Wish me luck, as I just took a first big step towards starting my own business. I just bought a 5 year old Classic 300D, with about 3800 hours on the clock. It's on a trailer already, so my plan is to tow it behind my pickup until I can afford a bigger truck with a flatbed.The welder seems to be in in pretty good shape, and the company I bought it from gave it a complete fluid and filter change to prep it.Anything else maintenance-wise that I should be on the lookout for on these newer 300Ds? I'm going to add some fuel treatment to the tank and fill it up tomorrow. The battery is on a battery tender for the night, in case it's run down.The trailer got a new set of tires and a spare today. The paint needs some TLC and I'm wiring new lights tomorrow.I'm setting it up with a new set of cables, stinger, and work clamp. 12' whips and 25' extentions to start with.What else should I be thinking of doing in the way of preventative mainentance before taking this beast out, and finding my first project or contract job?
Reply
raythe gorilla that made it hold Ranger 8 15 yrs old SP150 mig 25 yrs old several Victor sets Snap On 130 mig 25 yrs old Lincoln 225 buzz box SA200 F163 78 mdl they all work just added a Idealarc 250/250
Reply:Amen! Get 'em! City of L.A. Structural; Manual & Semi-Automatic;"Surely there is a mine for silver, and a place where gold is refined. Iron is taken from the earth, and copper is smelted from ore."Job 28:1,2Lincoln, Miller, Victor & ISV BibleDanny
Reply:Just be careful where you leave it at night or even in the daytime if you catch my drift!Best wishes on your enterprise!
Reply:It wouldn't hurt to take a look at the brushes in both the exciter and welding generator.Using low pressure air to blow any carbon dust out of the generator is also a good idea.Good luck!Bob
Reply:I am envous.David Real world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply
on't be, at least not yet. This is one of those life-altering events that people talk about. Instead of looking at an investment account to see the state of my retirement money, I can go into the garage and look at the welder and reflect on the training I've gotten over the last 8 months.I've sunk a big portion of the money I've saved over the last 15 years into schooling and this equipment. I'm going to make a run at being a sole proprietor, with the hope that I'll be happier being my own boss. I'm cautiously optimistic that I'll be able to recoup my investement and be able to work part-time or truely retire later in life.But I'd be lying if I said I was completely confident that this is going to work out... Originally Posted by David RI am envous.David
Reply:Thanks Bob, I'll fire up my compressor and blow out as much dust and debris as I can.Checking the brushes will follow after that...Thanks,Dave Originally Posted by BobCIt wouldn't hurt to take a look at the brushes in both the exciter and welding generator.Using low pressure air to blow any carbon dust out of the generator is also a good idea.Good luck!Bob
Reply:My first machine was a lincoln G7 I bought new. That was twenty some years ago. I have had full time and part time welding business. Now I am going for it full bore. Looks like this year is better yet. Last year I made 25% of my gross sales from ONE welding customer. I have done freebies for the right people. Small jobs, when they say how much? I ask them to send me more work. It helps get things going. Best of luck.DavidReal world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Thanks David. When it comes to striking out on my own, I'm right on the brink. I think I'm going to work for somebody else for a while, and go part-time on my own for a while to get a better handle on what part of the welding industry I want to work in.I'll be done with school in about 6 weeks. I think I'll start out chasing employment with a company and my own project full bore, and see which path pans out first.Thanks for the advice about doing some work for free. I hadn't really considered that before you mentioned it. But, done carefully, I can see that as a good way to build some reputation and customer base. Originally Posted by David RMy first machine was a lincoln G7 I bought new. That was twenty some years ago. I have had full time and part time welding business. Now I am going for it full bore. Looks like this year is better yet. Last year I made 25% of my gross sales from ONE welding customer. I have done freebies for the right people. Small jobs, when they say how much? I ask them to send me more work. It helps get things going. Best of luck.David
Reply:A DAB, looks like I'm just following you around and reading your posts. Good luck with your purchase and I hope you are sucessful with having your own business. One thing I figuered out pretty quick was that every customer was my boss. Some didn't become a customer because what they wanted done was dangerous in someway, to me or them or some unsuspecting soul down the road and would't listen to reason.
