Trailblazer 325 questions and need feedback

Collapse
X
 
  • Filter
  • Time
  • Show
Clear All
new posts
  • sjohn
    Junior Member
    • Feb 2015
    • 28

    Trailblazer 325 questions and need feedback

    Hello

    i' am doing some more talking with a few other welders. and after doing some more reading. it may be a better choice to buy the Trailblazer 325 cause its best to go bigger then to be under sized machine. anyways after reading online about the Trailblazer 325. it sounds like it will cost more to fix this machine cause it has more circuit boards in it


    also I was told that this Trailblazer 325 can't not be jumped started if the battery is dead. or it will knock out circuit boards we I live it gets very cold!!


    So I would like some feedback on this model any feedback would be great

    Thanks!
  • cruizer
    Senior Member
    • Oct 2004
    • 8681

    #2
    Well,if you do get it, best to buy an insulated cover for it. Take advantage of the low cad dollar if your in the states as a full cover will run you $350 cad. Really a good thing to have to prevent component freezing. I designed them, and sell lots

    Comment

    • sjohn
      Junior Member
      • Feb 2015
      • 28

      #3
      Originally posted by cruizer View Post
      Well,if you do get it, best to buy an insulated cover for it. Take advantage of the low cad dollar if your in the states as a full cover will run you $350 cad. Really a good thing to have to prevent component freezing. I designed them, and sell lots

      funny you say that I already told the wife she will have to make me a cover! she has an industrial singer sewing machine. **** thing has a 1/2hp motor with a clutch.. that machine will sew thru anything!!!

      she has made covers for the equipment I have now

      Comment

      • sjohn
        Junior Member
        • Feb 2015
        • 28

        #4
        hummm I have been reading about the TB325 hot and cold weather problems did miller fix the problems?


        hummm maybe a Lincoln ranger 305? would be better

        Comment

        • sjohn
          Junior Member
          • Feb 2015
          • 28

          #5
          the sad thing is the more I read about the TB325... the worst I feel about buying one..


          it seem the bobcat 250 which cost less has less problems with it!!!!

          Comment

          • Tryagn5
            Senior Member
            • Apr 2009
            • 843

            #6
            Originally posted by sjohn View Post
            hummm I have been reading about the TB325 hot and cold weather problems did miller fix the problems?


            hummm maybe a Lincoln ranger 305? would be better
            Thats why i have 2 305g's...great welders.
            Kevin
            Lincoln ranger 305g x2
            Ln25
            Miller spectrum 625
            Miller 30a spoolgun
            Wc115a
            Lincoln 210mp
            F550 imt service truck

            Comment

            • sjohn
              Junior Member
              • Feb 2015
              • 28

              #7
              Originally posted by Tryagn5 View Post
              Thats why i have 2 305g's...great welders.
              Kevin
              I am still checking and reading about them but sure seems that's the way to go

              Comment

              • bjfab
                Senior Member
                • Nov 2006
                • 111

                #8
                Welder comparison

                305 has twice the noise and uses twice the fuel. Welds are similar

                Byron

                Comment

                • cruizer
                  Senior Member
                  • Oct 2004
                  • 8681

                  #9
                  Same engine, only dif is low idle excell, and small rod not reving the engine up. Yes the weld is the same, as technology is identical. Quiet cause engine is reversed and exhaust pipe is longer. Really same economy with the Efi in the Ranger or the 325.

                  Both have their own sets of problems, spent days on each finding solutions.

                  Comment

                  • bjfab
                    Senior Member
                    • Nov 2006
                    • 111

                    #10
                    Fuel

                    Fuel is considerably less. Have owned both. About half

                    Byron

                    Comment

                    • Railmen
                      Senior Member
                      • Mar 2006
                      • 471

                      #11
                      Tb 325

                      I bought a 325 not that long ago, used to have the 302 then went to a pro300D, it's a great little machine lots of power for welding the weld at a idle is really nice at first it scared the **** out of me thinking that everytime it went back to idle I was going to have a defect in the weld, just did not seem right to have a welding machine go down in RPM's while welding, if you ever had a SA200 and you heard that sweet sound of the flat head change you knew something was going to happen with the weld.

                      I'm not sure where your located but here in south western Ontario it's been fricken cold here -25F to -30F and no problems with that little machine, some of my Lincoln diesels have not started.

                      Yes jumping starting is bad on those machine,😢

                      I bought the base model, if I was buying one again, it would be the one with EFI and excel power.....

