Battery for powering welder
 

The more crazy stuff I build inspires me and permits me to build even wilder things.

In one build I started out by installed a full size car battery and inverter on my generator and discovered how much I liked not running my loud smelly 7kw generator. Then things got a little out of hand:
Home made solar inverter generator hybrid - EcoRenovator
That gave me the idea.

Then here I made my mig welder about 20% more efficient with power factor correction:
EcoRenovator - View Single Post - Eco mod my welder
This was originally done to make my welder run better on long runs of extension cord and on 15 amp circuits that didn't belong to me.
It just so happens this will make my welder corporate better with the power inverter.

I run 0.025 wire and CO2, this welds very good with minimal power. Around 1700 watts on startup and tappers off to around 1500 watts once stabilized.
Using flux core wire it takes more like 2200 to 2400 watts on start up and tapers off down to around 2000 watts. Likely too much for this inverter.

The battery power for my welder will come from a 2000w samlex pure sine wave inverter that can handle up to a 4000 watt start up surge attached to my LiFePO4 starting batteries:
DIY: BYOB, for more power, a lot less weight - Page 6 - Diesel Place : Chevrolet and GMC Diesel Truck Forums

While the battery and inverter are in my vehicle I can charge the battery with solar and/or my more efficient heavy duty alternator.
New alt:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...tor-33199.html

Vehicle solar:
http://ecomodder.com/forum/showthrea...els-32752.html
140 watts of solar installed, working my way to 180 watts then I will further expand the solar panels to between 220 and 400 watts.
Depending on how crazy I want to get.

The samlex power inverter is still in the mail so a real world test is at least a few days away.