Last year this unit worked good. It sat for a year and now it doesn't put out voltage or weld output. Does anyone have trouble shooting advice? This has the Perkins 236 engine. Engine runs good and revs up and down.
I'm not familiar with that machine and model, but most welder/generators have an exciter circuit for the rotating field which typically uses a brush holder and slip ring on the end of the rotating field. When the brushes in the brush holder were down and no longer make good contact with the slip ring you'll loose weld and generator output. I'd check that first.
Like willie59, I don't know that exact machine, but it sounds like it lost it's residual magnetism in the exciter circuit. If you pull the end off with the brush holder, check DC voltage to the brushes while cranking/running. Use jumper wires and momentarily flash the field with 12vdc at the spade terminals on the brushes. You should see it go to full output momentarily, and then operate normally.
Yep. I maintain 28 Miller Bobcat machines and a few other Miller models. Whenever one comes in with both weld output and generator output gone, 99.9% of the time it's the exciter brushes have gone south.
Attack of the 50' women did it. *
And that's really helpful how???
Just joking Willie, just joking.
We have TGIF for that. And humor is appropriate anywhere where it fits the conversation. Just don't see it here. Just my opinion.
If that's the case there isn't a thread on here that hasn't had some sort of humor and not involving me either. If everything goes to TGIF it will get pretty boring. Just my opinion.
Just ended up freeing up the brushes and sanding them down . As soon as I did this welder was putting out 40 VDC and over 450 amps on highest setting.
Make sure not to use emery paper to sand the armature. It will cause unwanted sparking and could short something.
WooHoo....your air arcing now....I didn't know Hobart made the new series that went that high.