Lincoln Idealarc 250 value

[sacsr]

I am usually over at the Yanmar section....but have been reading here for a while....my company has this machine and have decided to sell it....probably does not have a full days worth of work on it....does not have the leads and probably needs to be cleaned up/adjusted inside.....guessing it is under 10 years of age...maybe under 5 years....it is ac/dc

What is is worth?? What would the leads cost???

this is bigger than I was looking for....but if the price is right.....may be my first welder....

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Scott

 

[k0ua]

Well I will throw my 2 cents in here since no-one else has replied.
the cost of the leads will depend on how long you are going to make them,. but copper is pretty high lately, and a stinger will be about $15 and a ground clamp depending on the style you get about the same. and connectors, I dont know, I think it just uses a crimped lug maybe ? but you can find all of that out on the web by searching, but I would budget 100 bucks at a min for leads stinger connectors and ground clamp, or maybe more. unless you can find something used on craigs list or ebay. Now it is just an opinion. so take it for what you paid for it.. I am sure it is a good welder. But it is a big heavy transformer machine. you might want to look into one of the newer inverter welders. I love mine. it is only 160 amps DC but does everything I want it to do. weighs under 25 lbs and you can throw it over your shoulder with the included strap. and it came with leads and everything. $269. yep made in China, and a lot of great guys will tell you that is a bad thing. The Idealarc is an expensive heavy welder. (maybe over $1500?) Hope you can get into it right, and I dont know what your budget is for leads and accessories. Might be a good buy if you can get in cheap, DC is the way to go, I havent bothered to strike an arc with my Lincoln AC machine since I went DC.
Good luck

James K0UA

 

[sacsr]

Thanks James....I was looking at an everlast and leaning that way....this came out of the blue.....I can probably buy it for $500 .......

I am like you...this is a big machine...I would be happy with a smaller unit...and I probably don't have enough amps etc to hook it up....but my next door neighbor is an electrician and works for the city...so I am sure he can hook me up if it works out...

Only reason I am considering this one is I could probably use this one a couple of years and still get close to my original investment back if I decide to sell it...

At this point....I am open to any ideas....

 

[AKwelder]

If the price is in your budget it is a good machine for a home shop. you can always add extension cords and move the machine. Make your first job a cart.

 

[Jerry/MT]

[I've seeen them on ebay for ~~$300-$500 with leads. That's a darn good stick welder. You can find 0 welding cable for on ebay pretty cheap and the ground clamp and stinger you can get for under $30. If it's in good shape I'd see if I could get it for $400 and then make the leads as long as you want. You can get connectors and have 25 foot leads for welding in the shop and add another 25 ft to go beyond that. Or get a good power connector cable that's long and make a cart and move it to where you need it. I've wanted one for a while but they're always located back East and the shipping is a killer.

 

[bjr]

I own the sister to it and have used it for nearly thirty years. It's a big heavy and very durable welder. excellent stick machine. bjr

 

[fabberd]

I am usually over at the Yanmar section....but have been reading here for a while....my company has this machine and have decided to sell it....probably does not have a full days worth of work on it....does not have the leads and probably needs to be cleaned up/adjusted inside.....guessing it is under 10 years of age...maybe under 5 years....it is ac/dc

What is is worth?? What would the leads cost???

this is bigger than I was looking for....but if the price is right.....may be my first welder....

Any guidance would be appreciated.

Scott

5 years ago, they were probably around 1400 or thereabouts.
Now, the Idealarc name has been used by Lincoln on several models, but the most common one is the AC-DC stick machine with power correction but no arc force control, no high frequency, etc..bare bones, but a good solid machine.
It will outlast the inverter models by 300% or more, so if the size of the unit fits your available space, you should be good to go.

 

[Shield Arc]

Now, the Idealarc name has been used by Lincoln on several models, but the most common one is the AC-DC stick machine with power correction but no arc force control, no high frequency, etc..bare bones, but a good solid machine.
It will outlast the inverter models by 300% or more, so if the size of the unit fits your available space, you should be good to go.

I don't understand why Lincoln did that. Very confusing!
Is this the Idealarc you're talking about?
I bought one of these a few years ago at an auction for $50.00, came with some leads, a Miller high freq unit, and scratch start Tig torch. I sold it to a friend to recover my 50 bucks!:laughing:

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Shield Arc,
That was the granddaddy of all the tombstones and almost all other lincoln transformer products. IF a person wants a transformer welder, and they can find one of those at a right price, it is the one to have...Miller who?:laughing:

 

[sacsr]

The model is the newer box shaped style

One of the guys was thinking we paid as much as 3000 or more. Did any of these recent models cost this much?

