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Straight answers to the questions people ask most when choosing a three-phase MIG welder for workshop and production use.
Three-phase machines suit fabrication shops, production lines, engineering workshops and anyone welding thicker material or for long periods. A three-phase supply carries more power for a given current per phase, so these machines can give higher output with a steadier load on the supply.If you only have a single-phase supply, you are limited to single-phase machines.
In practice, very little. Older documents and some machine labels refer to 415v, while the current nominal figure for a UK three-phase supply is usually given as 400v. Machines are normally designed to work within a tolerance either side of their rated input, but the allowed range depends on the maker and the model.Check the data plate and the manual for the supply the machine accepts, compare that with the measured supply at your site, and ask a qualified electrician if you are unsure.
Yes, it needs a three-phase connection with the correct cable size and protection for the machine's input current, installed by a competent electrician. The manual states the recommended supply cable and fuse or breaker rating.Do not connect a machine to a circuit that has not been checked for the load. Poor supply causes tripping, overheating and unreliable welding.
Air-cooled torches are simpler and need no extra equipment, and suit many general jobs. Water-cooled torches carry higher current for longer without overheating, so they suit heavy, continuous or production welding, but they need a cooler and a little more upkeep.Choose according to the current and the duty cycle you will use.
Duty cycle is the proportion of a ten-minute period the machine can weld at a given current before it must cool. A higher duty cycle at your working current means fewer interruptions on long welds.If you weld continuously at high current, look at the rating at that current rather than the headline maximum.
A compact machine has the wire feeder built into the power source and is simpler and easier to move. A separate (split) system has an independent wire feeder connected by an interconnecting cable, which you can carry to the work, away from the power source.Separate feeders suit large fabrications and reaching big workpieces, and compact units suit general workshop use.