I consistantly run a 1/8 5p root in third at 40 or there about depending on pipe size and fit.Never miss a beat. Any time I need to push thru a tight fit I catch a gear in the same basic range. Its good down there. What is the reasoning? Honestly curious, not being an ass.
Hello JE Jacobs, I am not an expert on the specifics of Lincoln welding machines, however, I can tell you that the ranges and such that you folks are discussing are relative to bead performance and I don't believe have a major bearing on machine longevity. The only other anology that I would introduce into this thread might go like this: when vehicles with automatic transmissions and over-drives were first introduced onto the automotive scene way too many people didn't consider the limitations of running in the over-drive modes under certain highway conditions, this lack of education caused many transmission failures. In the case of your machines and the suggestions that were made to you, I too would be interested to know the reasoning for these suggestions. As I mentioned in my opening statement, the reasons for these adjustment choices are generally based on how the weld metal reacts when subjected to specific electrical conditions, ie, volt/amp relationships, volt/current curves, and other electrical specific characteristics. So, if there is some specific mechanical/electrical issue that this could cause I would definitely like to know what it is and why it is supposed to cause a problem. Best regards, Allan