Vantage 300?????

Date 11-28-2008 22:48 Edited 11-28-2008 22:55

Get ahold of one and try it before you buy one. Most rental yards have some, you might get a demo out of your local Lincoln rep. Some people love em and some people don't.

There are several hundred of them out in 798 land and have been for several years now. The PL welders I know that have them are about 9 to 1 happy with them.
I haven't seen anyone go in the hole with one. They are as fast or faster than they were with their previous machines.
They've proven very reliable over the years. They have a lot of auxillary ac power if that means anything to you.
They'll lift start tig if you do tig work.

I've run other peoples machines on the ROW, and I have a V400 but I haven't put many hours on it yet. I'm really happy with it so far. They seem, to me, to have less of a tendancy toward internal undercut. I really like the way they fill and cap.

I've still got a couple of SA-200's, but this machine appears like it's really going to make me happy, happy.

Lincoln has a remote without 120V for about $380, they have a remote with 120v outlets for just under a grand. Gerald Tidwell makes a very nice remote with 120 outlets for about $500. The Tidwell remote is smaller than a Cable.

JTMcC.

I'll add that they use about 3" more space (width) than a 200 or 300. All servicing is done thru the one sliding access door, that's nice. They have a fuel gage, that's nice too.

Since you mentioned big bore water lines, the Vantages really run wire nice in my opinion, when you are in CV mode your remote becomes a remote voltage control, that's handy.

By pipehead (***)

Date 11-28-2008 22:52 Edited 11-28-2008 23:02

Thanks JT, Thats all I was asking!! So you like yours... Have you run any big bullets off yours yet.....7'sDH? also are te 300 and 400 on the same size frame??

By the way how you been long time since I talked to ya on here!

By JTMcC

Date 11-28-2008 23:01

I'm doing good, thanks.

The Lincoln remote without power is the smallest. The Tidwell is a good bargain and they are in a slick aluminum case with a handle, I really like my Tidwell stuff, I bouth his spool for the remote and his oxy/acy spool too.

Yea I like mine so far, quite a bit.

The biggest rod we run on line pipe is 3/16" 70+ or 5mm 8P+. I've run both of those. I've only got just under 200 hours on mine tho.
I think it just depends on your style of welding wether they suit you or not. They are pretty quiet when you're used to listening to 200's.

JTMcC.

By JTMcC

Date 11-28-2008 23:05

I'll add that everybody raves about the new 300D's, the ones since they came out with the rpm knob/Kubota. Even the guys that hated their older 300's really like the new ones. I tried to buy one but the wait was 7 days, I needed a machine pretty quick and they had me a V400 the next day.

JTMcC

By pipehead (***)

Date 11-28-2008 23:07 Edited 11-28-2008 23:09

I think thats the direction I'm leaning just because of the aux power being greater and and thats a plus for inside welds on water! Guess I'll have to get ahold of tidwell and price a remote and reel.

He makes some pretty nice stuff. I got a oxy spool too!

Have you run any wire yet?

By the way what's with some of these guys they think they god gift to pipeline or what???

By JTMcC

Date 11-28-2008 23:26

Yea I'ts nice to be able to plug my 5th wheel into the machine if need be. We lose power at my house quite a bit.

I was running flux core when I bought the machine. I had been using a Classic II w/wire feed module for wire since '98. The Vantage has digital readouts so it's easy to adjust your voltage, it reads in tenths of a volt. Plus like I said the remote control becomes a voltage remote in CV mode. And the anger management knob really lets you adjust the arc when running wire. Wires that were always too harsh with too much splatter on my old Classic II, run like a 7018 with the anger knob turned way down. Or you can make the mellower wires run more crisp if you want.

I like the adjustability on downhill pipe as well because I always dial my machines in to where they "just" reach out and wet in the sides the way i like, but no more. The anger knob makes that real easy to do with different grades of pipe and different rods.

JTMcC.

By pipehead (***)

Date 11-28-2008 23:41

well I think i'm try get my hands on one and run it.... I ran one of those new 300 your talking about a few monthes ago just to weld some butt straps on some 24"and 36" ..... and I didn't seem much didfferent to me I played with it for a few days is all though...

