lincoln ln-7 mig questions

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well i have one of theseand i got a hold of one of theseIs there any way these will work together? or do i need a fancy smancy power source to use the wire feeder.and can someone tell me what someone was trying to rig up with this switch?thanks-Aric
Reply:The stick welder you have is a "CC" or constant current machine, the wire feeder you have is made to run on a "CV" (Mig) power source. If you had a volt sense feeder,technically you could use that on a stick welder. I've got customers that have voltage sensing feeders running flux core wire off of old 3 phase stick welders, doing that is backwards from the traditional way of setting wire feed speed and voltage. On a voltage sense feeder running off of a CC power source you set the amperage  you want to run at the rheostat on the power source, and you set the voltage with the wire speed knob at the feeder, weird huh! As for your switch question, this feeder may have been set up on a automated application, and they had a straight mig gun set into a fixture (like a flange welder) in applications like this, it isn't feasible to have the operator squeeze the trigger on the gun to start the arc, so they hook up a remote switch so the operator can start the arc without having to be so close to it.Last edited by ss42768; 05-24-2007 at 12:26 AM.
Reply:did a little research and i didn't think it would work. (i read about the CC and CV thing a little) BUT i figured i would ask anyway, since you guys might know something i didn't.  So what do used CV power sources run for?(nothing fancy, just a basic one)
Reply:Depends, how thick do you want to weld? You can spend anywhere from a couple hundred for a Wal-Mart special up to around $2,000.00 for a Miller MM251 or Lincoln Powermig 255
Reply:Hook up some 98% ar/2% o2 and you will be able to spray weld Open circut voltage on your power supply is around 60 volts.  Welding voltage is 27 to 32 when stick welding.  MIG welders run around 17 to twenty some volts for short circut welding.  That machine also has a 14  or 9 pin plug that goes to the power supply.  I have an lN-9GMA.  If you watch Ebone, you will see power supplies for 5 to 7 hundred dollars.  MAKE SURE its CV and probably should be a lincoln.  The cable that connects the wire feeder to the welder is $150.00.  Want to sell the LN-7?DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.
Reply:i would sell it in a heartbeat to fund a handler 187, but the machine is not technically mine. the guy that owns in has really no idea what it is though, considering he thought it was a complete 110v mig welder.
Reply:well i took a closer look at it. I think whoever said the switch was for remote control of the mig gun was right. i undid the electrical tape where my thumb is in the picture and it plugged right in to the gun. also, when looking at the pin connector on the back it turns into a 120v plug, and thats it. it doesnt really make any sense to me. especially after looking at the manual online. whoever wired it up made it look like you connect the positive to the power source, plug the wire feeder into the wall, turn on the gas and weld. even though apparently thats not how it works.I am just confused as to what the previous owner was thinking. if my power source was a constant voltage, would that all that would be necesary? and are constant voltage power sources sold that are that simple with no multipin connectors and what not?you guys are a great help.thanks in advance.
Reply:LN-25 or LN-15, Hobart hefty........They all run of the welding voltage.  No cables to your power supply, just a voltage tap for the ground.  The LN-25 has a CC/CV switch.  It tries to contorl the welding voltage by controlling the wire speed.  It sort of works, but if you have a CV power supply, you will really like it.  I My Ln-25 and LN-9 both have the same wire drive system.DavidReal world weldin.  When I grow up I want to be a tig weldor.