What plug is this?

[agent4573]

So I just got a Powertig185 and want to wire it up. The attached picture is what I have on my wall. It says Nema-6 250V on it, but looking it up, there's a ton of different nema 6 plug types. Sorry for the crappy image quality it was a cell phone pic. It has two horizontal pins the same size and a round pin below that. So what should I be looking for at home depot tomorrow? Also, the powertig is a dual voltage option so is there anything I need to do to the welder itself to select 240 Volt mode or will it pick it up automatically?

Thanks

[Rambozo]

Can't really see the pic, but from what you describe you have a NEMA 6-30R outlet there. It should also be marked that, somewhere. The plug you will need is a NEMA 6-30P. Home Depot often sells a NEMA 6-30/50 plug that you can assemble either way. It comes with loose blades and a + hole so the blade can be installed either vertical or horizontal.

[DaveO]

2 horizontals and a round could be a 6-15 or a 6-30, according to this chart: looks like it depends on the separation between the horizontal blades.
http://www.stayonline.com/reference-...ght-blade.aspx

Dual voltage machines automatically sense input power.

[agent4573]

sweet, thanks for the replies. I'll go pick one up tomorrow. I think I have to take like a 1.5 hour drive for some argon though. The one store around me wanted 300 bucks for a 80cf tank of argon, the other wanted 330 for a 225cf tank. Theres a guy selling two 330 cf tanks down in la and he only wants 160 each for them. Its probably worth my drive to go pick at least one of them up.

[Rambozo]

2 horizontals and a round could be a 6-15 or a 6-30, according to this chart: looks like it depends on the separation between the horizontal blades.
http://www.stayonline.com/reference-...ght-blade.aspx

Dual voltage machines automatically sense input power.

The picture was good enough to see is wasn't the little 6-15.

[DaveO]

Theres a guy selling two 330 cf tanks down in la and he only wants 160 each for them. Its probably worth my drive to go pick at least one of them up.

Apologies in advance if you know this already: you have to be careful buying cylinders because the guy selling them may not be the owner. Not that they're stolen, as such, but he may have picked them up at a yard sale, figured they're his, and now he's selling them again... but in fact they may still be owned by the LWS, and were just out on rent or lease. The problem in this scenario is: if you "buy" them you might bring them to the LWS to be filled, where they say "sorry, not our bottles" or "thank you for returning our property, please fill out an application to take them home again." And you'll be out the "purchase" money.

Generally (but not always) if a large bottle is marked with an LWS name, it's a company owned, not a customer owned, bottle and can't legally be sold by a third party. To complicate matters it varies by company.

One workaround I read about: if you go to buy the guy's bottles, ask him where he refills them, or what company name is on the bottle's neck ring, and arrange to meet the guy at that company. Ask the company guy behind the counter if the bottles can be sold and make the transaction right there.

Edit: There's a youtube video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndGB-Ww47M4

BTW: is "LA" Louisiana or Los Angeles?!

[DaveO]

Can't really see the pic, but from what you describe

The picture was good enough to see is wasn't the little 6-15.

Doh! You spoofed me, I thought it was still up in the air. Glad it worked out!

[SeanMurphy265]

If they are owner bottles make sure they are still in date.

[Rambozo]

Generally (but not always) if a large bottle is marked with an LWS name, it's a company owned, not a customer owned, bottle and can't legally be sold by a third party. To complicate matters it varies by company.

One workaround I read about: if you go to buy the guy's bottles, ask him where he refills them, or what company name is on the bottle's neck ring, and arrange to meet the guy at that company. Ask the company guy behind the counter if the bottles can be sold and make the transaction right there.

Edit: There's a youtube video here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ndGB-Ww47M4

Nice video to show what the neck rings look like.

If they are owner bottles make sure they are still in date.

A hydro test is not that big a deal if it's out of date. $15 around here. Most times you can also just swap bottles at the LWS so they often won't charge you for the test.