Help with welder extension cord?

[HMW]

I have a 10 ga stranded cable but its 25'. seems like 75' would be a long way. Good thing is you probably wont draw 50 amps if you dont turn it all the way up, which you probably wont anyway, so maybe like 30 amps on it that long you could get away with


Good luck with your new welder

[tube_guy]

Thank you all for all of your help. I'll try to find some reasonable cord with 8 gauge conductors, but I'll probably end up with the 10 gauge conductor cord. I'm still a bit worried about the length, though. I measured everything out over the weekend and I'll need an extension cord 85 feet long to make it to my driveway. I hope that won't be a problem.

The Chinese have really driven up the price for copper, and other materials. I priced out a 6 gauge three conductor cord, 85 feet long, with no plug or receptacle ends. It was more than I paid for the welder. The 8 gauge cord is $240 locally. I haven't priced out the 10 gauge cord yet, but that'll probably be more reasonable for a middle-class working guy like me. If only I knew a few short years ago when copper was "cheap."

[Bert]

Hey, why you knocking the Chinese!!! My last name is wong!!!
If you don't like it, YOU go get 50 billion of YOUR family members to buy copper, than maybe the price will come down!!!! Sorry, laughing too much while I'm typing this.... I get VERY p'd off too, everytime I buy metal...US sells it to them in raw form, then we BUY IT BACK FROM THEM!!!! YEESH!!!
Parents went to China last year. Average commoner makes $1.00/day.....
oh sorry, btw, I had an electrician hook up a 50amp 220 volt circuit to my dad's garage. He used #6ga romex. Didn't bother me though...would've used SO cable myself, but it's only 20ft long, and protected inside the storeroom.
bert

[MJDamiani]

Please go out and get a copy of the NEC (National Electrical Code) . 50 Amp. circuits use 6 ga. wire.

I No Longer give electrical advise, as I let my license expire in 1996. Use whatever you like, but when it get's HOT look for a FIRE.

Wishing you the best of luck,

Mike

[tube_guy]

I do have a copy of the NEC. It's from 1999, so it's not the latest copy. The NEC allows much lighter cable for welders depending on the duty cycle of the welder. Both the NEC and Miller, in the manual for the welder, indicate that 12 gauge conductors are acceptable for the welder due to the 20 percent duty cycle. In fact, the power cord attached to the welder from the factory uses 12 gauge conductors. To me that's awfully thin wire for a welder that could draw 47.5 amps and I just don't feel good about using an extension cord with 12 gauge conductors. I was also a bit worried about the voltage drop along 85 feet of it. I wanted 6 gauge wire for the extension cord, like would normally be used for a 50 amp circuit, but locally I priced it at over 500 bucks for 90 feet! With the information Mac702 provided, I was able to search around online and found prices to be much cheaper. I just bought some 6 gauge flexible cable to wire up the extension cord. With shipping, it was just over 200 bucks. Now I feel much better about it and the price only made me cry for a little while. I would like to thank everyone for their help. It really was helpful and made a big difference for me. Thank you.

[HMW]

I'm glad you got the 6 ga, its best. It is rated for 50 amps ,But rememeber your welder will never draw 50 amps unless you weld with it turned all the way up, and the 20% duty cycle is probably with it turned up all the way as well. But safer [bigger] is better especially considering how long it is.

have fun with your welder

[MAC702]

Please go out and get a copy of the NEC (National Electrical Code) . 50 Amp. circuits use 6 ga. wire.

I No Longer give electrical advise, as I let my license expire in 1996. Use whatever you like, but when it get's HOT look for a FIRE.

Wishing you the best of luck,

Mike

You should know better if you're going to say something like this. First of all, the NEC is not for non-electricians. It takes experience in the trade just to understand the Code and to know all the many places throughout the Code which apply to individual situations. This is further evidenced by the fact that you (who proclaim to have been in the trade) just misused it.

I do not recommend an NEC for the DIY. Get a copy of Wiring Simplified from Home Depot. If it's not in there, hire an electrician. Just remember that many electricans wired tract homes with Romex their entire life and should disqualify themselves from advice in some areas.

There are many times when a 50A circuit requires #6. There are plenty of times when a 50A circuit requires #8. And there are a few times when a 50A circuit can require as small as #12. And I can find every one of those in the Code. Apparently, some electricians cannot.

By the way, recommending overkill still counts as giving electrical advice.

[HMW]

Your right Mac I have seen the code book. I know wire size depends on several things, length and volts as well as amps and conductor material.[copper/aluminum]

http://www.csgnetwork.com/wiresizecalc.html

this calculator seems cool

[MAC702]

...But rememeber your welder will never draw 50 amps unless you weld with it turned all the way up, and the 20% duty cycle is probably with it turned up all the way as well. ...

Close enough. Its 20% rating is at its 150A (DC) output (and this is where it will draw 45.5A), but the duty cycle be even less when you crank it up to its maximum 160A output. Similarly for its AC outputs.

[HMW]

I was thinking that he would use it in the 90-120 amp dc range most of the time so he wouldn't draw as much as the rated input of 47.5 Amps at 150 amps dc. I don't know how much less it would draw, you could probably figure that out though.