Using portable welder to boost 24 V equipment

[John C.]

The problem is the two batteries in the truck have a common ground. As soon as you connect the positive to the dozer with both batteries in the truck you have 24 Volts at the truck and the diodes in your alternator will blow like a 1 amp fuse in a 100 amp draw.

If you disconnect the ground on one of the batteries in the truck, and then jump to the dozer, you should be OK.

But like I said in an earlier post, unless both batteries are completely dead, you really only need to jump one battery to get the thing started.

 

[activeorpassive]

Hello it is very common to add 12volt radio wiring it too 1 12 volt battery on a 24 volt system this over time will cause that battery to go dead and the other battery to become overcharged especially if the radio is played when engine not running like over a lunch hr.same goes for 12 volt lights and such remember electricty takes the path of least resistance mainy years ago we would come accross this problem we manufactured a simple box that simply switched the electrical load from 1 battery to the other and this stopped the uneven voltage of battery John Deere had this problem on there first 24 volt system called a balance load system I hope I explained this as operators might add something as a small radio never thinking they will cause a big problem later thanks as per jump starting mainy methods will work I use too use a 12 volt starter pac on 1 battery and my service truck on the second battery I sure the small welder will work well to get unit going BIG D

You're absolutely correct. Center tapping a 24V system to run a 12V accessory will kill one of the batteries over time, and eventually take the other one with it. The best way to run a 12V accessory on a 24V system is to use a 24V-12V converter. They're inexpensive, easy to install, and will prolong the life of your batteries.

 

[Tex3406]

The only time I have heard of using a welder to jumpstart a 24 volt machine is in a Caterpillar workshop manual - in the warnings section, telling you NOT to do it under any circumstances.

I would never have thought of it myself, but thanks to Caterpillar, I have kept it in mind in case I ever need to do it.

Normally, if there is no other 24 volt machine around, I would try to get some charge into each battery separately, or just jump the flat one, depending on the circumstance, as posted above.

A 24 volt system is really good for starting a 12 volt machine that has a lazy starter motor.........................

 

[AtlasRob]

Another trick is that usually on a 24 volt system one battery will be lower than the other. Find it with the multimeter and then jump 12 to just that battery. Unless both batteries are completely dead you will have enought to start.

I agree 100%, and while the thread is very intresting and thought provoking I would and have done this several times off a van.

Hello it is very common to add 12volt radio wiring it too 1 12 volt battery on a 24 volt system this over time will cause that battery to go dead . BIG D

Oh yes :yup I learned this the hard way :Banghead

 

[Dualie]

What about A CV machine. My vantage 500 has CC/CV. I run it around 24V for NR-232 so it would be a breeze to jump a machine at 24V it will even go as low as 14V to jump a 12V system.

I have tried this ONCE and it worked awesome. don't know if i would do it a second time though.

 

[OneWelder]

I agree with Tom K
I have never tried this, but i would suggest getting a Series Parallel solenoid switch, these were quite common on old Cummins powered trk.s - start on 24 run on 12-
Of coarse your service trk. would have to have more than one bat.
When I was a lil pup jump starting with welders was common practice by large const. co. as well as the armed forces. Doing this requires a knack that most of us do not have. People were hurt from exploding batt. and burning wiring- as well as a # of reg. destroyed