Welding Tips and Tricks

There's a Lincoln Invertec 275-S machine local, and it sure is tempting, it's literally new, the owner says he's never used it.

I'm looking in the manual and trying to understand what Lincoln refers to as "Energized" when the GTAW is set for remote, which I'm guessing is the pedal.

Problem is the machine doesn't include a pedal, that could be pricey and no torch, just a stinger, and no ground clamp.

Someone on the forum has an Invertec 275-S, but maybe one of you old timers is familiar with this unit.

See page 13.

https://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/ ... /im802.pdf

Also not clear to me if this unit has a solenoid and/or gas flows through the center of the negative, so a tig torch that uses HF could be used???

EDIT: pretty sure this machine only support lift-start tig, or what Lincoln refers to as Touch Start tig. Doesn't seem there is gas support so only a valve torch would be used AFAICT.

It doesn’t have a gas solenoid. You need a torch with a gas valve. It’s scratch start. The tungsten is always electrified in local setting.

Poland308 wrote:It doesn’t have a gas solenoid. You need a torch with a gas valve. It’s scratch start. The tungsten is always electrified in local setting.

Thanks Josh, I did kind of figure that out...and I imagine why Lincoln calls it the -S (stick).

There's a guy selling one locally that's literally new, but it doesn't have a power plug nor does it have a ground clamp, he's asking $1000 and I was offering $800, which is no doubt a great deal, but I really don't need a stick unit and would like something with HF if I get another machine. They list for about $2700~

I was thinking originally it was like the other Invertigs, but not so.

Would be a great stick machine, but I can't drop the coin for a stick machine at the moment as I mostly do tig.

I'm the guy that owns one , no it doesn't have HF start or a gas solenoid, It's lift arc which is a step up from scratch start though, without a pedal plugged in it's always live although with one it doesn't energize the tungsten until you press it.

They operate off 3 phase or single phase which is probably why it has no plug, you can just put a cheap nema 6-50 from home depot on it, does it have leads without a clamp or are there no cables or connectors at all?

That being said, I wouldn't pay 1000 for it, or even 800 without leads. It's a great stick machine and I've heard it claimed one of the best stick machines ever made I got it because it could accept a remote, but I've seen old Miller XMT 304s and Invertec 350s for 1100-1500 all the time. I got mine without leads for $600

sbaker56 wrote:I'm the guy that owns one

I thought it was you, but wasn't certain, so I just said somebody.

sbaker56 wrote:They operate off 3 phase or single phase which is probably why it has no plug, you can just put a cheap nema 6-50 from home depot on it, does it have leads without a clamp or are there no cables or connectors at all?

Uses a lot of power actually, they recommend a 60 amps 3 phase circuit or a 100 amp 1 phase circuit in the manual and for 230v.

sbaker56 wrote:That being said, I wouldn't pay 1000 for it, or even 800 without leads. It's a great stick machine and I've heard it claimed one of the best stick machines ever made I got it because it could accept a remote, but I've seen old Miller XMT 304s and Invertec 350s for 1100-1500 all the time. I got mine without leads for $600

I was going to offer $500 but in thinking about it, the only thing it will do is get me more amps. I have 2 welders that will run on my home circuit and while they're not as good of a stick welder, both have HF start for tig with all cables, torches and pedals.

The only thing the 275-S would do for me is tig between 225-275 amps on lift start. It's tempting but I think it's a distraction for me, I need to try and keep focused.

That is sure one nice looking stick welder. A number of them for $1000 on ebay.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

sbaker56 wrote:I'm the guy that owns one

I thought it was you, but wasn't certain, so I just said somebody.

sbaker56 wrote:They operate off 3 phase or single phase which is probably why it has no plug, you can just put a cheap nema 6-50 from home depot on it, does it have leads without a clamp or are there no cables or connectors at all?

