7 replies to this topic

[mk=john]

Hello
I wigh to purchase a gas MIG Welder soon, and have a question about power equirements in my garage. An example of a welder I wish to purchase is a clarke 150TE Turbo. I am looking at getting this from Machine Mart. It is listed as having an amperage of 75, at 60% duty.

I looked at a welding website, and it says most welders up to 150A can be fed from a 13A household plug.

Basically, then, does the domestic circuit in a house need to be uprated to handle a welder of this type, or would the circuits in my house leading to the power sockets be sufficient?

Thanks

[Wil_h]

Standard 13amp socket will be fine.

[black jack1275]

you dont need to uprate the house suppy is will work fine with the welder you are looking at.

[Ethel]

A welder is just a transformer really - if you had a 150amp domestic supply you could just stick a a welding rod in the end of an extension lead and weld with that sounds like a plan for the Darwin Awards.

[mk=john]

Thanks guys
I will jot purchase a welder!. I just had a new garage/workshop built in my back garden (another garage!!!). I have just also bought a 1960 Morris Mini Minor. It is in original, unrestored condition, and the sills and floors have been `patched over the years'. It is MOT, drives great etc etc.

Anyway, at some point next year I will do a strip down on it and my aim is to get it concours. A welder is obviously something I will need!

Cheers

[Austin]

The 150TE doesent come fitted with a 13 amp plug as clarke recommend a minimum power supply of 16amps, although on car bodywork youre never likely to need to use it at full power anyway. Basically you can fit a 13amp plug and it will work, but clarke dont recommend it. The largest amperage MIG welders machine mart stock that come fitted with a 13 amp plug for a household power supply are 130 amp. This is more than enough for car repairs/restoration. Hope this helps.

[mk=john]

Hi Austin
Thanks for that. Yes, I think the 130 will also do. I have been researching this. Also, what is the minimum amperage I should be looking for to weld thin metal like the skin on a mini? I want to be able to weld panels on obviously, and am concerned that the welders minimum amperagfe wont allow welding of very thin metal.

[Austin]

A minimum amperage of around 30 is okay. Obviously the lower the minimum amps, the thinner the metal you can weld but 30 is fine for body panels. I wouldnt go for one much higher than that. The complete range of 130 and 150 amp maximum clarke welders run at a minimum of 30. At the moment ive got a 151te which im using for all the welding on my project mini and the minimum setting is easily low enough.