Square Wave 300

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hello,  I have a lincoln sqaure wave 300 that I had thought of selling.  However, i am reconsidering now.  Can anyone tell me what size breaker I need to use to set this machine up?  I plan to to use this for basic hotrod work, nothing too large.  I would appreciate any input.Chuck
Reply:What, about 80 amp ought to do it dont you think?  whats the plate say on the back of the machine?Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:Lincoln sez here, http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...et.asp?p=32471  for balanced wave, 125 amp, for unbalanced wave 175 amp breaker.  If you don't crank it up, I think the same as Doolittle.  80 should be fine.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Thanks for the reply guys.  I think maybe a liitle too much for my shop.  I only have a 100 amp feed to the shop.  Guess I am back to selling.
Reply:it's a wonderfull machine ,  do you think you'll ever get close to 300amp output (or more) on some hotrod fab?-NOT! 80 breaker could do just fine(SQW suppose to hve balance right?)Idealarc 300\300 TIG AC\DC
Reply:yea guy, dont sell it cause of the amp draw.  You could allways have your service bumped to 200amp or something in the future.  Just dont run anything else while running the welder (lights are ok).  Many of us here dought youll ever push the beast to its max.  If you do, the 80 amp will probably still hold.  Make sure you go with the 3 gauge to the power box, or you can wire the cord straight to the box if you dont need the extra length.  Thats a very nice welder.  I'd rewire my whole house if I had one so I could run it.Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:Originally Posted by Doolittleyea guy, dont sell it cause of the amp draw.  You could allways have your service bumped to 200amp or something in the future.  Just dont run anything else while running the welder (lights are ok).  Many of us here dought youll ever push the beast to its max.  If you do, the 80 amp will probably still hold.  Make sure you go with the 3 gauge to the power box, or you can wire the cord straight to the box if you dont need the extra length.  Thats a very nice welder.  I'd rewire my whole house if I had one so I could run it.
Reply:Been watchin it on Ebone.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Those are nice machines.. If anyone gets the chance to grab it ..do it...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:well guys, sounds like I should keep my fingers crossed that the ebay reserve is not met.  I appreciate all the info.  Guess we'll see what happens in the next few days.
Reply:I would buy it, except it sez in the manual it comes with power caps to cut down on power consumption.  Idle power is something like 62 amps.  I don't get it.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:David,  I am not fimiliar with  these machines at all.  I don't even know what that means, that it has power caps.  What are power caps?
Reply:The machine has power factor correction capacitors.  they will cause high idle amps, but lower amp draw under load.The TIG 250/250 had optional power factor correction capacitors.  Page 6 of the manual shows a comparison of the input amps under load, with and without the caps.  See the linkhttp://content.lincolnelectric.com//.../im/IM315A.pdfEven though the idle amps are higher, the capacitors don't significantly change the input power (Watts) Most electric companies charge by wattage only.  Some also have a special meter that indicates peak amperage used.
Reply:OK, I don't get it.  It sez Idle current 62 amps.  Idle power 1.1 KW max.So does it draw 62 amps when you are not welding?  That is how I see it.  I have a demand meter in my shop and understand it completly.To compare, My Wirematic 250 draws a max of 30 amps.  This puts my power factor up to 2.4 KW on the meter.Does that mean it will go to 5 KW?   I am thinkin so.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:It does indeed draw 62 amps while idling.  The point I was trying to make is that the watts used are not as high as many would think.If a 230 volt heating element were drawing 62 amps, (resistive loads have unity power factor.) the input watts would be 14.3 Kw.  This machine only draws 1.1 Kw while idling, as you pointed out.  The high amps are caused by the power factor of the transformer and the capacitors used to correct it under load.Power Factor is a very difficult concept to fully understand, and most explanations I have seen seem to be for engineers.  At least they didn't help me much. There may be something about it elsewhere on these forums, I haven't looked yet.Cheers,BobLast edited by BobC; 03-13-2007 at 07:14 AM.
Reply:Check new thread in Electrical.DavidLast edited by David R; 03-13-2007 at 05:07 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Ebay auction ended and the reserve was not met.  I guess I'll keep it.  I would like to have the machine close to the panel box most of the time but have the option of using a cord if necessary to reach out further.  What size and type of wire should I make the cord out of?  I guess I'll go with a 80 amp breaker as you guys have suggested, since I will probably never get close to max on the machine. Any help would be appreciated. Chuck