will an inverter run off a generator

[Drains]

George, I quote.. "unlike that f****** crappy cosmo mig i got to do some really light fab work". Now that is a very straightforward opinion, regardless of comparison. It's not fair game, it's what somebody thinks! LOTS of people on this forum, and in many other places, believe that oil-cooled welders are good gear; plenty think that cosmo's are not. The fact that you choose to think differently is your right; to belittle others for different opinions, based on experience (and to imply they are bad workmen), is surely not!

Tell you what George, you have an amazing ability to take a thread off topic if one of your favoured brands is slighted. The thread was about generators, not what you think of Cosmo's. Nor what I think of your touchiness, either.

 

[oilcooled :)]

george im not having a go at you when i say this, and were gone off the threads topic, any way
in ireland we call a spade a spade(when were not drunk) i also believe in you get what you pay for, and cosmo is tat the brand you refer too?? it may be fine for tittling around the house to do this and that, but open her out and put her doing proper days work at high amp and see how long it lasts, dont believe me ask someone who knows ask snowcat or tino or any of the fabricators who really test the best machines, anyway enough said, we were talking about generators

 

[GeorgeB]

george im not having a go at you when i say this, and were gone off the threads topic, any way
in ireland we call a spade a spade(when were not drunk) i also believe in you get what you pay for, and cosmo is tat the brand you refer too?? it may be fine for tittling around the house to do this and that, but open her out and put her doing proper days work at high amp and see how long it lasts, dont believe me ask someone who knows ask snowcat or tino or any of the fabricators who really test the best machines, anyway enough said, we were talking about generators

I fear we're in danger of going off topic, as much as I'm happy to debate what's debatable here. Drains says it's OK for anyone to use four letter language to write off certain brands/welders because the majority share that view. I suggest that's either because they have direct experience, or their views have been coloured by forum bias. Fine, it's their opinion. My view might be different. Call it a minority opinion, if you like. So, when I question the rationale behind some of these product criticisms, I'm sort of bullied - almost told the minority opinion is frowned upon - in an attempt to get me to comply with forum norms.

My starting point may be different to yours. I seldom subscribe to the view that you only get what you pay for. Time and time again I find this to be untrue but it's in the interest of anyone selling higher priced goods, of course. I agree with most of what you've written, though, e.g. about arc vs mig, about the difference between professional kit and DIY welding gear for jobs around the house. I exclude professional kit and processes from my considerations. It's not relevant to my needs and I don't know enough about it.

 

[matt1978]

you don't replace them unlike that f****** crappy cosmo mig i got to do some really light fab work for her indoors.

GeorgeB,

I would say that he is qualified to make the comparison and the judgement seen as he actually owns a Cosmo mig and therefore can speak about his Cosmo welder experience albeit good or bad. You have had good experiences with your Cosmo equipment so that doesnt make your opinion wrong, but whenever someone else who has used machines from the bottom end of the price scale and havnt had good experiences with them, you try to defend the bottom end price scale machines to the hilt, even in the face of that own persons personal experience with the cheaper units. I disagree with your opinion that there are "Forum" brands (I am sure that my brand is one which you include in this) that always get touted about and lesser brands get unfairly judged. I still genuinely believe that 99% of regular contributors on this forum talk from a great depth of personal knowledge and experience, when making comments or recomending equipment to other memebers. I truely believe that its not about personal agendas.

To get the post back on subject, in general, Inverters can be used on Generators (provided that they state they are generator compatible), but you just need to ensure that the KVa requirement of the welder is more than matched by the KVa output of the Generator. If the Generator has to work too hard and over revs this can cause mains spikes to go into the Inverter and can cause damage. Although most modern Generators have over rev protection nowadays and good Generator compatible inverters have over/under current protection.

 

[Drains]

I was going to say something about people twisting words (I wasn't condoning swearing, I was arguing that people's opinions are just that); I'd also say that there is a place for minority opinion, which is often not wrong, although this is not, I believe, one of those times.

However, the phrase that really comes to mind is,

DONT FEED THE TROLL!!!

And i've done quite enough of that already.

 

[Charred fingers]

I've been away for a day, but I seem to have stirred up a hornets nest.
Firstly I want to opologise for any offence caused, my comments were
about build quality and reliability rather than a comparison of processes.
My anger aimed at the cosmo I feel is justified (my language probably
not) because after putting up inconsistant wire feed at the lower settings
occaisionally welding 1mm wall small section channel the main board failed
just out of warranty. This was rectified by scrapping the board and
fitting a separate PSU and PWR board to get it work properly which it does!
My grievance is that it should have been fit for purpose and I shouldn't
have had to do that.
Anyway oilcooled sorry for getting your thread dragged all over the place
hope you found your answer among this and I hope this puts it to bed.

 

[oilcooled :)]

arra charred fingers we were only having the craic and the questions answered now, lets end this thread cause its only stiring the sh***. george b happy xmas, an you know what personally i feel that george has been bulied a bit, and i take back anything i said, cause i appreciate the minority opinion happy xmas everybody



and yes its xmas eve just in from pub and YES OILCOOLED IS SLEWED

 

[tombardier]

i tried to run an arc welder on a fairly beefy petrol generator, and it kept on shorting the thing out. Tried it on a much bigger diesel genny, and that was fine. It was just trying to strike the arc that was causing the problem... the current must have been up and down like a whores drawers..

 

[lincoln17]

I have 3 inverters that i regularly use with a generator. They are a fronius transpocket 1500 and 2 EWM 140 amp machines. The genny is a 6.5 KW petrol honda. I dont tend to burn anything bigger than a 3.2 rod and I have never had a problem. The EWM manual states that their machines are generator friendly, but that a machine with a power output of 8.5 kw should be used. I used to run a 5 kw genny but that was a waste of time as you could see the genny was struggling if welding over a 100 amps. I was going to get a bigger genset but over 6.5 the weight becomes a big issue not to mention cost. As regards the Cosmo's issue I have always found you get what you pay for and if someone gave me one I would probably bury it hoping someone would find it in a 1000 years or so. I would then phone Tom palmer in Kilmarnock and order another fronius.