What is a suitcase welder?

admin

Going through Craigslist today, I saw a Lincoln "suitcase" welder for sale. I Googled and saw Miller also sells one but no one defined what that genre of welder is. Can someone explain the difference between it and a standard MIG welder of the same power?
Reply:Lincoln’s suit case welders are LN-25s. All they are is a wire feeder, you need a power source / welder to weld with them. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:I'm a little confused. Then it's only benefit is that it carries larger rolls than a standard welder can - hence the name "suitcase"? It's a just suitcase that holds large spools of wire and will weld but only if connected to another welder's power since all it's internal space is taken up by a large spool of wire?
Reply:They will take a 35-pound roll of wire. You can run them on a straight CC welder. CV is always best! Before the early 1980s all we had on construction sites were CC engine drive welders. The LN-22s, and later the LN-25s really improved production.Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:It's a feeder in a hard case.
Reply:It's really a midget welder stuffed into a large suitcase........(that's probably not politically correct, but these days nothing is...)
Reply:They can go places that you cannot take a full size mig welder and have full size welding performance. They are about the size of some of the 120 volt welders that don't have the capacity to weld much of anything, but these can go down in a manhole and do full 1" welding etc. The only limit to where they can go is the length of the leads, several hundred feet from welder power source is not uncommon.
Reply:Very interesting and now it makes sense. What gauge wire are those several hundred foot leads for that full performance?
Reply:Originally Posted by JD1Very interesting and now it makes sense. What gauge wire are those several hundred foot leads for that full performance?
Reply:I’ve run LN-25s pushing 500-amps, going through 70 to 80-pounds of wire a day. No problems at all. http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...ng-cables.aspxDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:JD, a suitcase welder (should probably be called a remote wire feeder) is best used to replace stick welding in the field. A 35lb spool of wire is MANY MANY MANY times more efficient than burning rods all day. But as always, every tool has it's use, remote feeders work BEST with CV, but some can also work with CC although not as well. It's not suitable for every job site, but when it is, it kicks @$$.RyanMiller Multimatic 200 tig/spool gun/wireless remoteMillermatic 350P, Bernard/XR Python gunsMiller Dynasty 350, Coolmate 3.5 & wireless remoteCK WF1 TIG wire feederMiller Spectrum 375 XtremeOptrel e684Miller Digital EliteMiller Weld-Mask
Reply:I think the term "suitcase welder" is often used to describe a small portable welder with a top carry handle that can be carried like a suitecase. I have seen this a lot on Craigslist.Eventual master of the obvious, practitioner of "stream of consciousness fabrication".  P.S. I edit almost every post because because I'm posting from my phone and my fingers sometimes move faster than my brain.
Reply:Originally Posted by vwguy3It's a feeder in a hard case.
Reply:It's kind of like a suitcase "nuke," but not as powerful.    It's a Small portable hand-held device used to either weld something small, while the latter is used to "nuke"  an entire  f*#^%g  town.  Both put out lots of heat and both can "melt metal".   "Hey I didn't come to look and learn, I came to turn and burn.... If I can't light up, I'm gonna light out!"-JodyIdealarc 250 "Fatman"MM 252MM 211 "Little boy" Victor Torches
Reply:My ESAB 300AVS suitcase is rated at 400-450 amps, 100% duty cycle depending on the gas that you are usingLast edited by soutthpaw; 12-18-2015 at 10:30 PM.Tiger Sales:  AHP Distributor    www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P,  Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma.  For Sale:  Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun.  Lincoln Wirematic 250