Reply:Ha... that would be a fine machine with hmmm... low hours... wish you the best mateJust do it... you'll be ok...cheers Attached ImagesUnit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply
ne more thing... get safety equipment and day one maintaince proceedure... downtime is the real killer...Unit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply:3800 hours is pretty low for a used diesel welder that's ~5 years old. The engine is a Perkins diesel, 4 cylinder, water-cooled design. Based on what I was able to find out online, looks like I should expect about 12,000 hours before I should worry about a major engine overhaul. That's assuming it's had good routine maintenance, and that I continue to take good care of it. I've found nothing to suggest that the generator and associated electrical components shouldn't last even longer, with good maintenance.Does anybody else have any insight on the useful life of these machines? Originally Posted by westlawn5554xHa... that would be a fine machine with hmmm... low hours... wish you the best mateJust do it... you'll be ok...cheers
Reply:I'm with Bob, check the brushes and the commutatorsLast edited by joethemechanic; 03-02-2008 at 10:05 AM.Reason: oopsJoewww.CummingsHauling.com
Reply:I would check or change a high AMP keyprok and capacitor there is where it matter if u wanna have a stable AMP... always overlooked... this to increase its duty cycle...Next check all wire... I change most of the slot type into screwed type... loose electrical connection is a no... no... remember diesel make more vibration.I would seal it with waterproof low temp silicon sealant... I know this sound stupid... you trust the manufacturer spec... But me... working in a remote and unforgiving condition in deep jungle, logistic is far and we need really be prepared... My view...dont take it serious... ask other electrician for advise before taking my stupid idea...see ya... Attached ImagesUnit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply:Originally Posted by David RMy first machine was a lincoln G7 I bought new. That was twenty some years ago. I have had full time and part time welding business. Now I am going for it full bore. Looks like this year is better yet. Last year I made 25% of my gross sales from ONE welding customer. I have done freebies for the right people. Small jobs, when they say how much? I ask them to send me more work. It helps get things going. Best of luck.David
Reply:1. I dare say that you'll make more $$$ off that welder investment than watching the equivalent grow and shrink in a mutual fund.2. Perkins are about as rock-solid as industrial diesels get. They've held up great in my Massey-Ferguson farm tractors over the years. I've even got a 105 horsepower one in my ASV Posi-Track. It's painted CAT color, and has a CAT ID tag on it, but if you look close, cast into the cylinder block is P-E-R-K-I-N-S. Just keep the fuel and oil clean and it'll serve you well for a long time.
Reply
erkins are good engine... I have Lincoln and Miller... cant tell the difference... it just get the job done... I have 2 small Italian stuff will upgrade later to a bigger hobby toy... 300 amp maybe MIGUnit in my fab shop dept:my good hand and team that trust me...A lone welder make art... a village full of welder make Miracles...
Reply:Originally Posted by Tailshaft56I would be leary of letting one customer become too much of your base. Any customer, even your biggest can go bye bye for any number of reasons.
Reply:I looked at a gas powered unit as well. Figures I found on Miller's website suggest that their typical gas-powered engine-driven welders have a lifespan of 4000 hours before major service is required. The diesel powered units should last 12000 hours. 2.5x the cost, but 3.0x the life. The numbers for buying diesel made sense to me. I got lucky and found a used diesel in my budget, otherwise I'd have purchased gas anyway.I looked at propane, but didn't like the fuel cost and potential availability issues.I'll confess that I was also swayed by prevailing opinion, that a Lincoln diesel was the best choice for performance and reliability. I would like to work in the pipeline industry, and the prevailing wisdom is that I won't get my foot in the door without a lincoln SA-200, SA-250, 300D, SAE-400, or Miller Pipepro. For work in refineries, I also heard mention that diesel powered equipment was preferred over gas because of the lower flammability of diesel fuel.Just some random information I picked up over the last 8 months or so. Time will tell if any of it is true, or not. Originally Posted by David R....To stay on topic, a 305D cost 2.5 times the ranger 250. I would love a diesel, but since I had the last gas powered one for 20 years + I decided it was good enough for me.David
Reply:A small frame welder, (ranger, trailblazer, etc) the engine will outlast any other component gas or Diesel. On a large frame machine (SA-200, Big40, etc) I have a ton of hours on my old gas burners, but Diesel sure is sweet. I still think an old Lincoln generator will outlast 2-3 engines gas or Diesel.Disclaimer; "I am just an a$$hole welder, don't take it personally ."
Reply:Thanks Tozzi, sounds like you have some real world experience on which to base an opinion. It's reassuring to hear that at least some of the information I based my decision on is valid. Originally Posted by TozziWeldingA small frame welder, (ranger, trailblazer, etc) the engine will outlast any other component gas or Diesel. On a large frame machine (SA-200, Big40, etc) I have a ton of hours on my old gas burners, but Diesel sure is sweet. I still think an old Lincoln generator will outlast 2-3 engines gas or Diesel.
Reply:I think 4000 hous is quite conservative. The old SA-200's seem to run forever. Out of three I owned the one that needed an overhaul was because an inpulse arm flew out of the magneto and went thru the cam gears. Broke the camshaft and I overhauled it while it was torn down because it was using a little oil. The last one I owned ran 5 years, always six and a lot of seven day weeks, and didn't use any oil when I closed my business and went to work for a major oil company.
