Have some projects in the works that will be easier with more power. Will be selling off my 110v Lincoln 140, looking for a Lincoln 180 or 215 or something comparable from Miller or Hobart.

You really put your Lincoln 140 up for sale the day that I get mine shipped to me?! You know I would have bought yours!!

I know, I'm kicking myself. I didn't think it would be even remotely affordable until I started looking around a couple of days ago. I'm waiting to sell it to see what kind of deal I can find before I sell mine, though. I also haven't broken it to my wife that we won't be able to run the dryer and the welder at the same time.

How much was it to add 220v? I can access the back of our dryer pretty easily, and can reach anywhere in my shop with a 25ft extension cord, so it isn't too bad. I'm hoping to swap a gas stove into our kitchen in the next couple of years and free up that electricity. Our electrical box is right over the spot I want to wire 220v to, so if I can make a circuit available it isn't too big a deal to re-run the wiring.

See if your house breaker box can handle the 230v/50amp breaker, I added one to mine and it was really straight forward.

I think my house's service is maxed out, being from 1968. I don't know for sure, but I think our inspector said something about it when we were looking at buying the house.

You might need to add a sub panel if your box is maxed out. The big expense for me is the wire. My panel is on the opposite corner of the house. The heavy gauge wire I need is sold by the foot and I need about 70 feet of it. If I recall right just the wire for the 220 was nearly $300. And i need more 15 amp service as well. So I am looking at spending about $1000 to get my garage to the standard I need. If i needed just a few feet of wire and some boxes and outlets - it would be done.

I actually proposed I make a splitter cord for the dryer - and leave the end out were I could get to it easy - shot down. Our dryer is right inside the garage door. Literally a few feet away. I guess the fact that I want to run a bigger compressor for air tools could be part of the issue too...

My garage is so under powered if I am working with the stereo and lights on and my wife plugs in the vacuum cleaner inside - I am marching to the back yard to flip the breaker. I drop an extension cord from one of the bedrooms upstairs when I am welding.

Yeah - I need to run the new circuits to the garage. I have collected most of what I need now. So pretty darn soon.