250 VAC 50 amp - generator adapter plug?

[stuckym44]

Hi Guys, i'm a total noob here so if i'm asking the wrong question, please feel free to educate me.

i have taken a few welding classes around town and done a couple of projects, using a local shop near me, but the shop time is adding up so i'm putting together my own equipment.

I recently purchased a chicago electric mig 180: http://www.harborfreight.com/180-amp...der-68886.html

i'm no electrician, let me be clear on that. it has a 2 prong "220" plug, i believe, looks like a standard 110 volt outlet, only larger.

page 6 of the manual has relevant information: http://manuals.harborfreight.com/man...8999/68886.pdf

So, my intention is to get a generator to power this, but when i look at generators, none of them have a matching female plug, so i'm thinking i need an adapter, but before i drop the money on a generator i want to know that it can handle the load.

at one point in the manual, it says "250 VAC and up to 50 A" and at another point it says "Power Input 240 VAC, 24 A"

when i look at generators i see a couple of types of 4 prong outlets, one is like my plug but an extra input, another is circular... and they tend to say "240 v 50 amp"

will a generator that says 240/50 meet my needs, and are there adapters i can get? or, do i need to find a generator with the specific plug i already have?

lastly, i've noticed that generators are advertised by wattage, what would be the minimum i should look for to fit the machine i have?

thanks in advance

matt

[thegary]

You will need an adapter. If your gen has a 4 prong ( like yours but with an extra prong then you can buy one premade from several welding companies. If you get a gen with 50amp twist lock then you will probably need to make your own. Th extra prong is a ground. 2 hot wires a nutral and a ground.

[Broccoli1]

5500watt RATED generator minimum- which is usually about 6500w max.

The HF machine will draw 24amps.

http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...tor-(pictures)

[Sedanman]

I just looked at the specs for my generator. 7500 watts rated, 8500 watts peak will give 62 amps 120 volts and 31 amps 240 volts. The recepticle is labeled 120/240 30amp. So if you want 240volts and 50amps from the generator, you're going to need a big generator
But your current welder should run off of 7500/8500 watts.

[Renagade]

with out pictures it's hard to say what you need
The Manual for your welder ask for a 6-50r receptacle
you stated in your post that the welder had a " 2 prong plug "
Haven't seen on of those in a while - most have 3 prong
your welder pulls 24 amps or 5760 watts

[Renagade]

most small generators that have a 240v receptacle will be like this pic
the post above by mr broccoli1 references another post here on WW
that will show you how to make an adapter for your welder

[Sandy]

The rating stamped on an outlet whether in a building or on a generator doesn't mean much. Means that it is stamped by the manufacturer to handle anything up to that amount. What it is wired for/what is feeding it is what is important to note. On a generator there needs to be a notation along side the outlet that states it provides xx amps or documentation stating that it provides xx amps. An example would be a genset with a twist lock rated for 30 amps but the gen feed to that out let is 23 amps.

[Sedanman]

Agreed. My point was that no adapter, however confugured , was going to plug into that twistlock and provide 50 amps.

[stuckym44]

thank you everyone for the replies, i think i have my answer now:

if my generator has a 4 prong straight 240v outlet, i can get an adapter. if it has a twist lock, i will need to build one.

and, my welder pulls 24 amps, the 50 is not relevant. for my generator i will need one rated above 6000 watts.

thanks again to everyone!!

matt

[Renagade]

your welcome
it's not as hard as it sounds - couple screwdrivers
a piece of wire - a pair of pliers & a good pocket knife
will make any adapter

[rlitman]

your welcome
it's not as hard as it sounds - couple screwdrivers
a piece of wire - a pair of pliers & a good pocket knife
will make any adapter

You're right as to what tools are required. But as to the difficulty, I'll put it this way:
I've made many hundreds of plug ends (that see continuous use and abuse year after year), and never had one I made fail.
I've re-made dozens of ends done by other people (many, made by master electricians).

