Engine Driven Welders

Date 02-08-2002 12:13

David, sounds like there is something wrong here. Not to be offensive, but either the machine is not operating properly or you are not setting it up right. It sounds like you do not have the right polarity on the gas drive. This would cause the exact symptoms you are describing. Make certain that you have electrode positive for E7018 and E6011. E6011 is also an AC rod, but it will run okay on DC. Please write back if this does not solve your problems and we will try something else.

Respectfully,
Mike Sherman
Shermans Welding

By Mike Brace (**)

Date 02-08-2002 12:38

Dave: One of the things to look at is how much weld cable in on the engine drive. Is it coiled up or strung out? If it is in a coil or pile it will choke down the machine by adding more inductance. How do you know that you are welding at 145 amps? Many times you cannot go by the numbers on the dial because of weld cable length. Use a clamp on meter right at the stinger lead to get a true reading. Other wise I would be more than happy to help you buy a new machine that will do the job.

Mike Brace
Weld Engineer
Miller Construction Products

By TimGary (****)

Date 02-08-2002 13:21

Dave,
What Mike said about the cable length is fact, the longer the lead, the more the amperage drops at the stinger. Also some diesel welders have a tendency to build up residue on the armature that reduces output power. I used to keep a tool handy that was basicially a piece of smooth grinding stone, slightly curved to fit the radius of the armature, on the end of a plastic handle. This was used to rub off residue buildup from the armature and restore power. I don't remember what the tool was called but maybe your local welding products supplier does. One more thing that sometimes helps is to attacth your ground lead close to the area you're welding and make sure the ground connections are good.
Good Luck!
Tim

By Marv Date 02-08-2002 15:21

Dave, it looks like you are getting some accurate response to your question. I'll throw in my 2 cents worth. Not to sound like an "old welder" but the truth is there is a major difference in power supplies and in my opinion the brand of machine & welding rod (especially 7018). Take for instance comparing an engine driven DC generator to an engine driven rectified alternator or inverter. Believe me, there are alot of new power supplies with all the bells and whistles that can do everthing but weld (produce a good arc). I'm not a salesman so I won't name brands on either the machine or the rod, but you should "sample" a cross-section of the major brands. If you had satisfactory results with the same brand of rod in the shop you would tend to think the same rod would produce good results in the field; however, that is not always the case. As with all welding operations, there are alot of variables to nail down. Good luck!!!

By DaveP66 (*)

Date 02-09-2002 10:28

Thank you all for the quick response. Yes i have checked all the polarities..and the cable connections. Everything is tight and clean. As far as the internal cleanlyness i dont know i could check it out...but i would not know what to look for unless i found mud packed up in there :) i do use both rods on DC reverse as well as in the shop. But still does not perform as well as the shop welder...im not bragging but i can run 7018 and 6011 pretty good...and certified on them...but that damn welder..i know there is something wrong with the electrical part...or its just the way diesels are...ya..its old 1986@ 2800 hours. But i used one last year that was 1971@4800 hours and ran like a champ. But both seemed to not put out the quality weld of a shop welder.

there is one thing i have noticed about this welder...it has an auto idler when your not welding it goes to idle till you strike the arc...i have to put it on full run...when you have it on auto idle it wont come out of it...unless you beat the rod against the ground...i have had machanics check it out...but you know...cant find anything wrong with it.

ohhh and before i forget...the cable lenths are normal... 35ft ground and 50ft off the stinger.

Thank you,
David

By Michael Sherman (***)

Date 02-09-2002 21:26

Dave, the next thing to check is your actual amperage output. I had a new Lincoln with a 20 hp. Honda and the RPM's were not set high enough. This created an output problem. Another time one of my employees did not know to turn the fine adjustment knob up all the way for full output. The idle increase may be a governor problem. I own several gas drive welders and they are all 100% duty cycle and considered industrial machines. Every diesal I have ever seen was a heavy duty machine and they all put out very well. When you finally figure it out, would you please post the problem.

Mike Sherman
Shermans Welding

By - Date 02-11-2002 05:47

I would tend to think that it is your welding machine. I use my Trailblazer 251nt quite often with 6010 and 7018, and I don't have a problem with the arc at all. It is a 3 phase welder, but I don't think that should make too much difference. I do have 75 foot leads that are 1/0 in size. Maybe your wire is too small, but then again, you might just have normal wear on the machine.

A good rule of thumb that I figured out just by doing some comparisons with an oil change on my generator and that of a car goes something like this: My manual says to change the oil every 50 hours for my welder/generator, and you are supposed to change the oil in your car or truck every 3000 miles. Do the math and 2800 hours on a machine is equivalent to about 168,000 miles on a car or truck. You also mentioned 4800 hours on another machine. That would equate to about 288,000 miles. Sure, I know diesels go further, and this might be a lame comparison on my part, but that is the way I look at it when it comes to engine driven welders. Lets face it, you admit yourself that it's old and has a fair amount of hours on it. Things do wear out and need replaced. I'm not saying you need to replace your welder, but you might just need to have it looked at by a reliable welding, full service company, if nobody here gives you a good "tip" that would lead you to the exact problem . Better to spend a little $$ and find out its just a $50 part or fix, than to spend a couple grand on a new one and find out the old one just needed that $50 part.

Hope this helps.
Slagman