Dual Voltage 120/220 capable inverters

[Willie B]

I’m not sure what you are getting at regarding your anemic comment??

We are talking about basic outlet in the domestic sector after all.

Three phase is often in homes to run ducted air conditioning. It’s hot here and our homes are NOT built to the same standard of thermal efficiency and air tightness of Nth America. I wish they were. I also wish we shared the same voltage and frequency. Man I’d LOVE a skill saw mag and the 10 1/4 and the new big Sasquatch 16 plus a lot of power tools we don’t get.

Watts are the measurement of power. Your 240 volt, (or is it 230 there?), 10 amp is equivalent to our 120 volt 20 amp in watts. For heavy loads, we typically use 240 volts. A 15 amp would run a portable air compressor, 20 a slightly bigger compressor, or 30 would be a water heater, or clothes dryer, maybe a cooktop, or oven. Air conditioners, and small split unit heat pumps are getting much more efficient one might be in the 20 amp range. We're working on a 2000 square foot condominium. It'll be heated and cooled by two heat pumps totaling 42 amps.

Transformer welders are hogs. My big one is 105 Amps at 240 volts offering 400 amps at 40 volts for the big stuff.
My 280 amp Dynasty inverter uses 38? amps.

[Oscar]

Breaker stayed on. all I can say is the weld seems fine - but would seem to be on the ragged edge of a 20 amp breaker if welding much over `~135 amps for very long..

So, for how long did you actually weld for at 117A? Half a rod? Full rod? 1 min? 2min?

[Drooopy]

I find the 120/220 capable inverters extremely useful. I will agree that they are very limited on their capacity when running on 120VAC, but that doesn't diminish their usefulness. I use my Multimatic 200 on both 120 and 220, just for different tasks.

Our manufacturing process requires that our equipment be fully assembled mechanically to determine the final location of items like pipe supports, component mounts, etc. We are constantly using the 120V in our assembly area to tack everything in place so we can take it all back apart and finish weld it using the 208 power in our welding booth. This is primarily 3/16 A36 steel. Max rated output on 120VAC is plenty to TACK it. We have never tripped a 20A breaker in the shop using it for this.

We also use it regularly on 120V at customer sites to tack together pipe assemblies. We then take them outside and finish weld them with the TB.

If you look at the duty cycle they list for the top end on 120 VAC power, tacking is about all they expect you to get out of them anyway.

14 ga and under steel, you can run all day on 120VAC 20A with a good machine.

Transformer machines on 120VAC. I still haven't found a use for those outside of an auto body shop.

[455dan]

So, for how long did you actually weld for at 117A? Half a rod? Full rod? 1 min? 2min?

I ran just the test bead-about 2/3 rod
Your'e right that is not enough...

so I went back out to the garage cold this morning...(29* in there) and grabbed three of the 7018 rods and a 1/4 inch thick coupon.
as soon as I started welding batteries died in my hood so had to switch to the old hood junk HF which is always just to dark and then the lens kept fogging up Sucks when you can't see what you are doing.
anyway ran 3 sticks of the 1/8 7018 in a row and checked the current after finishing, it was right at 115 amps.

Tried a full stick at 145 amps and it kicked the breaker about 1/2 way through the rod...

Looks like a 20 amp 120V breaker is just really not up to being able to weld the (Full) breadth of what is considered a normal amp range for a 1/8 7018.

[Broccoli1]

'tis not a new rating- Lincoln has always stated in their literature that a 25amp dedicated circuit is required to get the full output form their transformer 120v machines.


But I do agree that 120v240v machines are quite handy. I jumped on board when the Passport Plus came out awhile ago and love the inverter technology.

[Oscar]

I ran just the test bead-about 2/3 rod
Your'e right that is not enough...

so I went back out to the garage cold this morning...(29* in there) and grabbed three of the 7018 rods and a 1/4 inch thick coupon.
as soon as I started welding batteries died in my hood so had to switch to the old hood junk HF which is always just to dark and then the lens kept fogging up Sucks when you can't see what you are doing.
anyway ran 3 sticks of the 1/8 7018 in a row and checked the current after finishing, it was right at 115 amps.

