Extension leads

[MaxH]

Hi all, looking at getting my first MIG welder (likely the seemingly infamous Clarke 151 EN, or something slightly more powerful). I may also get a stick or TIG welder at some point in the future if that influences any answers.

I plan on welding up to 5/6mm bar/plate/tubing, and one-off thicker pieces for furniture that won't need to have too strong welds (e.g. 12mm thick I-beam flanges).

With this in mind (and as we're already doing building work), I'm going to get a line run from my consumer unit, so:

1. Will a 16A dedicated supply be sufficient, or would 32A be future-proofing or too much?

The only suitable welding area is ~20m away at the end of the garden, so I was planning on having a round 3pin socket installed. But rather than a permanent armoured cable and waterproof socket etc, I'm thinking to install it indoors at my back entrance, then run an extension lead whenever I weld, so:

2. Will I notice any significant power drop by using a 25m extension cord?

And finally:

3. Will the orange caravan extension leads (or any other 2.5mm2 cable), work for this? (for a 16A supply of course)

Thanks in advance! I've already learned a lot from this forum but just couldn't find any exact answers to this in previous threads.

 

[tommullin]

...thinking to install it indoors at my back entrance...

haha (sorry)

16a is ok for a little Clarke, most people use a standard 13a plug and get away with it. I do.

thicker cable will give less voltage drop. 4mm will give less voltage drop (there are online calculators available). 2.5mm over 25m will be ok.

2.5mm is ok for 16a (again calculators available).

you need to make sure the extension lead isn't coiled up when using it. and faff around with running a cable everytime, but the cable doesn't know its it permanent installation or an extension lead.

youll want more sockets for grinders too. you'll get bored of swapping plugs around pretty quickly, or be tempted to use another extension lead plugged into the first, which isn't ideal.

 

[Rig Pig]

Sounds more like a job for a stick welder that a hobby mig.

 

[cumbriasteve]

I think 150 amps sound less than what would be ideal, it works out expensive having to buy another welding set when you realise the first one you bought is not really suited to the task.

You could consider one of the sets that will do both mig and arc, somewhere around 180 or 200amps.

 

[addjunkie]

And to add ohe above...if the suitable welding area is outside, in any wind youll struggle with shielding gas cover using a mig unless you go the no gas route, which though has its place isnt for furniture.

If suitable welding area is inside, shed, garage, etc, do it properly, run a suitably sized wire armoured cable, to a garage consumer unit.

I use a 4mm3 30m blue artic cable extension, no issues with a larger machine than you are suggesting. When in my barn as power hasnt found its way in there yet.

 

[Matrixx]

I have MIG & TIG and have and to fit a 20A type C breaker with 32A commando plugs sockets.

 

[zzr1200]

If your pulling in a main feed from your consumer unit to a garage/shed I'd be using 6mm minimum or 10mm depending on what equipment I wanted to run in the future.

As for just a 20m extension lead I'd be using a 2.5mm minmium for a 200amp mma inverter, for an old style oil cooled welder I'd be using 4mm minimum.

 

[gaz1]

as ive had to do this a few times

you can run a thick extension but its not your normal extensions as i have an older type from building sites a 50ft one

with this type i can run a clarke 151 and also the arc welder

note yours is longer

 

[MaxH]

Appreciate the quick responses everyone, some really useful information!


@tommullin, probably should have proof read that I'll check out those online calculators, and it'll probably be a question for the electrician but if I go 4mm extension surely the initial consumer unit to socket feed should also be 4mm in that case? 2.5mm sounds fine so far though, and I've already got outdoor 13A sockets down there for grinders etc but no idea of the quality of wiring.

@Rig Pig and @cumbriasteve, I thought that may be the case, but combined MIG/Arc sets are making this more expensive. I could probably go for a 180A MIG Clarke 196, then pick up a combined stick/TIG machine at a later date if I ever need it.

@addjunkie, I was planning on going flux core for now, but when I inevitably move I wanted a machine that'll then have the ability to do gas shielded too. Not too worried about spatter as it'll be 'industrial' looking furniture anyway haha.

@Matrixx, I didn't consider running an oversized cable with smaller breaker, that could be useful.

@zzr1200, whatever I get will probably be new inverter based, so thanks for that 2.5mm confirmation.

@gaz1, sounds promising, the extra 5m or so shouldn't change much I'd guess.

 

[Rig Pig]

Appreciate the quick responses everyone, some really useful information!


@tommullin, probably should have proof read that I'll check out those online calculators, and it'll probably be a question for the electrician but if I go 4mm extension surely the initial consumer unit to socket feed should also be 4mm in that case? 2.5mm sounds fine so far though, and I've already got outdoor 13A sockets down there for grinders etc but no idea of the quality of wiring.

@Rig Pig and @cumbriasteve, I thought that may be the case, but combined MIG/Arc sets are making this more expensive. I could probably go for a 180A MIG Clarke 196, then pick up a combined stick/TIG machine at a later date if I ever need it.

@addjunkie, I was planning on going flux core for now, but when I inevitably move I wanted a machine that'll then have the ability to do gas shielded too. Not too worried about spatter as it'll be 'industrial' looking furniture anyway haha.

@Matrixx, I didn't consider running an oversized cable with smaller breaker, that could be useful.

@zzr1200, whatever I get will probably be new inverter based, so thanks for that 2.5mm confirmation.

@gaz1, sounds promising, the extra 5m or so shouldn't change much I'd guess.

You could just pick up a cheap buzz box and see how you get on with it.