Welding Tips and Tricks

What amprage does 7018 typically run on a A/C current?

Welcome, Mike,

Unless the rod is specifically marked "7018AC", it's a DC-positive rod.

It will still work on AC, just not at it's best.

Seems to me 135-145 Amps works, but it's been ten years or more.

If someone here has done it recently, I'm sure they'll chime in.

Steve S

Welcome to the forum Mike. The Amps should be on the box or can.

For Lincoln Excalibur, here is a chart.

But 1/8" 7018 at 135-145 amps AC should get done depending on thickness you are welding.

Thanks, Dave J.

For Mikedavis's clarity, the numbers across the top of the chart are rod sizes, not material thicknesses (I did a double-take at first! )

Steve S

Mikedavis1996 wrote:What amprage does 7018 typically run on a A/C current?

would that be a 3/32 or 1/4" rod? you didn't specify.

Actual amperage and the reading on the machine and readings from one machine to the next can vary wildly. It makes it hard to discuss on a forum such as this. But if you notice that for a 1/8" 7018 the range is from 90-160. That will cover almost if not all variations. For example: at school we moved some welders from main campus to one of our high school locations and had to change the incoming power from 460/1/30 to 230/1/60. At main campus most of us ran 7018 3G at between 108 and 114 amps. On the same welder at a different location most students are running 7018 3G at 128 to 135 amps. Same machine, digital readout and around a 20 amp variation.

lazerbeam wrote:Actual amperage and the reading on the machine and readings from one machine to the next can vary wildly. It makes it hard to discuss on a forum such as this. But if you notice that for a 1/8" 7018 the range is from 90-160. That will cover almost if not all variations. For example: at school we moved some welders from main campus to one of our high school locations and had to change the incoming power from 460/1/30 to 230/1/60. At main campus most of us ran 7018 3G at between 108 and 114 amps. On the same welder at a different location most students are running 7018 3G at 128 to 135 amps. Same machine, digital readout and around a 20 amp variation.

Wow, that IS some variation for the same machines on different sources!

One speculation I can make for this case...

Where I work, our 460/3 actually measures 480 across legs, while our 230/1 measures 220 actual. Assuming my taps on a machine are labeled 460 and 230 and the machine is wound accordingly, 480 on the 460 taps would result in a higher output than the (indirect reading) digital setting, including higher OCV. Vice-versa for 220 on the 230 taps.

I noticed when I was working on the road, where 8-packs of identical machines were common to work from, I could use the same setting on any machine, but on the next job the setting might be different, yet work on all machines.

Steve S

Yes, that is the case with the incoming power. Main campus has more than the rating and the high school was less and that caused the problem. I just used that to show that true amperage and what the machine shows can be different enough to make a comparison on here difficult. We have 12 new inverters now (6 Invertec 205's, 6 350 pros) and they all weld the same even though the 205's are on 230v and the 350's are on 460v. We have 2 older 355's and they are consistent with the new Lincolns. Our older shop masters do not have digital readouts but they are close also. It helps to have machines that are close when trying to teach 18 beginning welders at the same time.

Point well taken...

I've not considered input voltage differences when making recommendations for current settings, but I can see where it would make a big difference, particularly on older and/or simpler machines, as opposed to a new, top-shelf computer controlled inverter.

Steve S

For AC 1/8" 7018AC ROD, I LIKE 135A as well. Vertical up,,I'll drop down to about 120A.

I know I am a newbie here but I found these apps from Miller for the Iphone etc.. and it is great when you want to look up amperages needed. I love it but just like a couple of others have said it should be on the box... But what happens when you toss the box and put them in a holder???

Anyway, here are the links:

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/calculators/

IPhone: http://www.millerwelds.com/about/news_r ... welds-com- (you must go through the IPhone App store to install this one)

Android: https://play.google.com/store/apps/deta ... ldsettings

Hope these links help someone.. I know that they have already helped me and I love being able to lookup the amperage in the garage on my IPhone...

HW,
CrazyCarl