Welding on newer machines with digital dashboards.....

[Speed25]

I'd have used this as an opportunity to learn how to take the loader and backhoe off and put them back on, especially on a new-to-me tractor. The tractor's wiring should be pretty safe when parked elsewhere. It took me a few tries to get get good at taking mine off.

 

[Runs With Scissors]

I wish I could say that I always “disconnect” the battery and take all the precautions I should…...

But alas….my screen-name does not bear this out…..

I usually/always just grind a spot near where I am welding to ground it, and ‘light that MF’r up”……..

So far the score is………….. RWS's “poor decision welding” ~ 1,243 successful welds to …..fried ECU’s= 0 ……..I hope this trend continues

But you should probably disconnect it.

 

[GreensvilleJay]

I'd love to see the math on the magnetic field generated from welding, or even some empirical data showing Gauss measurements as a function of distance from various components required for welding. Then a EE can tell us what all this means in terms of small wires and electrical components on circuit boards buried under seats, dashes etc. We know that a current in a wire generates a magnetic field, and a wire moving in a magnetic field generates a current, but arguably it's a very complicated real-world scenario with lots to consider.

I would expect a steel cab, shell, plate etc., to act as a Faraday cage of sorts.

I know first hand that 'cross talk' within a Bell telephone span cable(500 lines) can cause a lot of havoc ! It took 9 Sundays to finally track down why communication link went 'funny' ONLY on Sunday night ,between 2 and 3 AM. Turned out a Bank was uploading data at that time and energy 'fed' onto my pair. I also ran several 100's of feet of comm lines in rooms full of welders, no issues. When you design right, install right, stuff, well, works right.Anyone who has worked with CAN bus knows it's a royal PITA when not properly wired and terminated. Well everyone but Nissan Canada. Cab doesn't work very well as a Faraday cage, too much glass allows RF to easily pass though.

 

[Trash Panda]

I'd love to see the math on the magnetic field generated from welding, or even some empirical data showing Gauss measurements as a function of distance from various components required for welding. Then a EE can tell us what all this means in terms of small wires and electrical components on circuit boards buried under seats, dashes etc. We know that a current in a wire generates a magnetic field, and a wire moving in a magnetic field generates a current, but arguably it's a very complicated real-world scenario with lots to consider.

I would expect a steel cab, shell, plate etc., to act as a Faraday cage of sorts.

I’d be curious to hear an engineer talk about that. I wager my attention span would last maybe 2 minutes even.

 

[snoeproe]

Quick attach bucket?
it will be faster to detach it than removing battery cables.

 

[Hugo Habicht]

I’d be curious to hear an engineer talk about that. I wager my attention span would last maybe 2 minutes even.

It's trivial, I could not even spend 2 minutes to talk about it.

If you want to calculate it yourself I recommend reading this first: magnetic circuit

And no, disconnecting the battery cables will do very little for you, they are not the problem.

 

[whitetiger]

I know several oil field welders who have a steel bed they welded together on the frame of a 1-ton truck. They spend hundreds of hours welding components lying on the steel bed using a welder that is bolted to the steel bed.
None of them seems to have electrical issues with their truck from welding on it.