Welding Tips and Tricks

I just ordered an Everlast PowerMTS200 that is rated 200A mig/tig and 175A stick with a 35% Duty cycle.

Will I need a 50A circuit to get the full capabilities out of this machine?

If so, I have a 70A circuit that goes to an unfused switch box before it goes into my X-ray machine.

Would it be safe to pull a 50A subpanel off of that switch box? I am trying to avoid having to run about 50" of wire for the 50A line.

I think it is probably not ok or code compliant, but I'll post it anyway.

It should be safe to pull a 50 Amp feed from the 70 Amp supply, as long as you don't run the x-ray and the welder at the same time. And make sure you put a 50 Amp breaker at the point where you take the supply from.

Definitely don't mix them up with a patient on the x-ray table and weld his titanium pins in his ankle. You should be fine with a 50A breaker in a sub box.

Len

Welcome drross.

There's no reason, and nothing I can think of in the code, to prevent you from having a 50A drop on a 70A line. You are, after all, protected from multi-use overload by the 70A breaker upstream from this.

Your local code may vary, but you are in safe limits, regardless, and "what they don't know..." and all that.

So, are you a radiologist? Medical? Dental?

Steve S

Thanks Guys.
As I am the only one that ever takes X-rays in my office I would never be welding and radiating anyone at the same time, but I guess I could also put a selector switch in as well so it is either welder circuit or x-ray circuit selected but not both at the same time.

I'm a Chiropractor, woodworker and soon to be rookie welder.

I appreciate all the help.


"Just when you know you are right the chances greatly increase you are not"

Are you running 110V when in need of 50 amp breaker?

I run a 200 machine on 16 amps @ 230 V, which is what the spec for the welder says. I know our power grid is way different from yours but it looks luke a big difference.

AndersK wrote:Are you running 110V when in need of 50 amp breaker?

I run a 200 machine on 16 amps @ 230 V, which is what the spec for the welder says. I know our power grid is way different from yours but it looks luke a big difference.

AndersK, you are correct. This big difference is the 110V supply that they are using. Less Volts means more Amps are required to deliver the same power.

The USA grid is a lot different to Europe and Australia. They have 110V phase to neutral and 208V phase to phase.

They also have an interesting 2-phase power source using a Scott-T transformer where the two phases are 180 degrees apart and it supplies 2-phase 220VAC. I did some work in Mississippi a few years ago. IIRC, down south the sparkies loved to call this the 'stinger' !

Still seems quite high with 50 amps. You can pull nearly 3,7 kW from 16A @230 V it would be 5,5 kW from 50 A @ 110 V.