Is 220 Solar worth fixing?

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Hi,I would very much appreciate all opinions about my situation. I have 2 MIG welders:1) new - Lincoln SP135: 110v , have gas, but generally use flux core wire2) inherited - Solar 165:  220v great shape but not working now.For consideration:1) is there significant capacity difference between 110v 135a Lincoln and 220v Solar 1652) is the Solar worth repair investment time and $$, (I've read a lot of Trash talk about Solar)3) seems like te Solar has lots of features, are the features significant3) anything else?Background: I have good solid high capacity buzz box and gas welding equip. ALSO  and  BTW, RE: this forum, is there a way to MOVE a posting form one (incorrect) Thread to another (more appropriate) ?Thank you all for your frank and 'no-spin' insights. Attached ImagesLast edited by VC455; 02-06-2010 at 11:33 AM.Reason: I mispelled Title, compromising future topic SEARCH resultsMIG, Stick, Oxy/Fuel, mostly one-off fabrication and repairsMC Road Racer'kit' Cobra2 Vista Cruisers'29 Ford AA Dualie dump   "Live-Free-Or Die"
Reply:Wow. I have never seen a Solar welder. I was expecting to see some kind of solar power roof array powering your welder when I read the title of your thread!Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Does anyone know anything about a 220v Solar 165amp welder?Please shed some light.
Reply:The internet machine turned up nothing! Looks like a nice machine just from the adjustments, but who knows . . . I sure don't!  No other information on the machine? (manual, tables, duty cycle, anything?!)MikeConstans Fides et IntegritasLincoln Weldanpower 150 ACAirco Aircomatic MIGet CAV II w/ spoolgunMillermatic 30a wirefeeder
Reply:a sorta fast search turned up maybe a century ?im sure it maybe worth repair .. just need to get out the test meter and start checking for -----power --no power what do the other tags on it read have you took off the case ??idealarc 250/250 ac-dc tigidealarc 250/250 ac-dc tig #2 used for sticklincoln sp100hh125dual arbor grinder polisher30 yrs of hand tools52 pitch blocks 6p-26prake gauge -pitch gaugeG&D prop repair 918-207-6938Hulbert,okla 74441
Reply:I'm really looking for your collective insight on 2 'tipping point' questions: 1) is there significant capacity difference between a) 110v Lincoln 135a  b) 220v Solar 1652) seems like the Solar has lots of features, are the features significant? Lots of knobs don't always translate in 'usefulness', if you know what I mean.....MIG, Stick, Oxy/Fuel, mostly one-off fabrication and repairsMC Road Racer'kit' Cobra2 Vista Cruisers'29 Ford AA Dualie dump   "Live-Free-Or Die"
Reply:1) No real way of telling w/o knowing the actual rating of the Solar machine, but my gut tells me that since the Lincoln is rated at a 20% duty cycle of 90 amps the Solar may have a higher duty cycle (just a guess)2) Usefulness of the machine really depends on you and what you're going to use it for.  From a laymans POV it seems the machine is best suited for thin sheet metal, but probably capable of welding thicker materials to a certain extent.On a side note, the fact that it was made here in the states may be a reason for hanging onto it.MikeConstans Fides et IntegritasLincoln Weldanpower 150 ACAirco Aircomatic MIGet CAV II w/ spoolgunMillermatic 30a wirefeeder
Reply:Looks like a first class machine, it would be a shame to see it end up at the city dump.“Not working now” could mean anything from a bad on-off switch to a blown transformer. What’s wrong?Do you have any skill with electronics, or know someone?Brink, I think the ratings are higher. 130-140 amps @ 30% duty cycle.Last edited by transit; 02-07-2010 at 02:33 PM.
Reply:many many Thanks to Brink WeldingWeb Tradesmanandtransit WeldingWeb ForemanJUST the kind of insight I am looking for. As I said in original post, I had read some 'trash talk-JUNK' (on another board) and 'never heard of them' (this board) about the Solar brand and I just didn't know if this 'inherited' welder was worth anything, from a Capacity and Feature, perspective. I have more respect when I hear opinions from a "Tradesman' and 'Foreman'. Thanks again.MIG, Stick, Oxy/Fuel, mostly one-off fabrication and repairsMC Road Racer'kit' Cobra2 Vista Cruisers'29 Ford AA Dualie dump   "Live-Free-Or Die"
Reply:Sorry dude. I didn't know I was going to lose respect just because I had never heard of the brand. I was just commenting because then I get an email update when someone does post an answer. Best of luck to you in the future,JokerLincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Look for a tripped breaker or blown fuse, or possible defective off/on switch as i had a Solar once that had a defective switch.  Also had a miller with a broken switch.
