what genny to power mig/compressor! not at same time

[will930]

basically i want a small mig and compressor and a generator to power them! but wont be at the same time!

im after what kinda rating would be best on the genny to power mainly the mig so it wont drop power and make crap welds etc!

 

[karlj]

i was looking at the same thing whilst at work

 

[will930]

like most budget generators are good for lights... grinders etc but i know welders need good power supplies which wont drop away

 

[karlj]

i would suggest one but i wasn't sure what i was looking for

 

[frank]

a mig runs near to the limit of a 13 amp fuse will (as will a 2.5hp compressor) so you need a 3 kva genny minimum
(and bear in mind that most "claimed" 3 kw gennies wont output that much continuously fwn)

 

[Ed]

Depends on the current draw frank. A mig on its lowest setting may only draw a few amps. The compressor will be much more of a problem. You want a generator with about 50% more output than the compressor needs to run as when it starts it will draw all of that.

 

[joesouthgate]

Yer its not ideal but if you have a genny that won't take the kick in of a compressor then you can rev it by hand to kick it in, I have to do that with mine if I have to take it out.

 

[will930]

i get it so essentially

a 4kva genny like these below?
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/120781220951?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/150664760461?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649

id prefer the one in tunbridge wells as its closer

then compressor
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Wolf-Siou...Air_Tools_and_Compressors&hash=item3a6924ee16

thats the one ive been looking at!

and then a small arc welder just for patching up ansd upto 3mm steel if thats possible with an arc... similar to karls or zeds welder

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/130AMP-PO...321?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item2eb2730269

any good?

thats the sort of combi im after! budget and is all useful unless i need to expand etc

 

[frank]

the welder is an AC buzzbox will fwn not very nice to use

 

[sr20bud]

haha yeah melts everything in its path :laugh:

 

[will930]

Well im a mig man but well beyound my budget! Well show me the good small welders that can be run of the genny! And opinions of the genny?

 

[sr20bud]

genny's look orite mate i would go for a dc inverter welder and get some decent rods

 

[karlj]

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/ROCKWORTH...ltDomain_3&hash=item45fd0509c0#ht_1820wt_1270

 

[Guy]

What Karl said . 'INVERTER' is the critical word. Buzz boxes are awful and a waste of time. Mind you, an 80 amp inverter will struggle with 3.2mm rods, you'll be limited to 2.5mm I think.

 

[will930]

i guess it'll survive bodywork lol!

the most i want from the generator max at one would be welder, light(s) and grinder

 

[will930]

so what thickness metal is 2.5mm good for?

 

[Guy]

3 or 4 mm I reckon. Not good for car body work Will (unless you're General Franko) but awesome for general fab work :grinning:.

 

[will930]

well i need it for bodywork ideally! (to fix up the golf)

mmm ill just practise but the 3-4mm is good news!

 

[karlj]

My inverter is good on thin metal on low amps, it's my ability that's lacking

 

[will930]

karl welding is easy to pick up practise is all! its when people fiddle with the nobs on the mig at work then it goes tits up!

is that the same welder you have then?

 

[karlj]

Pretty much the exact one I bought doesn't seem to be there anymore

 

[karlj]

It's getting time and material to practice with

 

[Guy]

I struggle with that too Karl. I need to dig out a local metal supplier or factory and try and get some off cuts. I did get a Mondeo bonnet from a scrappy to practise on but even with 1.5mm rods at about 30 amps, it just kept burning through .

 

[will930]

well surely lower amps and feed rate

oh these dont have feed rates!

id love a gasless mig but there not cheap!

 

[sr20bud]

them gasless migs are not ment to be that good tho are they?

 

[will930]

i havent a clue however i am now a proud owner of a 3yr old honda genny thats beefy and heavy! but it will do for now!

next thing for the genny is get it some rims and a silencer on the exhaust!

any ideas how to silence the exhaust a little?

 

[frank]

any ideas how to silence the exhaust a little?

water tub will (Y) bubbles ftw lol

 

[sr20bud]

water tub will (Y) bubbles ftw lol

lol too right use it as a hot tub as well :grinning:

 

[will930]

water tub? seriously surely water would go back into the exhaust and do damage? i was thinking of extending the pipe a little!

 

[frank]

water tub? seriously surely water would go back into the exhaust and do damage? i was thinking of extending the pipe a little!

aye will, boats have no silencer eh

 

[will930]

i know i know! so your saying make up a pipe and run it into a bucket of water? sounds like clean generating! lol

but i was hoping to have the generator at the back of the garage and run a pipe out?

although i was going to "find" a shopping trolly and utilise the wheels to move the generator and simply have a bucket of water to run it in! i see sounds like a simply plan! i could make use of my old micra zorst or fab up something smaller?

 

[r-reg-sr]

beats having a pipe running into paas moonshine trough :grinning:

 

[will930]

mmm moonshine! im all dry zed! but i have a 'fat one' off you

 

[r-reg-sr]

funny thing had my eye on a abandoned shopping trolly out side here,, but by evening had disapearr'd,,,darn it ,,farmyard animals :laugh:

 

[will930]

haha shopping trolly would be ideal but i dont think they have a brake ideally a brake or something would be ideal to stop it running off!

 

[karlj]

grab an asda trolley they have brakes now (or at least they do here)

 

[will930]

i would but not one very local to me and i could hardly fit it in my car! unless i take some tools and do it at the car park lol

 

[will930]

the generator

the zorst! more puny than the average 998cc cg10, afterall its only 1cyl

 

[sr20bud]

i would but not one very local to me and i could hardly fit it in my car! unless i take some tools and do it at the car park lol

lol take the genny and and an angle grinder and cut it up in the car park :laugh:

 

[karlj]

Are they 110 sockets on the genny?

 

[frank]

the generator


the zorst! more puny than the average 998cc cg10, afterall its only 1cyl

ooh GX270/9hp eh will ? same as our kart engines at work

 

[will930]

is it? ooo nice i know where im going if i have issues!

yeah karl it does have 110 sockets and 2 240 sockets too! orderd a pair of adapters from the blue plug to normal wall plugs!

 

[karlj]

cool got to get myself one aswell now.. garage does't have power :down:

 

[r-reg-sr]

is it? ooo nice i know where im going if i have issues!

yeah karl it does have 110 sockets and 2 240 sockets too! orderd a pair of adapters from the blue plug to normal wall plugs!

this guys going mobile ,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

 

[will930]

yeah ill be gettin a gasless mig soon too as i prefer mig as there simply awesome!

but im sure this one will hold out! pretty smokey though but i think it needs use

 

[karlj]

i wanna get a mig and a decent mask as well the piece of #### one i got with the inverter is useless

 

[will930]

haha dont need masks! i just look away! but luckily i can also go in a stright line so its handy!

but i was looking at the clarke ones on machine mart and some of them are under £200 which id pay for something decent that i can keep with me and use for a long time to come!