I almost made the mistake of buying a 110v only welder. Ended up buying a nice dual voltage everlast welder. I sure am glad I can choose either with it.
hello kevin. ive been interested in getting a welder just for some diy stuff around the house and i am so glad that i found this video before i committed to a specific model. you taught me more in 9 minutes than i got from 4 or 5 hours of internet reading. now i can look at all of the models and know exactly what the numbers mean as well as the performance differences as they relate to the different models. thank you very much!!!
Video was very helpful. I just got this machine in the mail and plugged it in to see if it lit up. Turned up the amps and it maxed at 150. I'm assuming its because I plugged it in 110 volts. Your the only one I could find that provided the information. .great video . Thanks
Hey Vinny, your dryer uses both 110 and 220 volts, 220 for the heating element and 110 to run the motor. The plug on your welder requires a 50 amp 220 volt receptacle.. Thats why they are different..
Hey Kevin, Thanks for your great videos. I have an Alpha tig200. The specs in the user manual for this machine show that in order to get the full output of 150 (+ or -) amps at 110 volts, you need an input amperage of 37.4 amps! The machine only knows if its getting 110 or 220 volts. The machine assumes that you are providing the required input amps. The point I'm making is that just because the amperage dial reads 140 amps.. that doesn't mean the machine is putting out 140 amps.. unless its getting the required input amperage.. So.. if your machine is using a 15 or 20 amp circuit at 110 volts.. your not going to get near the rated output.
I ran my dual voltage everlast welder on 110v when I was first learning. It was fine with the low amp welds I was using but I switched to using the dryer outlet soon after to get 220v. Hooked up a thick extension cord. Works great!
Esab says that my emp Rebel 215 can use a 30 amp breaker on 120 for up to 160 amps. Otherwise a 30 amp 220 circuit will give the full output of 220 amps in mig, somewhat less for TIG. Funny how welders that only need 30 amps at 220 all come with a 50 amp plug. Esab says that 30 amps is just fine.
You've just answered my question and thank you.. Coloring tint/ dye, watched the bell, can you get lighter Red hues 18g. With fx metal dyes? I've watched and learned from you And like the voice HEY KEVIN. Great work!!
I have a miller 211 ( old style ) that has the MVP plug. I will say that the miller machine runs MUCH better at 220 than at 110. Even at equal amperage, there is a marked difference in arc stability, even in the lower end. The wire doesn't seem to feed as nice, or the arc is stuttery such that I have trouble keeping a nice even bead. At the higher end of the 110v range, which is mid range for the 220v configuration, the welds just don't look as good as the same settings on 220v. I wouldn't trust any weld with a 110v welder unless it was thoroughly tested.
Thank You! So, when I'm watching somebody using a 110 machine welding 1/8" material, and I'm going to do the same thing with a 220 machine, 'should' the settings be about the same? Wondering too if different machines produce different results with the same settings and voltage input and comparable torches/guns? Thanks Kevin!!!!
I would say the settings between the 2 different machines would be just about the same. You will see a little difference between machines as far as the look of the weld and the duty cycle of the different machines but most guys will have a hard time telling the difference. Biggest thing is a 220 volt machine running on 110 will only give you about 1/2 of the total output of the machine. Hope this helps and thank you for watching and posting.
best little welder I used was a 120/240 miller tig/stick pack I used it for a month tig welding stainless steel 48" pipe I'm actually going to pick one up the I used was own buy the company I welded for. you can get hand or foot controls for it too.
Best welder I ever used was an everlast mig/tig/stick welder I borrowed from a friend. I eventually bought the same model for myself. My first welder was a cheap harbor freight inverter welder. It didn't work very well and eventually broke but I guess I'm sentimental because I still have fond memories of that little box.
Hey Kevin need some help here. I'm a hobbyist just learning welding. I only have a mig machine at the moment but very interested in a tig for welding aluminum (mainly because I'm having trouble burning through with the mig or getting no penetration at all). I only have 110 and can't get 220 without running another power pole so clearly thats not fesable. What machine would you recommend? I am building a dog box to hold my hunting dogs in the truck thanks.
