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I've come across a "not working properly" 300 A/BP that a guy bought with a group of welders at an auction. After he got it home he found this one has very low output. It doesn't trip the breaker and he can hear the HF come on. Since he had another one from the group that he bought that he got working for TIG, he's not interested in spending any money or time on this one to fix it. He's ready to take sell it for scrap, so he'll let me have it for $200.I don't know the guy personally and he doesn't really know the history of the machine. Its a bare machine, no leads or torch or cooler or cart. I'd like to TIG on it, so I know I'll need to add a few hunderd for leads, torch and pedal. Its also about 3 hours away, so it'll be an investment in time and gas just to go check it out. He will have it at his shop and I think he'd let me have access to power so I could show up there and troubleshoot it. Depending on what I find or not find I could make my decision to buy it.I asked him how much he knew about troubleshooting welders and he said not much really, but then he added in there somewhere that it might be the contactor not pulling in well, so he does know a little bit. If I drove up there and decided it was dead (suits up in full body armor in prep for oncoming attack), then I could always load it up, bring it home, scrap it and get my gas money back. Just kidding, I would HATE to do that to this sweet ole machine.First question, best case scenario, if I find something easy like the CB on the amp control circuit is tripped and it fires up and runs fine after I reset it, is it worth it at this price? If it starts getting into some parts, a bad rheostat, or some caps, how available are the parts and how pricey are they.Second question, assuming I get the thumbs up from you guys to proceed with troubleshooting it, would one of you volunteer to be accessible by phone and help me? I have the manual, and although I've never worked on welders before, I have troubleshot lots of industrial electromechanical devices successfuly before, and I can read and understand electrical schematics. Ok if somebody went back and looked at my profile and noticed I'm an auto mechanic, I'll go ahead and confess I've got 30 years of experience as a chemical engineer working in production and maintenance in chemical plants.I know this is a really sweet machine and I'd love to have it to TIG on. I know its a power hog, but I'm not likely to ever crank it up, so I figure I can get plenty of use on it on my 50A circuit. I really wanna learn to weld those beer cans together ..... lol I know that's way down the road for me, but I bet this machine could do it great.Let's hear what you guys think.Century Wire Feed 140 MIG, Snap-on MM140SL MIG, Syncrowave 250, Airco 225 MSM Stinger, Victor O/A rigGrizzly 4" x 6" Bandsaw, Milwaukee Portaband and Dewalt 14" ChopsawAtlas 12"x36" LatheCentral Hydraulics 20T Shop PressToo Many Hand Tools
Reply:I have a similar background. 25 years plus as an equipment tech on semiconductor wafer processing equipment.If you have that kind of background, you'll find that these old machines are dead simple. Basically just a big old power supply. TIG stuff adds to the complexity a bit, but nothing real exotic until you get into inverters. Mostly, it would add a gas solenoid, some simple timer circuitry for pre and post flow, as well as a high frequency spark gap.I'd say with access to a schematic, you'd be okay unless the main transformer or the large inductor is open or shorted. All the other parts are pretty basic stuff that's available from electrical/component suppliers.PapaLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:I am selling my Airco 300 ( which is a relabled 330ABP) which is fully operational, I just really don't have the space for it and have the Lincoln now for doing TIG. I am in the same boat trying to sell it. I will part it out so if you buy that machine then I will have everything you need to get it up and running. I will sell you the Tig torch with bernard cooler, TIG foot pedal, CV sensing control box to run a Al spool gun off it (i'm keeping the spool gun) and any other parts you need for $500 plus shipping... then I will just scrap what is left.... Its a great welder, Just ask Zapster... Let me know if you are interested you can PM me if you want... only thing I don't have extra is a ground cable and clamp... These machines are really not power hogs as they will run on a 100 amp circuit at full power and put out 50-75% more power than an dialarc250 or Idealarc250 that needs the same 100 amp input current several people run these in the medium range on a 50 amp circuit with no problems at all...Last edited by soutthpaw; 09-10-2011 at 12:19 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
Reply:It's certainly a fair price, with no room for any negotiating there.But... it's three hours away and bare-bones, non-working and without history. I'd say pass. By the time you invest in transportation and round up the extras to make a complete system, there'll be no savings over the prices that ready-to-weld machines are selling for lately. Even if all the hunting for extras turned out to be easy (although the pedal won't be) and the output problem was simple to fix, it's still a lot of leg work when considering that so many turn-key machines are around for cheap. So again, I'd pass. Good LuckEdit - I just saw Southpaw's post. See what I mean? Buy it all from 'Paw and just pay the truck freight; it'll be plug-N-play.Last edited by denrep; 09-10-2011 at 12:33 PM.
