Buying welders
What power supply do stick welders need?
Quick answer
Stick welders span the full Australian power spectrum: 10 A power-point units at the entry end, 15 A machines through the trade tier, and three-phase at the industrial end. Check the plug before the price — the wrong one means an electrician visit or an unusable machine.
Plug reality
| Supply | What runs on it |
|---|---|
| 240 V 10 A (standard point) | compact units to ~180 A class |
| 240 V 15 A | 200 A+ trade machines, larger plasma |
| 415 V three-phase | production machines, 2–3 kW+ lasers |
Don't defeat the plug
Filing a 15 A plug to fit a 10 A point is the classic Australian shed hack and a genuine fire risk — the circuit can't deliver the current the machine demands. A 15 A outlet is an electrician's hour; do that instead.