Welding Tips and Tricks

Any thoughts or experience with portable gas generators powering small (around 200amp) welders? At first I just wanted a quiet, inexpensive boxed-style generator just to take to the track for just a simple AC power source, or to power a couple of basic things when we have power failures (which are becoming common lately), but then I've been doing various welding jobs on the side (well, unemployed welder getting whatever work I can find), and would like to find a generator than can power my Miller Diversion 180 TIG, my Miller 140 Auto-Set MIG, and my Hypertherm Powermax30 AIR plasma cutter, as well as any new (likely Inverter) welders that I might end up buying soon (around the 200amp range, nothing too big).

I've been going nuts researching all the various portable generators out there, and I've narrowed the required specs down to a box with low THD (Total Harmonic Distortion) so that I don't fry my welder's boards should they be sensitive to 'dirty' electricity (I've read about too many horror stories of ruined welders that are very expensive to repair), one that can actually power a 200amp welder without tripping a breaker, which from what I've read would require a generator around the 9,000-10,000 watt range at a minimum, and something no more than $1,500 tops. I'd also like the quietest one possible, but that seems an impossible task as the only quiet generators are the smaller fully-enclosed 'boxed' style portable generators (and they usually top out around half the wattage output that I'd need).

Any thoughts on this? Yeah, I know, a welder/generator like a Miller Bobcat would be great but, I'm just trying to power my existing equipment with limited funds should I need to do a remote job (I'm far from equipping a flat bed truck with your typical mobile welder's setup, just have a pickup truck and anything I can throw in the back). So far I've been lucky and have had access to AC power, but I would like to be available to do work that doesn't have access to it.

Any thoughts or experiences, favorite brands, models, etc.? I'm getting a little burned out checking out all the hundreds of brands out there that claim this and that, and reviews that are rarely consistent. And few reviews (if any) deal with running a welder on one. Thanks!

I think the Generac XG10000E is about as close as you are going to get

https://generatorbible.com/generators/? ... =price_asc

The Predator 9500 is the largest inverter type generator currently available but only produces 7600 watts. I am not sure if that will run your welders or not.

Generatorbible.com is a great resource

I’ve run my Dynasty at 185 amps quite reliably for 2 days on a 5500 watt generator. Surprised the pi$$ out of me. Was running both stick and DC TIG fixing some farm equipment.

Ran the Dynasty on both 120v and 240v (my Buddy mis-wired the pigtail thinking he was giving me 240). Took me longer than I care to admit before I realized it

On my Troy Bilt 7000XP, I can run MIG at about 180A or so, and that pulls just shy of 30A IIRC, so to minimize the overall load on the generator, yes 10,000 running watts would be ideal even if you can support 200 welding amps with less generator power.

That being said, I think this is a pretty good model with clean power <5% THD and should be able to provide around 35A which is just enough to power most any inverter welder in the 200A or smaller class

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools ... _200913128

I don't own it, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if I didn't already have one. I've had good luck with the Northern Tool line up so far.

This one would be even better, I suspect: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools ... _200664786

Don't worry about the noise. They are all loud. Even if you silence the motor with a larger, better muffler, the engine itself makes a lot of racket. Only way to make it bearable w/o earplugs is to fully encase it and with sound absorption insulation.

raticus wrote: ↑Mon Aug 16, 2021 10:22 am So far I've been lucky and have had access to AC power, but I would like to be available to do work that doesn't have access to it.

If the need is infrequent, what about renting one as required?

If you own one it depreciates and requires maintenance - even if you don't use it.

Jack

Louie1961 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 16, 2021 11:05 am I think the Generac XG10000E is about as close as you are going to get

https://generatorbible.com/generators/? ... =price_asc

The Predator 9500 is the largest inverter type generator currently available but only produces 7600 watts. I am not sure if that will run your welders or not.

Generatorbible.com is a great resource

thanks, yeah I've been using that site as well... I'm so tempted to try a lower watt rated generator but that's an expensive test if I find out it's tripping the breakers every time I lean into it a bit.

cj737 wrote: ↑Mon Aug 16, 2021 1:38 pm I’ve run my Dynasty at 185 amps quite reliably for 2 days on a 5500 watt generator. Surprised the pi$$ out of me. Was running both stick and DC TIG fixing some farm equipment.

