Welding Tips and Tricks

Ok, I got the Bobcat 250. NOW, I still can not do anything with it. haha I got male cable connectors. They do not work with the welder. NOW, I need female ones. That is all good. I think I need the 1/2 ones. I am good there.

NOW, that is the third NOW, I need a wire to use as the ground for the thing. I am new to stuff like this. In the welder manual, it says 8 aug or larger. It says that for using it as a generator. Am I to assume that it is the same for welding? If it is, would this work?

http://www.lowes.com/pd/8-AWG-Stranded- ... ot/3129533

The cable you need depends on the distance you plan to span to your welding projects. You would need larger cables at 100 ft, than you need for only 25'. I would recommend that you visit your local welding supply (LWS) and discuss it with them. They can point you to the correct cable and supply it. They can also provide the cable ends you need for your machine. You will find them a great source of information and help.

Hope this helps.

8 ga is way to small for welding. What they are probably taking about in the manual is there is a small stud that is on the front of the machine that needs to be grounded to your truck, trailer, a stake in the ground etc. so if there is a short in the machine the electricity has somewhere safe to go and not through say the fuel tank. Welding leads themselves depend on the amperage used and the length of the leads. There are charts available to find what you need. Most popular sizes would be a 1/0 or a 2/0.

I'm sure Glowzinski is referring to "earth" ground, the equipment ground for the machine, not the welding ground.

Whether as a generator or a welder, #8 wire is sufficient for the purpose. I recommend stranded wire for it's flexibility.

Steve S