welder generator?

[Kossetx]

I learned long ago to make the wife happy and have successfully done it for 38 years. I can see this "we need backup power" isn't going to go away.

NVE co op has been good up to the last 12 months or so. Power goes out a lot. The idea of having a dedicated genny just doesn't appeal to me and I'm looking at my options and one of those is a weld/gen for backup. anyone power their house with one? I used a Hobart last summer and it was darn quiet and that may be the way to go. I have a 1000 sqft awning within 20 feet of my power supply so I could park it there and run to some kind of switch gear.

As the 38 years of marriage would tell you I'm not young anymore. I've been welding a lot in the last year but that comes and goes as needed. Anyone else use a welder to back up?

[BrianL]

I learned long ago to make the wife happy and have successfully done it for 38 years. I can see this "we need backup power" isn't going to go away.

NVE co op has been good up to the last 12 months or so. Power goes out a lot. The idea of having a dedicated genny just doesn't appeal to me and I'm looking at my options and one of those is a weld/gen for backup. anyone power their house with one? I used a Hobart last summer and it was darn quiet and that may be the way to go. I have a 1000 sqft awning within 20 feet of my power supply so I could park it there and run to some kind of switch gear.

As the 38 years of marriage would tell you I'm not young anymore. I've been welding a lot in the last year but that comes and goes as needed. Anyone else use a welder to back up?

I have a Miller Bobcat 225 that will run my house. I backfeed thru my crackerbox welder 50 amp plug. I also have a couple of Honda 2000 if I have to run it longer term. The welder was a tax deduction.

[Dspivey]

Following!

[MASTERS]

My miller 250 will, but its not very fuel efficient.

[Soggy Bottom]

Ran my Bobcat 250 last week for 40 hours. Used 40 gallons of fuel. It kept us warm but not very fuel efficient.

[gvick]

Check with some of the rental companies. Some times you can pickup a good used Vantage that will run your entire house. and it will come on a lil trailer ready to go.

[Kossetx]

That's what makes the decision so hard. I've thought about the tractor pto driven generators. They're bigger and would still allow me to use my welder around the farm. I think the pto generator would be more efficient. Just a lot to think about.

[CEO]

We've used diesel welders in the past for generators. Our Miller's have around 10kW. I probably would've used one of our Vantage machines during this last storm, but someone decided they needed it more than us a few months ago. Ended up taking a light tower home and running off of it.