As the electrical load on a small generator increases, the mechanical load on the engine increases as well, resulting in an increase in combustion pressure due to the increased fuel intake. This frequently can be heard in the form of a deeper pitch on the engine.

This is entirely normal, irrespective of whether the load is from a welding machine or other piece of equipment.

Nothing to worry about.

 

I wonder how it would sound with volts and wire speed all the way up lol

 

I've heard people say, and had the experience myself that running an inverter welder off a generator is not good, I've toasted inverter welders that way before.

Unless you have an inverter generator, then you're fine.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

No all generators are created equal.

Non inverters gensets can run welding machines but what the concern should be is the size of the genset.

The bigger the better as the motor doesn't have to struggle as much to keep up with the load put on it.

 

True. I got a Troy-Bilt 7/10.5kW generator because the research I did led me to find out it has <6% THD even though it is not an inverter generator, it does have a more "electronics" it seems that a typical generator would and runs my HTP 221 and Miller 211 very well, within limits. Not that I do any significant amount of mobile welding, it's nice to know I can if I ever needed to. Yes I know, I'm a hobbyist, but I can dream all I want.

 

It's all a crap shoot. Most inverter welders/plasma's do well on both styles of generators. My latest setup is the Cheaper 120 volt inverter generators, and smaller inverter tig/stick power supplies. Have a good light weight setup, with a 8 pound stick Thermal PeeWee 85S and a Champion 100302 RV generator. Output is 95 amps stick with it.. Also used a Thermal 95s, and it outputs 105 amps on the 30 amp RV plug..I am thinking the Thermal-arc 161s will probably get close to 120 amps output with it's PFC setup..Don't have one to try anymore, but something will turn up.. $150.00 for the Pee-Wee. and $515.00 .

By the way, the Thermals would work good on the standard cheap China standard gennys, Thermal-arc 170 , and not so well on on a Honda EU-3000 model. Under powered and not in the ball part of the Champion.

http://www.championpowerequipment.com/products/inverters/100302-3500w-digital-hybrid/

 

Why take a chance? Buy this setup, it should handle 90% of your welding needs.

 

Yes, I agree 100% .......If your running/ trying to start a legitimate business ......You have to have the "tried and true" proven equipment to do the job.......If you want to do this type of work on the "cheap" your fooling yourself and just look like the typical hackster.......as I've said before....."If you can't run with the big dogs you sit on the porch"

 

Inverters or toaster ovens don't know, or care, who is making their line power. Mr. Tig is right, wrong and misleading. Anyway, it doesn't matter who makes the power, a nuke plant 100 miles away or your Horrible Freight 20% off super wonderful lawnmower engine. What does matter is how stable the voltage is, how much distortion there is in the sine wave and how big a load it can support continuously and at peak load.

Just because your generator is a quality brand doesn't mean it can handle the load. Just because you are connected to the utility grid doesn't mean you have enough voltage. If you're already far from the transformer on the pole and you have too long of a run with too small a conductor, your inverter isn't going to be happy.

 

This should take care of everything under a Dynasty 350. A lot of power, and <5% THD at full load.

 

We run my 300Sm Powcon off the generator in the 1950 Hobart portable 6 nights a week for 4-5 months during the rotamill season in the north country. The old Hobart is made so you can either have juice for lights and another welder or weld only with it.

 

There are many factors to consider in this setup.
We assume clean power from commercial providors but, the truth is that it can also be dirty.
A generator can produce clean or dirty power.
An inverter/generator can provide clean or dirty power.

Inverters get more expensive when you desire a true sine wave and high current.
Mostly be because the circuit components and design are more costly.
An engine driven welder has to regulate RPMs and usually at 1800 or 3600.
When you apply a load to the generator, the RPMS will start to dip before the governor can pick up the engine speed.

This dip can cause problems. So many setups have a switch to keep the engine RPMs up and not idle down.

You can filter your AC with a line conditioner.

There are literally more than one way to attack the problem.

Which one you choose can be just personal or it can be an industry standard.

I have considered it quite a bit.

Look at how Miller and Lincoln drive their setups. That might help you see the bigger picture.

 

Transformer based machines, imho, experience less failures than inverter based machines.

The fewer electronics provide fewer sensitive components.

 

I can see this thread going off into the ditch..........

 

I know this is an old thread, but, is exactly what my concern is.
I have the Generac 17500E gen with 26300 starting watts and 17500 running watts.
This is quit a gen unit. It has a 50 amp outlet besides the single 30 amp 240vt and
2 30 amp 110vt 3 prong Aaannnd 3 standard 110vt outlets.
My tig welder is the HTP 221 DV and my mig welder is the HTP mig 2400.
The 2400 has some electronics in it but the 221 is full inverter. Is there some
component that might go between the gen and the welder that would "CLEAN UP" the voltage?
That could spare the welders from any damage that might incur from "dirty" power.
I can't help but to think that there would be something.


Jim

 

Keep the idle Control switch in the off position - you'll be fine.

The "Dirty Power" comes from voltage fluctuations but I'm pretty sure that generac has an AVR- almost all modern gensets have them now.