Reply:if you do a little figuring , you can see HOW much one can save with a diesel. in 4,000 hours , i calculate a savings of $10,935 in fuel alone , compared to gasoline . that's figuring, at the moment , $3.30/gal gas ; $3.60 /gal diesel. Thats using 11 gallons gas in 8 hours ,(SA200) That's what weldors using SA-200's told me ; 5 gals of diesel /11 hours . thats what MY SA-250 used .I had rig owners tell me that they stayed with gas engines , using so much more fuel "because I need the tax write off". Come on, any tax man will tell you that it's stupid to pay 5 dollars extra so "that i can save a dollar in taxes".[SIZE="5"Yardbird"I didn't even bother with the fuel savings calculations Roy. But they are obviously significant. Folks may quibble about the fuel consumption rates, but there's no arguing about the fact that the savings is substantial.Incidentally, someone commented that 4000 hours was a low estimate for the lifespan of a gasoline-powered welder. I don't think that figure was a "throw it away and buy a new one estimate", but rather an estimate of time before some kind of major service was required (Carb rebuild, valve job, new gaskets & seals, hone and replace piston rings, water or oil pump replacement, etc.)Everything I've heard suggests that engine driven welders last a long, long time if properly maintained.If I had the time, I'd price out the cost of maintenance on gas vs. diesel and see how that figures into the total cost of ownership. My guess is that diesel is cheaper to maintain, because it's a simpler mechanism with fewer parts to wear out. Originally Posted by Roy Hodgesif you do a little figuring , you can see HOW much one can save with a diesel. in 4,000 hours , i calculate a savings of $10,935 in fuel alone , compared to gasoline . that's figuring, at the moment , $3.30/gal gas ; $3.60 /gal diesel. Thats using 11 gallons gas in 8 hours ,(SA200) That's what weldors using SA-200's told me ; 5 gals of diesel /11 hours . thats what MY SA-250 used .I had rig owners tell me that they stayed with gas engines , using so much more fuel "because I need the tax write off". Come on, any tax man will tell you that it's stupid to pay 5 dollars extra so "that i can save a dollar in taxes".
Reply:Just my opinion, 5,000 hours on a gas engine is pretty much it. I get this from working on forklifts a good part of my life. Many had F163 in them. On an air cooled engine? 5,000 hours is a bonus. Diesels are built much stronger to take the beating, hold more oil and last longer because of both.DavidReal world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Good info David R, thanks. 5000 hours, huh? Now I'm definitely glad I shyed away from used gas equipment. I saw lots of stuff on Ebay that was gas-powered, old to ancient, and well over 4000 hours. I feel like I dodged a bullet. Just goes to show that you often get what you pay for...
Reply
avid, forklifts probably have a rougher life than F 163's in SA 200's. The last SA 200 I ran was bought brand new and I ran it 10 years. I calculated a very conservative 3 hrs a day on a 5 day week and deducted 25 weeks for vacation. That comes out to 7524 hrs. The engine had no maintence except regular oil and filter changes. I also changed spark plugs and points and condensers and anti-freeze. The engine never had any mechanical problems and wouldn't use a quart of oil between changes when I traded it off. No one ever ran the machine but me. I think one thing that helps the SA 200 is the steady, relatively slow speed of 1500rpm.
Reply:What I like about my SA-200 F163 is even if it does need rebuilt, and that time is getting close, It only costs me about 500 bucks to do everything. And if I just do rings, bearings, and grind the valves, I can probably keep it around $200.With that being said, that 300D Perkins is a fine engine and will last a long, long time with proper maintenance.Joewww.CummingsHauling.com
Reply:Yep, diesels do last longer especially if they are maintaned, however, $$ injectors go, pumps go, head gaskets are inevitable.. These are all costly items.Now a Gas engine like the Kohler running on synthetic all it's life with the same basic maintenance, spark plugs every 300-500 hrs. may last an indefinate amount of time. Kohlers did have a few oiler problems waer the cam went poof in there early years, however to change a whole engine might cost $2G, however that cam repair and oil line move costs $250 or lessA Perkins, around 6G + install.Added to the bonus that you can buy say 3 new 305G's for the price of 1 new classic 3D. and if the 305G's supposedly 4000hrs failture rate, your still way ahead of the 300D.just to let you now, I just had one in for service with a hour reading of 5770, still running strong.Last edited by Cruizer; 03-10-2008 at 11:29 AM.
Reply:For free data. I have an 04 cheby 1/2 ton pick up in one of the fleets I take care of. It has 108,000 miles on it and 3500 hours. It displays it in the odometer.DavidReal world weldin. When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:Ack, too many "howevers" in my last post....
Reply:I had a Miller ( although I don't think it matters) that had a Perkins in it. I have a complete overhaul kit that I bought about 12 years ago because I thought it shold fy apart most anytime. It still runs after about 18 years of use in my business. Still doesn't use a quart of oil between oil changes (which is 4 times a year) and it gets run about 40 hrs or so a week atleast Sometimes more. That is a tough engine. No need to worry about that lasting all of 12,000 hrs with a little care. Good buy as far as I'm concerned.
Reply:you can save about $80 dollars in a normal work week with a 200d vs sa200 gas
Reply:Originally Posted by Cruizer...A Perkins, around 6G + install....
Reply:Where can I buy a Perkins 404C-22 (Lincoln 300D) for 3 grand??I'd be willing to buy a couple of them for my special projects division!
Reply:Originally Posted by CruizerWhere can I buy a Perkins 404C-22 (Lincoln 300D) for 3 grand??I'd be willing to buy a couple of them for my special projects division!
