Have me a DX200 110/220, unsure on power requirements still, what's in the box

[budbd]

Okay, so in a few days my new welder will arrive, and no, I don't have a shop except a large shed/outbuilding. I was thinking about using 110(120) at 20 amp breaker sometimes, if there is a pigtail with this like a cheaper welder I was originally considering. I've built previously a cord to run off a stove for my buzzbox lincoln stick welder in the past, it worked and I was gonna plug into stove outlet, breakers say 30 on the outside, two inner are 40,and I am guessing that means 30amps minimum to 40 amps maximum, they operate a dryer and a stove, and the inner 40 are linked together like the two outer thirties, all have to be over to operate the stove and dryer, and my place is only five years old so I have the newer style dryer four prong but stove is old style plug in strangely, accessed by removed the lower drawer(not my idea of a permanent solution unless I end up doing few projects per year). Oh sure, I am gonna later run electricity into my shed once its prepared and it don't cost me too much, I think, so I can restore heavily pitted steel and maybe aluminum items, usually vintage, other things. Ironically, my electric heater for the home shows a 60 amp breakers, but I only see a five or six wire connector near the fan drum near the filter area, won't be touching that.

I am beginning to think I should have bought one of those other welders that take 240 and just had an electrician come by and install a 240 setup or something, but they get busy and I don't have my shed setup right yet, will likely later if I get far into this whole restoration of damaged items, and I've got alot of them, like to do small time art, and apart from that I am an old gearhead and like vintage cars and want to restore a VW bug someday, maybe in a different home/setup. I found out my extension 220 cord is actually 12 gauge, whoops, swore it was ten, now I need at least a eight gauge or ten gauge cord to remake my stove outlet setup. But really, I liked the idea that I might be able to use 110/etc if I have to do small projects right away without having to worry about 220. My shed is so close to my kitchen, like four feet away, I know running an extension cord for now in 220 30-40amps is no problem, till I improve my shed, to not burn down, to a welding restoration center with a bench.

Haha, but anyway, am glad I spent 1200 on a better everlast than the ahp I was considering, I aint no novice to welding, I've owned a lincoln wirefeed .023 mig welder for twenty years, have had college welding classes to weld, have welded with stick arc at home, with a little study and practice I could make money welding, apart if I restore vintage items and sell them off. Its just this whole power requirement thing, I'd have bought a 240 welder instead for a little more if I thought my power requirements would have been up to standard, lesson learned, or maybe I just really need what I will be getting.

Needless to say, as a new tig welder, I have been trying to figure out what consumeables to get, I figured that out with a plasma pilot arc plasma arc cutter I have coming with alot of consumeables for it, I seem to have fallen behind on what I need for tig. I don't like buying locally, will have to for bottle of argon($200+$50 fill), but both welding shops seems to have overly marked up items, like their main customers are what is left of the near dead industry we used to have, that all buy lincoln or miller.

I do know one thing, tig will save me from mistakes with a wire feed welder, especially on sheetmetal items, of which wire is easy to pile on too much metal or not get hot enough, and stick arc, well, stick arc is like too uncontrollable for my smaller projects, unless I was welding 6010 rusty metal together or such. I have some items that are heat treated and don't need to heat up, just need repairing on small spots to look good.

[Rambozo]

The latest models of 200DX come pre-wired with a NEMA 6-50 240V plug and also come with an adapter for use on 120V, if you have the dual voltage option. That breaker setup is for two circuits. The 40 amp portion is for your stove and the 30 amp portion is for your dryer. You can use either to run your welder. It only needs 30 amps and you will find a few people here that use a dryer outlet as a temp setup, one guy even runs a 100 foot extension out to his garage. But that will need to be 10 gauge. You can adapt a four pin outlet to a three, just not the other way around. So it sounds like for now plugging in to your stove outlet might be the way to go. What kind of stove outlet do you have? It should be marked on it.

[budbd]

Well, my stove OUTLET IS A FOUR PRONG SETUP. Wow, I forget how lucky I was with the old trailer, it had 220 all over the place, I had an older trailer heater no longer working, replaced with pellet stove, that had a humongous breaker at least 60 or 70 amps, I adapted for my buzzbox stick arc for trouble free welding in driveway with an extension cord(looks like it was too small now), I'd weld on my patio without a ext cord from my stove a few feet away, but I need to work up to what to do at this newer place.

Yeah, the stove is the way to go, a few feet away is the window, four feet after that is the outbuilding door, and near there is a 120/110 20 amp breakers outside plug in set for weed eaters and such. Ya know, I would have thought the dryer would have took more, but when you think about it, the stove, with all the burners/inside area, guess the stove would be 40 amp.
I was worried that my setup wasn't enough for the models needing 240, I really liked the one demonstrated on welding tips and tricks.com, the 250 ex or dx whatever, with like alot more ranges of settings, I'd have to check the voltage rating for the stove, seems like I read something somewhere in the new home owners manual, or I could take my fluke 88 meter and check the outlet, good thing all I have to do is remove the drawer, etc.


