The numbers behind the badge
Will that welder run in your garage?
A 200 amp badge does not tell you what breaker the machine needs or how long it can weld before it has to cool. We take the specs the manufacturer publishes and turn them into the circuit the machine requires and the minutes of arc you get in every ten. When a number is not published, the table says "Not published". We never estimate one.
Find the breaker your welder needs See 11 machines side by side
- Badge
- 140 Atop of the output range
- Rated output
- 90 Aat 19 V DC
- Duty cycle
- 20 %of a ten minute window
- Arc per ten
- 2 minthen 8 min cooling
- Input draw
- 20 Aat 115 V, rated load
- Circuit
- 20 Aindividual branch circuit
From the manufacturer's spec sheet, checked 2026-09-19. How to read it
Start here
Three questions to settle before you order- 1 What size breaker does a welder need? Read it from the manual, not the badge A welder's output amps do not tell you its breaker. Where the manufacturer publishes input amps, breaker and wire size, and what to take to your electrician.
- 2 Welder duty cycle, explained as minutes of arc per ten Duty cycle is the share of a ten minute window a welder can run before it must cool. How to turn the percentage on the badge into minutes of arc you can use.
- 3 110v vs 220v welder: what each outlet can deliver A 120 volt outlet tops out near 2,400 watts, and a welder cannot put out more than it takes in. What 240 volts changes, and how to choose for a home garage.
Ranked picks
Scored on published specs-
Best plasma cutters for a home shop, by clean cut, air and circuit
LOTOS, PrimeWeld, Bestarc, YesWelder and ArcCaptain plasma cutters compared on published clean cut, air flow at a stated pressure, input amps and breaker.
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PrimeWeld TIG225X vs ARCCAPTAIN TIG200P AC/DC: circuit, arc time and support
Two budget AC/DC tig welders for aluminum, compared on published input current, breaker, duty cycle and who pays shipping on a warranty claim.
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Best mig welders, ranked by what your circuit can actually feed
Five gas-capable mig welders compared on published duty cycle, input amps and breaker. Two are rated for a 20 amp circuit. Three ask for 50.
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Best multiprocess welders, ranked by what they need from the wall
Six dual voltage multiprocess welders compared on published duty cycle, input amps and breaker. Most list 35 to 46 amps of input on a 120 volt outlet.
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Best welder for beginners: start with the outlet you have
Five beginner welders compared on what they need from your outlet. Only one is rated for a 20 amp household circuit. Plus what else you must buy to start.
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Best welding helmets, compared on what the makers actually publish
Six auto darkening welding helmets ranked on published safety standards, shade range, low amp tig rating, weight and warranty. One maker names no standard.
All guides
22 pages-
Plasma cutter air requirements: what size compressor you need
Published air needs for LOTOS, PrimeWeld, Hypertherm and other plasma cutters, in CFM at a stated pressure, and how to read a compressor label against them.
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PrimeWeld welders and plasma cutters: specs, breakers and the warranty terms
PrimeWeld TIG225X, CUT50 and CT520D on published input current, breaker and duty cycle, plus what the three year warranty covers.
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What a welding starter kit really costs, measured against the welder
A flux core starter kit costs about four and a half times the cheapest welder. Every item priced relative to the machine, with the method stated.
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ArcCaptain welders: the budget brand that prints a breaker size
ArcCaptain's main welders compared on published input current and breaker guidance, plus warranty conflicts, manuals and what is not published.
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Beginner welding mistakes: twelve common ones and how to fix each
The twelve mistakes most new welders make with a wire feed machine, how to spot each one in the bead, and the single change that fixes it.
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Can my electrical panel handle a welder?
A 100 amp panel can often run a home welder, but it depends on what else the panel feeds. What to check yourself and what to hand an electrician.
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Dual voltage welders: one machine, two sets of specs
A dual voltage welder runs on 120 or 240 volts, but its output, duty cycle and breaker change with the plug. Read both ratings before you buy.
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Flux core welders explained: the no-gas way to start
What a flux core welder is, how gasless wire shields a weld, what it suits and where it struggles, and what to check on a listing before buying one.
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How to weld: your first bead with a wire feed welder
The first session with a mig or flux core welder: prepare the metal, set up from the machine's chart, hold the gun, run a bead, and read what you made.
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Mig vs tig vs stick: which welding process fits your projects
What mig, flux core, tig and stick welding are in plain words, what each suits, what each needs you to buy, and which to learn first.
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Mig welders explained: what the specs mean and what to check
What a mig welder is, how to read its amps, duty cycle and input current, what gas and wire it needs, and where to go next to pick one.
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Mig welding gas: which gas, which cylinder, and how to buy it
Which shielding gas a mig welder needs for mild steel, stainless and aluminum, how cylinders are sold, what else to buy, and how to handle one.
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Plasma cutters explained: rated cut, sever cut and the air behind them
What a plasma cutter is, why the thickness on the listing is not the thickness you can cut cleanly, and the compressed air and power it needs.
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Stick welders explained: simple machines, real limits
What a stick welder is, how rods and amperage relate, why it suits outdoor and heavy repairs, and the specs to check before buying one.
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Tig welders explained: AC, DC, and what the extras are for
What a tig welder is, why aluminum needs AC, what high frequency start, lift tig and a foot pedal do, and the specs to check before buying.
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Welder amp draw: what a welder pulls from the wall
Output amps and input amps are different numbers. Published input draw for three common welders, and why the figure in the manual can look too low.
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Welder comparison table: duty cycle, input amps and breaker by model
Eleven welders side by side on published rated output, minutes of arc per ten, input amps and required circuit. Every figure sourced and dated.
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Welder extension cord size: use the manual's table
What gauge extension cord a welder needs and how long it can be, from the manufacturer's published table. Why a thin cord costs you arc performance.
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Welding for beginners: what you need, in the order you need it
A plain starting plan for a first-time welder: pick a process, check your outlet, buy safety gear first, set up a safe space, then practice on scrap.
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Welding helmet shade chart: minimum and suggested shade by amperage
Lens shade numbers for stick, mig, flux core, tig and plasma cutting by amperage: the OSHA minimum beside the AWS suggested shade, with sources.
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Welding projects for beginners: ten to build first, and five to leave alone
Ten first welding projects in order of difficulty, what each one teaches, the steel to buy, and the projects a beginner should not attempt.
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YesWelder welders: what the manuals say about power, duty cycle and support
YesWelder's main machines side by side on published duty cycle and input current, plus warranty, manuals and what the brand does not publish.
How Rated Arc works
01
Every spec sourced and dated
Each figure comes from the manufacturer's manual, spec sheet or current listing, with the model number and the date we checked it. We do not bench-test machines, and we say so.
02
Gaps are shown, not filled
If a maker does not publish an input current or a breaker size, the cell reads "Not published". That gap is part of the review.
03
Requirements, not instructions
We print what a machine requires so you can talk to a licensed electrician. We do not publish wiring steps, and structural welding belongs to a certified welder.