Welding cables are made up of copper 30 gauge (.010”) strands for enhanced flexibility enclosed in a non-conductive synthetic EDPM rubber insulation. EWCS welding cables are rated -50C to + 105C. Welding cable sizes are measured as the diameter of the cable and depend on the power output of your welding machine, circuit length and duty cycle of your power source. 2 gauge welding cables are one of the smaller cable sizes available.

Understanding Welding Cable Sizes

As the size of the cable decreases, the size of the gauge increases. So basically a 2 gauge welding cable is larger than a 4 AWG cable. Cables with gauge larger than zero are denoted as 1/0, 2/0 and so on. Generally speaking, welding cable sizes range from 4-gauge (the smallest) to 4/0 gauge (the largest).

When choosing 2 gauge welding cables you need to make sure that this size is appropriate to deal with the maximum output of your welding machine. Below we discuss how this and other factors determine the suitability of a 2 gauge welding cable.

What Factors Influence Welding Cable Sizes

There are three factors that influence the size of welding cable. The main one is the maximum rated output of your welding machine. This is usually given in amperes. Most machines have names that incorporate this maximum output. For example the Weldex MMA 250 has a maximum output of 250 amps or the Amico Power 140 is rated at 140 amps.

The second factor is the welding circuit, which is the total length of the electricity circuit starting from the power source to the electrodes, electrode cable as well as the work cable. The lengths of all these cables and connections are added together to come up with the welding circuit length.

Last but not least is the duty cycle. This like the maximum power output depends on your welding machine. You can usually find this information in the user’s manual or somewhere on its packaging. Duty cycle and power output are inversely proportional. So when the power output of a machine is on a higher size, the duty cycle will be lower.

Selecting 2 gauge Welding Cables

There are plenty of charts available online and otherwise that show which welding cable size corresponds to the three factors discussed above. You can contact a reputable cable provider like us for help as well.

For example, say you have a 200-amp power source at 60% duty cycle. The circuit length could be anything between 0-150 feet. The cables to select would be 2 gauge-welding cables. Similarly at 225 and 250 amps with 30% duty cycles, you should use 2 gauge cables for circuit lengths of 101-150 feet.

Your cable provider can help you understand and select the right welding cable size according to your requirements. EWCS has been in business for over 22 years and understands cables like the back of their hands. The finest quality 100% copper cables covered by the finest quality flexible and durable synthetic EDPM rubber insulation, our welding cables are designed to the best standards in the industry. And, they are made in the USA. What are you waiting for? Contact us today and let us help you.

EWCS offers a 100% money back satisfaction guarantee on your purchase.

For more information about 4/0 Welding Cable and 2 Awg Welding Cable Please visit : Electric Wire & Cable Specialists (EWCS).