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> Heliarc welder , p&h , 300 amps output , "the beast"
Heliarc welder , p&h , 300 amps output , "the beast"
One P & H Heliarc welder- Rated at 300 amps output.
It has AC and DC+/- output, so it was intended for heliarc welding either steel or aluminum.
It can also do regular arc welding if you get a stinger (a heavy cable with a rod holder at the end).
It comes with a heliarc torch, though I can't tell what brand it is.
And a very heavy ground lead and clamp.
There is a foot pedal control as well.
The package sits on a wheeled cart that is also the coolant tank, and it has the pump at the rear as the pictures show, as well as a place to put bottles.
No argon bottle is included- Sorry.
I do not have a stinger for arc welding either.
The machine seems to work, but it has some issues. I'm told the tank rusted a little and has a hole somewhere, so it leaks. This is no big deal since you can just weld it up. I haven't tried the water pump, but it looks to be electrically connected to the inside of the machine, so I assume it is a 220V motor.
The plumbing for the torch requires some fittings and physical connection- Among other things I rolled over one of the hoses while moving the machine and pulled something out. The guy I bought it from about a year ago said he bought it from the City of Los Angeles. And they told him that one of the toggle switches was a little fickel, and that it had to be switched back and forth a couple of times to get it to do what it is supposed to do. I have not played with it enough to confirm this.
I did run the machine on steel (DC-) the day I picked it up, but without argon or water cooling I had to be very brief. The arc seemed stable, and my bead looked as good as it was going to without shielding gas. I had no aluminum available to weld on, and my skills are a little short with aluminum anyway, so I didn't try the AC output. But my guess is that the AC works because when welders fail, they usually just quit putting out power in total.
Connection & Physical Details:
This machine can be connected to either a 220 Volt or 440 Volt power service (Your house likely has only 220V available, like a clothes drier uses), but it does need 90 amps of that 220V when the machine is set at full power output. This machine is big; 57" deep x 52" high x 30" wide and it is seriously heavy. I have no means to weigh it, but I'll bet it weighs nearly half a ton.
I needed to install a 100 amp breaker in my electrical service box, and run some heavy guage wire through the attic to a three pronged female outlet in my garage so I could plug it in. But I never got to that because the controversy surrounding my welder purchase never sufficiently went away. Not everyone where I live likes my welder, mostly due to its size. And apparently the car won't fit in the garage along with it, and apparently that is the priority. So now it looks to me like the welder will have to get sold.
Policies: The policies described on my "Me" page are incorporated here- My direct email address is noted at the top.
PS. I'm out of town every Saturday and sometimes a day before or after, but I can respond to email outside that time- Thanks for being patient.
