Opinions on Lincoln Precision 225 TIG welder?

[Michael Catano]

Hi folks,

I'm in the market for a TIG setup and a lincoln precision 225 has popped up on my local craigslist.  I'm wondering if anyone on-list has experience with these machines and can offer some insight.

It looks fairly appropriate for making bicycles: AC/DC, fan-on-demand, 5-230 amps, pulse, single phase.  I believe it has HF start, though my cursory glance at the product page on the lincoln site wasn't enough to confirm.  I'm interested in doing aluminum work in the future, so having AC is crucial.

If anyone out there has real-world experience with this machine, please let me know.  It includes bottle, cart, water cooler, and some other consumables - asking price is $2400.

Best
Michael

chi, il

[Ethan Labowitz]

I've used the machine, actually 2 different serial numbers in two different shops.

It does have HF start.

I've not used it for aluminum.

It has built-in pulse, which is nice, though it does not have high-speed pulse; it maxes out at something like 10 PPS. The pulse frequency is set by eye, not numerically--there's an LED that blinks in time with the pulse frequency. Seems to work fine.

It does not have some of the more advanced functions for AC welding--e.g. waveshape control and AC frequency control. It does have AC balance control.

IIRC the duty cycle is something like 30% at 225A. So to my mind it probably ought to be called a 180, but that's probably why I'm not in marketing. Anyway, at anything above, say, 180A, an air-cooled torch gets a little hot for good productivity. Probably not a concern if framebuilding is your main priority.

Ethan

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[Ethan Labowitz]

Also...
I have friends who tell great stories about getting screaming deals on welding machines on craigslist.

One found a used Millermatic 252 (list price new around $2600) listed at around $1500. He showed up with $800 cash and a pickup truck, and basically said "take it or leave it." The seller grudgingly agreed, but insisted on keeping the welpers that had been in the machine. New welpers: around $25.

A used TIG machine generally tends to have fewer mechanical issues with it than a used MIG, because there's no wire feed mechanism to worry about. There is the chance of a bad board with an inverter, but there's not much you can do to detect a board that's about to go bad AFAIK. With any welding machine, the torch tends to bear the brunt of the wear and tear. Fortunately, a new #17 torch is only around $200 IIRC.

Ethan
(Sitting in a long meeting and typing on my phone)