Eastwood Mig 250?

[markknx]

Mike, The Gun is bigger than the ones miller puts on their 211 machine. Also the power cord is 8 awg wire and about 1" in dia. The machine is also around 22" long X 11-1/2" wide. as far as solid it feels almost as solid as the mill XMT welders we use at work. yes they are made in China but so are the most of the welders in this class. I am considering the Lincoln PM 210 and the Millermatic 211. Both of which are dual voltage and multiprocess machines also portable. I went with the Eastwick only partly for the price, the other part was the claim on .045 for 1/2. I have a very heavy Lincoln Square Wave 255 in the shop but I just like to have some thing more portable. I also have a older Lincoln 125 wire feed machine but I was trying to get a little heavier machine.

That is a very good price you got on the Miller. Not sure what machine it is but I am guessing it is a 220V machine and with a bottle that is a very good price.
Mark

 

[BobSchu]

One problem I've heard about from other welders and experienced for myself is that some of these machines come with a "less than optimum" ground clamp. The Miller 251 I bought had an aftermarket heavy duty clamp on it and the welder I bought it from said it made a world of difference in their shop. When I've used it, it does weld like a champ but I can't know for sure if it is the ground clamp or the increased size of the welder after getting used to using the underpowered Miller 135 I was used to using for a while.
Not sure that would help with the Eastwood model, but it might be worth a try if everything else is in order. I know my little Miller 135 struggles when I don't have a good solid ground connection, but if I find a good ground clamp location and really get it clamped down, the performance is night and day difference.

Have you tried the machine with gas yet? Curious if it would make a difference?

Bob

 

[markknx]

Bob, no I have not set it up for mig yet. The clamp is good for this machine. See post below for a further update.
Mark

 

[markknx]

OK so I called Eastwoods Chicago(Alsip, IL.) store today. They were very concerned. asked if they could have a few min. to look up some imfo on past issue seen on this machine and call me back. I agreed and they called back saying they have no history of an issue. So I asked could I come out and try their machine with flux core wire. They said please do. so off to Eastwood I went. when I got there I was greeted well and provided everything I needed to test their machine. We started with .030 and it ran just like it should. so we set my machine up and ran the .030 in it and again the machine ran it good, so we talked about the issue and what might be going on and decided to try .035 ( One of the sizes that had been giving me issues) They do not stock it and I forgot to grab mine, so he sent one of his guys to home depot to get a Spool. Well to our surprise it ran good also. All gave good flux cover all sounded right and all was close to the range on the chart. So we talked about it a bit and agreed if I took the machine home and it acted this way there then it had to be a power issue at the shop. He gave me some new contact tips and the 2lbs spool of wire so we could be sure the wire stayed the same.

So back home I come hook the weld back up and bam it was running hot again. checked the Voltage at the plug 245 v. So now I have to figure out what all this means. 120+120 =240 so is 245 to high? Are the 8/3 wires running from the fuse box to the plug to small. (About 35" away) I am at a loss.

But as I said the welder ran good there. Also worth noting is I can dial the machine down to get it to weld good. But now I am concerned that the power issue may shorten the welders life. Any Electricians out there have any ideas for me? The Specs are Input 240 VAC @ 47.3 A. BTW would 3 awg. wires fit in a 3/4 conduit? I ask because I thought about it after I got home and I think the conduit for Eastwoods outlets was 3/4 seems like a tight fit.

Well thank you to anyone with some help on this.

Mark

 

[Silverbullet]

I don't think 5 more volts is the problem. You may need to put a check on the draw of the machine when welding . Your machine may be drawing more power then your wireing can give. Your lines from the main , distance , the size of your lead into Main from the pole even has effects on the power. The amperage may not be there but the voltage is. I may be wrong but with different wires the strength and draw is what burns out lots of power tools.

 

[stupoty]

I don't think 5 more volts is the problem. You may need to put a check on the draw of the machine when welding . Your machine may be drawing more power then your wireing can give. Your lines from the main , distance , the size of your lead into Main from the pole even has effects on the power. The amperage may not be there but the voltage is. I may be wrong but with different wires the strength and draw is what burns out lots of power tools.

Voltage might be sagging during high current demmand, if your multimeter has a min/max setting you could clip it on the supply and try some welding to see if it starts to fluctuate as you increase the power.

Hear in the uk we always suspect the wire comming into the building as somone probably put it their about 70 years ago all wraped in fabbric and rubber. It's got so bad recently the electricity supply people have been filling the man holes wih sand to reduce explosion damage. Wow

Stuart

 

[Eddyde]

Did you check the voltage at the store? I'll bet it's lower than 245 probably lower than 240 as they likely are pulling single phase off of a three phase source, meaning the phases are 120 degrees apart (208-220 v) Residential power is usually split phase with the phases 180 degrees apart thus usually higher potential voltage. Anyway, I don't think the 5 volts will harm the machine it will actually decrease the amperage the machine draws. The recommended settings are only a guide to start from as power varies from place to place. IMHO you don't have a problem.

 

[markknx]

I don't think 5 more volts is the problem. You may need to put a check on the draw of the machine when welding . Your machine may be drawing more power then your wireing can give. Your lines from the main , distance , the size of your lead into Main from the pole even has effects on the power. The amperage may not be there but the voltage is. I may be wrong but with different wires the strength and draw is what burns out lots of power tools.

Your not wrong about the power tools.

 

[markknx]

Silverbullet, Stuart, I am going to check these tomorrow, also I am waiting on Eastwood's tech to call so I can maybe get a normal rage for the amps.

Eddy I did not check their power but I did call and ask, the manager was not sure but he was going to look into it.

I will say Eastwood has been very willing to help and has shown great customer service.

Thanks to all that have posted help here. Still say this is the best forum ever.
Mark

 

[Silverbullet]

Your not wrong about the power tools.

I know I'm not I've been a repairman for power tools for many years . He should put a amp gauge on each leg and have someone watch while he welds. And have a volt meter to watch to see the difference when using.