Hey folks! I messed up in this video! I tried to simplify the difference between a 110v and a 220v welder as a teaching tool and it backfired big time. The way a welder works is much more complicated then the way I present in the video and it pissed off a lot of people. I still stand by these tips! Don't loose site of the purpose of this video! I want to help you become a better welder! If you would like to learn more about how to select the correct size welder and have a basic understanding of what these numbers mean click the link below. Don't take my explanation as fact and the same goes for my comment section. There is some very misleading statements in there as well. My apologies for the confusion! I hope you still get some inspiration from this video and these techniques help you in some way. Thanks for watching guys 🤘 welderslab.com/how-many-amps-do-i-need-for-a-mig-welder
It is a good generalization about the relative capabilities of 110, vs. 220 volt (input) welders. Of course the output voltage and current between the weld ground clamp and the tip or MIG wire is where you do the power calculation. Good tips though I am trying to make the most of a 110 V 140 amp flux core welder and every bit helps.
140 amps from a 110 volt welder would be the same as 140 amps from a 220 volt welder, assuming they have the same open circuit voltage, and can maintain the same arc voltage while welding. The 220 volt welder will draw roughly half the amperage from the outlet as a 110 volt welder, assuming similar design. For example an inverter based machine will draw less current for the same output than a transformer design. But as a general rule a 220 volt machine has a higher rated output than a comparable 110 volt. As an example Miller, Lincoln, and Hobart make the three most popular 110 volt Mig Welders. The equivalent 220 volt machines built on the same platform are rated at 180 Amos for the Lincoln, 190 for Hobart, and 230 for Miller. The Miller is a dual voltage machine and will produce 130 amps when running 110 volt. The Dual Voltage Lincoln will produce 140 amps on 110, and 180 on 220. On the surface one would think that the output on the Lincoln would only be 90 amps on 110. I don't know enough about transformer design to explain why it works that way. But it also prove that your advice is sound, get a 220 volt welder if you can. With the increasing number of dual voltage machines that are available at reasonable prices, that's probably the best way to go. That way a person doesn't have to buy another machine when they can finally upgrade to 220 power.
ha, I was about to say something about that but I see that the issue has been sorted out. and your right don't let that take away from the purpose of the video, and thanks for clearing it up.
@@calvinhandley2373 Right. The important part is the output voltage of the machine. 70 amps on a 20v welder comes out to about 1,400 watts of work. 1,400 watts on 110 is about 13 amps. 1,400 watts on a 220 is about 7 amps. I think a bigger importance between 110 and 220 is the phase of the power. 220 is going to be more friendly on inductive loads (transformer). Also difference is essentially 120 pulses per second on a 220 vs 60 pulses per second on 110.
Definitely need to get myself a welder again and start welding. I’ve got big plans for the future and a lot of them require me being able to do the welding.
Surprised you didn't mention using flux core! I weld every one of my projects with a 110 flux core; flux core provides more heat and less filler than solid wire so it lets you go slower and really burn it in. Plus it's cheaper!
@@moejr14 You can, but doesn't make a big enough difference to me to justify the cost of gas and flux. Won't hurt but isn't cost effective imo. Give it a shot.
@@fml5910 dual Shield flux core uses 75% argon 25% CO2 Lincoln 211 wire you can get from Home Depot is the best thing to run it doesn't use gas and you can run the 200 amp Harbor Freight MIG welder on that as well which is a bulletproof machine
I’ve been welding with a 110 for ever just cause I can’t justify the cost of a 220. I still learned a bunch by this video. Will definitely put them to use in my next project.
The answer is simple, my HF 220v welder weld 2 time faster with considerable more penetration that my LC mig pak 140. so, plating a frame section take me 1 hour on my 220v and 2 hour on my 110v. and then the job is cleaner and stronger. with 110v you need two pass for 1/4 steel . and only one pass for the 220v cleaner, stronger and faster job. my hf 220v cost me 220$ and my ln 110v MIG pack $400, i like more my mig pak for sheet metal wide range of adjustment.
Sorry, Nate. I have to correct you. There is a big mistake in your math. You are mixing your input volts with output amps. You need to use output volts and amps. My little 110v outputs 88 amps at 18 volts, about 1600 watts. A 120volt outlet on a 20 amp breaker can never put out more than 2400 watts. Even a 220 volt outlet on a 50 amp breaker can only output 11,000 watts. Other than that, keep up the great work! I've learned a LOT from you!
I love the way he explained everything step-by-step on how to deal with a 110 I have a 220 welder and welding from my house so 220 is not accessible at the moment because my compressor is running off of it but yes I will be watching more videos in the future if I need any tips on how to weld with a 110 thank you you were very helpful
I think you have a little maths issue there regarding your wattage. While you got ohm's law right, on the input side you're not dealing with that sort of wattage. You're nowhere near 180 amps at 120/220v. That current is on the output side of your welder and is at a much lower voltage depending on your settings, perhaps 18v. A standard 120v outlet (NEMA 5-15...the standard plug you see around your house) is limited to 15 amps. A high-current 120v outlet (NEMA 5-20...looks like a standard plug with an extra little tab on the neutral and can accept a regular or high current plug) can do 20 amps. Both of these of course require the appropriate breaker in the panel and wire size to support them. So that limits your input power to a max of (120v x 20a) 2400w. Once it goes through the transformer or inverter of your welder and comes out at whatever voltage you're actually welding at, you're still limited to that 2400w. A 220v outlet can come in many capacities (20 or 30 is common for welders in a shop, but 15 up to 50 can be found in residential) but as noted, even if it's still only 20 amps you now have nearly double the wattage potential. (220v x 20a = 4400w) So once you step down the voltage through the machine to output voltage you have set you still have nearly double the potential wattage. If you somehow did manage to pull nearly 40,000 watts through your shop's 220v outlet it would prove VERY exciting for a brief moment while the wires from your breaker panel to the outlet vaporized, then you'd get a fun visit from the local fire department when they came to extinguish the smoldering rubble that was your shop. In summery, a 220v welder DOES have (nearly) double the total power available relative to a 110v welder at the same current and could have even more depending on the type of outlet used. But that '180 amps' or whatever rating is at the output, not the input. Regardless of all this I also know you're still a much better welder than I am. So there's that.