Reply:Nice looking machine from the outside, wish my lincoln 100 had those features,definately worth looking inside the box.I'd start by opening the plug first.
Reply:Looked around the internet, didn’t see much but older machines for sale. What doesn’t work, power on light, cooling fan not running, wire feed, no welding current? Are there any tags with spec?
Reply:i have just inherited a solar165 that has a bad pot for the wire feed motor if anyone knows where i can find one please post. this pot has a five wire connection
Reply:Originally Posted by hwatsoni have just inherited a solar165 that has a bad pot for the wire feed motor if anyone knows where i can find one please post. this pot has a five wire connection
Reply:Everyone, THANKS for keeping this alive. I have sine been led to believe (elsewhere) that the historical family line for Solar > Century > Lincoln  and parts are NP (no problem). I'm also led to believe, Solar 'brand' was rather light weight (duty) this model was targeted at body shops, hence the Spot/Stitch/Burn Back control  features...(?)To elaborate on original post that it "Doesn't work": Power, lights, switches, everything makes the right noises, just doesn't 'spark'. I am also led to believe, that all those fancy features: Spot, Stictck, Burn Back Control) may be the vulnerable points preventing it from working at all...(?) , and 'may' be easy to circumvent (unplugging), creating a basic, 220v/164a MIG. ...(?) Again thanks for your opinions and insights to help me decide to SAVE / TRASH the unit.Last edited by VC455; 02-11-2010 at 09:43 PM.Reason: spelling, reading clarityMIG, Stick, Oxy/Fuel, mostly one-off fabrication and repairsMC Road Racer'kit' Cobra2 Vista Cruisers'29 Ford AA Dualie dump   "Live-Free-Or Die"
Reply:No spark and light duty..... good chance the diode rectifier is blown and can be fixed. First we need to see that we have AC to the rectifier.
Reply:Originally Posted by hwatsoni have just inherited a solar165 that has a bad pot for the wire feed motor if anyone knows where i can find one please post. this pot has a five wire connection
Reply:the wire feed motor would only run after playing with speed pot for some time and would only run at high speed. when the wire feed was turned down the wir feed motor would quit and only run again after with the pot again for some time. have not been able to find a source for a replacement pot.
Reply:Try contacting HTP ,i believe they are out of Chicago.I know they sell consumables for the solar mig guns and something tells me they may have been the manufacturers.If so the welder should be a good unit and worth spending some money on.FelonCaution lurker lives here" hmmm That is serious,pass the ganja and pick up a  24 of MGD"
Reply:solar machine "where" made by century,, don't know about now,,
Reply:I have the same welder and have been very happy with it untill last night in the middle of a project it quit welding. It still powers up but no arc, wire feed, gas purge. it has power off the switch but really dont know where to go from there. where is the diode located and can you test it? I hope its something simple like that. a little history  I know of these welders is that they were mfg. by Century and that this model as well as others were also branded as Snap-on I have had mine for quite a while so I will have to figure out when it was made any help on this much appreciated. Thanks and good luck,Donny
Reply:After calling HTP, Jeff gave me a punch list of tests and found out it is the circuit board  (after pulling it out I could see the burnt curcuit) they will rebuild the board for $180 now I have to decide if I want to spend that on a 28 yr old welder
Reply:DIY, finding the problem is 90% of the solution.
Reply:Originally Posted by DONCO7xAfter calling HTP, Jeff gave me a punch list of tests and found out it is the circuit board  (after pulling it out I could see the burnt curcuit) they will rebuild the board for $180 now I have to decide if I want to spend that on a 28 yr old welder$21.
