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View Full Version : What Is Considered A High Duty Cycle?



ILikeMud
05-13-2007, 01:38 PM
So I'm looking at a 110V welder for small work around the house and on the truck.
I want to get something with a high-ish duty cycle. What's considered a high duty cycle?

I'm looking at the Lincoln Mig Pak 10 (which I can get a good deal on) and it's rated at 88amps/18V/20% Duty cycle. Is that high?

rubicondave33
05-13-2007, 07:56 PM
The duty cycle of a welder is how long it can safely deliver the required current for welding in a 10 minute period. A 20% duty cycle would mean you can weld for 2 minutes continuously, and rest the machine for 8 minutes before welding again.

fr3db3ar
05-14-2007, 09:42 AM
80% to 100% would highish

ILikeMud
05-14-2007, 11:45 AM
Basically I want to be sure that it will be powerful enough for me.

Krash80
05-14-2007, 02:33 PM
88 amps at 20% is NOT high by any means, unless maybe you're building something like a fishtank stand. FWIW, the welder that John and I own has a 100% duty cycle at 260 amps. :D

ILikeMud
05-14-2007, 02:42 PM
Well well then, screw buying that welder.

nate
05-14-2007, 06:52 PM
A decent MIG welder will have a 30-40% duty cycle. Keep in mind that the duty cycle is at full power.

I've only hit the duty cycle on my Lincoln 175 a handful of times, and that's 30%.

What happens when you hit the duty cycle is it will start to weld poorly and then stop. Give it 5-10 mins to cool down and back to welding. It's hard on the welder to be always doing that though... so time to step up if it becomes an issue.

That being said, I would not even consider a 120v welder. They are ok for doing sheetmetal work as a MIG and that's about it. Many houses have a 240v dryer or oven. Make an extension cord and run it off that. Or, if your breaker box is in the garage, even easier since you can just wire it right there.



The welder Krash is talking about is a welder for production welding, like in a factory.

ATL ZJ
05-14-2007, 07:01 PM
My Hobart 180 is 30% duty cycle at 130A. My buddy's Miller 175 and the Lincoln 175 I've used extensively both have the same specs. I have never hit the duty cycle on any of those machines, often welding for hours on end doing cage work. The smaller 220v machines like these are the minimum I can recommend for the welding involved with general 4x4 fab.

chadjans
05-15-2007, 12:52 AM
I don't even know what my Powermig 215 has for a duty cycle for I have never hit so I never bothered looking for the spec.

Chad

redzj
05-15-2007, 11:10 AM
I have a lincoln 175 too. I have yet to get it to shut down. Don't waste your money on a 110 welder. I bought my lincoln for around $600 and it has been great.

DCHZJ
05-15-2007, 01:24 PM
I have one of those Mig Pak HD's, about the same at a Mig Pak 10. They are fine for basic sheet metal, but you will find you will want something heavier very quickly. I used it for some Basic repairs on my ZJ and Rover, but it is outliving it usefulness quickly as i need something that can weld heavy steel. Your not going to build a bumper/sliders with that thing thats for sure.
I got my Lincoln for under 100 bucks and was stuck with this at my apartment. now with my house i will upgrade to a heavier unit.

Check Book WJ
05-19-2007, 03:56 PM
For anything 1/8" or thicker, you probably wouldn't be happy with anything less than a 135A wire feed welder. Granted, you will get better penetration with flux core wire ( using w/o gas ) but you will also loose the capability of not needing to clean the beads up throughly before painting, or doing more delicate work such as filling in holes, as flux core work runs hotter than the MIG process. I have a Lincoln 175A-230V AC welder and there has been times that I've used it enough where it starts to overheat and the bead starts to change ( penetration gets less and less and the bead just balls up) and I need to let it cool for a bit, but I can't remember bumping into a cooling shutdown cycle. Or, I can go to Ron's shop and use or Millermatic 300 :cool: , but that's not for everyone unless your willing to wire in a 3 phase converter into a 230V Single phase feed.

John