Two tips for success.

1) Use the strip gauge that comes with the instructions (unless you really know what you're doing). Most people tend to strip too much of the jacket, and then the clamp grabs the wires instead of the jacket (that's bad).

2) Be VERY careful when stripping the jacket to not nick at all the wire insulation. Rubber insulation tears very easy where damaged, and the slightest nick into the individual wire's insulation from the knife is a huge issue. What I do, is score lightly all around the jacket, then bend the wire around the score line to start it to open up and tear, and carefully use the knife in the sections between the wires (where it's a little safer to cut) to help it split all the way around.

[bigb]

2) Be VERY careful when stripping the jacket to not nick at all the wire insulation. Rubber insulation tears very easy where damaged, and the slightest nick into the individual wire's insulation from the knife is a huge issue. What I do, is score lightly all around the jacket, then bend the wire around the score line to start it to open up and tear, and carefully use the knife in the sections between the wires (where it's a little safer to cut) to help it split all the way around.

I do the same except I cut a ring around the insulation with Blue Kleins then I bend it then pull the rubber off. I also use Hubbell cord caps, they are the best and hold up to job site abuse.

[rlitman]

Exactly. It's all about the bending and pulling, and not cutting.

Yes, Hubbel makes the BEST stuff.

[stuckym44]

stop the presses! (always wanted to say that)

would this not be what i need?

http://www.amazon.com/Conntek-PL1430.../dp/B00SSQIY4M

[Broccoli1]

Yup.

But you could make one cheaper with a longer cord.

[stuckym44]

understood! but, for the power level we're talking, if i can trust someone else's electrician skills, i may just choose to pay the premium.

thanks broc, renegade, sedan and all the rest! you guys are awesome!

matt

[Broccoli1]

[KILLASAN]

understood! but, for the power level we're talking, if i can trust someone else's electrician skills, i may just choose to pay the premium.

thanks broc, renegade, sedan and all the rest! you guys are awesome!

matt

Di you purchase the plug adapter or custom make one, im in the same pickle. I bought a harbour freight generator rated 8000w and the chicago mig/flux rated 180amps. However it has a twist lock 4 pin on the gen for the 220. The plug on the mig is a 3 pin. Can anyone point me in the correct direction of building an adapter. Premade adapters are rather expensive and im not sure of the items quality either!

thanks

[Sedanman]

Use the diagram in post #6 to wire your adapter. You won't use the neutral. The two 120 volt legs add up to 240 volts. Attach your ground (green wire) to the plug with the bent leg and each of your hot wires to the terminals on either side of the ground. You will not use the neutral from the generator. Connect your green wire on the recepticle to the ground terminal (half round pin) connect your hot legs to the other terminals.Select beefy wire. 8 guage would be my choice for this particular application. If you were hooking to a 50 amp source, 6 guage.

[Sedanman]

Just buy a heavy duty generator cord and cut the recepticle off and then you only need to wire one end.

[Oscar]

stop the presses! (always wanted to say that)

would this not be what i need?

Dang that's expensive!! I used this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000..._1465405981646

Together with this one:

http://www.usaweld.com/50-Amp-Electr...le-p/12543.htm

Some 6awg wire, and you have one awesome adapter.

[Broccoli1]

Dang that's expensive!! I used this one:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/d/B0000..._1465405981646

Together with this one:

http://www.usaweld.com/50-Amp-Electr...le-p/12543.htm

Some 6awg wire, and you have one awesome adapter.

6g wire is overkill. The connector for the genset side is only 30amps.

as mentioned buy a genset cord and replace one end.

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-ft-x...ord-62308.html

[Oscar]

6g wire is overkill. The connector for the genset side is only 30amps.

as mentioned buy a genset cord and replace one end.

http://www.harborfreight.com/25-ft-x...ord-62308.html

True but over-killing things is under rated, lol.