Lincoln 225 ??

I've always seen "tombstone" used in reference to Lincoln's 225 amp welder which is more frequently referred to as a "buzz box." Tombstone is more descriptive, however, because buzz box is a genereic term that can be applied to any small, cheap, transformer type, stick welder. Even people who have never heard the term tombstone used to describe the welder know what you're talking about when you say it. Except apparently not. Not if you, Tool Talk's most knowledgable contributor on welding issues---now that T_Bone rarely jumps in---think that it applies to round topped Idealarcs.

Every reference to "tombstone welder" that was supported by a picture, serial number, or specific descriptive words (i.e. "225 amp AC welder") in a Google search I just ran was in reference to the Lincoln buzz box.

All the best, Stan

I agree. When a question gets debated as much as this one has, everyone jumping in to explain why their understanding of the issue is the correct way to look at it, that pretty much defines an ambiguous condition. Once you've determined that a particular designation is certain to cause confusion, the sensible thing to do is to not use it any more. The trouble is, if you refer to Lincoln's AC buzz box as a K-1170, or the AC/DC model as a K-1297, your description will be 100% accurate but nobody will know what you're talking about.

It's never easy enough, is it?

All the best, Stan

According to someone from Lincoln's website who answered that question when I asked about a 1968 tombstone welder, Lincoln never used copper windings in that model.

All the best, Stan

My guess is that your brother's source of information is, generally speaking, the same as your own: He heard it from someone he believed. Think about it---now you are a source of confirmation that older Lincoln 225's have copper wound transformers. Your authority is based on your brother's possession of such a machine. Anyone who knows you to be an objective and truthful person will feel confident in passing that information along.

But how, actually, does your brother know that his welder has copper windings? Probably because someone credible told him so---and besides, it's common knowledge. It's pretty unlikely that your brother has taken his welder apart to check what the transformer windings are made of. If he did happen to open it up to take a look he wouldn't be able to tell. The transformers in Lincoln buzzboxes are painted with a color of lacquer that used to be called oxblood. It would be easy to mistake it for copper.

I buy and resell Lincoln buzzboxes occasionally, and I usually take them apart to clean them up and make sure they're sound. If there's an easy way to determine what the transformer windings are made of without damaging the welder, I don't know what it is, and I've taken them completley out of the machine and inspected them carefully.

My source of information on the subject is e-mailing the engineer/historian on the Lincoln Electric website to ask if a particular welder, by serial number, had copper windings. The second time I did that, the e/h told me that that model had never been produced with copper windings.

I'm sure that you and your brother will continue to believe that older Lincoln buzzboxes were made with copper wound transformers, and that your brother's got one. It won't do me a bit of good for you to change your mind about it, and it won't do me a bit of harm for you to go on believing it. It won't do you any harm, either.

One thing I can tell you for sure is that I won't be making a trip to Texas to open up your brother's welder to settle the issue. As I said before, I wouldn't know how, anyway.

All the best, Stan

Do you know if all of the "tombstone-shaped" IdealArc 250 (AC/DC) machines are copper wound?