Cobramatic MK-3A - Need Info

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I currently have a lincoln 140C with a spool gun that I am trying to use for aluminum welding. It doesn't work very well with anything thicker than 1/8".I have run across a cobramatic - MK3a wire feeder with power supply and  push/pull gun, all of which are in very good shape for a really low price. My question is that this is also a 110V unit like the lincoln so how good are they for aluminum? The current owner says he welds all thicknesses and has no problems.Any sage words of advise ??Thanks, Willy
Reply:I have a few of these Cobramatic feeders.  The MK3A itself runs on 110vac and the gun runs on 24vdc, supplied through the feeder.  The 110v has nothing to do with the weld power, all it's doing is powering the motor in the feeder and the motor in the gun.  The power supply (welding machine) provides the arc power and will run on 220v or more.   Popular portable power supplies are XMT's, Invisions and PowCon's.  Anything else will likely be a big shop machine running 3-phase.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Hello.Sorry for thread hijacking.I have also resently bought two cobramatic wire feeders and need some help.Model Number: MK-3AMPSSerial Number: 28709 J 89The seller told me this one was an water cool'd unit and that i needed to have it cooled outherwise the smal wires that the power cable consist of would burn of.Model Number: 150-103Serial Number: 31578He also told me this was an air cooled unit but i don't know.Do i have to conect these two to an watercooling unit? or can i run them as aircooled units? I have picked apart the "grips(guns)" and there is no way for the water to get up to the "guns" as it is on the "guns" in the manual i downloaded from mk homepage( my gun have only 4 conections and the one in manual have 5 and there is difrent internals asvell) Don't remember what is writen on the "guns" but it's something like "prince   mk products" going to take picture of them on monday.. Do anyone know if there should be any numbers on them that i can use to find more information with??I E-mailed mk products about what i could conect these to and they said i could use any mma as an power sourceI'm not in any hurry to get these runing as i do not have any power source or gas tube or any place to weldthis is really confusin i'm an good mecanich and are used to pick broken stuff apart and then somehow get them to work again, i just don't whant to destroy these by myself couse i don't know how they workIn the future i'm going to use these to build and repaire car and motorbike stuff and one off stuff for myself and friends (sorry for the bad spelling and grammar and use of wrong words for stuff)an picture of the two and an esab i got at the same timehttp://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...g/Bild1911.jpgAnd the best picture of the guns i have right now..http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...g/Bild1890.jpg//Andreas
Reply:In your first pic, the feeder on the left is a Cobramatic MK3A.  The more squared off feeder on the right with the flat sheet metal lids is a newer Cobramatic 150-00x.  I have both models here.If your gun has a regular stranded copper weld cable with a lug connector at the feeder for the power cable, it is likely air cooled.  If your gun has a special cable with a wire inside it and water hose around it with a screw-in power/water fitting on the end, it is likely water cooled.  Running a water cooled gun/cable without a water cooler hooked up and running is a very good way to fry the cable and/or gun head.   These things are NOT CHEAP to get parts for, so play at your own risk.  The frontend neck assembly (the part that needs the water cooling) is about $250 for a newer Python gun, if I remember right, and that assembly is probly no longer available for the older Cobra Gold or Gooseneck model guns.  The water cooled cable assembly is not cheap either, so if you fry the thing, kiss it good bye and hope you had fun doing the 'experiment'.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Thanks for the answer. Originally Posted by DesertRider33If your gun has a regular stranded copper weld cable with a lug connector at the feeder for the power cable, it is likely air cooled.  If your gun has a special cable with a wire inside it and water hose around it with a screw-in power/water fitting on the end, it is likely water cooled.
Reply:According to my manual the gun's duty cycle is:With standard gas cup, water cooled 250-amps @ 50% duty cycle.Without water, 200-amps @ 50% duty cycle.With heavy duty gas cup, water cooled 300-amps @ 50% duty cycle.Without water, 200-amps @ 50% duty cycle.  Don’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Originally Posted by DandanRacingThanks for the answer.If the cabels is aircooled do i stil have to get an watercooler for the feeder itself??//Andreas
Reply:Everything you need to know is on their website. http://www.mkprod.com/Supt_Manuals2.htmDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:After serching some more on google and ending up on mk products homepage and then some more searching i have come to to the conclusione that i have an mk prince it looks like this one http://www.mkprod.com/images/06pg_pr...inned_1000.png but it has an difrent fitting of the barel it is hold with to screws from the top of the gun..Matt_Maguire No the feeder doesn't need it, but there may be lines to cool the torch head/nozzle and internal parts in the gun (that's where the most money is at).
Reply:Originally Posted by CEPEverything you need to know is on their website. http://www.mkprod.com/Supt_Manuals2.htm
Reply:You're better off to call them on the phone and talk to a tech directly.  It is also good if you can take pictures of the cable and gun inside and send them the pictures so they can see what you see.The feeder doesn't need the cooler, it is the torch front end and power cable that needs the cooling, if it is a water cooled model.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Abit late to post the answer  I found out that both my guns are Air Cooled, 15ft, Prince Torch.  Model Number 145-315 and they are over 22 years old  SAY WHAT O.O they look like they are max 10-15 years oldSad part is that the straight barrel and spiral steel conduit that i whant so i can weld on my cars cost more then i got both cabinets and guns for.So if someone have these two parts and i could buy them really cheap or maybe someone with an broken machine could give them to me?? i would be so thankfullThe Straight Barrel for this gun is P/N 003-2204.The 15ft Spiral Steel Conduit is P/N 615-0208.Here is an picture of the gun.http://i564.photobucket.com/albums/s...g/Bild2767.jpgThanks for all the help so far=)//Andreas------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Spelling and me is like oil and water...