# Everlast Powertig 250 update



## Snag_one (Aug 19, 2013)

Well , I've had the welder about a month now , and it's everything they said it is . I'm still in the sharp upslope of the learning curve and expect to be there for some time to come ... but this is about the machine and customer support . 
  When the machine arrived , there was a small screw loose in the box . I found out later that this was the stop screw for pedal travel . At first , it acted funny when I tried for full pedal welding , arc would go all funny . Then one day in frustration because of a lousy weld in some pretty nasty aluminum I really romped down on the pedal . Oops , all at once my welder won't weld ... Turns out I'd over-traveled to pot inside the pedal so far that I damaged the wipers inside beyond repair . After poking around a bit on the net I ordered 2 replacement potentiometers from Digikey to repair it myself <repair was successful too> . 
  Then I thought "Why not call Everlast and see what they'll do?" . So I made the call , told them the situation , and they said they'd send me the part - or so I thought . A few hours later I got a shipping notification from UPS ... and a few days later the man in the brown truck visited me . The box looked pretty big to have a small part in it , and the reason is that it contained a whole new pedal ! No request for return of the old one , no documentation or paperwork in the box , just the pedal . 
  I find customer service to be excellent , and the equipment is all a weldor can ask . I will most definitely recommend their equipment to prospective purchasers . 
 --
  Snag


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## Ray C (Aug 19, 2013)

Same thing happened to me.  The pedal rehostate went bad and I replaced it from Radio Shack.  I called them initially to diagnose the problem and unknown to me, they sent a new pedal.  Now  have two...


Ray


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## 1a1191 (Aug 19, 2013)

Has anyone tried the low end of these welders on steel or stainless. I'm looking for a TIG machine that can hold a good steady arc on the lower end to weld up frame rails on pistols to be recut for fitting. Any input would be great!

thanks!


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## 4GSR (Aug 19, 2013)

I gotta get one!!!anic:


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## Rbeckett (Aug 19, 2013)

They have definitely improved in the last three years and the customer service is also very good too.  Jody at Welding tips and tricks dot com has done quite a bit of low amp work on stainless with his demo unit and he is satisfied with the results.  When he first got the machine the HF needed adjustment and a wire rerouted for clearance, but he has had no issues with it since.  Might take a look at Jodies site and see what he is doing with the low amps, I seem to remember he was pulsing and using the ramp functions to really control the arc and get really close fitting results.  Worth a look anyway.

Bob


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## Ray C (Aug 19, 2013)

I weld everything with the Everlast TIG unit; steel, stainless, aluminum -have even done brass... No problem.  I use the machine on & off all the time on almost every project.  Aluminum is the most finicky especially if it's under 1/8".  I've you've been following my latest thread "Mystery Project", you'll see a good bit of TIG welded steel.  I always try different techniques and sometimes I shoot for the smooth "robot welded" look and sometimes for the "stack of dimes" look.  Anyhow, the machine itself is capable of doing anything you want it to but, it takes time to learn the controls and what they do -and when to use them.  The real trick though is getting a decent TIG torch.  The one it comes with is decent and rated for high continuous power but, if you invest in a different torch, it opens-up more possibilities for doing more intricate work in difficult to reach places.  

This is the one I'd like to get.  I used my friends and really liked it.  http://www.ckworldwide.com/fl150.htm

Welding stainless or regular steel is totally easy with stainless being much easier in my opinion.  With TIG, you have 100 times more control.  I've also learned how to make welded machined pieces and get the annealing and heat treating right afterward.  -Really opens the doors to more things.


Ray





1a1191 said:


> Has anyone tried the low end of these welders on steel or stainless. I'm looking for a TIG machine that can hold a good steady arc on the lower end to weld up frame rails on pistols to be recut for fitting. Any input would be great!
> 
> thanks!


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## Rbeckett (Aug 19, 2013)

I prefer a WP-17 aircooled torch because it is smaller than the large one they send with their machines.  I was looking at their site this morning and noticed that every thing above the 225 is supplied with a water cooled torch.  You either need to buy a cooler for 600 bucks or order a CK worldwide air cooled torch.  Kinda shifty, but I can see the benefit with heavier duty machines.  I drooled over the 250 EX fer a spell and started doing the math to see when I could save enough to order one.  I think after the mill it will probably be 2017 or so at the rate I have been going lately.  Now that the well is fixed maybe I can concentrate on getting that new to me mill then work on the 250EEX.  Always have something to shoot for when it comes to buying tools and equipment.  I'm a firm believer in the adage those with the most tools win and you cant die if youre making payments on a tool or machine...

Bob


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## Ray C (Aug 20, 2013)

I would think an Everlast would do that quite well but, like I mentioned before, you'll probably want a more refined torch.  The ones that come with their units are rated for continuous use at full power of the unit.  That's big clunky torch.  I've only welded up in the 180A range a dozen times or so (the machine goes up to 205) but, it's not big deal other than making sure to keep the feed hand clear of the downdraft as it will set the pinky finger of a good pigskin glove on fire instantly.