ARE YOU SURE I CAN USE TEN GAUGE WIRE INSTEAD OF EIGHT GAUGE WIRE, MAYBE 25 FEET MINIMUM? But yeah, I have the dual voltage model coming.

[budbd]

Whoops, i was wrong about the plug for the newer home stove, its four prong and not three, guess I never completely took it out before, only did some 110 mig welding since the big move. Three straight, one roundish on top ground. And trying to use my meter is a little tough, wasn't able to get total voltage. This will take some research, and the old extension cord connectors are obsolete, but the extension cord is twelve gauge, I thought it was ten, so its good for 115volt projects at 25 ft anyway, like my air compressor(25ft only at twelve gauge, same as my lincoln mig sp100 I've had for twenty years)

[Rambozo]

Your stove outlet is probably a NEMA 14-50. You can buy or make up an adapter to plug your welder into that. Yes a 10 gauge extension cord is ok for that welder, as it's got a lower duty cycle. The NEC allows you to derate welders because that do not run continuously. That is one of the real good things about inverters over transformer machines like your old buzzbox. They draw much less power, so your 200DX even maxed out will only be pulling about 27 amps. A transformer would be over double that.

[budbd]

Thanks for all the advice. On Monday, I might call an electrician to get an estimate for wiring up a dedicated 220-240 service out to my outbuilding, might be for sure out of my price range considering I also need to spend over three grand soon for laser eye surgery. I mean, other than that, my Lotos pilot arc 110/220 that is coming, that I paid $420 shipped new, I need to totally redesign my outbuilding, maybe even build an overhang section off the front to plasma cut under(goodbye to old style oxy acetylene systems I once owned years ago), so I guess having an electrician install 240 service is just too much of a pain in the, errrr, right now. I do wish I had option for more ac frequency and more pulse frequency adjust, just in case in the future, of the 250 ex or whatever it was. It would be "funny" if in the next week or so I suddenly have 240 volt 40-50 amp service installed in the end of my out building for less than I thought, ha, would negate having a 110/220 machine instead of a more powerful machine for several hundred more.
Really, I have about six items heavy pitted that if I can restore them to functionality and appearance that I can sell them to those who need those items, they are parts for larger items, rare and expensive to get in pristine condition. I can work out the methods to repair/rebuild those in the usual corroded area, I'll pay for my welding machines and improvements. In fact, I'd like to get to the point folks send me those damaged items for restoration, probably have to get a mill/drill machine and lathe as well, the whole out building could end up a tig/small time machine shop.

[zoama]

What made you choose a lotos plasma cutter ?

[everlastsupport]

Welcome aboard Budbd. You should go for 50 amps. You will need that for a 250EX, also, figure you will have a compressor that might pop on, etc. Maybe get a little bigger if you can. If you can get the electrician to run a whip (pigtail) over it will probably save some money too. But that is up to the electrician.

I think you'll probably find the 200DX will be all you will need. It's rare we use 200 amps on our 250EX.

If you can, snap up some pictures of the car works and projects.

You can make an adapter from the 4 prong stove outlet to the welders three prong. The stove outlet probably has a neutral to run a time clock and electronics on 110vac.

[budbd]

What made you choose a lotos plasma cutter ?

I WISH I COULD GO BACK IN TIME A COUPLE DAYS AND KNOCK THE MOUSE AND KEYBOARD FROM MY HAND, HA, SHOULD HAVE WENT EVERLAST FOR THE WARRANTY!
Ha, yeah, sorry bout the lotos, well, I wasn't gonna buy a plasma cutter till I got this whole welder thing solved, but I did see the video on the everlast mosfet, and I was impressed with the Canadian guy doing the demonstration, though I aint no expert but I do know mosfet is old tech, it was in the $500 price range that I wanted to spend, at this time, then on ebay I saw a seller selling a brand new pilot arc 110/220 lotos for $430 with a make an offer bar, so I made an offer and I accepted a counteroffer of $400 plus $20 shipping and handling. I can tell ya I may have made a mistake, seller had open box new unused, probably no warranty, unless he is an authorized dealer, and theirs is only one year anyway. I actually was seriously thinking about a everlast multi plasma/welder, but not having a 240 receptacle twisted my brain around just what to do. The everlasts probably have a big time warranty like the welders, I just didn't want the mosfet pilot arc and wanted a 1gbt type, I haven't seen what you have in one of those, probably more than $500.

