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