Right on. I wish I would have read through more comments before posting because you beat me to it. I like your description about what would happen if you pulled 180A though a 220V NMEA 5-50 plug, but hopefully your outlet is protected properly with a 50A max breaker and it would save the shop.
Learning to produce good strong welds on a 110v welder made me a better welder when I was able to afford a 220v welder. I loved your video and it was great info that will definitely help someone out
In my last house I had a shop in the back that I did all my projects in there was only 110 outlets. But I the breaker panel I had a couple of spare spots so my dad "created" a 220 circuit that we ran to a home made "sub station" that we could run his Lincoln 220v stick welder and his Lincoln 110v mig welder. He took 2 circuits and put them in series to get 220v and also paralleled them to get 110v with 30amps instead of the normal 15amps. We had all the power we needed.
I have welded with large 460 volt 3 phase welders at A.O. Smith building Automotive and Truck Frames, and later at Heil building Dump Truck Bodies. Never had the kind of cash to buy a nice 220 Volt mig welder, so I settled for a 110 Volt from Farm and Fleet with gas shielding which I prefer. The welder was great for many years, now I use it primarily for basement projects. I was able to purchase the welder I originally wanted Lincoln SP150 after it was 20+ years old, but I got it for good price about 1/4 of it's original cost. I really enjoy this 150 amp welder, and it pretty well takes care of all my welding needs. Now I need a Hypertherm XP 45 plasma cutter and I will be happy, but again the price is rather high for me to purchase at this time.
Great video, Nate! Could you do a video on sheet metal welding tricks? I know there are other guys like me who took up welding because of a floor pans in their olds trucks.
I know nothing about welding. Always wanted to though. Yesterday I made a two transformer spot welder in parallel so 110 volt. It look's to be maybe strong enough for small ark welding. My farther passed away in November he had many welders not having access to 220 readily available I Grabbed a small 110 might. I tell you this because I just learned from this channel more in 10 minutes about mig welders than I have ever been able to glean my whole life from the curth/undercutting to the 400 degrees for the thicker metals. Thanks very much. Now I have to subscribe and practice practice practice. Thanks. You are Robboni/Teacher. Comes from Latin old Latin. Thanks
One thing to add, multiple passes! You mentioned chamfering and leaving a gap, the best way to weld thick material is chamfer it AND leave a gap, your first pass is called a "root" pass, then you stack additional beads on top ending in a final "cap" bead to make it look nice and add the final seal. My GF was trained as a pipe welder and that's how they welded basically everything. No matter how big the machine, there comes a point when material is just too thick for a single pass.
Great tips 👍 this video will definitely help a lot of people out. I get the same questions a lot on my channel can I weld ---- with a 110 MIG. Take care
I love 6010 stick rods for all of these reasons. The welds arent as pretty as Mig, but making keyholes and getting full penetration on that root pass is so satisfying.
Uh, Nate... 110 and 220V is the INPUT, not the OUTPUT. A standard 110V outlet puts out ~2100-2400W, so to get the high amperage of a welder, you’re knocking down the voltage to double digits.
Oh this video is a blessing. Right now, 110v is all I have and is what I'm learning on. Some of these tips I already knew, but most of them I really needed. Thanks, Nate. You do fine work.
Excellent tips! My shop only has 120 and no option to upgrade to 220. I used some of these techniques with success but I eventually purchased a 220v generator at a gov auction and use that for my 220 Tig (sold my mig). The best part of it is I never have to worry about constantly tripping breakers when I am welding. The downside is ... can't think of one. :)
Hey Dirt, thank you! Awesome video. This is exactly what I was trying to do last weekend and I was struggling. I was trying to weld 1/4" steel on to same using my Miller 140 (110/120v) MIG welder. Specifically, welding a couple of lift points (for a Hi-lift jack) onto a trailer hitch. I got it "done" but the welds were horrible. Lots of popping etc that left some ugly, lumpy welds. Even with the beveling I gave the metal edges. So then I did some googling and found this video. The two key pieces of advice that helped: 1) Move the ground clamp much closer to the weld area, and 2) Preheat the metal. After a successful test on one little section, I ground down my crappy welds to start over. For the preheating, I used my little MAP gas torch, and my Craftsman IR thermometer as a checker. Heated each area in turn to about 450F. The welds went on with perfect sizzle and good penetration. They aren't award winning fish scales like the ones you did, but they are strong as hell for sure.
Being limited to 120v in my garage has been the number 1 reason I have not gotten a welder yet. I've looked for what I can really do with a 120v welder, and this video did more to show me that I may actually be able to do what I need to do. Also... you cost me a lot of money, SIR. 😂
Very informative! I have the privilege to use a Lincoln Powermig 255 running off 480 at work, which makes me dislike my 120v Lincoln at home. I welded my 3/16 frame stiffeners on my Cherokee with it, but it was hatin' life! I'll have to try these tricks out!
Absolutely👍🏼 I’ve done the same to weld 1/2” & 3/4” steel plate with my 120v flux core welder & it worked great. Also if it’s a machine where amps are controlled by/with the wire feed I’ve found it helpful to not crank it up all the way. That way your in it longer and it puts way more heat into the weld vs just cranking the feed/amps on this type of machine.
Hey bro, thanks for doing this. You did a GREAT job at explaining different techniques and the other options...I was like blown away. Thanks again, all the best
Thanks. I kind of figured this out on my own (with the help of other UA-cam videos). But, you specifically covered 110v and confirmed what I was planning.
I run a Lincoln 110 v and it's been great so far. I typically weld 1/8 and 3/16 but I think when I started learning to weld, it's made me a better welder. I can't wait until I can afford a nice 220 welder. Great tips!
Hi there ,I have to tell you I learn more tips on this video then the last 50 welding videos from different welders ,great job explaining ,and I'm only at tip #5 lol thanks again ,got to watch the rest of this video .
I love all the welding tips you share! You’ve inspired me to become a better welder myself. I recently finished fabricating and welding a lift for my Rally Style Gambler car. You’ve also made me want to make better quality videos for my channel. Thanks!
A great explanation of many of the variants I have run into over the last 50 years. Thank you. Wonderful job!!! I'm not a great welder, but my stuff stays stuck together. At 74, I'm still teachable I hope!!
