What is the common welder size? (in amps?)

I noticed that no one has mentioned that it depends on the type of welder
you end up with.

For example, a Lincoln AC 225 or AC/DC 225/125 takes a 50 amp outlet. I
think my SP-170T (an excellent Lincoln MIG welder) calls for 30 amps but I'm
not sure because I plugged it into the outlet that was already there for my
old AC 225.

But now I also have an old IdealArc 250/250 which we use for arc and TIG
welding and it calls for 90 Amps! We're able to use it in the 50 Amp outlet
but only at about half capacity. You probably think it unlikely that you
would ever have anything this large (I certainly did!) but at $500 it was a
lot cheaper than a newer inverter-based TIG welder that uses less current so
it's worth considering. :-) You'd be surprised what kind of deals you can
get if you go to a few auctions.

In all likelihood though, a 50 amp outlet should do for just about anything
you'll ever want and even with the large unit we can TIG 1/8" steel and
aluminum without any trouble. I'll let someone else tell you the proper
wire size.

Best Regards,
Keith Marshall


"I'm not grown up enough to be so old!"