On Wed, 08 Oct 2003 20:00:55 -0600, random
wrote:

Tom Quackenbush wrote:

I'm currently thinking of buying a welder that I can use in the
field and also use as an emergency generator. Do any of these welders
have provisions for using the welder off of grid power ( 230VAC, 1 PH,
in my case) or would I be better off buying a stand alone welder +
generator? I'm thinking basic stick welding, but I'm not ruling out
TIG, depending on the price tag.

Recommendations on brands / models would be welcome.

Thanks.

R,
Tom Q.

I've had a Campbell-Hausfeld genwelder for around 6 months now. It
has settings from 60 amp to 140 amp. I forget whether it puts out 4kw
or 5kw when used as a generator, never tried that aspect. If 140 amps
is big enough, it's a sweet unit. They run $1000 more or less, seems
like Harbor Freight had them but I chose to buy mine direct from c/h
because the delivery time was shorter.

Thanks for the info,

Can the welder part of the unit be powered independent of the
generator? I don't mean physically separated - can I plug the welder
into a 230V outlet and weld without running the gas engine?

R,
Tom Q.