Kevin Caron, Artist oh wow thats some food for thought. I paid 700 for my mig and the lincolns and millers are like 1500 and the guy at the welding shop said they wouldn't do what I wanted
My only thing is i would like to weld a little over 3/16 steel. I have a miller 140 but i have been looking at the vulcan omnipro 220 and i can run that on 140 since i do nit have 240 yet
I'm starting out as well, and currently, I only have 110v. But what Amp would you think I can get away with on 1/16 to 1/8th aluminum? I'm using mostly L beams and flat bars for frames.
So 110 would easily be adequate for sheetmetal work on cars and such? That's great to know. My question now is whether or not I can even safely plug one in at my house. It's an older house that still only has 100 amp service. Would pulling the trigger basically brownout everything else in my house? They want upwards of $9,000 to upgrade the house to 200 amps, so that's not happening for a while.
All depends on what machine you are using. Under normal use the little welder should draw maybe 20 amps. Please check the tag on the machine to make sure you have enough power to run it correctly.
it depends how big the circuits can provide the power, watts. like an electric stove, 1000 w of 110 v or 220 v stove are of same heating capability. 220 v runs smaller current, 110 v runs bigger current, amperage. when use modern inverter welder, enough IGBT and capacitor, can provide enough watts of power to fire the arc.
Cool video!! Is there anyway that you could do this test using a Mig or Flux Core welder? I would really love to see the 220V Mig/Flux welder using the 115V-120V power cord adaptor that you have!
That's a real interesting explanation and demo but what happens if you have 440 three phase available - i realise that it is probably not possible to connect this machine to that supply and it is not designed to go above 200amps. I also note that you talk about "indicated" amperage - do you have any reason to think it is actually wide of the mark? Interesting formulae that you suggest as a guide of amps relative to metal thickness. Does this apply to stick welding and MIG as well?
Dan Whiteford Yes, the 1 amp per .001 is more or less accurate across the board. Of course when you are talking about a MIG welder that works in volts instead of amps it get a little more confusing.... this machine is not made for 440 or 3 phase.. You can jump over to the 255ext from Everlast for that..
Yes, it will hold up to the thickness you can weld with 110 volts. Figure about half the thickness that you can weld with 220 volt. With proper prep work you can get a good bead for sure.
***** Sure Is,,,, MARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRR, Mic Check,,,,, PS IMHO,, 110 Is Usless, Unlees Your Putting Tin Foil Together,,,, Thanks,Jack
Always very informative videos. Are you concerned in any ways by the fumes and heavy metals that are airborne in your shop ? Over the long term it can give you serious health problems...
Hey Kevin I have a Miller matic 140 with a spool gun for doing aluminum. Any tips on how to properly use them. And how you do a proper prep and cleanup. I've always worked mild steel so im a little lost.
TinManKustoms I have done a couple of videos on this .. Here is one of them.. ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-1uS7QdN3OaY.html The big thing is get it clean before you start.. Stainless wire brush till shiny... Practice , practice and a little more practice before you touch your work...
Minimum of 6.5 kw output will just get the job done. If I was in the market for one I would be looking in the 7 to 10 kw range. Just make sure you go with an inverter generator if your welders are inverter machines.
Hi Kevin Power (Watts) = Volts X Amps so 100 amps at 110 is NOT the same power as 100 amps at 230. 230 is better for higher power for the same size cable. It's why we use power lines with step up and step down transformers. The cable thickens to carry the same power at lower voltages would be crazy. so 24,000 Volts means smaller cables can be used. Take a 12Volt car system and look at the fuses - the thickness of the wire (it’s design is to heat up and fail at a given current (ampere rating) so you see they are way thicker than say a 13 amp at 230V fuse. Now for welding purposes you want that AMP current and heating effect to melt steel so you rig will allow you to dial in more amps for a higher voltage because of how it's engineered. POWER is key so a 230V hairdryer for example will run (slower and less heat) on 110V, but a 110 hairdryer on a 230V system will run very fast (maybe) for a very short time before blowing the motor. Transformers are used as safety devices in the same way welding created a lot of heat but minimal voltage. Lightning on the other hand is a LOT of voltage and a smaller current but it's a giant welding rod from the sky that you really don't want anywhere near you. The ground strike effect means the impact point dissipates over distance BUT also means bad news for cows because the difference between front and back legs makes a circuit with big differences in voltage. For people this is proven true with some guys golfing- it's pissing it down with rain - last hole - lightning strikes the ground close by but the one closest is so wet and at a favourable angle to the strike (his feet distance and angle) that he had less of a problem that the others watching him. There is an interesting documentary where you can learn some genuinely interesting things on lightening, the faraday cage effect and more. All the best to you from over the pond 😊I hope the information helped.
