MM210 & a generator

[Mike]

Lots of good info here. I sure appreciate you guys tolerating this pain in the neck.

Dan, you seem to be in tune with what I am doing. You're right, 95% of the welders use will be in the garage with an occasional trip to the barn to weld schedule 40 pipe and angle. After I get all of the gates and manger done, I may not weld at the barn again for years. So, I don't think I need a huge generator for this. Maybe I'll just run 240v to the barn and let the wife sit in the dark once in a while.

Dan, I kind of like how you put the MM210 in blue. That's a good idea.

Thanks again,

[Dan]

Originally posted by Mike
Dan,

That is kind of my thinking. I am only talking from the garage to the barn and back, maybe 75 yards, so it doesn't have to be all that portable. I thought about JUST an engine driven welder, like a Blue Star 6000 or a Bobcat, but I really want a GMAW especially for thin stuff. I can find a used generator relatively cheap.

Mike

So your highest volume of welding with a machine would be done in the garage, with an occasional maintenance trip to the barn? Is this right? Also, as you stated that you really want a GMAW machine. So why consider the Blue Star 6000 ? This would only give you a stick machine that you could do scatch start TIG with. A Bobcat too, only gives you a stick machine , until you spend another $1000 + on a suit case wirefeeder. I personally, wouldn t want to have to run a noisy machine outside my garage everytime I wanted to weld something. Besides the fact that I don t want to use my welder to supply power to the house. Why wear it out supplying power to the house? It was bought for welding.

So, I guess what I am stating here is that I agree with the idea of running a MM 210 off a generator for the occasional use around the barn. If your having to weld thinner material I would most definately have some type of GMAW available to me. Thin material with a stick welder can be a real headache. Also, with the right settings, and wire (depending on position) a MM 210 will have no problem welding out 1/2" material in multiple passes.

Well, I think this will give you a little more to think about. I you have a specific question about the machine or anything that I might have mentioned, feel free to ask.

HI MIKE.......THE MILLERTIC 210 DRAWS 27 AMPS AT 230 VOLTS, 5.5 KW, AND KVA IS 6.5.......SO NOW THE LINEMAN KNOWS........ MYSELF IF I WAS GOING TO GO WITH A GENERATOR IT WOULD BE THE BOBCAT 225 DIESEL OR GAS, OR 2 OTHER ALTERNATIVES WOULD BE THE BOBCAT 250NT OR THE CHAMPION 10000......... YOU MIGHT RUN INTO SOME SPUTTERY STARTS ON THE TOP END DUE TO THE LAG IN TIME FROM LOW IDLE TO HIGH IDLE.........AND IT IS A NUISANCE, THE ALTERNATIVE IS TO KEEP IT ON HIGH IDLE WHEN USEING .035/.045 WIRE ON THE HIGH SIDE....................... THE BOBCAT 225 HAS 8,500 PEAK AND 8,000 CONTINUOUS, AND THE BOBCAT 250/CHAMPION 10000 BOTH HAVE 10000 CONTINUOUS AND 9500 PEAK.............. SO NOW YOU KNOW THE SKINNY AND IT IS UP TO YOU AND THE FINANCIAL DEPARTMENT ON HOW TO SPEND YOUR MONEY............HAVE FUN WITH IT AND IT IS STILL YOUR CALL..........ROCK........... [email protected]

[Mike]

Dan,

That is kind of my thinking. I am only talking from the garage to the barn and back, maybe 75 yards, so it doesn't have to be all that portable. I thought about JUST an engine driven welder, like a Blue Star 6000 or a Bobcat, but I really want a GMAW especially for thin stuff. I can find a used generator relatively cheap.

JPC,

she could see right through that. She is married to a lineman. The generator is more for peace of mind so that if there would be a short power outage, she could still have some light to get the kids off to school or get their bath at night. In the last 15 years the longest we have been without power was 12 hours. That was in 94 when we had a January blizzard with 36"+ snow in a day.

Thanks for all the replies, I am still up in the air about it but I need to do something soon, the projects are piling up.

[Dan]

Mike

My MM 210 owners manual recommends a 30 amp breaker for a 230 volt circuit. The trailer would definately be a good idea this machine weighs around 200 lbs. I really don t consider this a portable machine this is why I too have a HH 175 , which only weighs around 65 lbs. I can pick it up and carry it to where ever I want. However if I could only have one of my machines, it would be the MM 210 . For all the advantages that it gives me over the HH 175 I can live with the weight problem taking it off roading.

[JPCWELD]

hey mike, if you are looking to buy a generator and a wire feed, lucky you you have approval. Before I give you a responce I think you need to figure out what is the max and min you need to weld from what you said you need to weld, buy a champion 10000 and stick weld it . that way you can tell HER about all that power you have and how she will never be left in the dark...JPC

[Mike W]

I have a Hobart Betamig 200. I use .035 wire at 100 amps output. The 240v input current is 17 amps. I can use it with my 21 amp generator. The size of the generator would depend on the wire size you would want to use. At max output, my Hobart would require 38 amps.

[Mike]

How many amps are required to run a MM210? I am leaning towards one of these but would like to take it to the barn to weld on pipe gates, pipe fencing, pipe racks, a manger frame etc. and the barn only has 120V. Sooo, since the wife is wanting a generator, I might as well get one that I can run this welder off of. I may even make a cart that I can tote behind the 4 wheeler to put them on when I want to be mobile.

Thanks in advance,