You are absolutely correct about power making things hot. Electrical power is dissipated as heat. However, your power calculations at the beginning are off I think. You are multiplying the welding current by the line voltage. This is apples and oranges. You just simply can't pull 180 amps through any outlet you are going to find in a home or shop. 200A rated outlets exists and are typically used for generator hookups, but they are huge (comparatively) to the NMEA 5-50 which is what most 220 welders have. Think about the 16 or 24 ounce beer cans size. 110 welders will have a NMEA 5-15, which is your standard 110 plug and outlet. You need to multiply the welding current by the welding voltage and multiply the line voltage by the line current. Your welder does not draw 180 amps from the wall outlet. My 220 outlet is supplied by a 30A breaker. Max power is 6600W out of the outlet. My machine is rated at 20A input current, so the rated input power is 4400W. If you look in the specs, with 220 V in and a 30% duty cycle the machine is rated at 130 A at 20V. That's 2600W. The welder can't put out as much power as it takes in because it is not 100% efficient. Also the input power is a limit, not necessarily the power the machine will draw at the rated welding power. The input power numbers are used to help size the supply circuit properly. My specific welder also comes in a 140 A 110/120 V variant. This welder is spec'd for 120 V and 20 A input which is 2400 W. The welding power is spec'd at 1755 W (19.5 V @ 90 A). I think your welding tips are solid, but I just wanted to make that clarification about the electrical specs.
Wow this is exactly why I love your vids man I have recently started fabricating and it's all thanks to you and your advice I only have 110 at my house so I have always kind of doubted my welds in confident in them again thanks to you but in the back of my mind I always doubt them because of the 110 but with what you just said and shown you have once again erased all doubt man I thank you for every video man thanks for your advice and the great content very much appreciated keep it up man I have turned so much
One of the things I love about the UK is 240 volt as standard and if i wanted to go really nutts I've got 440 volt 3 phase in my workshop. Still found what you were saying really interesting Keep up the good work.
Have only had a 110v Flux Core machine for....a LONG time, sadly. But? Decent results. Not the prettiest welds, but have had none break. Including welding some 1.25" cold roll. Hot spark, SLOOW feed, and pay attention. I will start learning to heat the material first. Something I have known about, but been lazy. Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have a shop again.
Great video Nate. I've been welding as a profession for 25 years. I don't know the math of it , but don't need to for what I do [Towboat and barge repair]. But everything I do at home I do with a Lincoln 110 flux core machine. Including my cage and suspension. And I have total confidence in it. Down side is flux core means mild steel only. Keep up the great videos looking forward to what's next.
I might be wrong about this but your watt calculations might be wrong, this is just my view on it. for all I know you might be right. a typical 220 welder uses a 50 amp circuit. then 220v x 50a is 11,000 watts. where a live the 220 measures 250v. even with the high voltage that is only 12,500 watts. if you go by your calculations and use ohms law to calculate the input current it would take nearly a 180 amp circuit to power the . in my view, the output voltage will have gone down to aroul=nd 20 to 30 volts for normal welding. with that voltage, the watts are 3600 to 5400 watts on a 180 amp welder. on the back of the welder usually, there will be a label that says the max open voltage on the output for mig with the amps. with that information, you could calculate the put wattage of your welder. I have used a similar welder and it only takes a 30 amp circuit so it only needs a 7200-watt input.
Look up phase converters. Can get 3 phase from single phase. Not super efficient from an electrical standpoint, but will allow you to use your equipment in your country that way.
I have a stick welder for the 1/2 " stuff yes I will pre-heat just to get things warm & ready to weld. The tips for 110v 1/4" is the max I weld although I did weld 3/8" tubes on an axle I pre-heat multi-passed it in stages even braces & a jig just to hold it straight. The sight of heat marks is all you need to see verifying penetration. I enjoyed the vid thanks!!!
Get a heavy duty extension cord if your going to use one for a 110v welder. None is better but a 10 gauge cord that 15 feet or shorter will work out ok.
Hi,i just subscribed,i bought a yeswelder core flux 135,after watching your. Video i now understand whats happening,its designed for 110volts,i started off at welding 1.6ml thick tube at there settings it says 95,from 95 to 75 it burns holes,now im understanding after your help,if there setting is 95,half it and correct up to get my correct setting,thank you so much you are a champion ,cheers adrian jones ulladulla nsw.
I’ve done oxy-acetylene years ago and am getting back into metal work. Thinking of switching to TIG. Thanks for the video. Helps me plan especially in terms of limits of 110. (Don’t feel like running 220 to garage.)
As for distance to ground at different voltages, Ohm's law plays more of a role than "amount of energy." The resistance of the material is the material is the same either way. As you said, power (Watts) is current (amps) x voltage. Loss due to resistance is proportional to current. For the same power, you require half the current when doubling the voltage, but double the current means double the heat loss due to the same resistance. Another aspect to changing voltage is that arcs (ionizing air and jumping gaps between metal conductors -- pretty important to welding, but not desired in most other uses of electricity) are proportional to voltage. It's the reason that plugs in the UK are so much larger than the ones on the US, and why in the US, plugs are larger for higher voltages than lower: you need a bigger gap between conductors to prevent arcing between them at higher voltages. It's also why you see outlet switches in the UK but almost never in the US.
Not sure what it is to jump in Ark Gap but I know that 480 v doesn't jump until you touch lines together but this I do know thicker cables are for more amperage not voltage give you an example hundreds of thousands of volts go through high lines a very small damager when you get the demon with 240 voltage you can get to number 1 Copper depending on amp draw
This was one of the most helpful videos (which says something!). My son and I just purchased a welder and will be learning how to weld together. You answered one of the most important questions I hadn't even fully formed yet but was lurking in the back of my mind: Can I use a small 110 welder to weld ONLY thinner metals and, if I want to weld ⅜" thicker metals, am I SOL? What you just explained in this video is a game-changer in how I am looking at current and future projects. I am now much better equipped to make better welds on all metal thicknesses. THANK YOU!
I too have learned a good deal about welding. Very good info Nate. ( ie , would you want your surgeons to work on you w/ dirty and dull tools) nicely done. Keep up the good work
After watching the first 2 minutes of this video (120 vs. 220V machines), I'm like...whoa - wait a minute - you can't simply apply Ohms Law (P=IE) directly to the two welder types based on stated current rating and input voltage. It really comes down to what the machine does with that input voltage within the welding voltage/current conversion circuit (transformers, regulators, current control, etc.) internal to the machine. I see you addressed that in your pinned comment after the fact. Great presentation though!
