wire size

[Bob Post]

I am thinking of getting a HH175. What size electric wire and recepticle do i need. I want to station it about 35ft from my breaker panel. thanks in advance.
the gorrila welder
Bob Post

[cope]

wire size

According to the Hobart site, the HH 175 draws a maximum of 19 amps. 12-3 will handle 20 amps, and is easy to find and install. The receptacle needed depends on the plug on the welder, and the owner's manual for the welder should tell which one you need. Any good hardware store or big box store should have the receptacle. Depending on your location, you may want to have an electrician install the wire for you.

[grocery_getter]

Even though the 12/3 is good to 20A, considering that you are going to string it 35ft away from the electrical source, I would consider upgrading to a 10/3 just to prevent any voltage drop.

[cope]

10/3 VS 12/3

The distance he runs from the receptacle will affect voltage drop, not the wire in the wall (as long as wire is correct size and not run too far from breaker box). Most of us rarely if ever run a welder at anywhere near full output, so max amperage draw is usually not an issue anyway. The 12/3 can be purchased much cheaper than the 10/3. I would be more worried about the size extension cord used, and last time I looked at MIG welders, most had power cords several gauges smaller than recommended for the draw of the machine. This is also true of most power tools.