
Reply:i used 6-2 with ground
Reply:I suppose it matter what you want to weld.If you're putting 1/4" thick hangers onto a pipe to hold extension cords... then Yes, it will work just find with lots of weldment.If you're putting 1/4" thick axle hangers on a new rock crawling buggy... then No, it won't be powerful enough.KRS***************************************Lincoln AC225 stick welderLincoln HD100 WeldPak flux core wire feed welderThree of the cheapest grinders money can buy
Reply:Originally Posted by KRSI suppose it matter what you want to weld.If you're putting 1/4" thick hangers onto a pipe to hold extension cords... then Yes, it will work just find with lots of weldment.If you're putting 1/4" thick axle hangers on a new rock crawling buggy... then No, it won't be powerful enough.KRS
Reply:I have used a 110v stick for welding 1/4 inch ,bevel both sides of the thicker stock,the only complaint is it was  a inverter style tig/stick unit with 60% duty cycle and a year warranty that was $350.I tried some of the cheaper 110v stick only machines but my inverter has worked the best so far even with the higher cost. It will output 110 amps on a 15 amp circuit,130 amps  with a 20 amp line in and I used one that had 150 on a 30 amp 110 line in.It doesn't like anything over 3/32" rod when welding 6011 on dirty metal but can run 1/8" on most other rods.If you can get a 220 Vac machine and the power up to it to run it,do it ,they work much better than most of the 110 Vac units. The only reason I use a 110 v unit is I don't have 220 Vac in many of my outbuildings.The 110v 's gets the job done but 220 v is the way to go.Cyclenothman
Reply:I have used a 110v stick for welding 1/4 inch ,bevel both sides of the thicker stock,the only complaint is it was  a inverter style tig/stick unit that was $350 but does have a 60% duty cycle and a year warranty .I tried some of the cheaper 110v stick only machines but the current inverter unit I use has worked the best so far even with the higher cost. It will output 110 amps on a 15 amp circuit,130 amps  with a 20 amp line in and I used one that had 150 on a 30 amp 110 line in and will work long enough to get a job done before  the duty cycle takes it off line to cool.It doesn't like anything over 3/32" rod when welding 6011 on dirty metal but can run 1/8" on most other rods.If you can get a 220 Vac machine and the power up to it to run it,do it ,they work much better than most of the 110 Vac units. I need to get a tank of argon/co2 mix and a regulator to try the tig function on it. The only reason I use a 110 v unit is I don't have 220 Vac in many of my outbuildings.The 110v 's gets the job done but 220 v is the way to go.Cyclenorthman