I have a friend who does pickup truck frame shortening and he welds 1/4" frame on 110v mig. He's been in business for 10 years, no unsatisfied or dead customers, 😂
Really enjoying your videos. Great production value and even better knowledge of welding and fabrication. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. You have a new subscriber.
I don't recall if you mentioned the wire size in the 110 welder vs the 220. I run a .025 wire in my 110v welder and .035 in my 220. I could never get .030 to run right in my 110v welder so I switched to .025 and it seems to like it better.
Cool podcast and very informative, I would like to make a wide-body Camaro with a rear end off of a pickup truck or a SUV for strength and the width of the axle and build the wheel Wells around the wide tires & Axle, I want the baddest widebody Camaro in Detroit this summer, have you any pointers.
Hey Nate! Love your videos and been following you for a while. Really envious of the cool stuff you make and drive! Maybe I'm misunderstanding but your math in the start can't be right(the 180A example). If you were pulling nearly 40,000W from your 220V line you'd be blowing up your fusebox and putting your wires on fire, that's an insane amount of energy. They only reasonable way is if the welder is specified at 180 amps at the output, ie the 20-30V the welder is outputting after transforming the 110 or 220V input. If I understand correctly then you get 220V in america by connecting two phase wires. So even with a relatively large 20A fuse that'd give you around 8800W to play with. What I think happens is you have for example 220V 25A(8.8kW) input and then a ~30V 290A output(8.8kW). This is assuming you're absolutely maxing out the input of course, it would only draw as much from the input as you're trying to cram out of the output. What I think really makes the 110V welders "suck more" is that the lower voltage is more sensitive to voltage drop and also having a much more uneven input since it's just one phase. Not to mention that a lot of lower spec welders also come with really undersized wiring(both input and ground clamp etc) which makes everything much worse. Hopefully I'm not coming off as rude!
Great video. I watched this months ago but am revisiting it now that I'm actually getting into welding and only have 120v to work with right now. I think it's typical but I'm finding it difficult to get good results with the thin stuff and thick stuff (chicago electric flux core). One of the first projects I want to do is new shock brackets on my Ford 8.8 housing but I'm thinking I should wait until I have 220v and more skill. I'm wanting a better machine (Hobart Handler 210mvp or Multi-Handler 200, or a Forney 140MP for sheet metal + used Lincoln 225 AC buzzbox for thick stuff) but there are so many considerations it makes my head spin. Anyway, thanks for this video, it has made me a better welder already!
Welding - the act of fusing 2 or more alloys together You can penetrate 500 feet if you want... but if it doesn't have proper fusion, then it's not welded... It's more about how much the base material and weld nugget overlap. The act of chamfering helps with depth, but you still need the toes to fuse into the walls. If the backside doesn't have proper fusion, then that penetration doesn't mean squat
Keep layin dimes 👌🤘 great video. I'll stick to my 220. I agree that most people shouldn't temp fate and weld it themselves if they or their welder. Not worth putting your or other lives at risk if a XYZ part fails on your rig doing 60 down the highway.
I disagree completely. I'm not a professional welder. I wonder every time I weld if my suspension is gonna fall off my jeep. It doesn't matter. For me its not just about having a kickass jeep. Its about learning and doing it yourself. And making mistakes. Thats how we learn.
Wow...great tips. Silly question. Can you do anything to a 110 welder to make it use 220? Moving out of California in a year and I’m going to make sure I have 220 available in my garage.
Unfortunately no. That said. There are some serious wizards out there that could probably replace the electrical components inside and do a crazy conversion but you would basically just be keeping the shell of your 110v. Everything else would be 220v components 👍
Hey folks! I messed up in this video! I tried to simplify the difference between a 110v and a 220v welder as a teaching tool and it backfired big time. The way a welder works is much more complicated then the way I present in the video and it pissed off a lot of people. I still stand by these tips! Don't loose site of the purpose of this video! I want to help you become a better welder! If you would like to learn more about how to select the correct size welder and have a basic understanding of what these numbers mean click the link below.
Don't take my explanation as fact and the same goes for my comment section. There is some very misleading statements in there as well.
My apologies for the confusion! I hope you still get some inspiration from this video and these techniques help you in some way.
Thanks for watching guys 🤘
welderslab.com/how-many-amps-do-i-need-for-a-mig-welder
It is a good generalization about the relative capabilities of 110, vs. 220 volt (input) welders. Of course the output voltage and current between the weld ground clamp and the tip or MIG wire is where you do the power calculation. Good tips though I am trying to make the most of a 110 V 140 amp flux core welder and every bit helps.
140 amps from a 110 volt welder would be the same as 140 amps from a 220 volt welder, assuming they have the same open circuit voltage, and can maintain the same arc voltage while welding. The 220 volt welder will draw roughly half the amperage from the outlet as a 110 volt welder, assuming similar design. For example an inverter based machine will draw less current for the same output than a transformer design. But as a general rule a 220 volt machine has a higher rated output than a comparable 110 volt. As an example Miller, Lincoln, and Hobart make the three most popular 110 volt Mig Welders. The equivalent 220 volt machines built on the same platform are rated at 180 Amos for the Lincoln, 190 for Hobart, and 230 for Miller. The Miller is a dual voltage machine and will produce 130 amps when running 110 volt. The Dual Voltage Lincoln will produce 140 amps on 110, and 180 on 220. On the surface one would think that the output on the Lincoln would only be 90 amps on 110. I don't know enough about transformer design to explain why it works that way. But it also prove that your advice is sound, get a 220 volt welder if you can. With the increasing number of dual voltage machines that are available at reasonable prices, that's probably the best way to go. That way a person doesn't have to buy another machine when they can finally upgrade to 220 power.
ha, I was about to say something about that but I see that the issue has been sorted out. and your right don't let that take away from the purpose of the video, and thanks for clearing it up.
