Question on Duty Cycle(not what you think)

[RickCHowe Member Find all posts View Profile Close RickCHowe]

Hi

I have a lincoln 225 buzz box and because I don't have electricity in the shed, I hook it up to a generator. If the duty cycle is 20%, that of course would mean that for every 2 minutes of welding, I need to let it cool 8 minutes.

My question is this. Does that 8 minutes cooling include when you have the welder and the generator turned off or does it mean you need the welder on with the fan going for 8 minutes?

[DrIQ Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close DrIQ]

Rick,

The duty cycle ratings are with the machine powered up. The best way to explain it is the fan continues to pull air through the welder cooling it when not welding. If you turn it off it would be much like turning off an oven after a cake is done but not removing it. The result is the welder/cake sets and continues to cook instead of cooling.

[PJinNJ Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close PJinNJ]

I wouldn't worry about it

It's basically ARC-Time, not clock time. I have never hit a duty cycle issue and have done a load of welding. If you do, you'll know it and grab a cup of coffee or do some prep while she cools down. But please don't watch the clock.

[Zrexxer Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Zrexxer]

But please don't watch the clock.

Heck, why not... if he gets good enough at clock watching then he can get a high-paying union job

[JTMcCracken Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close JTMcCracken]

The duty cycle on your machine is 20% at a specific amperage, as you run the machine at lower amperages your duty cycle goes up. I don't have any idea what your machine is rated at but you can look that up.

So you have more arc time available as you run the machine cooler.

And you really do need to keep an eye on duty cycle, specially with a small machine because you can smoke them if you overdo it. Even if you don't completely smoke the machine, you will be building more heat in the windings than it's designed for and shortening the life of the machine.

JTMcC.

[Brianstick Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brianstick]

The 20% duty cycle is based on a 225 amp output. you will probably never use 225 amps. If you use fewer amps, the duty cycle goes up. The 10 minute cycle period is based on the machine being turned on all the time so the fan can draw air across the transformer.

[cope Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close cope]

Every tombstone I have seen was 100% at 85 amps only, at least according to the front panel. This flies in the face of conventional wisdom, but that is what I obserevd.

[RickCHowe Member Find all posts View Profile Close RickCHowe]

Thanks for the info. You've helped a lot. I usually don't run the welder over 100 amps. I use mostly 3/32 rod. Next time I use it, I'm going to leave it running and let it cool. Thanks again.

[Jim-Tx Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Jim-Tx]

The odds of you hurting that machine at 100 amps are slim. You would have to burn rods almost non stop.

[Sberry Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Sberry]

I ran my tombstone AC/DC almost non stop for over an hour in a 50 degree building at 105/115, I dont recall how long it takes to burn 10# of 1/8 but I put them in the stinger about as fast as humanly possible. With 3/32 I dont think a guy could burn it up.

[Brianstick Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Brianstick]

Yeah, if you burn up that machine you're going to be everybody's hero.

[old fart Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close old fart]

By the way. Whats the duty cycle of your generator?

[RickCHowe Member Find all posts View Profile Close RickCHowe]

Generator cycle

It doesn't really say on the generator at all. But, I think it's like 2%. That would mean I run it for 2 years and I wait 98 years for it to cool. (haha) I don't really know.

[Monte55 Senior Member Find all posts View Profile Close Monte55]

It doesn't really say on the generator at all. But, I think it's like 2%. That would mean I run it for 2 years and I wait 98 years for it to cool. (haha) I don't really know.

I don't care who you are........That's funny

[lincoln200 Junior Member Find all posts View Profile Close lincoln200]

Lincoln 225 AC buzz box is 100% duty cycle @ 75 Amps