Just received the 250 EXT, am I the first one?
Printable View
Just received the 250 EXT, am I the first one?
Lets see lots of pictures and videos and stuff... it's hard to come by right now.Quote:
Originally Posted by DVA
Darn it, I wanted to be first.
How does it look?
You must be, I haven't even got a shipping/tracking notice yet. :( This is the first thing I ever bought that had to be shipped by truck.
Whereabouts are you located?
I just fired it up once. This thing is smooth and has a nice clean ark. I need to get a new welding helmet because I have a cheep auto dark helmet that works fin for MIG but did not like the pulsing I played with on the TIG. I am waiting for a gas regulator and could only make it work with a small leak. Could not get the fittings to allow a hose barb on my current regulator.
Anyway this thing his huge. Check out the size compared to my Millermatic 252.
By playing with the program it looks like there are 10 programs you can store and adjust when wanted. So if you are stick welding your program will be saved. This is awesome if you have a setting for tacking, welding thin steel, welding thick steel, some AC for aluminum aluminum and so on. This will save time when moving to different welds with out going and reprogramming each feature.
Nice ! It's a much larger machine than I had imagined. Thanks for the pics.
Umm... someone's sewn their trousers round ya torch lead. :P
Yes those that is a genuine dungarees.
Interesting, thanks for posting.
Being rated at 250 amps like the plain EX, I wonder why it's so much larger.
Yes, quite large indeed. Thanks for the preview!
Any idea what the weight is?
How is the manual?
I opened up the top to see the plug gound (did not get a picture) and the boards fill the entire width of the welder. I suspect it is to make the control boards common among the 250+ amp EXTs. From my memory I thought Everlast had the 315EXT and a 400EXT were going to come out at some time. If that were the case, the room would be needed for the extra boards.
Anyway it is not that bad in size. I am going to build a cart with and have it sit on a built in water pump. Something like the cart for the Miller Dynasty 350. Can not wait for the gas valve to come in to fire this thing up some more.
Wow that is a whole lot bigger than I thought it would be. How much does it weigh? I have a miller encotig and the 250ext looks bigger than it. This is an inverter tig not a transformer right? I guess thats why EL is bringing out 200ext to compete with Miller dynasty, I guessing it will be smaller. Hope you give a full report when you have it up and running. Good luck with it hope it welds as sweet as it looks.
315 EXT IS out. Boards are the same roughly.
BTW, Just completed the manual. Anyone wanting the manual before it gets uploaded to the site, pm me your email
Welder shipping said that it was 160 lbs. I would assume the welder is about 100-120 lbs.Quote:
Originally Posted by redbeard
132 according to factory specs.
As far as a transformer? lol...go look at a syncrowave or a PT 225lx from lincoln.......then pick one up. They do have wheels though. I've tried to tell people these weren't light weights in any manner.
Guys .. manual uploaded !
link http://www.everlastgenerators.com/manuals.php
Nice job on the manual, it seems to cover all the new features very thoroughly.
So my welder came with this orange tube about 1/8 inch diameter, anyone know what this is for?
I just got a call from the delivery truck, mine will be here today.
Mine just arrived, a few questions-
1- what are the orange tube, the blue tube, and the 2 prong thing with the chrome ring?
2- where is the pedal and the flowmeter/regulator?
3- Is this the proper power cord? It is marked 16amp-250volt.
the cord itself is marked 2.5mm. that is between 12 and 14 gauge
4- should the individual strands be exposed on the power cord where it enters the welder?
5- There is no switch on the back for remote control / panel control, how do you switch?
I was going to put on an 8 gauge cord, how do I fasten the ground???
Ok...
Couple quick notes of explanation... The unit does not come with a cord as a factory standard item and was a point of confusion that we identified before they shipped the units. They threw it in in a hurry to get things shipped. It'll work though. Notice the effective current draw. That combined with the NEC's specifications for derating their standards for duty cycle limited machines means it should be well within the standards. The I1max is a temporary start up demand not likely to heat up the wire or cause issues. Where you see it connected to the rear, that is where it was originally intended for the customer to take over. When we figured out what was going on, we asked them to put a cord on the end of the machine. Its a first shipment and there is always going to be minor issues like this. The cord is fine if you cut the plug, but I'd suggest that customers put their own on the unit, tying in at the back. Green/Yellow is the ground on this line. Other two are hot. This is a european plug. Wire is fine though. The piece of plug you have in the box WAS the original plug that was used for the orginal test design, without a foot pedal. They included it because they were going to include it anyway. The line I believe, is for installing the water line back into the unit, which we deleted...for safety concerns. Other than that, I have no idea and should have no bearing on the operation or use of the welder.
