Welding Tips and Tricks

Hello all,

I recently picked up a gently used Lincoln V160-T. The machine is 115/230V capable and judging from Lincoln's website, the power cord originally came with a 115v plug. It seems that the previous owner has cut it off and connected a 230v plug. I plan to utilize both voltages depending where I use the welder, and I would like to leave the 230v plug on there because I'll probably use that the most. However, I'd like to buy or build some sort of adapter cable to allow me to just plug it in to a 115v receptacle. Does such an adapter exist? If not, can I just build one? Any advice woud be greatly appreciated.

Hi there,

Check this out. It may help. Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about this. I just googled it. I am from Australia and we only have the one voltage on single phase. I dunno if its a load of bull of if its ligit. Take it as you will.

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=51646

Good Luck
Mick

To support my reply, I refer you to the user manual here:

http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/s ... /im738.pdf

I reviewed the electrical schematics to be sure I was correct before I answered.

An adapter will be simple and cheap to build. You'll need a 230V recepticle of the same amp rating as the plug you pictured (Looks like a 30A to me, should say somewhere on the plug), a 115V 15A plug, and a short length of 12ga. X2 w/ground. Romex house wire will be fine, or you can scavenge or buy something more flexible (think extension cord, but AT LEAST 14 gauge). Then just match the colors. Note the plug you pictured is labeled "White, Green, Black". Connect the recepticle and plug the same way. If the recepticle you buy isn't labeled, it's no problem to match them up and figure it out. If the plug you buy isn't labeled, the screws should be color coded. White to the silver screw, black to the brass screw, green to green.

If you have any trouble, post again. I ususally read these threads daily.

Steve

Wouldn't the 115V plug also have to be 30-amp?

(Sorry, I'm a bit of an electrical noob)

weldin mike 27 wrote:Hi there,

Check this out. It may help. Disclaimer: I know absolutely nothing about this. I just googled it. I am from Australia and we only have the one voltage on single phase. I dunno if its a load of bull of if its ligit. Take it as you will.

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=51646

Good Luck
Mick

Thanks. I was given that diagram on that site this morning. I'll head to the hardware store today or tomorrow and see if I can round everything up.

115 V plugs are available in 15A and 20A. You have a more restricted duty cycle when operating on 115V.

You will encounter 15A outlets far more often when afield.
Some 20A outlets will accept either 15 or 20A.
Dedicated 20A outlets will only accept a 20 plug.

The 15A plug offers you the most versitility.

If you'll review the manual, you'll find the duty cycles for the various configurations.

Steve

Otto Nobedder wrote:115 V plugs are available in 15A and 20A. You have a more restricted duty cycle when operating on 115V.

You will encounter 15A outlets far more often when afield.
Some 20A outlets will accept either 15 or 20A.
Dedicated 20A outlets will only accept a 20 plug.

The 15A plug offers you the most versitility.

If you'll review the manual, you'll find the duty cycles for the various configurations.

Steve

Thanks for the post. My owners manual only gives ratings for 20A and 30A input. If I use a 15A 115V plug, will that limit my welder to 15A input? If so, I assume that would result in reduced output?

If you'll review the online manual I gave the link to, you'll see that the machine comes from the factory with a 115V 15A plug, and an adapter for 230V/30A.

Your maximum output is spelled out on page A-4 of the online manual as follows:

15A plug on a 15A branch
10% duty cycle
Stick: 65A
TIG: 95A

15A plug on a 20A branch
10% duty cycle
Stick: 75A
TIG: 105A

20A plug on a 20A branch
10% duty cycle
Stick: 85A
TIG: 120A

You will only ever get full capacity on a 30A 230V circuit.

Steve

My buddies machine has that plug. I had to get a (Don't ask me why) 50 amp receptacle because its the only size plug that will fit it. Then ran a plug for a dryer off it and plugged it into the dryer outlet. Worked perfectly. Now that was for a 20 amp 220 machine. The plug looked like yours does and I did this under the direction of an electrician.

If your not sure how to do it get a sparky to look at it for you.

A 230V/50A plug has four terminals, two split-phase-hot, neutral, and separate ground.

A 230V/30A plug has three terminals, two split-phase hot, combined neutral/ground.

Except for the fourth terminal, the layout is about the same.

Steve

Otto Nobedder - Thanks for your help in this thread. I have a paper copy of the manual, but I completely overlooked the page referencing duty cycle and output using a 15a plug.

Geez! Power is so much easier in Australia. You have 240V 50Hz single phase.
Outlets can be 10, 15 or 20 Amp and the plugs to suit have different size terminals. All the plugs will fit a 20 amp outlet, the 10 and 15 amp plug will fit a 15 amp outlet, and the 10 amp outlet will only accept 10 amp plugs.
Then you have 415V 50Hz 3 phase in what ever amperage you need.

Hi there,

That is just what I thought. This post just got bigger than Ben Hurr. Im glad I just weld. If it don't go, call in a bloke who knows for sure. Thats my motto. lol.

Mick

Geez! Power is so much easier in Australia.

The U.S. may be one of the most technically advanced nations in the world, but we sure aren't the most efficient.

That plug in the pic is I think a 50 amp plug. The 'D' shaped lug is the ground. Dont get a cheap 110v plug, get one that clamps the wire with 'grippers' when assembled. 15 and 20 amp outlets accept the same plugs. I would recommend using #12 wire.
My (ex) father-in-law was an electrical contractor and I worked for him when things got slow in the dirt business.(Which was quite a bit)
I have 2 extension cords (#6 guage) with the pictured m & f plugs on them, and they are marked as 50 amps.
My air compressor is 220 v & 20 amps, I made up an adapter to plug it into the 50 amp outlet, inasmuchas the motor has a built in circuit breaker on it, however, I have re-wired everything and they all have dedicated plugs/breakers.
-corn-

Thanks again for the help everyone.
I bought everything last night and put together two extension cables.
I used 12-gauge and made the 15-ft adapter from 110v to 220v. And I made a regular 220v 15-ft extension cable using 10-gauge. I spent almost $100 on materials, but I did get nice stuff.