I have a Lincoln AC-225 stick welder that I want to run off a 5000 watt generator that was built around the 50's. We just rebuilt the engine, and it is working great.

The picture on the top of the page is of the generator output box where all of the receptacles and fuses are located. The receptacle for the 240VAC out has two equal length semi-circular slots located at the top of the receptacle and a semi-circular slot with a "leg".

When the generator is running and I am measuring the 240VAC outlet, I get 240VAC across the top two slots and 120VAC when measuring from either one of the top two slots to the bottom receptacle with the "leg". The four 120VAC outlets all measure 120VAC.

The lower left picture is the end view of the male plug that comes from the welder. Inside the welder, there are two connections to a box and the ground is screwed to the body of the welder.

What I want to do is to connect the to wires coming out from the welder to the top two slots to throw 240VAC to the welder from the generator and screw the ground from the welder to the ground screw on the generator output box.

Safe or sorry???

 

You just need a different male plug on your welder it looks like. The bottom, "hooked" blade of the 240V receptacle on your generator is the "ground", and you should get 120V between it and either of the other two. I would cut off the current plug on your welder and put on the appropriate 240V male plug, as that shape of plug doesn't belong on a 240V appliance anyway.

Jason

 

That looks like a Nema 30 amp 240 receptacle, which would make sense for a 5KW generator. You may have problems getting the gen to keep enough current up for that initial "strike" on a stick rod. The gen has to pick up RPM 's to get its full output, which may be a little late to get a strike on a rod that will keep flowing. It may work tho, just a thought . jmo

 

If the generator has a switch to keep it at high rpm, use it. I have welded off a small generator before, and it's not fun. I thought I was going to kill the thing, actually- it would be at low speed, rev up a bit and settle at a higher speed, then start winding like the governor went out or something. Everybody in the apartment complex was out looking at this weird guy, laying under a truck, all these sparks coming out, and a generator gone mad.
Technically, that isn't a ground, it neutral. Each of the two legs are 120v, on opposite points in the cycle, with a single shared return. Dryers and most other 220/240 appliances use a similar system, while stoves use a fourth ground connector.

 

3-wire 240V is two hots and a ground and is used for appliances that are 240V only. 4-wire 240V is two hots, a neutral and a ground, and is used for appliances that contain 120V items, such as a light bulb or something. The 120V item needs a return path for the current, which is what the neutral is for, not the ground. The ground is always for safety purposes--to remove static build-up, or to ground the equipment should it develop a short and have contact with a hot wire (better the ground carry the shorted current than YOU!)

Jason

 

I was doing the same thing. But I found it wasn't working very well. I could not weld anything heavy. So before I killed them both I found a used lincoln with an engine. I paid 500 and it runs great. Look around, you might get lucky and find one.

 

I was thinking about same thing a few years ago and contacted Lincoln technical services.....they said because the welder is a transformer type the efficiency is low and a 5000 watt generator WONT do the job....they recommended at least a 10000 watt generator as a minimum

dont waste you time...it wont work.

 

As buffalobob mentioned, that 5K generator will not handle your welder.

I tried to do the same thing a few months ago. A 5K generator and then a 6K generator were attached to an AC welder. I could not run an 1/8" rod at all. 3/32" rod almost worked but the weld was low quality.

We ended up finding a 10K Hobart engine driven DC welder/generator. This welder has proven to be a workhorse and will burn 5/32" rod as fast as a person can weld. Miller makes several engine driven welders that are even better. If you can find one used at a decent price, grab it!

Lou Braun

 

I know this is an old thread, but will a 6500watt rated/8500watt-surge generator run a 220 volt welder that says draws 20 amps or maybe 30 amps?

 

You will not get good results. Do what I did and find a used gas driven welder. My works great, and it only cost $500.00.

 

$500 isn't going to happen

 

I don't think what you want to do will work well. I was able to weld but it wasn't pretty. And you cannot weld anything heavy. Also I think you will damage the welder sooner or later. Try it and see what happens. If it is just now and then, maybe you can get by for now. On a regular basis it will be a problem.

 

Is the wattage rating you gave for 125 volts or 220 volts? Most likely it is for 125 volts. So, if you divide the watts by the volts to get amperage, on the 220 side you will only have 29 amps. If your welder pulls 20 amps you're golden, if it pulls 30 amps you're probably out of luck. I don't know what welder you have or the output rating, but most of the stick welders pull more than 30 amps.

 

Doesn't the amount of amp draw depend on what the welder is set on and what you are welding? I thought the thicker you are welding the higher the setting on the welder, and the higher the draw. ??

 

Presumably it does. Personally, I wouldn't take the risk of ruining the welder and / or the generator.