The switch missing on the rear was a last Second change quite literally before they shipped. We sent our specs on our foot pedal and they had a different one they wanted to use. Theirs needed a switch, ours do not...ours are wired so that the plug itself acts as a switch when the unit is plugged in...
Edit, yellow wire is connected internally inside. It should be screwed to the case inside...however, originally the third slot there was going to be for customer attachment of ground, but when they put the plug on it, they just went and connected directly. If you see the manual, that is how it should/would have been connected and it should still be capable if you'd like. 8 gauge is a suggestion, not a requirement. Post up pics IF you do decide to change it.
Thanks Mark,
Is it a problem if I remove the covers from the welder to install a heavier cable?
are the flowmeter and foot pedal shipped seperate?
No, go ahead, it should be a confidence builder in the unit...as far as construction and design.
The flow meter is another item that is not standard on the unit, but Oleg was going to provide them anyway as well as the foot pedal. Contact him that you did not get a flow meter. The foot pedals are on the way from our pedal factory...Oleg said they were being air lifted. Remind him when you talk to him about the flow meter.
Thanks again!
Can I use my 225LX pedal for testing on this unit?
should work.
I removed the top off of my welder and the ground is just inside the top cover and can be easily removed. I already have a 50 amp plug end and will pick up an 8 gauge extension cord at the hardware store. It should be 8 gauge wire, current plug provided with the machine is about 13 gauge.
Also what is mint by running the water back into the machine? The 250EXT has water lines that allow the water to be hooked up from the back of the machine and connect to the torch in the front side of the machine. I will not use this feature as if any leaks develop it will spray water inside the cabinet. Plans are to build a cart with a built in water cooler in the cart. I will just plumb the cart to feed the water lines out the torch side of the welder for easy connection.
WOW,
You would have to try this thing to feel how smooth the arc is, very nice! The digital contols a very intuitive and seem to work just as expected. The #20 torch is very compact and the cables are very flexible. I am using the included power cord at the moment, but will upgrade to a heavier one sometime.
I keep reaching for a knob ( insert joke here ), but I am already liking the digital and have a couple numbered settings already.
When I fired mine up the other night I was surprised how nice the arc is compared to the transformer welder TIG I had used previously. I still am waiting for a gas regulator, hope to have this thing up and running soon.
The WP-20F torch does have nice flexible hoses, the denim cover is a little cheesy but that can be easily replaced. It is nice that the head is a flex head also for getting the correct torch angle without too much trouble.
Honestly guys, the gauge wire is sufficient to carry the current...but...It doesn't hurt things to change it if you want...since access is so easy.
The arc IS better in my opinion than anything we have.
I wanted the unit to be vetted in someplace it would get real world treatment as far as regular use and period of use when used. I put it in a local welding school full of probably 30+ Miller inverters, and transformer welders, plus a couple of Lincolns and an old hobart. The teacher is a friend of mine, but also an old pipe and steam fitter guy that started welding on pressure valves way back in the mid 80's.
His comments, to me, after he had a month or two of use were: That (expletives deleted) is ( multiple expletives deleted) smooth...real smooth. Smooth as I've ever run.
I saw the results myself after some guys test coupons, 3/8" steel and 1/4" aluminum ( and I even ran a few steel plates myself) and they were nearly flawless after the bend test.
It took a lot of work to get this welder to market...and I know a couple things like the cable need work, but that was a last minute stab. I think though this is a real contender for the future.
This is the first truly digital and fully featured welder from Evelast. As you can see, it won't be the last.
WOW. machine looks great ! I really like the packing on the new EXT's my 250EX came in a cardboard box and UPS roughed up the box and cracked the front bezel a little. I wish I had of waited and go the new EXT machine, Im jealous LOL.
Well,
I've got a couple hours on it and it is working great. So far the cord size seems fine, but I will switch to a longer cord with a different strain relief.
