Lincoln Welder

GregCO

Member
A while back I posted about a Lincoln STT II welder I bought at an auction super cheap and found out later that it required three phase power that I don't have access to in my little shop. So I sold that thing and actually made a fair amount of money on it.
Moving on I found an auction coming up next week and they have a Lincoln 350MP listed. The picture looks really nice and it looks fairly new. What would you bid on it assuming it works as advertised. It comes set up for MIG only at this time. Is it a big trick to set it up for Arc as well?

Thanks,

Greg
 
Greg;

I don't know the specifics of that welder, so it may be that it has the capacity to provide constant current power, which is what it takes to run stick. MIG welders are constant voltage machines, which won't work. There are many multi-function welders nowadays because their output is provided through electronics circuitry rather than through (relative uncomplicated) transformer technology. That's why you see welders (frequently Chinese made) that are advertised to do MIG, TIG, stick, and also function as plasma cutters. I think the Lincoln 350MP is straight MIG, though. Really, really good MIG, but only MIG, nonetheless.

Northern Tool wants $5500 for a new one.

Stan
 
If you go to the Lincoln product page for the 350MP at <a href="http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K2403-2(LincolnElectric)">http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K2403-2(LincolnElectric)</a> you can get some details. Click on the "<a href="http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/global/Products/K2403-2/e757.pdf">Product Info</a>" link to pull up the brochure and it will show all the accessories you need to run stick or TIG. It appears that all you need to run stick is a set of cables.

The "MP" probably stands for "multi-process". Multi-process machines use electronic inverter technology, which makes them efficient but expensive to repair. I would be careful about buying a multi-process welder at an auction without seeing it demonstrated; a replacement electronics board might cost as much as the winning bid. Of course this is a four thousand dollar machine, so if the price is right you can take a chance and still come out ahead if the electronics are blown.

You can pull up the manual on the Lincoln site as well (there are two versions). I'd check it out. One thing to note is you need an 80 amp circuit to get the full 350 amps out; with 50 amps in you can only get 230 amps out. That should be plenty for most work.
 
Like Mark said --inverter --testing a must . Old transformer welder. Look at casing to see any damage ,take home blow out dust and weld. If an ironworker tries to sell me a welder and it has numbers painted on it ,I figure he stole it from his boss and I won't touch it. I hate employees that steal tools.
 
I was mistaken in my earlier post. That is a multi-process welder, and it does stick. I should have gone to the Lincoln Electric website first to read about it, but after I did so this morning, I went back to the Northern Tool site and read it more thoroughly, and that information was there, too.

MarkB_MI's information is always good, so you should at least consider what he has to say about the downside of owning a multi-function piece of equipment. Aside from that, you might be able to get as much welder as you need for less than you'll end up paying for that one at an auction by buying a dedicated MIG welder and a dedicated stick welder. There are a lot more things that can go wrong with a MIG welder, so it probably makes sense to buy one that starts out with a warranty, but transformer type stick welders are practically indestructible. If you buy a used one that works when you go look at it, chances are it will keep working for as long as you own it. On the other hand, you bought an SST II welder, and now you're considering a 350MP, so maybe you have a reason for wanting an industrial quality welder.

Stan
 

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