@@calvinhandley2373 Right. The important part is the output voltage of the machine. 70 amps on a 20v welder comes out to about 1,400 watts of work. 1,400 watts on 110 is about 13 amps. 1,400 watts on a 220 is about 7 amps. I think a bigger importance between 110 and 220 is the phase of the power. 220 is going to be more friendly on inductive loads (transformer). Also difference is essentially 120 pulses per second on a 220 vs 60 pulses per second on 110.
InstaBlaster...
Thanks! At 68, I'm teaching myself to weld and for cost constraints bought a 110V welder. Maybe second nature for many but good info for me.
Definitely need to get myself a welder again and start welding. I’ve got big plans for the future and a lot of them require me being able to do the welding.
Surprised you didn't mention using flux core! I weld every one of my projects with a 110 flux core; flux core provides more heat and less filler than solid wire so it lets you go slower and really burn it in. Plus it's cheaper!
I’ve welded some thick 💩 with flux core and 110v. Although I wouldn’t build a house on it. 😜.
Can you use flux core and c25 gas together?
@@moejr14
You can, but doesn't make a big enough difference to me to justify the cost of gas and flux. Won't hurt but isn't cost effective imo.
Give it a shot.
@@fml5910 dual Shield flux core uses 75% argon 25% CO2 Lincoln 211 wire you can get from Home Depot is the best thing to run it doesn't use gas and you can run the 200 amp Harbor Freight MIG welder on that as well which is a bulletproof machine
@@fml5910 Typically no, that's the point of Flux core... no need for gas, the wire is self shielded
When in doubt pull the Rods out!
No penetration worries with a 220v Sticker machine
Good info. One point is most 110 welders don’t come with a good ground clamp. Get a 300 amp clamp and replace it.
I’ve been welding with a 110 for ever just cause I can’t justify the cost of a 220. I still learned a bunch by this video. Will definitely put them to use in my next project.
The answer is simple, my HF 220v welder weld 2 time faster with considerable more penetration that my LC mig pak 140. so, plating a frame section take me 1 hour on my 220v and 2 hour on my 110v. and then the job is cleaner and stronger. with 110v you need two pass for 1/4 steel . and only one pass for the 220v cleaner, stronger and faster job. my hf 220v cost me 220$ and my ln 110v MIG pack $400, i like more my mig pak for sheet metal wide range of adjustment.
Sorry, Nate. I have to correct you. There is a big mistake in your math. You are mixing your input volts with output amps. You need to use output volts and amps. My little 110v outputs 88 amps at 18 volts, about 1600 watts. A 120volt outlet on a 20 amp breaker can never put out more than 2400 watts. Even a 220 volt outlet on a 50 amp breaker can only output 11,000 watts.
Other than that, keep up the great work! I've learned a LOT from you!
I love the way he explained everything step-by-step on how to deal with a 110 I have a 220 welder and welding from my house so 220 is not accessible at the moment because my compressor is running off of it but yes I will be watching more videos in the future if I need any tips on how to weld with a 110 thank you you were very helpful
I think you have a little maths issue there regarding your wattage. While you got ohm's law right, on the input side you're not dealing with that sort of wattage. You're nowhere near 180 amps at 120/220v. That current is on the output side of your welder and is at a much lower voltage depending on your settings, perhaps 18v.
A standard 120v outlet (NEMA 5-15...the standard plug you see around your house) is limited to 15 amps. A high-current 120v outlet (NEMA 5-20...looks like a standard plug with an extra little tab on the neutral and can accept a regular or high current plug) can do 20 amps. Both of these of course require the appropriate breaker in the panel and wire size to support them. So that limits your input power to a max of (120v x 20a) 2400w. Once it goes through the transformer or inverter of your welder and comes out at whatever voltage you're actually welding at, you're still limited to that 2400w.
A 220v outlet can come in many capacities (20 or 30 is common for welders in a shop, but 15 up to 50 can be found in residential) but as noted, even if it's still only 20 amps you now have nearly double the wattage potential. (220v x 20a = 4400w) So once you step down the voltage through the machine to output voltage you have set you still have nearly double the potential wattage.
If you somehow did manage to pull nearly 40,000 watts through your shop's 220v outlet it would prove VERY exciting for a brief moment while the wires from your breaker panel to the outlet vaporized, then you'd get a fun visit from the local fire department when they came to extinguish the smoldering rubble that was your shop.
In summery, a 220v welder DOES have (nearly) double the total power available relative to a 110v welder at the same current and could have even more depending on the type of outlet used. But that '180 amps' or whatever rating is at the output, not the input.
Regardless of all this I also know you're still a much better welder than I am. So there's that.
Right on. I wish I would have read through more comments before posting because you beat me to it.
I like your description about what would happen if you pulled 180A though a 220V NMEA 5-50 plug, but hopefully your outlet is protected properly with a 50A max breaker and it would save the shop.
Great explanation!
Ha! perfect timing. I just bought the final piece of my welding setup.
I guess I should clarify.... my first welding setup. lol.
Nice! Congratulations!
you never have the final piece to a welding setup lmao theres always gonna be more equipment
Learning to produce good strong welds on a 110v welder made me a better welder when I was able to afford a 220v welder. I loved your video and it was great info that will definitely help someone out
I've seen very few channels that have this level of 'everyman' content. Love this channel.
In my last house I had a shop in the back that I did all my projects in there was only 110 outlets. But I the breaker panel I had a couple of spare spots so my dad "created" a 220 circuit that we ran to a home made "sub station" that we could run his Lincoln 220v stick welder and his Lincoln 110v mig welder. He took 2 circuits and put them in series to get 220v and also paralleled them to get 110v with 30amps instead of the normal 15amps. We had all the power we needed.
I have welded with large 460 volt 3 phase welders at A.O. Smith building Automotive and Truck Frames, and later at Heil building Dump Truck Bodies.
Never had the kind of cash to buy a nice 220 Volt mig welder, so I settled for a 110 Volt from Farm and Fleet with gas shielding which I prefer.
The welder was great for many years, now I use it primarily for basement projects.
I was able to purchase the welder I originally wanted Lincoln SP150 after it was 20+ years old, but I got it for good price about 1/4 of it's original cost.
I really enjoy this 150 amp welder, and it pretty well takes care of all my welding needs.
Now I need a Hypertherm XP 45 plasma cutter and I will be happy, but again the price is rather high for me to purchase at this time.
