Lincoln Wendanpower 150 - about to buy...

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Hi All,    I'm set to buy a Lincoln Weldanpower 150 - AC/DC on Monday (old - has to be 70's or 80's).  Owner says it works well and just needs a battery.  Comes with 25' leads and a new stinger.  The welder has the cart kit (wheels with pull handle).  I am going to pick it up for $300.  Wanted to get your opinion on the price and anything to look out for/check before buying (obviously will throw a rod on it and give it a go, but looking for any advice of things to be wary of).Thanks all!Jon
Reply:Not a bad price for the AC/DC version if it's in good shape.  Even at 25' the leads and new stinger are a plus.  Pretty simple machine so if it welds and produces auxiliary power you should be good there.  Check the condition/level of the engine oil and note if it smokes on start-up and/or while running (unloaded and loaded) and check it over for any bad leaks which shouldn't be a deal breaker but maybe a bargaining chip.You can get the unit manual here http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...r-manuals.aspx by entering the units code#.Once you know its SN you can go here http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...of_machine.pdf to determine its year of manufacture.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:I had an '80s vintage Weldanpower albeit 225 not 150, and I had a catastrophe happen with it. My welder had slip rings and one of mine cracked and came loose so instant zero output. It appeared to be possible to fix but the mechanical challenges of tearing it all down were way too much for me so I took my $600 welder and scrapped it for $120 and ate the difference. It appears for awhile Lincoln turned their slip rings from welded brass tube instead of seamless, so this is a common problem but one which is generally fatal.My advice is avoid it like poison.metalmagpie
Reply:Sigh - okay, so two very different opinions.  Anybody know what percentage of them had this type of failure?  If we're talking 50/50 chance of this happening, then I'm not going to buy it.  If we're talking 5% chance, I'd probably pick it up for the $300 (copper at all time highs right now, I wonder if it's worth more than $300 in scrap windings, etc, now).
Reply:i checked one out when shopping for my ranger.. it welded real nice but didnt have enough gneratr for what i wanted...havent heard much bad about them....
Reply:Yes the Weldanpower series did experience slip ring failures due to splitting from time to time but far from a 50/50 figure.  Your 5% figure could even be high but I don't have any specific numbers to know for sure.  Seperating the alternator unit from the engine isn't that bad and should be accomplished in an hour or less by a first timer.  Failed slip rings can be brazed then trued on a lathe or replaced by motor shops.However, if a $300, 150A machine can meet your welding needs and its in good shape, I would still give it serious consideration.  But then, repairing/replacing slip rings wouldn't be an issue for me so that's just my opinion.  You've got to go with what you're comfortable with.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:I don't see myself needing to go over 1/4" mild steel anytime soon - mainly just want to do small fab work like trailers, benches, rolling carts, etc.  Just starting out so I figure this is a good way to go as it's cheap(ish) and decent power.  I don't have 220V available, so the gas power is a must.  I'm decently mechanically inclined, so pulling it apart and taking pictures to get it back together seems doable if it were to fail - I'd have to probably bring the rings to a machinist to get them repaired but I imagine I could handle most of the labor myself, even if it took a while.  Let me grab a picture of it and post here - maybe you guys have a better sense what era it's from....
Reply:Images of the machine - sorry for the size, they're the only ones I have of it right now:
Reply:Good 'ol Kohler power.  Unit looks to be in decent shape.  Nice thing about the AC/DC models is they were electric start too.If/when you have the unit SN you can look up its year of manufacture here:http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...of_machine.pdfMM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110Save Second Base!
Reply:I had an older Model 100 (I think).  It was AC only, and no electric start.  It wasn't even a recoil starter.  It had a pull rope with a knot.  I didn't use it a lot, but when I did it was very handy and worked great..  I got a bigger machine later and sold the Lincoln for $150.