Welder/Generator

Many of us are constantly looking for new innovations that give us more functionality in our tools for both less cost and less space used. A welder/generator is a great new idea that provides both an electrical generator and a powerful welder in one compact tool. You can buy welder/generators from a variety of quality brands and vary primarily in the amount of power they can generate. Welder/generators are available online, or from industrial supply or tool shops that carrying welding equipment and generators.

Both welders and generators are incredibly convenient pieces of equipment to have nearby. A welder allows you to weld steel and other metals together and provides the ability to do everything from quick fixes of your critical tools all the way up to full-fledged fabrication from metal. A generator can provide a constant stream of electricity when supplied with gas that is helpful to have when the power is out, or when you are located somewhere where household electricity is not easily obtained like a remote job site. A welder/generator brings both of these great tools together and saves you both space and money by buying them together.

Be careful since some welder/generators can do either task but not both together, while others are designed for both welding and power generation simultaneously. In general, a unit that can do both together will cost a bit more. In order to decide which is right for you, think about your typical usage. If you often need to weld and run other tools off the generator at the same time and not being able to do both will cause a slowdown in your work, but one that can do both functions at the same time. On the other hand, buying the unit primarily for it's welding abilities and planning to use the generator only a few times as backup for when the power is down means that you can probably get away with a unit that only allows either welding or power generation at one time.

When choosing which welder/generator to buy, make sure that the power supplied matches up with your needs. On the welding side, be sure that the welder can provide the power and amperage necessary for the types of welding jobs you do. On the generator side, total up the power consumption of your devices in order to understand what capacity generator you need. In general, you don't want more power than you need, but you also don't want to have to unplug one device to plug in another every time. Also remember that while a tool's resistive/running load may be relatively low, it might required 5 times or more power to start! Take this starting load into account when buying your welder/generator.

If you found this useful, please see my other related articles about plasma cutting machines, CNC plasma cutters, and inverter welders.