new guy... help me with my new, used equipment!!

[dan-gerous]

Hi all. Let me start by saying that I've been a hobby welder for the last 12 years. Getting my only formal training.from vo-ag class in high school. I work in the oil field full time and do maintenance on my dads semi trucks part time

I've take every opportunity I can to weld any and everything. I do a lot of fab projects, truck repairs, some pipeline (at work), trailer repairs, I've totally dis-assembled semi trailers and put them back together, general welding repairs. Excavator bucket facing and repair

I've always used someone else's equipment, mostly the company's I work for. I recently bought an older Hobart fabricator 300a power supply and a miller xr30 push/pull aluminum mig. I plan on getting more serious about fabbing for profit!

Did I pick out some decent machines here?

Can the Hobart be used as a stick welder when I'm not running the feeder?? It only has power to the front lugs when the mig trigger is pulled?!

Aside from the awkward gun, will the xr make a decent steel wire feeder?

What's a decent suitcase unit to add as a dedicated steel mig? Pwr source has a 6 pin connector!
I also have a tombstone and a 110v Lincoln mig that I use for tinkering.

School me on what I got fellas! Thanks in advance! Dan

[dan-gerous]

For some reason I can only upload 1 pic at a time

[bobhdus]

new guy... help me with my new, used equipment!!

I didn't catch how much you bought them for but who cares, If they all work like they are supposed to then great! I don't have a whole lot of experience with hobarts or that particular miller unit but some of the older stuff out there can be more trusty than the newer micro processor stuff (that's my opinion though...)

[dan-gerous]

I got the pwr source and the Miller xr and a gas flo-meter for $300 . Didn't come with ground lead or bottle. Both machines originally came from a local alum trailer manufacturer. Previous owner said he couldn't get it to work so I took a chance.... turns out the power source was wired for 460v instead of 230v . With the help of the wiring diagram I had everything up and running in 20 min! Score one for me!!!

[bababouy]

Nice machine... I love walking into someone's shop or garage and seeing an old school machine still in operation.

[bobhdus]

Good Find!!!

[dan-gerous]

Looking at a Hobart 2210 wire feeder to add to the mix .that way I'll have dedicated alum and steel migs . Guys askin 300 for and was checked and serviced by a repair shop.

Any thoughts on the 2210?

[dan-gerous]

Well I bought the 2210 feeder. It came with a 3 phase pwr src. That will be for sale as soon as I go pick everything up on Saturday. Came with 40# of wire for $300. I figure I can scrap the power source and get $150 for it.

I'm hoping that with my 300a power source this feeder will seriously burn in some weld. I plan on using it for excavator buckets and heavy trailer repair etcetera.

[dan-gerous]

Wtf 1 pic per post?!?!

[dan-gerous]

Question... my Hobart power supply in the fore-posted pics... the big dials on the front are for changing voltage out put! How does that translate to amp output.??? Amp output is what I'm used to.

And can this power supply be used as a stick welder?? I assume I would have to wire a switch that would bypass the contactor inside the unit... as there is only voltage out put to the lugs when you press the button on the mig gun!

I attached a pic of the unit here! Thanks

[Meltedmetal]

Question... my Hobart power supply in the fore-posted pics... the big dials on the front are for changing voltage out put! How does that translate to amp output.??? Amp output is what I'm used to.

And can this power supply be used as a stick welder?? I assume I would have to wire a switch that would bypass the contactor inside the unit... as there is only voltage out put to the lugs when you press the button on the mig gun!

I attached a pic of the unit here! Thanks

Wire feed welders (MIG) are normally constant voltage machines. Stick/Tig welders are constant current machines. There is a way to use a cv machine to stick weld but you would need a resistance grid and you can likely buy a stick welder cheaper that the grid which I don't think are very common(someone correct me?) The current adjustment on your cv machine is the wire speed. That is more wire more current at any given voltage setting. -Meltedmetal

[dan-gerous]

Picked up 2 Lincoln pro cut 55's for $50ea. Both came withe 25' torches One is missing 2 PC boards. The other turns on, purges air but won't start an arc. I dropped them off at ARC Equipment in Youngstown for some diagnostic ! Wish me luck!