                      I've had a few guys come by with the 305G and they say the to machine do weld really close to each other but the miller is quieter and use less fuel.

                      Railmen.
                      2007 Trailblazer 302G
                      2004 Invision 354MP
                      1999 60 series feeder
                      2005 Maxstar 200DX
                      2007 CST280
                      1999 HF 251-1
                      older Hobart hefty wire feeder
                      Hyperthrem 600
                      Maxstar 150S(such a cute welder)
                      had and sold........
                      2003 XMT 304CC/CV
                      1947 Lincoln SA200G short hood
                      1963 Lincoln SA200G
                      1975 Lincoln SA200G(best machine ever had )
                      1970's Lincoln SAE400G
                      2 Maxstar's 200DX's
                      1 Maxstar 200SD
                      CST 280
                      2 CST 250
                      MM130


                      Railmen

                      Comment

                      • sjohn
                        Junior Member
                        • Feb 2015
                        • 28

                        #12
                        Originally posted by cruizer View Post
                        Same engine, only dif is low idle excell, and small rod not reving the engine up. Yes the weld is the same, as technology is identical. Quiet cause engine is reversed and exhaust pipe is longer. Really same economy with the Efi in the Ranger or the 325.

                        Both have their own sets of problems, spent days on each finding solutions.
                        could you please list the problems you know of with both models?

                        Comment

                        • sjohn
                          Junior Member
                          • Feb 2015
                          • 28

                          #13
                          also I see the Electronic Fuel Injection (EFI) & Excelâ„¢ Power ARE Options and that will cost more so with that being said in my case lets compare basic models of the 325 and 305

                          Comment

                          • Tryagn5
                            Senior Member
                            • Apr 2009
                            • 843

                            #14
                            half of what....

                            Originally posted by bjfab View Post
                            Fuel is considerably less. Have owned both. About half

                            Byron
                            If you take a carbed 325 vs a carbed 305g, set the welder at 210 amps and weld away, both machines will use nearly the same amount of fuel. They both are the same engine. However if you use a 325 with excel power simply to run power tools, then yes it is going to shine in fuel savings.
                            If your welder is to be used day in and day out, efi is the way to go. Efi repays with fuek savings over hours of use.
                            Kevin
                            Lincoln ranger 305g x2
                            Ln25
                            Miller spectrum 625
                            Miller 30a spoolgun
                            Wc115a
                            Lincoln 210mp
                            F550 imt service truck

                            Comment

                            • cruizer
                              Senior Member
                              • Oct 2004
                              • 8681

                              #15
                              Excell power is basically an 120vac inverter running off a winding, same thing could be done with a standard 1500 wt Canadian tire inverter running off your battery.

                              All the same its a neat idea to incorporate it into a welder.

                              The throttle encoder and fuel vac solenoid tend to freeze in the 325. Cover stops this in the winter. Another problem is that. You cannot mount these behind the cab, and ever expect to change your oil. Hot summer time issues have not been resolved, other than plugging the air intake ports, removing the plastic air cleaner cover and propping open the top cover. This allows more air to go over the engine fins and cool it down.

                              Problem with the Rangers has to do with emissions. This problem is with guys filling the tank neck up. Lincoln changed the position of the tank vent 3 times. Easily solved on the units by cutting the tank vent line ( next to the right side spark plug on a plastic nipple) I cut the hose back farther and stick in a 1/4 " screw. Then remove the hose from the air cleaner side and seal the hole with some Rtv. The fuel cap has to come out, just stick long pliers into the tank and pull up the plastic cap holder. Micro drill the shiny side of the cap to the centre, and a couple of holes under the cap to the centre. Now you can fill the neck up for an extra day of welding.

                              The EFI units are basically the same except the line going into the intake has to be plugged with a screw, and the line to the high pressure fuel pump is to be left open

                              Now both the Miller and Lincoln should be set at 62.5hz, the Miller can't as a throttle encoder is supposed to keep that engine under load at 60 hz. It doesn't and there is a new design I think that recently came out.

                              The ranger must be set at 62.5 hz warm. Works very well at that setting. However there is another problem, and won't happen till the engine has a few hours on it and that is that the low idle moves to high. It must be set to approx 38 hz. Top cover has to be removed to adjust the position of the idle solenoid. Don't bother with the carb or efi settings. Besides you want to inspect things anyways, like tightening the chopper board bolts.
                              Last edited by cruizer; 03-01-2015, 09:37 AM.

                              Comment

                              Working...
                              X