nice video i love this sort of comparison. this is great information for potential buyers. one question through and please be nonbiased cause i believe lots of people would like to know, what do you prefer ahp or everlast? thats what im trying to diside for myself. thanks in advance.
+Ryan Dean In my opinion they are for two different types of manufacturing. I like the AHP for quick short welds. The torch is lighter so it's better for standing and welding.. It's a light fabrication type machine. Something to use maybe 5 hours a day.. The Everlast PowerTig 255ext that I use is a very heavy duty, use it 8 to 10 hours a day type of machine. When I have thick metal to weld or lots of it I will reach for the 255ext. This is my get some work done machine.. If I only had one of these machines,,,,, I would have to choose the 255ext. It costs a lot more ( 3 times the cost of the AHP) but I think it is a better machine if you are going to work it all day..
Thanks for the video!!! I have a diff issue maybe you can help. I have a tig machine and everytime i press the trigger on the torch, the machine shuts off!! What might be the issue? Thanks in advanced
There's a different sound between the two voltages - sounds like the welder is putting a lot more low frequency into the waveform when it has a 220v supply
im so confused :( you said you were using a 110v 20amp circuit, but then you somehow you were welding at 110v 100amp! how is that possible without tripping the breaker?
The welder lowers the voltage coming in, which in turn raises the amperage coming out. If you look at the powerlines the wire is very small but the voltage is very high. But when it reaches a transformer that lowers the voltage it requires much larger guage wire because the amps raise. Same with your welder it is basically a transformer.
Hey Mr. Caron, you know if they are actually shipping any of these ahp welders. I have been waiting to order one, but don't want my money sitting in limbo? Really enjoy your channel and the information you are sharing about the ahp welders.
Natas70 I ordered the AHP back during the dock strike and my card was not charged until the welder shipped. Both Mary (the voice in Kevin's video) and Jean ( from the company itself) both worked hard to keep me up to date with the status of my order. I am glad I ordered my welder before they were available to be shipped. Once the strike over the welder arrived quickly. Now ask me how I like the welder...
Kevin Caron, Artist , Natas70 , Bill Lewis Well since y'all asked... I love it. Even after I spoke with Kevin, I have to admit I was expecting more toy then tool, I was pleasantly surprised. The welder has far exceeded any expectation I had. From unboxing to the last time I used it (this past Tuesday evening) I continued to be surprised with the ease of use and capabilities of this welder. I have used it to weld everything from a rotatory mower to hand tools. I've used it to repair an old steel table I used when I BBQ. Currently I am using it to fabricate a hitch for my tractor. Its a great little welder, the price makes it an exceptional buy. Natas70, I am glad I didn't wait until the dock strike was over to order my welder, as Kevin stated, the company didn't charge my account until the welder shipped.
interesting so I still need to know what strength 220 is for and 110 is for.. I dont need overstrength for whatever purpose I need. How come nobody comes up with two separate lists for things that 110 is good enough for and 220 for .. Look I got a broken garden auger bit off the rod and I plan to reattach it to a longer Bully 60 inch dirt poker so I get myself a much deeper garden auger than what I can buy ready made ones that usually tops out at 24 inch deep. So which is good enough .. 110 or 220 for the torsion it will require without breaking off.. I got a really hard adobe soil deep there. of course I plan to water it along to soften up as I twist the auger down there.. The bully tool got a half inch rod so ... ??
