Lincoln Ranger 300DLX

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I may have an opportunity to buy a used Ranger 300DLX. The details - 1999 machine, 3500 hrs, kubota 26 hp dsl, 12kW aux. power. i have known the machine since it was new - has spent its life in the field. never babied, but regular maintenance performed. current situation is that is starts and runs fine at both low and high idle and under load. the glich is that it will not auto idle up once you strike an arc. my intent is to "purchase as a source of standby power should we lose electricity and need to fend for ourselves" that is, i want another toy and a 300 amp welder would be cool.my concerns: hours - where is 3500 hrs in the life of a 26hp water cooled diesel? can i expect to get 5000 hrs out of it? 10k hrs? throttle up/down - i have looked thru the manual and it appears as though the two potential culprits of this machine not auto idling up are the pc(?) board or the high speed solenoid. how can i isolate which one it is? what can i expect to pay for for either one? price - i am thinking i can purchase for about $800. is it worth it? what else should i be thinking of in assessing the situation? many thanks.
Reply:Who is selling it?  For 8 bills you can't go wrong.  Go get it.  Water cooled gas engines last in the neighbor hood of 5k hours and up.  A diesel should last twice as long.......As long the oil was changed religiously.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:On the idle problem. I had a Ranger 8 that did the same thing and it was the circuit board, there are places you can send it to get it repaired, I mean the board, thats what I did with mine but I can't remember the name of the place right now. I found it doing a Google search on circuit boards.If you can't find anyplace, let me know and I will see if I cand find the receipt.
Reply:plug a electric tool in the AC plugs, if it rev's up it is in the circuit board. if not could be both, not likely though. the kubota eng is one of the best small diesel's in use, proper service and it should go at least 10,000 hrs.the 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:My G7 will idle up on AC (110 or 220) , but not on welding current.  I have to flip the switch.  No need to fix it, I have a ranger 250.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:If a Ranger 8, or several other Lincoln models idle up fine while using 115/230 VAC power, but won't idle up when welding, or idles up when the arc is first struck, then drops to low idle while still welding.  The problem is often just a poor electrical connection in the weld sense lead.This weld sense lead normally runs between the polarity switch and the back of the electrode terminal and loops several times through the current sensor on the PC board. almost all Ranger 8s and several other models use this, or a similar arrangement.  If this sense wire has even a slightly poor connection, the sensor on the PC board can't detect the welding current, and won't idle up.This problem can normally be fixed by taking these connections apart, cleaning them, then reconnecting them.  Sometimes the end soldered to the polarity switch will need to be re-soldered.I don't recall if the Ranger 300DLX uses this system, but it's worth a look.Cheers, Bob
Reply:i appreciate the replies. i will plug ina grinder tomorrow and see what happens. sounds like the long & short of it is that if i can score it for under $1k i shouldbe doing pretty well. if i can get it, expect more requests for guidance. thanks again...
Reply:Just fyi when mine went out it would not kick up to high idle on the 110, or when you struck an arc. It affected booth.
Reply:the latest development: at the risk of getting nominated for one of those "you suck" threads, i am now the proud owner of not one, but two, ranger 300dlx's. total price paid = $1,000. my plan: get both up to speed and mount both on a trailer. one will stay at my place, one at my parent's place. intent of both will be to fart around and provide emergency power when needed. i plugged a disc grinder into the #1 welder today - no idle up. #2 welder won't start. our mechanic says he thinks it might be the fuel pump. i am hoping to try to bypass it with an electric pump to see if it will fire. at this point, i am thinking i will bring #1 to a dealer and have them chase the idle issue. i will see how things play out with #2 and go from there. does this sound logical, or should i dig further into #1's idling issues?thanks again
Reply:The new lincolns all come with electric fuel pumps.  Be sure to hook it up to the oil pressure switch or something in  case the engine stalls and the fuel pump keeps running.  DavidYou Lucky Dog!BobC, You may be right about the idle up thing, I was mucking around in there a couple of years ago.  I twisted off one of the output studs.  Instead of replacing it, I drilled it all the way through and tapped it 1/2". I threaded a bolt all the way to the head and used a brass nut.Last edited by David R; 12-06-2007 at 05:36 PM.Real world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.