Reply:Originally Posted by DONCO7xAfter calling HTP, Jeff gave me a punch list of tests and found out it is the circuit board  (after pulling it out I could see the burnt curcuit) they will rebuild the board for $180 now I have to decide if I want to spend that on a 28 yr old welder
Reply:I used a basic tester and found I had 24v off the transformer going to the circuit board when I pulled out the board I could see where it was burnt. I am pretty sure I over welded the duty cycle ( I was outside and it was about 20* so I figured it wold stay cool enough) so I dont know what happened to make the circuit board fry and dont know if just replacing the board will fix my machine
Reply:get the original parts from them and a soldering iron and replace the burnt stuff....service that board like there gonna do... and it will probably be good as new ...if the circuit is burnt use hard wire to jump them and unplug and ground out the caps first as they hold lots of voltage....use the ORIGINAL parts because the collector base and emitter on switching transistors are different if not original ...and will burn more parts out or get a cross reference book so you don't mix up the legs on the parts... if you do some homework and be careful you probably can fix it for coin compared to the teck bill or find an old local tech and try to get some direction it's not that hard if you can get the parts and a soldering iron but be SAFE good luck I hate this oh gotta replace the board when it's only penny parts to fix geeze damn technitions ha they are board switchers not real techs lol Lincoln 225 Tombstone,Miller Big 20,Hobart 180,150' Argon,A/D hobart hood 22 Ton Log splitter,79 F350 dump eats 4.75 TONS and still turns cutters,grinders,And a  Hypertherm POWERMAX 30
Reply:Hi Everyone!I have been searching the web looking for help on my non working Solar 165 and it led me Here.So mine will not feed wire with the trigger but will feed with the Wire Advance button. The trigger worksand it  works the flow control solenoid for the shielding gas. Also, if I hold down the Wire Advance button and trigger, it will weld. Any "punch list", manual or diy help will be very helpful and Greatly Appreciated!Thanks,RK
Reply:Use an ohm meter and check your Trigger circuit in the gun. Also make sure it is not shorted to the weld circuit.Check the wire speed control. make sure it is not open and you can see it adjust. 2 of the 5 wires are a switch. Need you to look at the case of your welder and find the model number.Starts with 117-00_. Should be on the same line as the ratings for the welder.Need this to look up the correct diagrams for you welder and maybe we can figure out whats wrong. Send me your e-mail and the model number in a private message and I will see what I can do.
Reply:pm sent ccawgc Thanks!
Reply:i cant believe the shape that welder is in. i have the same welder and i love it its by far my favorite i also have that same lincoln 115a and a snap on power mig  that solar mig is actually made before century took over and was put out by marquette it should say right on the side of the cover on front of welder if you decide not to fix i would love to buy i wish u luck cause i love this machine
Reply:@ ccawgc, i have this same automotive solar 165 wire feed welder.  It normally makes  a very faint un-noticeable transformer 'hum' sound (there's no fan) ... Half the time the hum gets VERY noticeably loud, whether its just sitting at idle or welding. Sometimes as soon as i turn it on..  While it has this higher 'hum' buzz sound and  i turn the voltage up or down clicks,  each click will make a noticeable big bump sound.  I want do some preventative maintenance and service it unless you think this is  not a problem Attached Images        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply:Likely a loose lamination in the transformer core, and the sudden current/voltage changes when you move the switch aggravates them.  Likely not a problem, and you can always change setup with the power off.- Tim
Reply:it sounds like the buzz/hum you get from your tombstone transformer while you hav the stick stuck and no arc!  It usually still works whether the hums stopped or not...but sometimes when it stops , i get no arc .  I'll  walk away from it or use the hobart then later its working again :T@tadawson , thanks tim. Im changeing the setup with the power off now.  I changed the voltage selection today while it was buzzing and it stopped once i maxed it out.....then no arc( i slid the ground all over the place ) . I walked away from for about 5 minutes came back ,turned it on and vualadoes this sound ok to you , or like its still under load or something... I turn it off if it keeps buzzing like that[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMHxReRiZmY[/ame]        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply::T  relay maybe?        thermal arc 252i  -  millermatic 350P -   miller XMT, cp300ts, 30a 22a feeders, buttload of other millers, handfull of lincolns, couple of esabs  -   Hypertherm 1250 G3
Reply:Do you have a clamp-type ammeter? Try measuring the primary current drawn by the transformer and see if it is higher when the welder is making the humming sound.If you suspect a relay or solenoid, whack it with a screwdriver handle while it is humming and see if it stops.An automotive-type stethoscope may also be helpful to locate the source of the hum.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps
Reply:When I sold Matco tools in the early 1990s, Solar was a popular brand of welder and battery charger.  If anyone is having problems with one of their machines, a local battery charger repair facility may have old manuals and or parts lists.
Reply:If you decide not to repair the Solar 165 I would buy it from you if the price is a good one. Let me know. Just email me at my user name and gmail.com.
Reply:Originally Posted by woi2ldit sounds like the buzz/hum you get from your tombstone transformer while you hav the stick stuck and no arc!  It usually still works whether the hums stopped or not...but sometimes when it stops , i get no arc .  I'll  walk away from it or use the hobart then later its working again :T@tadawson , thanks tim. Im changeing the setup with the power off now.  I changed the voltage selection today while it was buzzing and it stopped once i maxed it out.....then no arc( i slid the ground all over the place ) . I walked away from for about 5 minutes came back ,turned it on and vualadoes this sound ok to you , or like its still under load or something... I turn it off if it keeps buzzing like that