AC DC differences

[fatcpa]

I have been using my 30 amp clothes dryer circuit for occasional stick welding with a Hobart Stickmate 225 AC welder. I assume that, since the welder calls for 47.5 input amps to get max output, that I am limited to somewhere around 140 amps output with my 30 amp breaker. If I buy a 225/160 amp AC/DC welder, will the DC output be limited to around 100 amps? If this is the case, will that be enough output to be of any practical use? I doubt that I will be welding anything much over 1/4". If the 100 amps DC is enough, what rod do you recommend.
Thanks

[cope]

Re: AC DC differences

Originally posted by fatcpa
I have been using my 30 amp clothes dryer circuit for occasional stick welding with a Hobart Stickmate 225 AC welder. I assume that, since the welder calls for 47.5 input amps to get max output, that I am limited to somewhere around 140 amps output with my 30 amp breaker. If I buy a 225/160 amp AC/DC welder, will the DC output be limited to around 100 amps? If this is the case, will that be enough output to be of any practical use? I doubt that I will be welding anything much over 1/4". If the 100 amps DC is enough, what rod do you recommend.
Thanks

I won't attempt to do the math on the percentage of power you get at 30 amps, but let's assume you are correct. 100 amps is right in the middle range for 1/8" 6010/11 and 6013. For 7014 you would be limited to 3/32" rods. My questions would be :
1. Why not install a dedicated 50 amp breaker?
2. Why are you concerned with DC? (For what you will be doing at home, AC is fine, and you would have enough power for any 1/8" rod you want to run.)

[WildBill]

i used to have the same problem with my ac/dc buzzbox i could get ac up to about 130 and dc around 100 lot depends on the rod, but upgraded to 200 amp breaker and got 3 phase( i love it), i can run my cst , dial arc and mm210 all at onc e at full blast and not have a problem i need it that way though now that all my friends like welding and my gfs little brother and dad weld plus my uncle who was a welder likes to run everythnig super hot so i just skiped middle ground and got 200 amp service and three phase i saved monet by wiring it myself(im not as dumb as i look or come off as)i would skip the 50 amp and go with a 60 if you want to say with the breaker you have now( just me ) but honestly if your gonna be welding alot( buying bigger machines is adicting so thats why i sugest going alot bigger , especialy if your nt gonna go with a inverter and go with tranformer with out powercorrection on them) well i hope i helped out

Bill

[bjdenommee]

Bills right, you are going to grow out of that dryer plug real quick.
Go the extra and install the right one, up grade.

Bernie