Got my MIG, but I can't plug it in? Need electrical help.

I just got a Lincoln 175 (Yeah, I know everybody said Miller, but there was a reason). I've got an unused 220 dryer outlet in the garage, but it is in a bad location. figured I'd make an extension cord with a dryer plug on one end and a receptacle for Lincoln on the other...but I'm not sure thats all there is to it. The dryer circuit breakers are 30 amp. The lincoln manual says input is 20 amps, but use a 40 amp "super lag" breaker on 8 AWG wire-in-conduit.
Can I even do what I wanted to do (safely) with an extension?
Do I need to set up a new 40 amp circuit and outlet, and then always weld within 10' (the length of the cable supplied with the welder) from the outlet?
It would be nice to be able to move the welder and not have to run any more new wiring than necessary.
Advice is appreciated.

 

Try the extension cord, whats the worst that could happen, pop the breaker ?!?

39

 

When I got my Miller 175 I had a 20' extension cord made up out of 8ga, and hard wired it into a box on the wall, so that I could move the welder around the garage and outside. Use the breaker they recommend. You can have a cord made (I had mine made at the local weld shop) and if you have open space for the breaker in your panel, you can run the cord out of the panel itself.

Mutt

 

I've been running my Miller 185 off an extension cord for 6 years.Various sizes of breakers. Never a popped breaker- no problems at all. I'll post a retraction if the freakin shop burns down, OK?

 

i run my mller 200 with 2 40 ft thats 80ft of extenition for 2 yrs no problem 30 amp breaker

 

Hey Hugh -- Go down to Riverside Lighting, they've got a electrical contractor's business in back and can set you up with the cable, the guzoutya to plug into your wall, and the guzinya to match the Lincoln plug. I did the same thing with my 220 Miller, they got me all the right stuff to ***emble a 25 foot extension. The cable's heavy duty, but it wasn't too much h***le to splice it all together. It seems to work well.

 

I did the same thing several years ago. made a 25 ft.cord that reaches everywhere i need and never had a problem.

 

Major-Wood

I've been using a 25' extension on my 250 Thermal-Arc for years, and I've been your shoes using the dryer outlet for many years, works fine .

 

OK. Sounds like I can do what I wanted.
Thanks

 

Same here, Miller 175 on an extension cord I made myself from HD parts. I didn't, however, go the ghetto route of plugging it into the dryer, I ran a 6 slot Square D 60A sub panel into my garage using 6g cable then ran all my garage power from it. The extension cord uses 8g cable and the correct innie and outie.

Nice to be able to turn **** off without the missus missing her Brad fix on the E! channel or some ****.

-Sven

 

I need to do the same. . . .Where do you guys find 3 wire 8ga cable? Is 8ga what I want?

duh? does the "HD" reference in the previous post mean "Home Depot"?

 

We got all of ya beat. 3 number tens running right out of the 40 amp breaker to the lincoln 185 tig. Hokey *** all the way. We do switch the breaker off when not in use though.

I would try home depot for the wire, or even better, you local welding shop.

 

I've got a 175 Lincoln and I put a plug directly under my breaker box and made a extension from stuff from HD. I found some 3 wire with 2 6G and the ground is 10G. I had to go to an electrical supply to get an end for the extension that would fit the Lincoln plug. I think it alone was about $25.

I should have checked around first cause I may have been able to buy an extension at my welding supply for about the same as I have in the one I made.

 

I have been running my Lincoln 155 on 100' of 10/4 SO cord for a dozen years. I put a 50 amp plug on it, then bought a dryer cord with a 35A plug and put a 50A box on that, so i can plug into the dryer at whoever's house I'm at.

 

I converted my dryer to a welder, and now my "whites" are so bright, you need a welding helmet when ironing...help

 

What I use is even easier than an extension cord...go to your local Home Depot and buy a replacement dryer cord (get the heaviest guage that they offer). It will cost less than $10 and will have the correct plug molded onto one end. While you're there, buy an electrical outlet box (I use the bakelite type with the rounded corners) that matches the plug on your welder. Cut the cord to the length that you need and connect the three wires into the outlet box. The wires are a one-to-one match with the prongs on the plug on the other end. This is a simple, cheap, and safe way to convert your outlet. BTW, I also have an extension cord that I sometimes use in conjunction with this pigtail...but the now the extension cord can have the same plug configuration on each end and it now works with my plasma cutter and other 220 tools that I use. Here's a pic of the 220 pigtail...