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A freind has one setting in the barn dosen't know where it came from and I need something for the shop just for small thing, But all I can find out is that It runs off a DC arc welder can anyone tell me what it would be worth and what would I need to run it and how Thanks in advance for all info.
Reply:Take a picture of it and post it.  Are you talking about a sears product?Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I will see if I can get a photo tomarrow I know It is not sears I have found out that it came out of a fab shop back around 1985 His dad said they never had it hooked up  It is orange and Blue if that helps at all. Is their such unit that needs a DC arc welder to run?
Reply:There are several things that run of the dc current of a welder.  I have a plasma cutter that uses only the dc current from my welder.  No plugs other than the welding cables.  Some wire feeders are the same, but for the life of me, I cant figure out what (device) you are talking about here.  What does it look like it does?Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:sorry For taking so long here but I finaly got a photo for you to look at hope it helps and thanks for your help on this. Attached Images
Reply:Ok,You got a wire feeder that hooks to a dc welder.  Looks to be in OK physical shape.  It has a gas hook up for mig.http://www.prest-o-sales.com/other_l...ds/brands2.htmhere is a site with just a listing for the company.  You might want to contact them to find out who they are and whether they are part of another company now.  I keep getting ESAB listed with spoolarc, so they may have acquired this company sometime in the past.  Somewhere among these folks there might be a pinout for the feeder's connector to the welder power supply.  You will want this.My guess, and this IS just a guess, is that if you have 5-wire/pin connector, you can run it off any DC constant voltage power supply with a pin switch-a-roo (that's technical jargon for moving the pins around to the right spots  ) and maybe a power transformer.  If there is a serial plate on it, there might be some info about the input voltage (24v, 48v, 120v, etc).  That is important to know, so you dont try to hook up using the wrong voltage.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:TY smithboy I have E-Mailed them we will see if they responed would be nice to know as he is going to give it to me for $50.00 do you think it is worth that? if so I will see if I can't go ahead and grab it that way it can set in my shop for 20 years lol.
Reply:they are going for around $300 to $500 on ebay not necerly on that one but on the lincolin like it I was looking forpossably searching ebay would give an idea of thatones valueMatt the Alaskan red neck
Reply:well after all I got a chance to go look at it closer as he took that photo for me. on looking at it on one end it has two meters one  Voltage meter which goes from 0 to 40 volts DC and amp meter which goes 0 to 400 amps.
Reply:I agree with Mattc.  If it works, it's a $250+ machine on ebay.  If it is CV only you will have to find a power source to match.  If you have this and it works, it is a good start to a pretty nice industrial qualtiy mig rig.  Dated, but good quality.  I like old stuff, made before the term "planned  obsolecance" came into the corporate vocabulary.  The guages tell you about the output.  That's a nice range there.  Can you tell what INPUT voltage it runs off of.  Is there a serial plate with voltage info or anything you can take a picture of or get info from?  Most of these type feeders run on 24v, 40v or 120v ac.  I never have understood the reason for such strange voltages (24?...40?)...Maybe just to make some stuff incompatible...but that is for another post somewhere else, I guess.Last edited by smithboy; 12-09-2005 at 05:19 PM.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I haven't got to go pick the unit up yet will some time this week I did see a plug on it that lloked to be a 110 v plug. so how do I find out what I need to use this feeder will I most likely be looking at having to buy more eqipment to run it or is there a chance off the DC arc welder working. I will get it by wensday and give it a good going over. I did email the site they ask me for a photo then never responded.
Reply:If you had a matched setup, there would likely be a controller cable with 5 to 16+ pins to control different components of the welder, and sometimes a 120 v plug that provided power (sometimes the 120v power was intergrated into the controller cable).  My guess is, here, they are separate, given what you have seen.  Some of the older power supplies have these wall outlet-type plugs right on them.  You just plug the feeder into the welder, connect the controller cable, connect the main output cable from the welder to the feeder and use the ground as usual from the welder(power source).  Depending on which welder you end up using (dc constant voltage) you will have a bit of re-wiring to do, but nothing really complicated.  There are some web sites that show how...I will see if I can track some down for you to get the idea how it's generally done.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I sure wish I knew more on this stuff I think I am confused lol but hey that’s normal for me lol. So tell me how wrong I got this I am thinking I could just hook this feeder up to AC or DC arc welder is this what you are saying or will I have to find a specific unit?  I do remember seeing a round plug on it as well as the 110v plug. dang I got to go get it hope he gets back soon lol.
Reply:Not A specific, but one that has a specific set of features.  Take for instance my dialarc ac/dc constant current (CC) welder.  That feeder will probably not work with my dialarc for a couple of reasons...one, it has the wrong welding current type (CC rather than CV)...2) it has no contactor, but this is a smaller problem.  It probably would work fine with my powcon 300sm, because it has Constant Voltage mode (CV) and has a contactor built in.  Almost all CV welding power supplies are built for and have the ability to hook to a feeder.  I have yet to run across one that doesnt.  (That doesnt mean there isnt one, just I havent seen one.)  If your feeder has a built-in contactor then I think all you need is a CV machine that will work on your shop's current.First, make sure the feeder is in working order.  If it has a plug-end for 120v then you might be able to test the drive system.  I have two feeders, but both are across-the-arc powered, so you have to use a welder to test the feeder or some sort of dc power source (AC will not work).  For this reason, I am not sure how to test yours exactly, just that I think you can.  Hopefully, some others here will have more info on that.The main thing (CORRECT ME IF I AM WRONG FELLAS) is to get a cv power supply (welder) that has the correct phase current you plan to use (most likely single phase household current 220v).  Lots of the transformer based CV power supplies are 3-phase.  Don't get that kind, unless you have 3-phase power.  Inverter welding power sources are often 1 & 3 phase and many have cv mode.  Like I mentioned, powcons sm machines are very likely to be compatible.  Engine driven welders that are cv/cc are probably compatible.  There are others.  Just search ebay for cv welder, and probably focus on the single phase machines if you are setting this up for home.The wire rollers might be hard to find replacements for, so you might want to check their availability.http://cgi.ebay.com/POWCON-300-SM-ST...QQcmdZViewItemThis is an example of a powcon that will likely work with that feeder, but this isnt the only machine that will.  It says 3-phase, but I am pretty sure this machine is both 1 and 3 phase and they are easy to convert between current types.  If you search ebay for wire feeders, some show the 3-phase machines that will work.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I don't think the feeder cares about the type of power being supplied to the wire at the contact tip, CV or CC, 1-phase or 3-phase.Like Smithboy says, a pin diagram for the feeder is needed to indentify pins for a ground, power to the feeder, probably a gas purge switch, and a wire jog switch.  I doubt the power to the feeder will be 3-phase even if the feeder was originally designed for use with a 3-phase power supply.  Power to the feeder will likey be 110VAC or something like 24VDC.
Reply:I think I got it now smithboy sounds like I am looking to spend more then I can right now lol. I was hoping to set something up cheap see four years back I had a accident and screwed my knees up will four years and seven surgery’s later I still cannot do much and will never get to return to construction which was all I knew for 20 years. well during the four years I started carving with power and have made some money that way and was hoping to try and make some steel sculpture, guess I better sell a lot more. Anyone know how one can make money with the internet that isn't A bunch of BULL My thoughts are if they ask for you to pay any money to start it is usually bull.I will still buy the feeder in hopes to get it set up thanks  for all the info you have provided Smithboy.
Reply:You might could make a bit re-selling that feeder if it works.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:I am thinking about that I might be able to make close to enough to buy a little mig unit heck thats really all I would need, even though I would like to set this unit up but we don't always get what we want. Hell I never do lol.