how about wire gauge? how big?

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sorry guys here's another NB question for the pro..... if i get the lincoln sp175 plus or the miller 175 or miller180.  I will have to run a new wire into my garage. how big is the wire have to be (10-2, 10-3 or 12-3)? a friends of mine said 12-3 is fine. what do you guys think? Oh and the wire is around 75" thanks a lot guys!!!!!
Reply:Personally if pulling 220 that far I would go with the 10-3. Im no electrician though. You may want to find a electrician and see what they think.
Reply:I wired up Lincoln Pro Mig 175 using 8/2 and a 2 pole 40A breaker.  And my run was literally under 2 feet.  The outlet is directly under my panel.  Amperage breaker is what the manual reccomended. Damn I had a brain fart.  I just used the white wire as the second leg.   12/3 is only rated for 20 amps.  Might get away with 25 but it'll eventually give.  Heat will build up and the breaker will trip.  If it's that far I'd just run 8 or 6 to it.  But check the manual too, to double check.Last edited by bignick31985; 04-08-2007 at 08:09 PM.
Reply:If you're going to run conduit and pull wires through it keep in mind that most electrical supply houses I deal with will make custom cuts of 8 gauge but you'll have to buy full spools of 10. I'd pull 2 8's and a green 10 for ground. Just go to lowes or home depot they'll sell a 100 ft spool or green 10. Some would call that overkill but you never know when you might upgrade.Last edited by tresi; 04-08-2007 at 08:25 PM.