Calling all metalhead electricians...
Thinking about expanding capabilities into metal... I'm about to finally get rid of a garage full of furniture, and LOML has OK'd taking over 1/2 the garage for metalworking... Thinking about getting an O-A gas rig (what I'm familiar with), but then also augmenting with a electric welder and plasma cutter. I'd hate to underbuy, and also potentially have some ideas that could require up to 1/4" steel sheet, so I started looking at possible combinations...
If I bought new, I'd probably go MIG--the Miller 211 seems like a good deal. For a plasma cutter, I was thinking about the Thermadyne Cutmaster 39. That should theoretically give me 1/4" capabilities...
Then I got a line on a used but basically new Thermadyne Pakmaster 100XL Plus and a Miller Synchrowave 180SD TIG. Honestly, coming from an O-A gas background, TIG seems more like a natural progression, so this really tempts me.
Here's my issue... My garage is currently wired with a 220V circuit. The breaker is a 20A breaker. The line itself, however, is about 50' of 10/3. I know 10/3 will support a 30A breaker. The factory specs for the various machines are:
Miller 211: 25A breaker, 14ga
Thermadyne 39: 20A, 12ga
Miller 180SD: 60A, 8ga
Thermadyne PM 100XLP: 90A, 2ga
So, the 211/39 combo seems very safe (obviously, only one gets plugged in at a time). But, $3K for the 180SD and 100XLP seems like a really good deal for basically new machines w/gas cylinders and extras... Heck, its probably the same cost for a new 211/39 combo when you factor in all the other stuff (cylinders, gas, consumables needed). If I'm not really going to push the machines, can they be run on a 30A/10ga circuit? The danger here is that if I do push it, it trips the breaker, right? Am I being stupid? Is the nature of TIG/plasma such that I'm going to trip the breaker all the time?
The other consideration is that, in the not too distant future, I am thinking of building a barn/woodshop where I could run 90A circuits, so eventually I could step up to full power.
Any thoughts appreciated.