looking for an inverter CV power supply

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I have an inverter CC power supply for the shop and a TB302 for on the road, but i would like to have a wirefeed also.thinking of a 12RC or 8RCI need a power supply for the shopwhat is my options?I dont need a multiprocess as i have a good CC supply already.also not decided on pulse or not.... suppose it depends on the price.G
Reply:so does this mean that there are no inverter cv machines?G
Reply:The XMT is an inverter power supply, but its multi process CC/CV. I believe Miller's Invision is a CV inverter power suply, but you are talking some serious hardware..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Hi, I got myself a Miller Auto Invision 456  CV power source which is the same as an Invision 456P but with a additional robotic interface, added a S-62 wire feeder and paid a welder repair shop $200 for the conversion to bypass the robotic circuit, The Miller Invision 456P is an inverter type power supply which is very economical to run and does 450amp at 100% duty. I welded up a 2 mt x 1mt x .8mt (8mm)  plate welding table and also a welding trolly to hold the welder setup which took about a week to do all up with about 1 to 1.5 hours of welding time and it only used about $1.40 of electricity, I actually thought that my garage 3 phase meter wasn't working properly till I checked it against the 3 phase house meter. The welder was on most of that time and it is silent. The fan don't come on untll the welder heats up, but with the amperage that this unit can produce, it didn't even switch on once even when I was using 300+amps and welding 16mm steel.It will probably weld less than 2mm thick steel but I would have to get different wire such as .6mm and another set of rollers to match which I don't have so I haven't tried it. Currently I am using .9mm wire for everything.The Invision weighs about 60Kg, is a 3 phase machine but also can be wired as a single phase. By bypassing the robotics I lost the pulse facilities and it became just a basic heavy duty mig welder, but it suited my work, anything from 2mm up and will pump out up to 565 amps at 60% duty cycle on 3 phase and can use up  to 2mm solid wire. The used prices I have seen in the USA/Canada for the power supply go between $500 to $1000, a S-62 for $600  or a S-74DX for  $1000-$1500 and a couple of hundred dollars to convert, and in my opinion this makes it a good proposition. The S-74DX is a better feeder and one I should have got but ran out of money. The optional Optima pendent gives you the pulse facilites, which I didn't need or get.So between $1300 and $2500 you get an economical very heavy duty Mig which doesn't cost much to run and has a great duty cycle. The pulse feature might be nice to have but wasn't essential to me. Buying the parts seperately was considerably cheaper than buying a complete setup. Hope this helps.Miller Auto Invision 456 + S-62 wire feederC6240B1 Gap bed lathe16 ft3 air compressor16 speed pedestal drillHafco BS-912 Bandsaw
Reply:Hello gordfraser, one of the other folks mentioned an XMT 304 CC/CV inverter, if you got rid of or trade up your CC inverter you could do everything with this particular power source. If need be, you could stick weld, GMAW, FCAW with gas, FCAW without gas, run GMAW pulse, do lift-arc DC tig, operate a spool-gun or push/pull system, you could use standard feeders such as the S22A or any other Miller feeders, etc. The only thing really lacking from one of these multi-processors is AC output for tig. The XMT 350 is out there as well if you are requiring additional punch. Just a bit more for your consideration. Best regards, Allanaevald
Reply:The XMT 304 CC/CV is the best all around multi process wire/stick/dc-tig machine available at an 'affordable' price with high output for running big wire and excellent arc quality in all processes.  I'm quite happy with mine.  I use it on the truck powered from the Bobcat for stick, fluxcore and mig with the suitcase rc feeder and dc-tig with the foot pedal and air cooled torch.  The XMT 350 series has higher output and more features and the XMT 350MPa has built in pulse.  You can also have pulse in any XMT with constant voltage output by connecting an Optima pulser it.  I have the Optima for my 304 for use with aluminum mig with the Spoolmatic gun and wc24 controller, works good.If you're looking for used power supplies, the XMT 304 is widely availabe in the used market.  Another good one to keep an eye out for are the PowCon 300SM and 400SMT.  I have the 300SM and it is a very good mig and stick welder.  I also have the pulser for it and used to use it for pulse mig on aluminum with my Cobramatic feeders, untill the contactor went out.  Now I just use it for stick and it still works great for that.  The 400SMT has stick, mig and dc-tig capability and higher output than the 300.  Both the XMT's and PowCons are reasonably small and portable and well suited to mobile use and are equally at home in the shop.If you want a shop-only constant-voltage-only machine and have 3-phase power available, the Invision series is very similar to the XMT series except without the constant-current stick/tig output.   The CP series of large transformer shop migs are another to look at.  I spent a few years mig'ing aluminum in a manufacturing shop with CP250TS power supplies and Cobramatic feeders.  The CP300 is the current model now days.  If you don't have 3-phase power though, none of these mig machines will be of any use to you.  In that case, the best choice for a high level shop mig with pulse and push pull aluminum feed capability is the Millermatic 350P.  It is an excellent shop mig and runs on single and 3 phase power.  It is built on the XMT and Invision power supplies with integrated wire feeder and works very well.  I am quite happy with mine.Last edited by DesertRider33; 01-25-2010 at 11:02 PM.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:thanks for the replies.dont want to get rid of my AM 300ac/dc as it does most of my alum.i just thought that somewhere out there there would be  a handy little (@#40) inverter that gave out CV and had pulse that i could plug in a 12RC and have a good setup, then i could still use the 12rc on the road from the TB302XMT's fit the purpose,but arent cheap and have CC that i dont need.the invision sounds good, but seems overpriced at 4K+might just get a passport and make doG