Great stuff. Hoping to get a 220v installed at the new place next month 👍
Great video, Nate! Could you do a video on sheet metal welding tricks? I know there are other guys like me who took up welding because of a floor pans in their olds trucks.
Good suggestion 👍
Awesome tutorial video, thank you and God bless
I know nothing about welding. Always wanted to though. Yesterday I made a two transformer spot welder in parallel so 110 volt. It look's to be maybe strong enough for small ark welding. My farther passed away in November he had many welders not having access to 220 readily available I Grabbed a small 110 might. I tell you this because I just learned from this channel more in 10 minutes about mig welders than I have ever been able to glean my whole life from the curth/undercutting to the 400 degrees for the thicker metals. Thanks very much. Now I have to subscribe and practice practice practice. Thanks. You are Robboni/Teacher. Comes from Latin old Latin. Thanks
One thing to add, multiple passes! You mentioned chamfering and leaving a gap, the best way to weld thick material is chamfer it AND leave a gap, your first pass is called a "root" pass, then you stack additional beads on top ending in a final "cap" bead to make it look nice and add the final seal.
My GF was trained as a pipe welder and that's how they welded basically everything. No matter how big the machine, there comes a point when material is just too thick for a single pass.
I bought a Miller multimatic 220 after watching your review of it and I love it! So far I haven’t run into anything that I couldn’t weld.
Great! Glad to hear it!
Great tips 👍 this video will definitely help a lot of people out. I get the same questions a lot on my channel can I weld ---- with a 110 MIG. Take care
I love 6010 stick rods for all of these reasons. The welds arent as pretty as Mig, but making keyholes and getting full penetration on that root pass is so satisfying.
Uh, Nate... 110 and 220V is the INPUT, not the OUTPUT. A standard 110V outlet puts out ~2100-2400W, so to get the high amperage of a welder, you’re knocking down the voltage to double digits.
I have an old 110 welder I bought used and I constantly have trouble getting enough heat for penetration. Thanks for the tips!
Oh this video is a blessing. Right now, 110v is all I have and is what I'm learning on. Some of these tips I already knew, but most of them I really needed. Thanks, Nate. You do fine work.
Thanks man!
These tips were excellent! Thank You! Saved me from buying another welder today
Excellent tips! My shop only has 120 and no option to upgrade to 220. I used some of these techniques with success but I eventually purchased a 220v generator at a gov auction and use that for my 220 Tig (sold my mig). The best part of it is I never have to worry about constantly tripping breakers when I am welding. The downside is ... can't think of one. :)
Hey Dirt, thank you! Awesome video. This is exactly what I was trying to do last weekend and I was struggling. I was trying to weld 1/4" steel on to same using my Miller 140 (110/120v) MIG welder. Specifically, welding a couple of lift points (for a Hi-lift jack) onto a trailer hitch. I got it "done" but the welds were horrible. Lots of popping etc that left some ugly, lumpy welds. Even with the beveling I gave the metal edges.
So then I did some googling and found this video. The two key pieces of advice that helped: 1) Move the ground clamp much closer to the weld area, and 2) Preheat the metal. After a successful test on one little section, I ground down my crappy welds to start over. For the preheating, I used my little MAP gas torch, and my Craftsman IR thermometer as a checker. Heated each area in turn to about 450F. The welds went on with perfect sizzle and good penetration. They aren't award winning fish scales like the ones you did, but they are strong as hell for sure.
Being limited to 120v in my garage has been the number 1 reason I have not gotten a welder yet. I've looked for what I can really do with a 120v welder, and this video did more to show me that I may actually be able to do what I need to do.
Also... you cost me a lot of money, SIR. 😂
All good advice. Thank You!
Very informative! I have the privilege to use a Lincoln Powermig 255 running off 480 at work, which makes me dislike my 120v Lincoln at home. I welded my 3/16 frame stiffeners on my Cherokee with it, but it was hatin' life! I'll have to try these tricks out!
Use to weld super heavy structural steel in the coal mines. Pre heat bevels and multiple passes anything is possible
Absolutely👍🏼 I’ve done the same to weld 1/2” & 3/4” steel plate with my 120v flux core welder & it worked great. Also if it’s a machine where amps are controlled by/with the wire feed I’ve found it helpful to not crank it up all the way. That way your in it longer and it puts way more heat into the weld vs just cranking the feed/amps on this type of machine.
Hey bro, thanks for doing this. You did a GREAT job at explaining different techniques and the other options...I was like blown away. Thanks again, all the best
You sure can weld son. Thank you for this great tips.
Thanks!
Thanks. I kind of figured this out on my own (with the help of other UA-cam videos). But, you specifically covered 110v and confirmed what I was planning.
I run a Lincoln 110 v and it's been great so far. I typically weld 1/8 and 3/16 but I think when I started learning to weld, it's made me a better welder. I can't wait until I can afford a nice 220 welder. Great tips!
220v eat metal , and 110v heat metal . you wil know when you try 🙂
Hi there ,I have to tell you I learn more tips on this video then the last 50 welding videos from different welders ,great job explaining ,and I'm only at tip #5 lol thanks again ,got to watch the rest of this video .
I love all the welding tips you share! You’ve inspired me to become a better welder myself. I recently finished fabricating and welding a lift for my Rally Style Gambler car. You’ve also made me want to make better quality videos for my channel. Thanks!
Thanks for watching! Maybe I will see you at the gambler one of these years 🤘
Great video. Great reminders!
A great explanation of many of the variants I have run into over the last 50 years. Thank you. Wonderful job!!! I'm not a great welder, but my stuff stays stuck together. At 74, I'm still teachable I hope!!
These new little inverter welders work great... I can weld with stick at 120 and get better penetration than a wire feed
You are absolutely correct about power making things hot. Electrical power is dissipated as heat. However, your power calculations at the beginning are off I think. You are multiplying the welding current by the line voltage. This is apples and oranges. You just simply can't pull 180 amps through any outlet you are going to find in a home or shop. 200A rated outlets exists and are typically used for generator hookups, but they are huge (comparatively) to the NMEA 5-50 which is what most 220 welders have. Think about the 16 or 24 ounce beer cans size. 110 welders will have a NMEA 5-15, which is your standard 110 plug and outlet.
