It's amazing what some of these "smart" welders are doing these days with so little current draw. I have been using a 175A Lincoln for the past two decades, and it will draw over 22 Amps with 220V supply.
The 16A draw at 125V on your welder is pretty mild for a welder. Consider that the 115V outlets are normally 15A supply. You could theoretically get away with something in the 2.5 or 3kw range, but I would suggest something in the 5kw range would give you some breathing room in case you want to run some lights, a fan, or some other items concurrently. Your welder should ideally be on a 20A circuit as opposed to a 15A.
I have a 5kw generator that came with this house (last guy bought it for the y2K scare). I have used it for a few projects where I did not have electricity, and it has never hesitated. We had the power go out once in the winter where after a few hours I finally dragged it from the shed out to the house to hook up (we have a generator panel installed) but the power came on before I could get it fully hooked. It is wired just for the water pump, the sewage pump, and a couple plugs in the kitchen so the coffee pot can be run. Wood is the source of alternate heat...anything less than a trailer mounted generator would not run an electric furnace here in Manitoba.
Most of the small generators you buy are somewhat over rated and not really meant for long duty. Most of the military generators are somewhat under-rated, and will give better service. Getting parts for them is not as easy.
Last edited by rob love; 03-06-20 at 02:23.
|