I tell ya though, I do know that I am sticking with everlast products, this whole lotos plasma arc cutter was a mistake to be sure, all about saving a few bucks. I just got impatient and greedy cause I need to make some things, need to cut up some scrap metal. Even right now I am gonna investigate what and what price range a 1gbt style pilot arc plasma everlast has, I have a bad feeling about that lotos coming all the way from New York, but with ebay buyer protections, if it don't work, its going back to the seller.

But like I said, I must not have been thinking correctly, what do I care if a unit is mosfet, with a 5 year warranty, that's great. I guess the allure of saving just a hundred bucks, I could pay for this mistake dearly. If my lotos pilot arc is faulty and I get a refund, you can bet I sure am going with that $500 everlast mosfet unit on ebay. WEll, actually, mistake number two, that I bought a quantity of comsumables and they claim it only fits lotos plasma cutters, though they look the same as the mosfet 50p uses, at a glance.

I guess its all about being in a hurry, I have $600 worth of items that need rebuilding and turn them into $2400 worth of items, I've had them in boxes stored away for just too long, and I get tired of paying high prices for pristine undamaged rare parts.

[sportbike]

one guy even runs a 100 foot extension out to his garage. But that will need to be 10 gauge.

Yup, that's me. I thought about putting in a real service in my garage, but didn't get to it this summer. Looks like the extension is here to stay at least for awhile.

[budbd]

I had me an electrician come by to give me an estimate to put 240volt 50 amp service in my outbuilding, only gonna cost me about $500. Gonna get that installed, so I decided to change my order with the fine and patient folks with everlast, thanks, to a 250 EX, not that the 200 dx wasn't a lot of machine, but my requirements will maybe need a high pulse frequency adjustability and more options for alloy repairs, and a fifty buck consumables kit along with a gas lense upgrade kit for another fifty.

I was lucky, the power pole is right next to my outbuilding, therefore making it not so expensive, otherwise it can be a big problem.

My only problem is knowing which receptacle to have installed, supposedly, but my welder looks like it will arrive by the time I get my estimate in the mail and have electrician come over, they probably will have to get a work permit. I am sure I will be able to repair most easily a wide range of smaller ferrous and alloy damaged items better with the bigger machine. I might still have to make an extension cord, maybe for using my plasma cutter and other old buzzbox welder in my back yard area.

Ha, when I think of the time I tried to repair something rare and expensive with too strong or too weak welders I already have, I can't wait to be "free" to do most anything, especially on small delicate items.

[Rambozo]

The outlet you will need is a NEMA 6-50. If possible you might want to put in a sub panel with one 40 amp breaker feeding a 6-50 outlet for your welder, and space to add at least a second breaker for future expansion. The sub panel can be 50 amp service or higher, get quotes for 50, 60, etc. The only difference is the cost of the wire, as the breakers are all about the same price. There will be price steps where the conduit goes up in size, so the best bang for the buck is right under one of those steps.

Everyone loves the 250EX, it's a great choice. The one thing the 200DX has going for it that the 250EX doesn't is the dual voltage option. However, the 250EX used to have a 3 phase power option, but I'm not sure if the new ones still do. Come to think of it, I'm not sure if the 2013 250EX even comes with a plug. The 3 phase option meant it has a different power cord than the other models. I'm sure a call or email to Oleg will answer any questions about that.
If that is the case, you could go with whatever 240 plug/outlet option you want, like a twist lock, 6-50, or 14-50, etc.

[budbd]

Yeah, thanks for the advice, being unsure bout a lot of things, electrician shows up faster than expected, I figure it would be nice for the welder to have maybe more than 50 amps, like a 60 amp, don't know if they do that, and I did mention I might want a second outlet possible on the other end of the building, ha but wow, my outbuilding is filled with old furniture and exercise equipment that needs to go, along with pulling down the bogus paper backed fiberglass insulation I can reuse for a different area under my home, to make the building "fire proof". My only problem was to mention I'd like a 110 volt outlet for the shop lights, right now I have an extension cord running over the outbuilding, ha,

[Rambozo]

You will be able to pull 120v circuits off that sub panel, too. So try and get as much power out there as you can afford. A lot depends on your main service. If you have 100 amp service you might be limited to a 50 amp sub panel. Much of that depends on local codes. Ask your electrician what your options are.

[budbd]

I'm pretty sure that welder doesn't come with a plug, thank goodness, I might go with twist lock, WHEN I get my estimate and electrician over to do the work. I should stop posting on this thread when its titled for the dx 200 and I am getting the 250EX now. I think the 250 ex comes with a regular torch, I mean, I don't feel the need to go water cooled till later, besides that, I don't have a water cooler on order, I should call to get some specifics if mine comes in with a water cooled torch only. Changing my order gave me some extra time to spare, several weeks supposedly, its giving me time to clear out my outbuilding of all the unnecessary hoarded household items, and tools that need to be back in my other but smaller custom built "shed" building.

