Everlast Powerarc 210STL on Honda EU2200i generator

[FlyFishn]

All,

I tested my Powerarc 210STL on my Honda EU2200i generator this evening - just to see what would happen.

I do have a much larger generator that if I need to weld in the field without commercial power I can haul the big generator out for what ever project. It will do over 60 amps at 240v so no shortage of power (and low THD - under 4%) if I need it. Actually, that was one of the prime reasons for getting the big generator - heavy loads without commercial power - pumps, compressors, and welders. It is a bigger generator than I was looking for, but got a deal on it. If you look at fuel consumption it does drink gas, but the other side of it is if there is something that won't run on my small generators it is only a short period of time - so having the extra power is fine as for short periods of time the extra fuel doesn't amount to much.

The EU2200i is 120v only, 2200w starting/1800w running.

The first welds I did were small tack welds with a 3/32" 6011 rod at 55 amps. Trying to get the arc to go was pretty tricky, I took off Eco mode and ran it at higher idle RPM's. On Eco mode the welder would cut the arc right when it started. In normal mode I was able to light the arc and do the tack welds.

Then I switched to a 3/32" 7018 at 60 amps. Same deal with starting the arc - it was a bit tricky but I got it to go. When trying to run a bead I got about 5-8 seconds of arc time and the generator's overload protection kicked in.

I have seen tig welding done off an EU2200i generator. It seems to me there is a video with a guy running a Primeweld tig welder off an EU2200i. So maybe running low amps tig welding you could pull it off.

My conclusion is the EU2200i generator is just too light to do any stick welding, period, with. That is a bit of a bummer as it is a fantastic small generator, otherwise, and I cart it around all the time anyway. Even if I can get it to run a rod at 55 amps that is too light for any real welding.

I do have everything but gas for Tig so down the road if I get a chance to experiment with it running Tig that might be a bit different story, but still only light welding for sure, if anything.

[lugweld]

You need 4500 watts for 120 and 8900 for 240! We have that listed on our "notes" section on the website here: https://www.everlastgenerators.com/p...owerarc-210stl. I wouldn't even try any kind of welding on it. That's way too light for anything but a tv and or a few lights. You can damage the welder that way fwiw.

[FlyFishn]

You need 4500 watts for 120 and 8900 for 240! We have that listed on our "notes" section on the website here: https://www.everlastgenerators.com/p...owerarc-210stl. I wouldn't even try any kind of welding on it. That's way too light for anything but a tv and or a few lights. You can damage the welder that way fwiw.

As I said, I was curious to see how much I could do with it so I tried it and posted my results. Lower welding amperage means lower supply amperage - so conceivably there is a point it would work (going back to my point of lighter tig welding - not sure where that "point" is, though I could figure it out). That was the first time I welded with the machine on 120v. Other than that its always run on commercial 240v, at least in the past. I haven't had any reason to weld in the field yet but the big generator is available for that if need-be.

Just to make the point, though - the EU2200i starts and runs our well pump at the cabins easier than my small rotary - around 2600w. Pump is a 120v, I want to say the ratings label shows 15 amps. It also runs microwaves fine in power outages. So for anyone reading thru it will run more than "a TV and a few lights". We use the EU2200i all the time.

[BaTu]

Ya might want to take a look at this inverter generator, there's been some discussions here from people that are powering their welders with it (7K and it probably costs less than your Honda did )

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083V8VNGL/

[FlyFishn]

Ya might want to take a look at this inverter generator, there's been some discussions here from people that are powering their welders with it (7K and it probably costs less than your Honda did )

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B083V8VNGL/

Thanks for the link.

I don't need another generator at the moment. My big one is a 15kw with a Honda GX690 engine and Mecc Alte alternator. As I said, if I need to weld in the field I can take that one along.

In the future I would like to get an inverter generator around 4500w like the Duramax XP4500iH below:
https://www.duromaxpower.com/collect...able-generator

The reason for that class of generator is it is still small, portable, and efficient with a pretty big jump up in wattage/amperage. For 90% of what I use a generator for the EU2200i is the perfect generator. A lot of times I could get by with even smaller, but there isn't a generator that makes sense to me that is down smaller in size/wattage that economically makes sense. The EU1000 would fit the size/wattage, but for the price I might as well stick to the EU2200i.

The jump between the EU2200i and the XP4500iH comes in because where the EU2200i doesn't have enough juice is home backup. I can run lights, fans, and refrigerators on the EU2200i, but it doesn't have any head room for a microwave. If I have that extra wattage from the XP4500iH I would have that range covered - much more head room on power without a huge jump in fuel consumption.

The loads that I can't run on a "small generator" I don't need running, or the ability to run, all the time - mostly in the perspective of power outages at home, but the same goes for portable/camping/in the field. So I can leave those big loads to running of the big one - firing that unit up just for that load, then shut it right back off. The exception to this is running AC in the summer. We have 2 AC's - central air and a room AC in another part of the house. The big generator runs all of it - and on natural gas (one of my projects this summer - converting that engine to run on propane and natural gas in addition to gasoline).

Looking at all the options on generators and my uses - I don't have a use for a generator in the 6-10kw range. The loads that would require that I can run off the bigger one I have - and the same theory would apply there, also, in that I would only run that range of generator for a load that won't run on a small generator. What makes more sense is the lower end of the wattage spectrum where home back up power comes in to get a unit that would give us the head room we need for more stuff in the house. If we need AC its on to the big generator, regardless. Without AC it would be nice to have that extra head room in a still small, portable, and efficient generator.

[lugweld]

As I said, I was curious to see how much I could do with it so I tried it and posted my results. Lower welding amperage means lower supply amperage - so conceivably there is a point it would work (going back to my point of lighter tig welding - not sure where that "point" is, though I could figure it out). That was the first time I welded with the machine on 120v. Other than that its always run on commercial 240v, at least in the past. I haven't had any reason to weld in the field yet but the big generator is available for that if need-be.

Just to make the point, though - the EU2200i starts and runs our well pump at the cabins easier than my small rotary - around 2600w. Pump is a 120v, I want to say the ratings label shows 15 amps. It also runs microwaves fine in power outages. So for anyone reading thru it will run more than "a TV and a few lights". We use the EU2200i all the time.

My concern is that you can damage your welder seriously and it also voids the warranty to run it on undersized, under rated equipment.