You need to multiply the welding current by the welding voltage and multiply the line voltage by the line current. Your welder does not draw 180 amps from the wall outlet. My 220 outlet is supplied by a 30A breaker. Max power is 6600W out of the outlet. My machine is rated at 20A input current, so the rated input power is 4400W. If you look in the specs, with 220 V in and a 30% duty cycle the machine is rated at 130 A at 20V. That's 2600W. The welder can't put out as much power as it takes in because it is not 100% efficient. Also the input power is a limit, not necessarily the power the machine will draw at the rated welding power. The input power numbers are used to help size the supply circuit properly.
My specific welder also comes in a 140 A 110/120 V variant. This welder is spec'd for 120 V and 20 A input which is 2400 W. The welding power is spec'd at 1755 W (19.5 V @ 90 A).
I think your welding tips are solid, but I just wanted to make that clarification about the electrical specs.
Wow this is exactly why I love your vids man I have recently started fabricating and it's all thanks to you and your advice I only have 110 at my house so I have always kind of doubted my welds in confident in them again thanks to you but in the back of my mind I always doubt them because of the 110 but with what you just said and shown you have once again erased all doubt man I thank you for every video man thanks for your advice and the great content very much appreciated keep it up man I have turned so much
Thanks! I appreciate the positive comment!
One of the things I love about the UK is 240 volt as standard and if i wanted to go really nutts I've got 440 volt 3 phase in my workshop. Still found what you were saying really interesting Keep up the good work.
Great vid Thanks for the advice. Very clear.
Have only had a 110v Flux Core machine for....a LONG time, sadly. But? Decent results. Not the prettiest welds, but have had none break. Including welding some 1.25" cold roll. Hot spark, SLOOW feed, and pay attention. I will start learning to heat the material first. Something I have known about, but been lazy.
Hopefully by the end of the year I'll have a shop again.
This was helpful! Thank you!
Great video Nate. I've been welding as a profession for 25 years. I don't know the math of it , but don't need to for what I do [Towboat and barge repair]. But everything I do at home I do with a Lincoln 110 flux core machine. Including my cage and suspension. And I have total confidence in it. Down side is flux core means mild steel only. Keep up the great videos looking forward to what's next.
Thanks buddy 👊
I might be wrong about this but your watt calculations might be wrong, this is just my view on it. for all I know you might be right. a typical 220 welder uses a 50 amp circuit. then 220v x 50a is 11,000 watts. where a live the 220 measures 250v. even with the high voltage that is only 12,500 watts. if you go by your calculations and use ohms law to calculate the input current it would take nearly a 180 amp circuit to power the . in my view, the output voltage will have gone down to aroul=nd 20 to 30 volts for normal welding. with that voltage, the watts are 3600 to 5400 watts on a 180 amp welder. on the back of the welder usually, there will be a label that says the max open voltage on the output for mig with the amps. with that information, you could calculate the put wattage of your welder. I have used a similar welder and it only takes a 30 amp circuit so it only needs a 7200-watt input.
Excellent tips. Thank you Nate.
I'm going to install a 220V outlet in the garage anyway, but it's good to know that I'm not limited until I do.
This was very helpful thank you
Awesome tutorial Nate!!! Here in Portugal we only use 220v in houses. And i have a tree-phases plug with 380v.
Look up phase converters. Can get 3 phase from single phase. Not super efficient from an electrical standpoint, but will allow you to use your equipment in your country that way.
I have a stick welder for the 1/2 " stuff yes I will pre-heat just to get things warm & ready to weld. The tips for 110v 1/4" is the max I weld although I did weld 3/8" tubes on an axle I pre-heat multi-passed it in stages even braces & a jig just to hold it straight. The sight of heat marks is all you need to see verifying penetration. I enjoyed the vid thanks!!!
Get a heavy duty extension cord if your going to use one for a 110v welder. None is better but a 10 gauge cord that 15 feet or shorter will work out ok.
I should have brought this up! Its the reason I ran no extension cord. Max Power!
This is a concern of mine with my current setup... I might not be able to do anything till I get moved. Laying in the street to fix a Jeep sucks.
The extension cord should be the same gauge as the wire inside the wall going to the outlet.
Hobart says 10 gage is good out to 100 ft with the 140. I know for sure 50 ft 10 gage works.
Hi,i just subscribed,i bought a yeswelder core flux 135,after watching your. Video i now understand whats happening,its designed for 110volts,i started off at welding 1.6ml thick tube at there settings it says 95,from 95 to 75 it burns holes,now im understanding after your help,if there setting is 95,half it and correct up to get my correct setting,thank you so much you are a champion ,cheers adrian jones ulladulla nsw.
Love the fabrication tip videos. Im 19 and have a lot to learn lol
Thanks! I'm 35 and have alot to learn lol
Awesome tips awesome video.
I just started getting into welding and i learned some of these the hard way, like the nozzle one.
Thanks bro! I learned the nozzle tip the hard way aswell 👍
Great tips. Great video. Cleaned up a few myths
Thanks brother 👊
I run a lincon 140 mig pac , does a great job , as you said prep your work . pays off . Great video .
I’ve done oxy-acetylene years ago and am getting back into metal work. Thinking of switching to TIG. Thanks for the video. Helps me plan especially in terms of limits of 110. (Don’t feel like running 220 to garage.)
As for distance to ground at different voltages, Ohm's law plays more of a role than "amount of energy." The resistance of the material is the material is the same either way. As you said, power (Watts) is current (amps) x voltage. Loss due to resistance is proportional to current. For the same power, you require half the current when doubling the voltage, but double the current means double the heat loss due to the same resistance.
Another aspect to changing voltage is that arcs (ionizing air and jumping gaps between metal conductors -- pretty important to welding, but not desired in most other uses of electricity) are proportional to voltage. It's the reason that plugs in the UK are so much larger than the ones on the US, and why in the US, plugs are larger for higher voltages than lower: you need a bigger gap between conductors to prevent arcing between them at higher voltages. It's also why you see outlet switches in the UK but almost never in the US.
