Verification and Opinion RE PM180C and 5500 watt generator

admin

Hi all, I am a newbie to the site.  Great info and help.  My question is this:I need to weld some pipe fencing and corrals outdoors.  Probably will use 2-3/8 round pipe (I believe 1/8 or 3/16 wall). I am looking hard at the Lincoln PM 180C.  1. Will PM 180C fit my needs?2. I have 2 generators - Storm Responder 8250W Peak/5500 Running  and a Generac 6250 Peak/5000 Running.  Both have 230 volt L14-30 amp plugs.  Will either one of these generators cut the mustard?3. Is there a better welder to consider for my application and limited generator size?Thanks for all your help.
Reply:I believe the Lincoln 180c needs 20 amps @ 230v input. you are probably close to that with the bigger of the 2 gen sets. Check the manual to see what they actually rate the  gen set for in 230v amps. You will need to make an adapter to plug in the welder to get the plugs to match.The 180c with fluxcore wire will probably do the job on the fence posts. Given the limits you've listed it's probably not a bad choice. Personally I'd want more available power from the welder for over all use. I'd look at the Miller MM211 myself, if I was thinking about running a welder from a small genset. The MM211 will run on either 115v or 230v. On 115v you're max out put is cut, but it gives you options to use it from household current that you don't have with the 180c. On 230v, the MM211 is a 200 amp machine vs the 180 amp and has a higher rating at 30% duty cycle. Again you'd have to check what the max output of your gen set is to see if you can use the extra output from the welder with that or not, but you'd have that power available in a shop.Another option might be a small AC genset stick machine. I see them all the time on CL usually cheap. Stick is a bit more dificult to learn, but for outdoor farm work it often has more uses, as you will get a higher amp output from one of those machines..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:The general rule of thumb is: volts x amps = watts. There are variables though, single phase, 3 phase, etc. If the machine only requires 20 amps(max) @ 230 volts, according to my calculation, you should be good with 5000 watts."SOUTHPAW" A wise person learns from another persons mistakes;A smart person learns from their own mistakes;But, a stupid person.............never learns.
Reply:Thanks all.  I believe the generators max output for one is 23 and other 26, so I should be okay?  By the way, for my shop I have a Lincoln 225 stick welder, just don't have the generator to use it away from the shop.  Thanks again.  How big of generator would MM211 require on the 220 side?
Reply:Miller says the MM211 needs 24.3 amps @ 230v input for max output.http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o239988e_mil.pdf.No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWMiller says the MM211 needs 24.3 amps @ 230v input for max output.http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o239988e_mil.pdf
Reply:Papabear I'm not quite sure what you are saying. I was listing the specs from Miller on that machine. Even then, thats at maximum output on the welder.  A slightly lower weld output would decrease the input requirements. 5500 watts gen continuous output is darn close to your calculated 5600 watts and the gen set he listed has a peak of 8250. If the gen set is listed at 26 amps at 230v, the MM211 should run at almost max no problem. Even on the smaller genset you'd still most of the output range on that welder.I almost never set my MM185 at max output for most work I need to do. I've run it off a 4500watt cont. output genset in a pinch. Mostly welding thinner steel to 3/16" or less on tap 2-3 out of 6. It wants 26 amps @ 230v to run max. That said I'd much rather run the MM185 from shop power or a bigger genset given a choice..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:You are correct DSW, I tend to lean a little toward the "heavy" side when it comes to running a machine off a generator. I just hate when "I really could use a little more, but..."