Portable wire feeder

[BUDDY]

I'm looking at purchasing a wire feeder for my trailblazer 302 for portable mig welding. Which wire feeder do you guys recomend and why. Im looking at the extreme 12vs and the 12rc.

[DDA52]

That is an easy one. Go for the 12RC. It will give you a better all around MIG/FC unit. The 12VS will be good for FC, but will not do well short circuiting like the 12RC. The RC will give you an arc much like the Miller MIG machines...210 and 251.

I have two Miller VS feeders for my Bobcat. When I upgrade to a TB, I will be getting a 12RC as well.

[MAC702]

Agreed. For GMAW capability, the choice is easy, the 12RC with a Roughneck gun. If you need a bulletproof FC-only unit, the Extreme 12VS with an Ironmate gun would be my choice.

[sapper]

Have any of you used the ReadywelderII? I have one and I love it. I run it from 2 12V batteries when needed in remote locations and I wasn't sure how it would perform until I used it the first time. I love it. 100% duty cycle as well is nice. I have been looking for one that is easier to connect to a portable welder though.

[DDA52]

I haven't. Might be interesting to try once, though. I kinda doubt they run .045 and 1/16 wire at 200a plus, do they?

[sapper]

I have used both .035 and .045 with mine with great success. I have only run my from batteries so it is hard to judge current but I know it matches the 251 for performance (with flux core no shielding gas) right out of the box. I have been considering getting the Cold start switch and power supply to run it from any welder. Even with the upgrades it comes in much less than most spoolguns.

I still need to put some aluminum into it and hook up some argon to do aluminum as I haven't yet put plan to VERY SOON.

www.readywelder.com for more info. I am trying to compare it to others on the market and I have a ESAB in the shop at work with a spool gun and it blows that out of the water.

[357max]

Volt Sensing Feeders

I have the old 280G Trailblazer with 4300 hours and it still works fantastic! If the Trailblazer is set on Constant Voltage and the volt sense feeder is also set to weld from a constant voltage output. Especially with the Trailblazer's three phase weld output (Legends have 3 phase also) Bobcats and every 600pound or lighter machine has only a single phase welding arc. You will have a very fine short circuit arc with solid wires with the Trailblazer. Its benefit would be the 14 pin feeder power cord is eliminated. The advantage of the RC is the ability to adjust the voltage at the feeder instead of a hundred or so feet back to the Trailblazer.
If the Trailblazer is set for constant current output it is not recommended for short circuit metal transfer. It is excellent for spray transfer and flux cored wires.
FYI, volt sense feeder's wire feed speed control will adjust either the voltage or amperage depending on the weld output from the Trailblazer or any other machine. If the amperage is set at the welding machine (constant current weld output). Increasing the wire feed speed will decrease the voltage. Decreasing the wire feed speed will increase the voltage. And with either wire increase or decrease the amperage (which controlls/determine penetration) will remain the same as set at the machine.
Now if the Trailblazer is set for Constant Voltage, the voltage will be set at the machine. And if the wire feed speed is increased the amperage will increase. If the wire feed speed is decreased the amperage will decrease. The voltage at the machine will not change. Just gotta remember what was set at the weld machine amperage or voltage and then the other voltage or amperage will be controlled at the volt sense wire feeder controll.
I am considering getting a single phase mig welder and plug it into the Trailblazer and then be able to use it in the shop. The suitcase style feeders offer a little more portability.

[frostbite]

I've been looking at a Lincoln LN-25 that I would like to run with my Trailblazer 302. Anyone have any experience with this machine hooked up to a portable? I know that it's a vs machine, but is there a way to hook it up using the 14 pin plug on the trailblazer and running it in the cv mode?

[cat_welder]

Ln25

Frostbite, I have a LN25 and run it off of a big blue 500 and it does wonderful.You cannot use the 14 pin plug but you can set the welder and the wire feeder for cv and go to town