[DaveO]

Just FYI, according to the website
http://www.everlastgenerators.com/Po...EX-381-pd.html

... the 250EX comes with a type 18 water-cooled torch. There are some work-arounds, such as connecting water from a garden hose or sink and allowing the "return" water to drain, or a submersible pump in a 5 gallon bucket. The 250 is a kick-a@@-take-names machine, congrats!

[budbd]

WEll, nobody told me I needed a water cooler, and I got sold a gas lense improvement kit or some sorts, so maybe there are two types of torches.
I don't need water cooling, I mean, maybe if I was doing production or something. Ha, that would be kind of strange, I mean, no mention of "better buy a water cooler", I read that too and you can't use a water cooled torch without a water cooler. Dunno, getting tired of trying to piece this mystery together to crack the secret codes, ha.

[everlastsupport]

WEll, nobody told me I needed a water cooler, and I got sold a gas lense improvement kit or some sorts, so maybe there are two types of torches.
I don't need water cooling, I mean, maybe if I was doing production or something. Ha, that would be kind of strange, I mean, no mention of "better buy a water cooler", I read that too and you can't use a water cooled torch without a water cooler. Dunno, getting tired of trying to piece this mystery together to crack the secret codes, ha.

You can cool the torch from your tap or faucet. No need for a cooler. I do it all the time. Hit local hardware store and get a couple cheap fittings and done.

[DaveO]

When I was a kid about to buy my first car I would go to the classified ads and look for "Camaro" and "Firebird". Didn't have a ton of cash so looked into car loans at whatever % interest. I thought the interest rate applied to the dollar amount of the sale price- nobody TOLD me the interest rate applied to the amount of the unpaid loan... and nobody TOLD me I'd need insurance. But these were important details to understand and consider, got a few harsh lessons along the way.

In TIG welding there are a lot of details to consider and weigh and juggle- a lot of balls in the air at once. I wonder if re-thinking your requirements and getting a 200DX would be a good idea. There's about a thousand guys on the forum who would tell you the 200DX is one fine machine. The power requirements are about the same and you would not need a water cooler so there's one or two less balls to juggle, and no one would think the worse of you for saying "That's more than I planned on". You could stay with the 250EX and get an air-cooled torch (about $70 from Everlast) but that would be more expense and you'd have to stay under 200 amps, so you'd pay more AND be limited to 80% of the machine's capability until you picked up or built yourself a DIY water cooler.

That's an option for you, too: there's plenty of DIY cooler builds here on the forums, and on the internet. You've got options, and there's plenty of ideas here if you'd like to ponder them.

[budbd]

Yeah, trying to get into tig welding all at once, but I do have welding experience and its just these minor incumberances, errr, of money to be sure, proper electricity installed to avoid bogus extension cording(it would not have been easy, all through windows, etc), then I definitely wanted a more powerful welder, I mean, I have an associates degree in industrial technology, being automotive technology/minor in welding from twenty years ago, once had eight ASE certifications which was "Master Mechanic" status, so I know the limitations of not being able to repair rare or hard to weld parts, or be able to build custom parts, when you can't do it, you like get frustrated.

Well, not sure if I want to skimp and not have a water cooler, one thing that confuses me is that if it plugs into the welder and draws 240, I wonder if that causes some sort of excessive power drain, I mean, I will just have a 240 volt only 50 amp breaker, but I am sure there is no real problem, though a secondary water line is just outside my building with a water hose attached, not sure how that works over a water cooler, like I am sure the water dumps, maybe, but the water cooler and it with "water" hooked up all the time, surely that means it isn't supposed to be full of water all the time to avoid corrosion, other than indeed adding in a regular air cooled torch for most uses, cause I need to see the size of that water cooled torch, like if its too big and welding material to actually need a water cooled torch all the time. If you think a mere decently powered welder if a big deal, you ought to have seen my estimate for installing a 240 volt 50 amp receptacle, with four 120 volt 20 amp outlets for shop lights and such, new 12 circuit indoor flush mount panel, all labor and materials, permit, etc,.....at $1444. At least I could add in a lathe later. I don't think I can have more than a 50 amp breaker for some reason, probably don't matter, its that "just in case" .

No, for my uses, a 200dx might have had less ac and pulse frequency for really delicate jobs and total control of the work, especially if I repair or make aluminum items, or other non ferrous. Oh sure, a machine up to five or more hundred dollars less, in the dx 200, it would likely be all that I need, who knows, I hate limitation. Haha, I once bought thousands of dollars in automotive engine rebuild tools back in 1994, and there most of them still are in their mac tools cases never used. I mean, eventually, I get me a lathe and mill drill out there, I'll probably be spending all my time out there, and even if I move I can take the building with me.

Besides all that, my biggest limitations was having my shop area electrified, once that has to be done anyway, a few hundred more dollars is just is just more of my savings. It's possible I will be able to recondition some small items for some spare cash in the future.