There is a flow sensor in the incoming water line, is this to protect the torch? Does it limit the amperage somehow? I am using gas cooled with no water flow and it seems to work fine.
No, if you have that, its a solenoid to start/stop water flow I think. It should not limit amps. Pressing and holding the select button for three seconds should discontinue it if it still seems to be functioning.
It doesn't seem to be a solenoid, I can blow through with little resistance. It appears to be a normally open switch on either a pressure or flow switch. I'm guessing it's a flow switch because there is an arrow on it, the rest of the markings are in a foriegn language.
Just want to make sure this will not cause problems with the gas cooled torch
no problem there.
Thanks for posting the info on your guys 250EXT's, todmorg and DVA!
One question - how loud is the cooling fan? I've gotta say that's one thing that turned me off about the 250EX. (The fan that is so loud, you can't have a conversation near it without raising your voice.)
Also, anyone got any pictures of the inside? I'm sure others would love to see what it looks like under the cover as well. ;)
I'm curious which components are substantially contributing to the 140lb rated weight of this thing... Big transformers? Massive heat sinks? Thick gauge steel frame? All of the above? That mass is coming from somewhere.
Also, it is really true that if you set the amperage (EP) to the max (250), and also set the AC Bias (EP/EN boost) to the max (+ 30%), that it effectively gives you an EN current output of 325 AMPs? If so, that sounds pretty decent. ...and, I've gotta say I'm pleasantly surprised how it was conservatively marketed as only a 250EXT rather than a 300-325EXT. :)
Also, from the specs, it looks *very* power efficient for its class.
At first I thought the fan was loud but when I started playing with the welder in the shop I did not notice the fan noise or find it annoying. The fan is not as loud as my Millermatic 252 but that machine does have fan on demand and it comes on rarely.
By looking in the front of the lower portion of the welder there are some thick conductors. I will work on getting some pictures of the inside when I change out my cord.
I did play with DC pulse tonight and that is awesome. I could only get it to go to 99.9 HZ, do not know how to get it up to the 500 HZ still playing with the programing.
I will be welding quite a bit of sheet metal at the end of the month and see that the TIG machine will have a huge advantage over the MIG welder on keeping the distortion down. I just need to improve my skills.
I was also talked into purchasing cerated tungsten by the welding store. I need to pick up some lanthanated or thorated tungsten that will hold up a little better.
DVA,
I beg you and others forgiveness. The unit currently does max at 100 Hz, but it is not what I specified, and was in the dark about it until you just said something and I confirmed this. 100hz is still a lot but not what we said in the manual when I wrote it.
Lanthanated > thoriated
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpanERwagaU
It is a larger unit, but there is no wasted space, it is built very industrial. One of the heat sinks is a solid machined aluminum block 12" high 10" long and 1/2" thick with huge fins hanging off the back. The other heat sink is almost as big. The fan is large, about 10" diameter, it's louder than I would like, but I am used to my silent sycrowave, where the fan only turns on once in a while. The fan is a little louder than the syncrowave when its on, about the same as a millermatic mig and quieter than a hypertherm plasma. With the wind tunnel design, I can see why there is a need for constant air flow, but a 2 speed or variable speed blower would be great for when the unit is sitting idle.Quote:
Originally Posted by jakeru
There is a flow switch in the water line that has me scratching my head, I've only been using the unit with a gas cooled torch until my cooler arrives, but I am curious to the function of the flow control, it must be some sort of torch protection.
The cover is a neat 3 piece design, any one panel can be removed while leaving the others.
Here's a bunch of pics -
Attachment 4111Attachment 4119Attachment 4118Attachment 4117Attachment 4116Attachment 4115Attachment 4114Attachment 4113Attachment 4112Attachment 4120
The water switch should switch open up when the power is fired to the torch. I think Miller used to have a similar setup. However for the future this should be completely eliminated. This is for an "on demand" water cooler, or for a loss type cooling circuit.
NOW as for the orange tubing, it is for use with an argon regulator. The tubing slides over the rear hose barb fitting, and the brass fitting screws to the base of the regulator. This helps prevent that "burst" that we see sometimes with the softer tubing. It is something they threw in. I do believe from the looks of it, when you receive your regulators, that this will fit up to the base of ours.