Anyhow, for welding a frame rail, you won't want terribly low amps or, it won't sink the edges of the pool.  If I had to guess, probably 60-70 (maybe higher) or so.  I use 1/16" tungsten all the time and can keep a bead easily under 1/8" wide.  You can even use .080 tungsten but I don't believe I've tried that.

Ray




1a1191 said:


> Has anyone tried the low end of these welders on steel or stainless. I'm looking for a TIG machine that can hold a good steady arc on the lower end to weld up frame rails on pistols to be recut for fitting. Any input would be great!
> 
> thanks!


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## NITROTRIP (Sep 1, 2013)

Hello all,
 I have had a Everlast PowerTIG 250EX for about 2 weeks now. I have been welding now for 42yrs, 34yrs as a trade.
This is a VERY GOOD machine. I have used 1 "T" or 330 cu/ft cyl worth of welding with it so far. I have 31yrs of
TIG helmet time and have to say the arc quality is as good as the Miller Dynasty 200 I welded with 5 weeks ago.
Welding with the Dynasty convinced me it was time to upgrade from my Miller 330 A/BP that was built in 1961.
But what I was welding on, I was running over the duty cycle on the Dynasty 200 and tripping it off. 35% duty
cycle @ 200 AMPS was just to short. The Dynasty 350 is WAY out of my budget and the 280 was listed 18 months 
ago and as of now no release date after talking to miller tech.

 The Everlast Power TIG 250EX duty cycle @ 200Amps is 100% and 65% @ 250amps. Fills the gap of the missing
Dynasty 280. The high freq start is twice as strong as both my 330 A/BP and the Dynasty. I have been running
it hard before the 30day no question return. Burned the new car smell right out of it. As far as internal parts,
the power supply sez Siemans right on it. The IGBT's are made in Germany and the transformers look like they
are copper wound. Beautiful looking solder on circuit boards and wire joints. Looks very high quality inside and
neat. Most of the circuit boards from the big 3 are made in the far east also. I am very happy with it so far.

 I upgraded to there WP20F-25 Torch and set it up with WeldCraft collet's and holders. It uses all industry standard parts.
The cooler is a deal at $499 and will support 350amp torch.

 As far as how low it will weld I don't think you will have any problem. DC and AC pulse works awesome, .5sec to 500hz.
Background current 5-95% and on&0ff balance10-90% So depending on how you set the on and off of the pulser your
part will be fooled into seeing less then the equivalent of 1amp steady current on DC side of things. I am going to be
testing the bottom end of the output next and will post what I find. Welding pop cans together with my 330 A/BP is 
tough, gotta be on your game and no coffee LOL. Should be a lot easy'er  with a pulse machine. That and double edge
stainless razor blades are on my to try list with this machine.


Have a nice Labor Day,


RICK


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## Ray C (Sep 1, 2013)

This is great news.  I have the Everlast 200 and when I got it, used the daylights out of it for the first month teaching myself how to TIG.  It held up fine.  It's over a year old now and it's used a fair amount anywhere from an hour a week and sometimes 10-15 hours a week.  Still going strong.  The foot pedal did break and the symptom was that it wouldn't do a high start.  It just sparked but no plasma.  They sent a new pedal and it's fine.

Happy camper and I'm glad that someone like you who knows the ropes gave it a good grade.  Let us know how the low amps work-out.  Most everything I do is between 85 and 120.  


Ray


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## Snag_one (Sep 7, 2013)

Ray C said:


> This is great news.  I have the Everlast 200 and when I got it, used the daylights out of it for the first month teaching myself how to TIG.  It held up fine.  It's over a year old now and it's used a fair amount anywhere from an hour a week and sometimes 10-15 hours a week.  Still going strong.  The foot pedal did break and the symptom was that it wouldn't do a high start.  It just sparked but no plasma.  They sent a new pedal and it's fine.
> 
> Happy camper and I'm glad that someone like you who knows the ropes gave it a good grade.  Let us know how the low amps work-out.  Most everything I do is between 85 and 120.
> 
> ...



  Ray , it sounds like the pot in the pedal has gone bad . Digikey part number A105791-ND is a 47K audio taper potentiometer , costs $3.09 each ... There's one in my original pedal and a spare in the box of magic smoke parts . You'll probably have to sand/file the shaft down a little to slide the little pulley on . Only thing I was unsure of was the plastic shaft , but it seems to be holding up just fine . This pot has a little more rotation than the original , be sure the stop is adjusted to give you full rotation - but just barely . When I clipped my old one out I left a short piece of the wire with insulation on it so I wouldn't cross up the wiring . 
 --
 Snag


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## NITROTRIP (Sep 8, 2013)

Well I tried out how low this 250ex and I could go. I welded 2 .006 high carbon steel razor blades on a edge weld together.
Worked out great with a very good arc. I DC pulsed 12amp to 6amp background current 20% main at 60hz. 1/6th needle
sharp tungsten. I have never uploaded pictures before but will give it a try. If they don't post I might need some help.
I wasn't shure I could see well enough or still be that steady, 53+ S**ks but there is alway's the force.
 I'm realy likeing this welder.   :happyhappy:

 I hope this answers any questions about what this welders bottom is.

Take Care,
Rick


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## Ray C (Sep 8, 2013)

Very cool...  I've heard people doing this but never saw it...


Ray


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