Have you ran alot of lead off of it yet????

By JTMcC

Date 11-28-2008 23:48

No, I have 125" of ground and stinger is all. I know that the water line guys I used to know used a lot of Commanders, which were the parents of the Vantages and as you know they use a ton of lead up in there.
I had over 850' of lead (combined)on my Classic II once, but only did light welding with small rods.

Those 300D's have to break in before they get all happy, they run 8P+ really well.

JTMcC.

By pipehead (***)

Date 11-28-2008 23:56

Yeah I hated the commanders! great on wire... running stick i felt like a bull in a china closet! last job I ran a rig on a few yrs ago I was pull 700' of to ln-25 off my 300D and it didn't complain to much...I think that 96" .75wall

By Cactusthewelder (*****)

Date 11-29-2008 13:05

Try the new 500 in a 300 frame

By Regmanager (**)

Date 12-01-2008 15:25

THE MACHINES HAVE A 5 YEAR WARRANTY ON THEM.

All Lincoln machines have a 3 year warranty. Engine manufacturers have a seperate warranty.

By DONKEY PUNCH Date 11-28-2008 23:29

here is a number for your remote I think 362.00 with
120v plugs 318 281 1833 cabel box

By JTMcC

Date 11-28-2008 23:31

Mrs. Cable doesn't make remotes for the Vantages, or at least she didn't last month.

JTMcC.

By JTMcC

Date 11-28-2008 23:38

When I bought my V400 it was $10,400 out the door, V300's were about a thousand less, 300D's were about a grand more plus another $1500 for a wire feed module.
Both spools, oxy/acy with 150' of hose, and remote spool with cord and remote runs around $1400 shipped if I remember right.
Gerald Tidwell can make you a deal on a machine , Phil at Munn Supply can as well.

JTMcC.

By pipehead (***)

Date 11-28-2008 23:42

Cool thanks again JT...

What a pain setting everything back up!!!

By JTMcC

Date 11-28-2008 23:52

It wasn't too bad, when I built this bed I called a guy I know with a Vantage and he put a tape measure to it and gave me the dimensions, so I allowed room for one, just in case. Good thing.

And I'd been using my old home made spools for years, so it I had a spot on the bed for the new ones. It was a nice upgrade to have live spools.

JTMcC.

By pipehead (***)

Date 11-28-2008 23:59

Well I screwed up I sold the whole rig machine,remotes, leads, bevelers, ln-25 on a pretty wicked bed..... So i'm pretty much starting from scratch again!

By JTMcC

Date 11-29-2008 00:04

All of the rental yards around here have them. I called them to see if they would make me a deal on a used one. They wanted 9 grand for machines with several thousand hours on them. I'd of bought a used one if I could of found one fast.
I think Tidwell told me he has sold 400 of these remotes in pipeline world. He wires them so they run in the same direction as a cable.
I was talking to the Arizona Lincoln rep about a month ago and he said that on the new Vantages, you set the dial on the machine to the max heat you want on the remote. The older ones give you minimum to maximum on the remote dial. One thing about the remote is that you take smaller jumps than on a rheostat. If you're familiar with the weldtron that should be no problem tho.

JTMcC.

By pipehead (***)

Date 11-29-2008 00:15 Edited 11-29-2008 00:17

yeah that's how mine was.... but my cv remote was min to max so that would be nice on the cv tho.
My guy up here told me for a V400 or 300Dw/cv 9800.00 to 9900.00 and a V300 about 9500.00

Might be headed down to phx if I get set up pretty quick

By tnhnt

Date 12-01-2008 03:29

Are you headed down to work the reline for Chapman...

By Regmanager (**)

Date 12-01-2008 15:30

THE MACHINES HAVE A 5 YEAR WARRANTY ON THEM.

All Lincoln machines have a 3 year warranty. Engine manufacturers have a seperate warranty.

By Pat Thurman Date 12-03-2008 04:22

There is a vantage 300 here in san diego with your name on it. Come try before you buy. I talked to JK about em today. He said they are good machines.