Reply:The Invision is also 3-phase-only, so if you don't have 3-phase, it's out of the running.I understand you're looking for a CV inverter mig supply, but these machines are usually multi-process and have both CC and CV output, or just CC, but seldom just CV.   I'm not sure I understand what is the adversity to having CC output in the machine.  You don't have to use the CC if you don't want to and it doesn't hurt anything.   Your needs may change in the future and you may find yourself happy that you have the CC output option available to you.   Not having CC isn't going to make the machine smaller and more affordable.  Machines on this level (inverter, high output, power supply only, single phase) are not entry level machines and are therefore not going to be cheap any way you cut it.I'm not all that familiar with Lincoln or ESAB's product lines, but the machines I can think of that are available to do what you want to do in the used market are the XMT304 and PowCon 300SM.Used PowCon 300sm's  are typically available in the $500-1000 range, whereas used XMT 304 CC/CV's are typically in the $1000-2000 range.  They're both about the same size (PowCon slightly smaller) and weigh about 75-80 lbs.  Both run on single-phase and 3-phase for most models, though there may be a few 3-phase-only PowCons floating around out there.   Optima pulsers can be found used.  PowCon pulsers are rather rare but you may be able to scare one up if you keep your eyes peeled.  Both the PowCon and XMT will connect to a Suitcase RC with 14-pin control cable and the correct plug wiring.Have you considered just using the Suitcase on the Trailblazer and getting a regular all-in-one mig for the shop?  There are lots of great shop migs with integrated wire feeding that can do both steel and aluminum with a spool gun.   All of the recent Millermatics from the little 140 up the to expensive 350P can do aluminum with the spool gun and I imagine Lincoln's Powermig product line is probly similar in capability.  If you want pulse, the Millermatic 350P and Powermig 350MP are both great migs with full aluminum welding features, though neither are cheap.   The words cheap, aluminum and pulse do not generally go in the same sentence, whether it be mig or tig machines.   That's just the way it is.How do you like your TA AM300 ACDC?   I have the 185 and would love to have a 300.  The 185 has been a great little machine, it's just a little short on AC output for thicker aluminum.Last edited by DesertRider33; 01-26-2010 at 02:57 AM.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I agree with every thing you said DR, except that the Invision in 3 phase only. Miller lists the Invision 350 MPA as single or 3 phase on the website.As Dr said, an XMT304 used can run as low as $900-1200. I'd rather have the XMT350 if I could find one priced right though. I've seen several XMT304's on CL over the last few months. Thats probably the way I'm leaning right now to upgrade my mig, if I see a decent deal and have the spare cash. Thats about the same money I've seen a few used MM250's at and I'll end up with a lot more machine in the long run. I've already got a VS feeder to run on the XMT until I find a deal on an RC feeder. I don't really need the CC functions of the XMT for stick or tig, since I have a Syncrowave for tig, but why not..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33How do you like your TA AM300 ACDC?   I have the 185 and would love to have a 300.  The 185 has been a great little machine, it's just a little short on AC output for thicker aluminum.
Reply:i have a 30A spoolgun and wc24, but dont use them much as i tig most alum.i always liked the xmt's and i might get one used, just seems a waste to get the CC that i dont want.Youd think that it would be cheaper to make a CV than a CC/CV one.getting off my soap box nowG
Reply:Originally Posted by gordfraserthanks for all the info.did you try 25/75 helium/ argon.a friend used a Sync 180 to weld 1/4" 6061 box. flat joints and fillets.he used that mix to get extra heat.even had his machine set for a lot of cleaning and it still did it.i did 1/4" fillets and had 230A with only 20% cleaning and 100% argon. puddled up quick though.
Reply:Originally Posted by gordfraseri have a 30A spoolgun and wc24, but dont use them much as i tig most alum.i always liked the xmt's and i might get one used, just seems a waste to get the CC that i dont want.Youd think that it would be cheaper to make a CV than a CC/CV one.getting off my soap box now
Reply:Originally Posted by DSWI agree with every thing you said DR, except that the Invision in 3 phase only. Miller lists the Invision 350 MPA as single or 3 phase on the website.As Dr said, an XMT304 used can run as low as $900-1200. I'd rather have the XMT350 if I could find one priced right though. I've seen several XMT304's on CL over the last few months. Thats probably the way I'm leaning right now to upgrade my mig, if I see a decent deal and have the spare cash. Thats about the same money I've seen a few used MM250's at and I'll end up with a lot more machine in the long run. I've already got a VS feeder to run on the XMT until I find a deal on an RC feeder. I don't really need the CC functions of the XMT for stick or tig, since I have a Syncrowave for tig, but why not.