I Mig 200

[MigPlazArc]

On the I Mig 200 it has a voltage dial, an arc force dial, and a "wire speed amps (stick)" dial. Could you explain this in detail? Is the arc force the amp dial and the wire speed amps (stick) wire feed rate for mig? Is the wire speed amps (stick) for amps on stick welding?

[performance]

No,
The mig adjusts both voltage and wirespeed.... Left dial is for voltage. Right far dial is for adjusting wire speed. Amps and wire speed in MIG are different ways of looking at the same thing. Increasing wire speed increases amps. Amps are only adjusted by the wire feed speed control. The middle dial is inductance. This controls the pinch point timing of the wire, and the fluidity of the puddle.

[MigPlazArc]

No,
The mig adjusts both voltage and wirespeed.... Left dial is for voltage. Right far dial is for adjusting wire speed. Amps and wire speed in MIG are different ways of looking at the same thing. Increasing wire speed increases amps. Amps are only adjusted by the wire feed speed control. The middle dial is inductance. This controls the pinch point timing of the wire, and the fluidity of the puddle.

So how does it know how many amps to use? The Hobart I've been using has a dial for feed rate and a dial for the amps.

[performance]

Look again. I'd be willing to bet its a voltage setting and a wire feed rate, or a voltage setting and an amp control. What you are calling amps is most likely volts.

You are dealing with entirely two different animals though. We are sell inverters. The hobart are transformers. BIG difference on capability and adjustability. The Hobart is limited to "tap" settings. Everlast inverters offer unlimited volt/amp selections.

[SeanMurphy265]

It's a nice welder and I have enjoyed my Imig200. I wired a heavy duty 110v plug to my welder, and then made a 3' pigtail with a 110v to a 220v plug. It provides a lot of power in a smaller package, and you can lug it around a job site.

[MigPlazArc]

Look again. I'd be willing to bet its a voltage setting and a wire feed rate, or a voltage setting and an amp control. What you are calling amps is most likely volts.

You are dealing with entirely two different animals though. We are sell inverters. The hobart are transformers. BIG difference on capability and adjustability. The Hobart is limited to "tap" settings. Everlast inverters offer unlimited volt/amp selections.

Okay, this makes me look like a complete idiot... So I just went and looked at it. Sure enough right next to the dial it says volts big enough to see it from 15-20 ft away. Funniest part is now that I see it, I've seen it before. >:[ No idea how I came up with amps for it.

Thanks everybody for helping me get it straight

[MigPlazArc]

It's a nice welder and I have enjoyed my Imig200. I wired a heavy duty 110v plug to my welder, and then made a 3' pigtail with a 110v to a 220v plug. It provides a lot of power in a smaller package, and you can lug it around a job site.

Yeah I want to get one but it's out of my price range for now... I want to wire for 220 then have a pig tail so I can use it on 120 if I need to.

[dblake22]

I wired a heavy duty 110v plug to my [Imig200], and then made a 3' pigtail with a 110v to a 220v plug.

I want to wire for 220 then have a pig tail so I can use it on 120 if I need to.

Sean,

From a safety point of view, you should follow MigPlazArc's method. It is dangerous to have a pigtail that would allow someone to plug a 120 volt appliance into a 240 volt supply. With MPA's pigtail, the worst you could do is plug a 240 volt load into a 120 volt supply. No harm, no foul.

Bottom line: always wire a 120/240 volt load with a 240 volt plug, and then make up a pigtail to allow connecting it to a 120 volt supply.

[jerky]

since the last post was back in september, i think he managed, or got a good zap.

[SeanMurphy265]

No, I just been out of pocket the last couple of weeks. So this is why I made a pigtail from 110 to 220. I had a Millermatic 211 which comes with a 110v plug and a 220v adapter that screws into the 220 plug. Since I am the only one who uses my welder I do not have to worry about someone plugging a 110 something into a 220 plug. I worked out of my home and did not have an outside 220v plug, and most projects all I needed was 110v. I made a 30' extension chord that would plug into my dryer outlet. So here's why I am not worried about someone plugging my pigtail into my 220v dryer plug. I used the same type of male plug that Miller uses on their 220v plugs on my pigtail. I use the same plug on my plasma cutter, 200DX,and PowerArc 200. My dryer plug is not the same plug that miller uses it has the slanted prongs instead of the straight prongs. If someone by some chance used my pigtail they would have to use the extension chord and they would have to move my dryer so they could plug it in. My Power Arc 140 is wired the same way with a 110v plug, and I use my pigtail if i need some extra power for a quick job. I wired the same basic pig tail for my generator as well, I can plug my 110v welder plug into my 220v plug on my generator. I'll dig them out and post some pictures tomorrow.

[performance]

Although I agree with the sentiment to go from 240plug to a 110V plug....
The less than 100% duty cycle of the machine will typically allow this type use under the NEC sec 640 for a welder. The IMIG 200 doesn't pull a lot of power either. Most people aren't aware that the NEC allows a smaller conductor, or plug to be used when the unit has a duty cycle limitation. I don't have the exact formula, but a 35% duty cycle machine allows a considerable derating.

[SeanMurphy265]

Let add a little more. I purchased the Imig 200 because my Millermatic 211 weighed 70lbs+ with a roll of wire. It's a good machine and had no problems. I wanted to be able to carry my mig welder on jobs, especially jobs were having a mig welder could speed things up greatly. I also bought it because it will run at 200amps (max) if I need it, but I did not purchase it to run at 200amps all the time. If I was going to run it that hard I need a more powerful mig welder. Also if I were going to weld anything over 1/2" I would break out my Power Arc 200. I did have plans to purchase the Mig250 or MTS 400 but I moved and have not been able to get much business since. I have reasonable expectations out of the machines I own, and I would not ask my machines to run at peak power all day all the time. If I did that I need more powerful machines. It's a good welder that even though still heavy with a roll of wire I can carry it around a job site when needed.

[SeanMurphy265]

My generator plug


My pigtail for my dual voltage welders




My extension chord that I made it's 30'.

[DaveO]

I'd like to make a 110 v cable for my machine. I installed a NEMA 6-50 on the machine, and I was thinking about a pigtail with a 110 v plug for the wall and a 6-50 receptacle at the machine end. Instead of two 110 v legs the 6-50 receptacle on this pigtail would provide only 110v so the 6-50 would be "partially" wired.

The wall plug wires are black - white - green, and the 6-50 is black - red - green. Matching plug black to receptacle black is obvious enough but I'm confusing myself with the next step. Is it a simple green to green match and leave the plug's white wire unconnected?

[I_Love_Plasma]

Yep, KenWhite has it right, lol, nice rhyme.

120VAC ~ Black (+) , White (-) , Bare/Green (G)

240VAC ~ Black (+A) , White (+B) , Bare/Green (G)

[DaveO]

I should have responded to these posts sooner- I bought parts for a 110 pigtail and finally had some playtime today. Got the pigtail wired with a 110 plug and a nema 6-50 receptacle, and it runs like a champ! Did some mig and stick, very impressive. Thanks, Ken and ILP, for your responses!

[I_Love_Plasma]

Yeah glad to help. Keep in mind, that the duty cycle is less on 110-120V.