Not sure what it is to jump in Ark Gap but I know that 480 v doesn't jump until you touch lines together but this I do know thicker cables are for more amperage not voltage give you an example hundreds of thousands of volts go through high lines a very small damager when you get the demon with 240 voltage you can get to number 1 Copper depending on amp draw
Perfect tutorial...your a great instructor brother..really helpful...🙂✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽
This was one of the most helpful videos (which says something!). My son and I just purchased a welder and will be learning how to weld together. You answered one of the most important questions I hadn't even fully formed yet but was lurking in the back of my mind: Can I use a small 110 welder to weld ONLY thinner metals and, if I want to weld ⅜" thicker metals, am I SOL? What you just explained in this video is a game-changer in how I am looking at current and future projects. I am now much better equipped to make better welds on all metal thicknesses. THANK YOU!
Great! This is why I make instructional videos! Happy to help 👊
Great video, good advice... BTW you looked like a sushi chef at the end😁
I am 😁... ok I'm not lol
Thanks, Nate. Keep 'em coming!
thanks for the education
Great video. My welder does both but gotta run a 220 line. Right now just welding frame stiffeners so it will handle that ok
Thanks for sharing.
I too have learned a good deal about welding. Very good info Nate. ( ie , would you want your surgeons to work on you w/ dirty and dull tools) nicely done. Keep up the good work
Great video. Thank you for posting it. This is exactly the problem i've been dealing with and exactly the info. I was hoping for!
After watching the first 2 minutes of this video (120 vs. 220V machines), I'm like...whoa - wait a minute - you can't simply apply Ohms Law (P=IE) directly to the two welder types based on stated current rating and input voltage. It really comes down to what the machine does with that input voltage within the welding voltage/current conversion circuit (transformers, regulators, current control, etc.) internal to the machine. I see you addressed that in your pinned comment after the fact. Great presentation though!
I have a friend who does pickup truck frame shortening and he welds 1/4" frame on 110v mig. He's been in business for 10 years, no unsatisfied or dead customers, 😂
Really enjoying your videos. Great production value and even better knowledge of welding and fabrication. Thanks for sharing your knowledge. You have a new subscriber.
I don't recall if you mentioned the wire size in the 110 welder vs the 220. I run a .025 wire in my 110v welder and .035 in my 220. I could never get .030 to run right in my 110v welder so I switched to .025 and it seems to like it better.
As always, great advice Nate. 👍 Cheers. M
Cool podcast and very informative, I would like to make a wide-body Camaro with a rear end off of a pickup truck or a SUV for strength and the width of the axle and build the wheel Wells around the wide tires & Axle, I want the baddest widebody Camaro in Detroit this summer, have you any pointers.
Really good video, man! Great tips!
After thirty (30) years, I finally got my Lincoln 220 welder. How did I live this long without it?
Lol
Simple nate! Move to Australia! We’ve got 240v and 415v 3phase power.
Only thing we can’t legally do much to our rigs and drive them on the roads
You should do a video on how to weld roll cage tubing
Awesome tips, thank you 👍👍.
Thank you for watching!
Hey Nate!
Love your videos and been following you for a while.
Really envious of the cool stuff you make and drive!
Maybe I'm misunderstanding but your math in the start can't be right(the 180A example).
If you were pulling nearly 40,000W from your 220V line you'd be blowing up your fusebox and putting your wires on fire, that's an insane amount of energy.
They only reasonable way is if the welder is specified at 180 amps at the output, ie the 20-30V the welder is outputting after transforming the 110 or 220V input.
If I understand correctly then you get 220V in america by connecting two phase wires.
So even with a relatively large 20A fuse that'd give you around 8800W to play with.
What I think happens is you have for example 220V 25A(8.8kW) input and then a ~30V 290A output(8.8kW).
This is assuming you're absolutely maxing out the input of course, it would only draw as much from the input as you're trying to cram out of the output.
What I think really makes the 110V welders "suck more" is that the lower voltage is more sensitive to voltage drop and also having a much more uneven input since it's just one phase.
Not to mention that a lot of lower spec welders also come with really undersized wiring(both input and ground clamp etc) which makes everything much worse.
Hopefully I'm not coming off as rude!
Good tips man! Thanks!
Good stuff Nate
Great video. I watched this months ago but am revisiting it now that I'm actually getting into welding and only have 120v to work with right now. I think it's typical but I'm finding it difficult to get good results with the thin stuff and thick stuff (chicago electric flux core). One of the first projects I want to do is new shock brackets on my Ford 8.8 housing but I'm thinking I should wait until I have 220v and more skill. I'm wanting a better machine (Hobart Handler 210mvp or Multi-Handler 200, or a Forney 140MP for sheet metal + used Lincoln 225 AC buzzbox for thick stuff) but there are so many considerations it makes my head spin.
Anyway, thanks for this video, it has made me a better welder already!
That Kaiser in the background... lord!!!
Awesome video! Super helpful
Thanks buddy 👊
Fluxcore also helps get more penatration
Welding - the act of fusing 2 or more alloys together
You can penetrate 500 feet if you want... but if it doesn't have proper fusion, then it's not welded... It's more about how much the base material and weld nugget overlap. The act of chamfering helps with depth, but you still need the toes to fuse into the walls. If the backside doesn't have proper fusion, then that penetration doesn't mean squat
Iv heard of that fill in the blank stuff and let me tell you it’s some pretty good shit!!!😂😂
Keep layin dimes 👌🤘 great video. I'll stick to my 220.
I agree that most people shouldn't temp fate and weld it themselves if they or their welder. Not worth putting your or other lives at risk if a XYZ part fails on your rig doing 60 down the highway.
I disagree completely. I'm not a professional welder. I wonder every time I weld if my suspension is gonna fall off my jeep.
It doesn't matter.
For me its not just about having a kickass jeep. Its about learning and doing it yourself.
And making mistakes. Thats how we learn.
Awesome content.
I have a Miller 350xl with orbital gun.it welds tubing together leaving no seam
Wow...great tips. Silly question. Can you do anything to a 110 welder to make it use 220? Moving out of California in a year and I’m going to make sure I have 220 available in my garage.
Unfortunately no. That said. There are some serious wizards out there that could probably replace the electrical components inside and do a crazy conversion but you would basically just be keeping the shell of your 110v. Everything else would be 220v components 👍
First off the cleanliness of your shop is disturbing lol. Great pointers though! thanks for taking the time to make this video.
Great tips, appreciate it
Thank you for watching 🤘
Keep it up good work
Thanks!!!
Great video, thanks!