Reply:Originally Posted by denrepEdit - I just saw Southpaw's post. See what I mean? Buy it all from 'Paw and just pay the truck freight; it'll be plug-N-play.
Reply:I have it up for $700 on craigslist without the CV. Box. I wil take $600 complete from any member. I have a skid steer so I can load it. I guess I could bolt it to a pallet too. Try uship.com for shipping. Old dominion truck lines has a transfer station a couple miles from my house where I coul probably drop it off but buyer needs to make arrangements and pay shipping. Aned any cost for actual materials to package it.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
Reply:I'm checking freight prices on soutthpaw's machine, but I'm afraid the freight is gonna kill me. I see more Dial Arc HF's near me. When TIG'ing how much difference in performance at mid to low range power is there between the 300 A/BP and DialArc HF? This is the plain HF, 500 lb one.Century Wire Feed 140 MIG, Snap-on MM140SL MIG, Syncrowave 250, Airco 225 MSM Stinger, Victor O/A rigGrizzly 4" x 6" Bandsaw, Milwaukee Portaband and Dewalt 14" ChopsawAtlas 12"x36" LatheCentral Hydraulics 20T Shop PressToo Many Hand Tools
Reply:Low welding current output usually means a blown rectified diode. This is relatively easy to fix.Low HF output (jumping the spark gaps, but not enough to start an arc without scratching) is either a capacitor problem or a weak HF transformer. The capacitors are easy, but the transformer can be troublesome since it is not as easy to obtain a replacement.
Reply:Sounds like you're not going to buy it but...The combination of low output, weak HF, and chattering contactor sounds like a machine jumpered for 480V being run on 240.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps
Reply:Thanks for all the troubleshooting tips, there are several simple and no/low cost possibilities that I could diagnose and get it working, but even if I can get it working for free, if I account properly for my travel cost, I really need to add about $180 to the $200 he's asking, so I'll end up with $380 at best invested in a bare machine, and it could be higher if I have to buy some parts. I have another option of a bare Miller Dialarc HF with Miller cooler (cooler needs "something" to fix it) that is know to work, that with travel cost would be $420. I'm leaning towards the Dialarc. The guy with the complete Econotig unit for $500 promises me on Monday he'll have gas and it ready to power up, but then he was gonna do that Wedneday, Thursday and Friday too. The local Econotig is the easy route, but if for the same or just a tad more I could get one of these oldie but goodie, I'd rather do that. My son's gonna be pissed that I've bought something we gotta use the engine hoist to move around, but he'll get over it when he sees how nice it works on car bodies and it finds it doesn't lack power if we want to do some thicker AL. I'd love to have a Syncrowave, but since my welding is not the majority of my work its hard to justify that extra investment.Century Wire Feed 140 MIG, Snap-on MM140SL MIG, Syncrowave 250, Airco 225 MSM Stinger, Victor O/A rigGrizzly 4" x 6" Bandsaw, Milwaukee Portaband and Dewalt 14" ChopsawAtlas 12"x36" LatheCentral Hydraulics 20T Shop PressToo Many Hand Tools
Reply:Dialarc's are good and weld really nice on stick, I have never owned or used the HF version so cannot comment on that. If you can get the econotig, using a helium argon mix if you need to do thicker aluminum is an option too. Ok I am going to start parting out my Airco as it looks like you are going another way with it.. Today I am using the cart from it to make an all in one welding station for the rest of my equipment. I have moved the Airco to a similar miller cart without bottle racks for now. I don't think I will need a water cooled tig for 200 amp and below but I may keep the water cooler setup anyway... haven't decided yetOh if the you get the dialarc and need anything let me know I could set u up with the pedal torch and cooler or parts if you need it. I have a miller radiator 1 without a radiator so if you need a pump or something, you will find replacement cooler pumps are expensiveLast edited by soutthpaw; 09-11-2011 at 01:34 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
