AC or DC Hobart 200

[mdmarkel]

I have a Hobart 200 multiProcess welder. I am very new to welding. I have Hobart 770456 6011 Stick, 3/32.
I am attempting to run it off a generator on a 120, 20am plug. Do I need to set this up with a 240 30 am set up.

it has tripped the breaker on the generator. The generator is a 3800 watt. I do have a larger generator as well. I can get it to start to weld on a scrape piece of railroad iron.

Is this metal too thick for whst I am attempting to do? I started ad 60 amp and worked too 100, I can get the arc and a puddle for about 3-4 seconds and then it stops.

what am I doing wrong here?

[MAC702]

Are you using the "larger generator" for the issue in the second half? If you are tripping the breaker on the generator, then yes, you need a bigger generator, and perhaps bigger than just what the numbers tell you. Some loads do not work well from generators, especially if pushing the limits.

Which number on your generator is "3800 watts"? How big is the larger one? Feel free to be specific with model numbers so we can all be on the exact same page of what you are doing.

[Dale M.]

Typically it's common practice to have a generator that is about 50% more amperage (wattage) output than the load of welder.... This is because the rotating assembly of generators are small and when you strike a arc ot boggs generator down and it cannot sustain the rpm so amperage/voltage output falls off and this may be part of your problem... This does not mean the welder needs the extra amperage, but the generator needs to large mass of highout put to sustain what the welder needs....

Specs say your welder on 120V will draw 22 amps... Specing out your generator says it can supply maybe 33 amps (3800/120=33).... Bet anything your 20 amp breaker on genny can not sustain the load... And your genny bogs every time you strike an arc, and the voltage drop may have adverse effects on electronics of welder...

First thing I would do is move to larger generator....

[MAC702]

Specs say your welder on 120V will draw 22 amps...

Good find. And that's at the "rated output" for the spec sheet comparisons. The rated output for this class is 90 A. And the machine can go as high as 100 A of output, which OP says he did go up to. That means it's attempting to draw even more power from the small genny, wanting about 24 A of clean AC current.