Tried a full stick at 145 amps and it kicked the breaker about 1/2 way through the rod...

Looks like a 20 amp 120V breaker is just really not up to being able to weld the (Full) breadth of what is considered a normal amp range for a 1/8 7018.

Exactly. 115A isn't too bad if the base material isn't too thick, but for beefier joints I'm sure most would agree 125A+ is the way to go for a 1/8" 7018. But luckily, 115A is high enough to run a 3/32" 7018 into it's higher operating range. You'd just have to run more passes to lay down a larger weld bead if needed.

[Willie B]

The only dual voltage machine I have owned was the Miller Diversion 180. I bought it for aluminum, and was disappointed. I will admit it worked as well on a 30 amp 120 volt circuit as it did on a 50 amp 240 volt circuit. Either way, it was good for a 2" long pass in 3/16, 3" pass on 1/8, or a 6" pass on 16 Ga aluminum before it started cutting down output.

I believe it'd be a fine machine on steel.

[husq2100]

Watts are the measurement of power. Your 240 volt, (or is it 230 there?), 10 amp is equivalent to our 120 volt 20 amp in watts. For heavy loads, we typically use 240 volts. A 15 amp would run a portable air compressor, 20 a slightly bigger compressor, or 30 would be a water heater, or clothes dryer, maybe a cooktop, or oven. Air conditioners, and small split unit heat pumps are getting much more efficient one might be in the 20 amp range. We're working on a 2000 square foot condominium. It'll be heated and cooled by two heat pumps totaling 42 amps.

Transformer welders are hogs. My big one is 105 Amps at 240 volts offering 400 amps at 40 volts for the big stuff.
My 280 amp Dynasty inverter uses 38? amps.

240v 10amp is just the outlet rating. 15amp outlets here have a taller earth for the corrosponding plug, pretty sure 20 amp is taller again. So you cant stick a 15amp plug in a 10 amp socket etc. standard GPOs/outlets are not on a 10amp breaker AFAIK. you may have 2 or more power circuts in a home. HWS is on its own circut as is oven. Dryers are not. Maybe our dryers are lighter dutie. Most of Australia doesnt get near as cold as Nth America. I never have to use a dryer year round.

[tweake]

240v 10amp is just the outlet rating. 15amp outlets here have a taller earth for the corrosponding plug, pretty sure 20 amp is taller again. So you cant stick a 15amp plug in a 10 amp socket etc. standard GPOs/outlets are not on a 10amp breaker AFAIK. you may have 2 or more power circuts in a home. HWS is on its own circut as is oven. Dryers are not. Maybe our dryers are lighter dutie. Most of Australia doesnt get near as cold as Nth America. I never have to use a dryer year round.

just to add......
the 15 amp outlets have heavier duty contacts in them. the wider earth pin is so you can't fit a 15 amp plug in a 10 amp socket, but a 10 amp plug will fit in a 15 amp socket.
the breaker size is often 20 amp (it can vary depending on rules/design at the time). so no issue running a couple of 10 amp loads as there is quite a few outlets on a circuit.
some people trim down 15 amp plugs to fit 10 amp sockets. however this runs the risk of overheating the sockets and i have seen more than a few melted ones.

edit: so our limitation is the outlet socket rather than the breaker and that its illegal to sell electrical goods that don't have the correct plug for the current draw they have.

driers, i ran into someone who brought a usa drier over and was told they had to upgrade the roadside transformer to be able to run it.
also keep in mind our power costs double that of usa. so most people avoid using driers anyway.

tho weird enough electric kettles/jugs are common, something i've noticed not that common in usa. you guys tend to put the keetle on the stove top. i'm told thats down to your limits with 120v circuits.