Ran the Dynasty on both 120v and 240v (my Buddy mis-wired the pigtail thinking he was giving me 240). Took me longer than I care to admit before I realized it

Yeah that is surprising, but then you may have been lighter on the pedal than what you had it set at, not putting out the full amps so maybe that's why you were able to weld.

Ha... 'friends'. Hope you got him to buy the happy hour beers at least.

Oscar wrote: ↑Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:18 pm On my Troy Bilt 7000XP, I can run MIG at about 180A or so, and that pulls just shy of 30A IIRC, so to minimize the overall load on the generator, yes 10,000 running watts would be ideal even if you can support 200 welding amps with less generator power.

That being said, I think this is a pretty good model with clean power <5% THD and should be able to provide around 35A which is just enough to power most any inverter welder in the 200A or smaller class

https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools ... _200913128

I don't own it, but I wouldn't hesitate to buy one if I didn't already have one. I've had good luck with the Northern Tool line up so far.

This one would be even better, I suspect: https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools ... _200664786

Don't worry about the noise. They are all loud. Even if you silence the motor with a larger, better muffler, the engine itself makes a lot of racket. Only way to make it bearable w/o earplugs is to fully encase it and with sound absorption insulation.

Yeah, even with a good muffler and a fully enclosed insulated box around then, they're still loud. Don't know why these engines are such noise makers...

Thanks for the info. Yeah I buy stuff through Northern Tool a bunch. That Powerhorse 13,000 is a bit too pricey for me, though the 11,500 is in my range...

Jack Ryan wrote: ↑Mon Aug 16, 2021 7:57 pm

raticus wrote: ↑Mon Aug 16, 2021 10:22 am So far I've been lucky and have had access to AC power, but I would like to be available to do work that doesn't have access to it.

If the need is infrequent, what about renting one as required?

If you own one it depreciates and requires maintenance - even if you don't use it.

Jack

good point, but I've personally wanted a generator for awhile anyway, plus when I get welding jobs pop up, I just want to load up my stuff and head out to do it... not head for the rental place trying to hunt one down... Time is money too.

raticus wrote: ↑Sat Aug 21, 2021 6:29 pm good point, but I've personally wanted a generator for awhile anyway, plus when I get welding jobs pop up, I just want to load up my stuff and head out to do it... not head for the rental place trying to hunt one down... Time is money too.

Once you know the supplier, he will generally look after you but I understand your position. One is the independence to do what you will whenever you want. The other is just wanting something and that want can become heavily weighted in a needs analysis.

Jack

By the time you spend the money to get a good generator for doing something like this, your at the same money level of buying a gas powered welder in the 300 amp range.

thanks for the help everyone... but I ended up dropping the whole, trying to find a generator to (safely) power a welder as well as trying to find one that is relatively quiet... I especially dropped the idea after having yet another freak storm and power outage and wishing I had bought sOMeThInG. So just to give my brain a break, I just went against my Harbor Freight hate, and bought their Predator 3500 for around $850. It's not too big though it's not exactly small (was fun yanking it up into my Raptor's pickup bed with a bad knee.. i.e. one legged 100lb. lift), but once I got it home and checked it out, was surprised at the fit and finish, I couldn't find much to gripe about that was especially cheap about it. Once fired up, I was in shock at how quiet it is, I mean, yeah It's a generator, they're generally annoying... but this is the quietest one I've ever heard. I haven't plugged any of my welders into it yet just out of curiosity's sake, but I'll let you know when I do if anyone's interested.

I'll probably go the gas powered welder direction eventually, still had my eyes on the Miller Bobcat, but yeah, that's a big junk of money that I may not need atm.

Seems like a decent generator based on some YouTube videos I see. Some people change the jet since they found it runs quite rich and ends up clogging up the internal mesh cone on the spark arrestor. Just something to keep in mind.