You can welding anything on 220 volts. You can weld almost anything on 110. If you have 220 in your shop and want to weld this auger you can just turn the machine down to the correct amps or volts depending on what machine you are running. For a 1/2 inch diameter solid rod you would be maxed out on your 110 volt machine to get enough penetration to make sure it won't fail in the hole. On 220 volt you will have plenty of power to get enough amps to get the job done.
@@KevincaronSculpture excellent. do you recommend a low cost tig welder that can weld thin steel and aluminum. 1/8 will probably be the max metal thickness i’ll weld. just something for welding small projects in my home garage. i used to have a lincoln precision. tig 225. and loves it. but i don’t need or have room for anything that big
@@KevincaronSculpture thanks so much for the suggestion and the video. you explained things so perfectly. I think you have done a great service to the other people like me asking the same questions
We haven’t had 110 in the US in a very long time. Officially, it’s 120. In actually, it’s 123. That’s intentional, and in a few years, it will be the official voltage. The end of this is about 140 volts some time in the future. But that may not be for another 40 years. The intent is to give more watts down the line without having to change outlets, wall wiring or wiring in products. I’ve been to a number of places in the EU, and it’s interesting to sometimes see, in old hotels, two, or even three different outlet sizes that were put in over the decades as power use went up. In the UK, for example, sometimes you see an old outlet for 240v 3 amps, a newer one for 240v 7 amps, and the latest for 240v 13 amps. All incompatible. What a mess! They’re trying to avoid that here.
thanks kevin very much > P = I x E; ive all but scorched the adapter plugs (3 into 2 unpolarized) here the philippines my std. 120v hand held power tools, originally on a separate household circuit (service recently discontinued) and more recently in conjunction with an automatic voltage regulator. just commenting thanks for the demonstration and howdy the voice
Great video Kevin thank you. I have a basic question I'm sure you've heard a hundred times... I'm a DIY/Homeowner level new welder, coming from an ancient 110 flux core welder that is practically useless, what machine would you recommend for a newish welder in 220 MIG with argon? I don't have a bottomless wallet, but of course I don't want another crap MIG like the 110 I already have. I would eventually want to make a mini buggy, welding 1/8" tubes, and FMX ramp construction for my dirt bikes, stuff like that. What is good, best bang for the buck so to speak? Thank you in advance, I love your channel!
I have quite a few questions, so I'll try to get them all in. I'm looking to get into blacksmithing, and while I won't NEED a welder, it would make things easier to deal with when it comes to making tooling. Since I'd be limited to 110, what would be the thickest material that I could expect decent penetration on?
Well, Hiddo, industry here works on 220, 240, 400, 475, 575, and higher if really needed, plus 3 phase. So I don’t know the point you’re trying to make.
You can NOT get any AMPS above the breaker your coming out of... 20 or 30 amp 120 volt outlet, then that is it...no way so don't start with what the Machen says...
I am NOT an electrician, but I STRONGLY recommend you NOT change a breaker from a 15amp to a 20amp!!!!!!!! FIRE! FIRE! FIRE! .... a 20 amp breaker requires a 12 or greater gauge wire.... 14 gauge or smaller wire is DANGEROUS! .... and NOT to code.
I rewatched this video.... he DID say CIRCUIT and NOT breaker.... installing a 20 amp CIRCUIT = good.... changing a 15 amp Breaker to a 20 amp Breaker = very bad.
It strongly depends on the length of the run, the rating of the insulation, and the way the wire is routed. Although it's generally a rule that the minimum gauge wire is used for every instance, since wire quickly goes up in price as gauge goes up. An electrician is your best bet for this kind of work. NEC has a lot of nuances in terms of loading vs run length vs wire gauge. A welder is probably considered a constant current source vs an air compressor which is considered reactive source, both have different considerations with regard to their circuits. Additionally, depending on the year your circuit was first made, the rules may have dramatically changed, and it's already questionable in it's capacity. Best to call an electrician and not guess poorly.
casesusa you should listen to what he said. He said install a 20 amp circuit. That means installing another circuit with heavier cable to handle higher current draw.