Craigslist Strikes: $450 Lincoln Idealarc 250/250

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SteveHGraham
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Craigslist Strikes: $450 Lincoln Idealarc 250/250

Post by SteveHGraham »

I know better than to look at Craigslist, but...

Today I saw an old Lincoln Idealarc 250/205. I know virtually nothing about it, except that I can probably run it on my 60-amp circuit, and it has both AC and DC. It has a nice cart. The price for the whole mess: $450.

The cabinet looks like a truck hit it.

I am wondering: is this thing worth a look? I don't know how complicated the stuff inside the cabinet is or what might be broken.

http://miami.craigslist.org/brw/tls/5013244866.html
Every hard-fried egg began life sunny-side up.
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Metalman
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Re: Craigslist Strikes: $450 Lincoln Idealarc 250/250

Post by Metalman »

I have the same machine, bought it new in 1984 or85. They are great if working. The one in the ad looks like it had a hard life. It will not run on 60amp, needs 100amp. It has a strange (expensive) power cord that you may have to replace. No foot pedal for TIG and the cord is cut off the panel connector. No flow meter for the argon tank. It appears to have an air cooled TIG torch no way to know it that is any good. I see a ground cable/clamp and a stick holder with cable.
Personally I woul not buy any used welder without being able to try it first. They are built quite rugged but hard to know if all is well inside even if the cabinet was not damaged.
Ernie F.
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SteveHGraham
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Re: Craigslist Strikes: $450 Lincoln Idealarc 250/250

Post by SteveHGraham »

What I have read is that the machine will work on a 60-amp breaker unless you push it, but then I lack your personal knowledge.

Sounds like this thing would only be worth trying if they dropped the price to a hundred bucks.
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redneckalbertan
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Re: Craigslist Strikes: $450 Lincoln Idealarc 250/250

Post by redneckalbertan »

If it works good the price they are asking, for up here and what I've seen, is appropiate. I would defiantly try before you buy.

For lower amperages a 60 amp breaker should work. Youll soon find out how hot you can turn it and for how long you can weld at that setting.
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Metalman
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Re: Craigslist Strikes: $450 Lincoln Idealarc 250/250

Post by Metalman »

On the one I have the input amperage is marked on the back of the machine at 70amps. On a 70amp breaker it would occasionally trip off when starting a TIG arc even in a mid range output despite the fact that while welding the current draw was around 20 amps.
My statement to hook these machines up to a 100amp breaker came directly from a technician at Lincoln. His explanation was that even though the draw is low sometimes the arc start will spike the input draw depending on where it is on the AC sine wave. Never happened again on the 100amp breaker. No point in setting up with a lighter feed and have to rewire with a bigger breaker.
While these old machines are basic, no square wave, no balance control or pulse features they are very reliable. Shame that machine can't be demonstrated to work because the price is reasonable and the damage to the cabinet could be superficial. It think it would cost around $4000.00 to replace the set up I have with comparable new unit with water cooler.
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BadDog
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Re: Craigslist Strikes: $450 Lincoln Idealarc 250/250

Post by BadDog »

I don't know anything about that one, but I have a bigger blue version in a Syncrowave 351. It came complete with Bernard 3 gallon cooler, very nicely built heavy cart, 2 large tanks with quality regulators, 50' of fine stranded (flexy) high amp leads, a bunch of filler of all sorts, a box full of a full range of TIG torch parts/electrods, and all the associated plumbing. It all looks near new, and I gave less than 3x that for the whole kit-n-kabootle. I wouldn't even consider it with that damage at that price.

Also, the Sync 351 is a bit bigger, but mine pops a 60A breaker with impunity. It now lives happily on a dedicated 4 ga short length circuit fed from a 100A breaker that has not yet popped with welding current up near 400A.
Russ
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