Reply:i love my dialarc hf. I use a dynasty 200dx at work and like the old transformer machine much better
Reply:It makes me so sad to see all these nice machines, just so far away. I ALMOST bid on an older style Syncrowave 250 on Ebay the other nite, but I resisted. This same company as the link below sold two bare machines, looked ok, for about $575. It would have been $375 shipping for me.http://www.ebay.com/itm/160651869373...84.m1438.l2649This particular machine has a cooler with it and that wierd stand, but the other 2 were just bare machines. I see a fair number of machines on Ebay sold by the State of CA, but they're sold as-is with no DOA warranty. This other company here seems to be a more reputable industrial equipment reseller in CA. Anyone had any experience with them?I came up with a new idea yesterday and I've called around to some of my industrial buddies and put out the word I'm looking for a machine someone has put in the corner as "a spare", but they're really never gonna use it again. Maybe get it from them for scrap value. A friend of mine that is a good electronics tech told me he'd help me repair one if needed. I know that if you have a board go out in one of those welders, they'll hit you for hundreds to replace it even if its just a timer board. The basic components like diodes, caps and rheostat in the older machines I could diagnose and repair myself, but with my friend's help I could repair a defective board at a fraction of the cost, and maybe move up to a more modern class of machine for close to the same money. (dreaming about an older syncrowave) One of the people I called looking for "old spares" suggested I call the LWS and ask about old machines they'd taken on trade. Anyone have any experience with doing something like that? I could see someone coming in with an old machine that needed a repair that was so expensive to make it not practical, but like a car salesman they take it in on trade just to get a new sale. Not sure if they'd actually repair them or just sell them for scrap. I could see them telling me no cause they thought I might otherwise just buy a new one from them. Thoughts?Century Wire Feed 140 MIG, Snap-on MM140SL MIG, Syncrowave 250, Airco 225 MSM Stinger, Victor O/A rigGrizzly 4" x 6" Bandsaw, Milwaukee Portaband and Dewalt 14" ChopsawAtlas 12"x36" LatheCentral Hydraulics 20T Shop PressToo Many Hand Tools
Reply:Originally Posted by Bill431NiteI could see them telling me no cause they thought I might otherwise just buy a new one from them. Thoughts?
Reply:I just can't bring myself to strip my Airco 300 down for parts. it's just too nice of a welder to do that to it. So I will just hope some wise person decides to buy it from me and continue to give it a good long life. That or I will just cover it up and put it out back somewhere till I can find space and a use for it.... I did add a for sale listing the selling forum here... I am sure if I was on the east coast or west even it would sell fast... just less people out this way I guess... Live equipment auctions are a good way to get welders but you do have to be willing to take a chance that it won't work or will need repair...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
Reply:Southpaw, if you were closer to me, I'd likely jump on that machine. Not sure how I'd pump enough single phase juice into it, but I'd darn sure try!It may be that many folks don't realize that they'd really be buying a Miller machine with another nameplate on it. I would push the Miller aspect as much as possible in your marketing.Good luck,PapaLincoln Idealarc 250 (circa 1962)Lincoln Weldpak 155 w/Mig KitLincoln Squarewave TIG 175
Reply:Shipping pallet-sized items long distance is very competitive and usually isn't that big of a deal, especially with a shipper as helpful and flexible as Southpaw. We read Zap's $150 rate from MI to MA. Let's face it, if the machine was purchased by a buyer in a nearby city, even sending their own truck it would have probably still cost an actual hundred bucks to get it home.Good LuckLast edited by denrep; 09-14-2011 at 03:31 PM. |
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发表于 2021-8-31 23:24:05