Lincoln 275 TIG with bottle
I had gone out to Stump Welding shopping for a TIG welder. http://www.stumpfweldingsupplies.com/ Even though Stumps has the best prices around TIG welders are a little pricy. They even offered to find me a used welder.
I have to take a moment here. Big shout out to Stump. I have bought all my welders and supplies from them. When I have questions they have always had the answer. They have even taken time to do a little teaching. They have been supporting the local schools for years, even before I was in school. If you're going shopping, take a trip out to the country and tell them what you're looking for. Craigslist list is a wonderful place. I found a ad for a TIG welder for sell, 3,500. It was more than what I wanted, ok an hell of a lot more, but I hadn't made a counter offer yet. I've always wanted one so I started a dialog with the kid selling it. It story sounded fishing but that is were deals are made. So my wife and I went for a road trip. I grabbed the small bottle from my MIG, gloves, and a helmet. |
When we got there the story goes that he can't get it to weld Aluminum. He blamed it on his skills but it welded steel wonderful. He went on with how he used it to work on his car...bah bah bah.
Time to test it and move on to the next part of this story. He says that his bottle is empty thinking that you can't TIG without gas. When I told him I brought a bottle with me he got really tongue tied. When I ask if he had some steel, he responded no and seem to perk up some. It really flipped his mind when I grab one of my wrenches and put the ground on it. (One new funny story at Sears about how a tool got caught my the mad welder.) The first strike of the ark was good but died out right after that and then wouldn't weld. I checked everything and it failed again. When I look to him his only words, "It worked fine the last time I used it." In the early serial numbers of the 275 they had board problems. I started open panels to see if I could see the one that was burnt. |
Lincoln ships all there welders set to the highest voltage. When I opened all the panels I found the buss bar was set to 440. I looked at the power cord plugged into the wall. Next to the outlet in hand written sharpie, 200. I asked him if the welder work and again I was told it worked fined the last time he had used it.
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Being lied to I lied back.
I told him I think he has a bad board and offered him 2000 dollars. We closed the deal for 2200. These things sell for over 5000. I bought a welder from a lyre
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Home we go. I got it all setup, move the buss bar and crossed my fingers. I hit the ark, and WOW I got one hell of a deal. It is one of the cleanest and easiest welding I have used.
The tungsten rods that came with this looks like only one or two got used. This rig was not used. He never has a stinger installed. |
This is and water cooler. It a tank, pump and a radiator. If you don't have one for your TIG build, buy or figure out how to make it. With this I can weld for hours and not cook my hands. Try one in class without the cooler, wow its hot.
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This just made it into my truck. Used an engine hoist to move it with the cart removed.
Days later I stopped by Stumps. When I took the bottle in to get a full one, the guys in the shop couldn't stop laughing when I told them about this. I think they understood why I didn't buy from them.
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Just a quick note: The warning about being shipped at the highest voltages was in the book he gave my with this welder. Moral of this story: Read the Book.
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