Uses a lot of power actually, they recommend a 60 amps 3 phase circuit or a 100 amp 1 phase circuit in the manual and for 230v.

sbaker56 wrote:That being said, I wouldn't pay 1000 for it, or even 800 without leads. It's a great stick machine and I've heard it claimed one of the best stick machines ever made I got it because it could accept a remote, but I've seen old Miller XMT 304s and Invertec 350s for 1100-1500 all the time. I got mine without leads for $600

I was going to offer $500 but in thinking about it, the only thing it will do is get me more amps. I have 2 welders that will run on my home circuit and while they're not as good of a stick welder, both have HF start for tig with all cables, torches and pedals.

The only thing the 275-S would do for me is tig between 225-275 amps on lift start. It's tempting but I think it's a distraction for me, I need to try and keep focused.

That is sure one nice looking stick welder. A number of them for $1000 on ebay.

It's actually pretty efficient, while the manual states an the input current while maxed out at 230v single phase as 68 amps, I still haven't gotten around to swapping my 50 amp breaker for a 70 amp (It's wired with 4 gauge) and I've never once tripped it, even while burning a 3/16 7018 at 250 amps, though I haven't tried it completely maxed out I will if you're curious.

For whatever reason Lincoln still gives fuse sizes instead of breaker sizes, and they're massively overstated. I've tracked the total draw for the house over a solid hour a couple times welding at 125-150 amps, and I don't think I ever even saw the additional draw top 5000 watts while I was welding.

sbaker56 wrote:For whatever reason Lincoln still gives fuse sizes instead of breaker sizes

I couldn't figure out why the spread was so great on the input size, I didn't realize that was a fuse, but sure enough it does say 100 amp fuse. In the chart that's in it states 67 amps max at 230v. I imagine you would only see that if welding constant at 275 amps for an extended period of time.

To be honest, I wish i had the 275-S along with my Primeweld, but unfortunately I have my Everlast i-Tig 201. Coulda-Woulda-Shoulda...but one didn't come up when I was looking...and I'm not even sure the guy would even take $500, my gut tells me no. At least until he sits on it for a while.

If I only had a 275-S I wouldn't feel cheated I don't think, and would just use lift-start tig with a valve torch.

So, curious of one thing. Let's say you have a pedal hooked up to it. Do you place the tip of the tungsten on the metal and then press the pedal, then when you lift the tungsten off the metal the arch starts? I guess the pedal gives you control of the amperage just like a pedal would, just that you don't get the HF ti initiate the arc, but if you have the tungsten to the metal and press the pedal nothing happens until you lift the tungsten off the metal, right?

EDIT: ad is gone, he must have sold it.

TraditionalToolworks wrote:

sbaker56 wrote:For whatever reason Lincoln still gives fuse sizes instead of breaker sizes

So, curious of one thing. Let's say you have a pedal hooked up to it. Do you place the tip of the tungsten on the metal and then press the pedal, then when you lift the tungsten off the metal the arch starts? I guess the pedal gives you control of the amperage just like a pedal would, just that you don't get the HF ti initiate the arc, but if you have the tungsten to the metal and press the pedal nothing happens until you lift the tungsten off the metal, right?

EDIT: ad is gone, he must have sold it.

I believe it limits current to 20 amps when it detects a short to avoid fusing your tungsten to the steel and increases to whatever either the pedal or settings dictate once it detects you broke contact, otherwise it behaves like normal, if you're using a pedal, set the machine to 100 amps, and touch the tungsten to the work with the pedal at half, you'd have about 20 amps flowing until you established an arc at which point the machine would output the 50 amps dictated by your pedal position.

If the listing shows back up and you can get it for 500-600 I would if you ever do any stick welding or high amp tig welding. Apart from how fantastic it stick welds, the nice thing about it is really the duty cycle, 35% at 275 amps, jumping to 60% at 250 amps and then 100% at 200. I'm not sure if the extra 50 amps over the PrimeWeld would be a groundbreaking as being able to run at or above what it'll output indefinitely.