Power cord / extension cable for welders - guage wire?

[LINUS]

So I been using a 8/3 ~50’ cord for my older welders & the plasma cutter.

- I was just looking at the literature for my 350p (Miller) - and it calls for a minimum of 4ga for 100a & goes to a crazy 1/0 per strand if you could get 600a out of it!!

I’ve never seen any of the 1/0 - 2/0 cables save a common feeder for the 6-pack stick machines that feed a power rail on the cage of those & a dedicated diesel generator during shutdown/turnarounds.

But that was refinery gear / rental gear.


—— Is anybody REALLY running 4g or bigger cable to a 3-strand / 220v machine?

I’ll be honest, my machine felt starved despite my weld settings when doing AL MIG - it would glue metal, but it was faaaar from pretty stacked dimes


Have I just been dense - (this in particular, I know I am generally ) -???

 

[Waorani]

Also use 8/3 for my 251 but getting ready to put longer cord on to save futzing around w/ extension cord and going 6/3 just because I have some.

350p manual shows min 8 AWG up to 86ft (230V/61A) so 6/3 should be more than adequate. You could go 4/3 for that extra level of confidence but 6 is the largest I've ever seen on single phase machine.

 

[LINUS]

https://www.millerwelds.com/files/owners-manuals/O1327AG_MIL.pdf

pg 17 is where I’m getting my 4ga info off of.

-And that’s 100a - you go to supposedly 1/0 at full 350a like how Miller monikers their machines.

I’m calling Miller tomorrow AM, missed them by <20min closing today.

 

[LINUS]

So after a call to Miller I got straightened out that they poorly worded ‘electrode lead’ & applied table apply to the stinger & ground clamp of a stick welder (not sure what it’s doing in there since a 350p is a squirter only), so that chart was a goof.

PG. 24 in .pdf or 20 if you look at the bottom of pg number -was what you want for your power / cable sz to welder -chart.

https://www.millerwelds.com/files/owners-manuals/O1327AG_MIL.pdf

I could have stuck to 8ga, but I went 6 b/c the initial amp draw squirting AL is the ‘big hit’ - and I want good AL beads.

I got a 100’ spool of 6/4 being delivered, I’m not 3 phase but between all possible conditions, I have an adapter from 3 prong to a 4 pole plug to fit all the 220v outlets between me, Dad & best bud’s house.

The unit does 3phase, but it’s not common in residential local / that I’ve ever seen.

 

[Waorani]

PG. 24 in .pdf or 20 if you look at the bottom of pg number -was what you want for your power / cable sz to welder -chart.

Yep, that's what I was looking at. But bigger is always better!