I recently bought this welder http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=6271

i was just told that it has a 15% duty cycle, meaning for every1.5 minutes of welding i have to let it cool for 8.5.

Is there any way to increase the duty cycle?

kevan

AFAIK, not really. Your best bet if you want a better duty cycle is to buy a welder that you won't be running at max output. If the thickness of steel you will be working with the most requires around 110 amps, then a welder with 120 amp max output will get frustrating to use as you are constantly letting it "rest". If you have a welder who's max output is 175 amps, when used at the 110 amps the duty cycle will be much better (probably greater than 35%). Plus the extra power is there for the times you are working with material thicker than normal for you.

yup, buy another welder! serious though, duty cycle is one of the key features you need to examine when spec'ing out welders. now you understand why that harbor freight deal only ran you $200.

a welder is one of those things you need to dish out the extra cash up front, you don't want to be buying one twice. and stick to the name brands (Miller, Hobart, Lincoln, etc), anything else you'll be disappointed.

-Rob

ive heard that these welders are made by a top brand of welders. 200 bucks for a 230 volt mig, you know you cant pass that up when you are short for cash and need a bigger welder like that. Also its not like ill be welding for a living. This is my first welder, ive never even held on before. Duty cycle cant be that big of a deal, that 15% is at max amperage right?

IS the duty cycle a timed cycle or is it measured by heat?

kevan

duty cycle is a function of the particular make/model of welder you choose. there is no way to easily increase this without buying a new welder

yes, duty cycle is usually rated at the welders max output... and does get higher as the output is turned down. meaning, when you spec a machine, its a good idea to get one with a max output higher than what you normally weld at, that way you're not bouncing off the duty cycle all the time.

15% is not a very good duty cycle, especially for a 220v machine. light duty machines generally have about a 20% duty cycle. medium dutys are around 40-60% (like the Miller 251 I use), and industrial units that go up to 100% duty cycle.

basically you are stuck with the duty cycle of the machine you bought. If you are looking at welders, look closely at duty cycle as its just as important of a consideration as max output.


-Rob

Hmmm I learn something new everyday. This is why i posted "welders do's and don'ts" Well i am stuck with it, it will just take a little bit longer, oh well im learning

kevan

The welder should have a thermostat and it will cut out when it gets too hot. You don't have to time it or anything, my welder has a 20% duty cycle at full power and I've never tripped the thermal protector. Just use it and have fun, you may end up satisfied with it.

It's pretty much been said... you can't increase it unless you buy another welder...

If it's a hobby welder and maybe a toy to learn some welding techniques with... realistically, when are you going to be welding for 1.5 minutes straight?
If you make a 15-20 second zap here and look at the weld, hit it with the hammer, do whatever, that whole time is rest time... another 15-20 second zap with the welder.
Very few times are you going to be welding anything that you'll weld for 1.5 minutes straight without stopping, especially if it's a stick welder... you'll have to stop to change sticks.

Unless you are doing a lot of welding or building something, I wouldn't worry about it. If you want a really good welder, start saving now. You have a unit that will do a light duty job and didn't cost a lot. If you start saving now, when you get good at welding or that one craps out on you, you'll have some money to go buy a really good name brand unit like others have suggested.

thank you for that info steve, that is exactly what i was wanting to hear. Would it help any if i put a fan by it to blow the heat away thus increasing the duty cycle??

kevan

Getting the heat out of the unit is important, some welders come with a fan and the have a hole in the case for where the fan would go. If you don't have a fan you may be able to add one but I wouldn't do anything until you just use it for a while. If you think about it 1 or 2 minutes of continuous welding would get you pretty far if you were making a continuous weld. Use it and see how long you can go without tripping the thermal overload. Make sure you use short extension cords if needed and make sure they are no thinner than 12 gauge.