300 or 225amps for arc welder?

Where are you located?
I'm getting ready to put a old Hobart TR250 HF machine up for sale.
300 amp AC/DC output with soleniods to control water and gas High Frequency start Leads, stinger and ground clamp TIG torch (air cooled) Torch consumables Brand new Harris Regulator for Argon Brand new Foot pedal 1 Omni view welder helmet and 1 Solar 120 auto-darkening helmet Leather welders bib jacket and new gloves Operators/repair manual
Weighs about 500 lbs and have lift equip to load onto pickup truck or trailer. Sit on small caster deck to ease in moving around the shop. Needs a 100 amp circuit to run on 240v/1ph. Can be tapped for 480v
$500 O.B.O in Holiday, Fl.
Regards
Jim Vrzal
Rich wrote:

If you're welding a bridge or battleship, get the 300amp model. For most stick welding, 100-150 amps does the job, so the 225 amp model is more than adequate.

Agreed on the 225 amp recommendation. The max required by 1/8" rods is about 130 amps which are the largest typically available at other than a welding supply. The next step up is 5/32" which can use up to 155 amps. Hotter is not necessarily better, as warpage must be considered as well. Getting curves out of what is supposed to be straight can be a real chore.

Duty cycle is better on the 300, and in my opinion, you get smoother strikes, and better current regulation on the bigger units. But granted, that might just be a gut feeling with no real scientific basis. I will say however, that even on my Miller Thunderbolt 300, that if I stay within the rated duty cycle, that on the higher end of the current range (175-225 Amps), the thing gets a lot hotter than I'd expect, and on one occasion, the transformer started to smell. This tells me that on this model, that they might be "pushing" the ratings/duty cycle just a bit. And yer right, almost all average welding is all at less than 130 Amps. I love my Thunderbolt.