 

[fabberd]

The 250/250 Tig was part of the idealarc line. That one was probably up there near 3k.
That model had high frequency though.

I've still got one of those and I think I bought it in 85 or 86.

 

[sacsr]

What do I look for to know if it has an adjustable frequency? Or how do I know if it had tig capabilities???

I looked all over it for info...not much there:

CC 40A/22V - 250A/30V


AC/DC 250 40A 22V

208/230/460

model 9992

serial # c1980900619


That was all that was on it....it was in a building next to something else so could not get a good picture of it...

Thanks for your help....just trying to decide do I buy or do I help my guys sell it...

Also they mentioned it needing cleaned up or adjusted.....brushes cleaned??
Is this something I can do ...or do I have to pay to get it done? If paying how much would you think it would cost to do this??

Again thanks

 

[fabberd]

when I get to work on monday I'll check that serial number.

As far as adjusting..I'm not sure what could be wrong with it.
They are pretty durable machines. taking the covers off and blowing the dust out thoroughly on a periodic basis is about all we ever do to any of our machines.

Once it gets beyond that, I send them in.

 

[k0ua]

I sent you a PM. if you want to email me I will send you the manual and parts list, this may answer some of your questions.

James K0UA

 

[k0ua]

What do I look for to know if it has an adjustable frequency? Or how do I know if it had tig capabilities???

I looked all over it for info...not much there:

CC 40A/22V - 250A/30V


AC/DC 250 40A 22V

208/230/460

model 9992

serial # c1980900619


That was all that was on it....it was in a building next to something else so could not get a good picture of it...

Thanks for your help....just trying to decide do I buy or do I help my guys sell it...

Also they mentioned it needing cleaned up or adjusted.....brushes cleaned??
Is this something I can do ...or do I have to pay to get it done? If paying how much would you think it would cost to do this??

Again thanks

In looking thru the manual, there is a HF start Tig kit available for it, the part number is in the manual. The welder is not a Tig welder by itself in as much as any DC welder could use the "lift start, or scratch start" method to start the arc. but an add on kit is available for HF start. This is a simple AC/DC heavy duty transformer based welder.

James K0UA

 

[Shield Arc]

Shield Arc,
That was the granddaddy of all the tombstones and almost all other lincoln transformer products. IF a person wants a transformer welder, and they can find one of those at a right price, it is the one to have...Miller who?:laughing:

Mark over the years I've probably only run a hand full of these, but I do remember they have a very nice arc. Like everybody else has said, tough as a nickel stake! I can't ever remember anyone ever saying they seen one burnt up.
I also like the arc of these Lincoln machines.

 

[dex3361]

Does this welder you are looking at require 3 phase power? From the specs you quoted earlier it looks like it does. Some welders are 3phase and single phase but not all. Just thought I would mention it. It would be a pain to be stuck with a unit that you couldn't use.

 

[k0ua]

Does this welder you are looking at require 3 phase power? From the specs you quoted earlier it looks like it does. Some welders are 3phase and single phase but not all. Just thought I would mention it. It would be a pain to be stuck with a unit that you couldn't use.

Not 3phase...
The Idealarcｮ 250 is a single phase constant current
arc welding power source available in an AC/DC
model only. Designed for stick welding, it may also be
used for TIG welding when used with the K799 Hi-
Freq unit.

James K0UA

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Anything with a brush and Lincoln on it will make a welder look better than he is. I saw one of those upright deals go for 50.00 at auction a few years ago...No one wanted it because it was 3 phase.

 

[fabberd]

Sorry I didn't back to you on Monday, but we had a couple of mini emergencies in the shop this week.

I see that Koua has answered most of your questions.

Regarding price: that model was no more than 1500 (on average) when new.

I wouldn't pay more than 5-600 for it, but I probably see more used welders than you do. At least once a week someone is in here trying to sell me a used machine that they're convinced is top of the line and they want more for it than it sold for new.

You'll have to decide what it's worth to you. You throw a high frequency unit on it and it will do a decent enough job on aluminum Tig, but you'd need a water cooler, tig torch and remote to really complete the package for that use.