Stickmate 235AC - crank problem solved, I think

[Ruark]

I've always had some issues with inconsistency in my welds. One will be perfect, then later it will be chicken poop. I always did notice that the crank on my Stickmate 235 AC seemed hard to turn, and sort of "jerky." I went inside and noticed that the side plate was almost bone dry.

I lubricated it as per the manual and that helped a little. Then I loosed the four bolts holding it down by about half a turn. WHOA. That made a HUGE difference.

I set the side plate at the 2 1/2" measurement as per the manual and turned the crank back and forth between 40 and 200 a few times. Then I went back to 130 and the side plate was almost 1/4" off. I could tell the white plastic pinion gears were slipping some when I turned it. I was careful not to tighten the crank screw too tight.

I loosened the bolts another 1/4 a turn, and now it seems to work fine, without slipping. However, due to the spacing on the teeth, I can NOT set the needle exactly on 130 when I reassemble the crank mechanism. It's on about 125. I marked it with a Sharpie to show where 130 was when I'm welding with it.

No wonder my welds were going everywhere, with that adjustment crank slipping back and forth every time I used it. Overall, I'm a little disappointed that Hobart would manufacture it with those soft, flimsy plastic gear teeth. I will have to check it frequently, and will never be able to completely trust it. I'd be very interested to hear anyone else's experiences with this mechanism.

[tanglediver]

Shop for a new, used welder!
Sorry, it's a bad habit I've developed; machine collecting...

[Ruark]

Originally Posted by tanglediver

Shop for a new, used welder!
Sorry, it's a bad habit I've developed; machine collecting...

Heh, sorry, but I think these issues are more intrinsic in the design of the crank mechanism. It's not worn out or anything - it's less than a year old and still looks off-the-shelf new.

[tanglediver]

Originally Posted by Ruark

Heh, sorry, but I think these issues are more intrinsic in the design of the crank mechanism. It's not worn out or anything - it's less than a year old and still looks off-the-shelf new.

Oh, keep the welder.
I jest, but there is nothing wrong with 2 machines, hmmm?

[BradTN]

[QUOTE=Ruark;
No wonder my welds were going everywhere, with that adjustment crank slipping back and forth every time I used it. Overall, I'm a little disappointed that Hobart would manufacture it with those soft, flimsy plastic gear teeth. I will have to check it frequently, and will never be able to completely trust it. I'd be very interested to hear anyone else's experiences with this mechanism.[/QUOTE]

I know several units that Hobart offers are aimed at the occasional home user and likely built to meet a price point. This would explain the plastic that is used for critical parts on these machines...for example: plastic wire drive mechanisms in the low end MIG's.

I guess the only new model ITW machine I would consider owning is the "Ironman 230". I'm a big fan of the older machines(Red,Blue,Tan,Yellow, etc) because they tended to be built to last for decades, while some of the newer machines seem to be built to last about as long as the warranty, if that. Now go melt some metal !

[Ruark]

So you're saying my Stickmate 235 is a cheap piece of junk? What about its competitor, the old tombstone? Same price... Is it a cheap piece of junk, too?

[Kelvin]

I used to own the same machine.

It seems to me that it was only a crude pointer to begin with anyway, and no matter WHAT machine you use – whether it has a digital amp display or just a crude pointer – you're ALWAYS going to have to fine tune it, depending on the particular workpiece, ambient temperature, what electrode you're using, moon phase, PMS level, etc., and you're ALWAYS going to need to "go up five" or "go down three" in your amperage settings, judging it as you go.

Bottom line, I would probably "put it back the way it was" from the factory, not worry about it, and just USE the damned thing.

But maybe that's just me.

[farmer37]

I tried the crank adjustment on a new Stickmate,Decided I would never buy one.The crank felt loose and sloppy.

[farmer37]

Ive used a Lincoln 225 since 1965.I think its a better welder.

[DSW]

Originally Posted by Ruark

So you're saying my Stickmate 235 is a cheap piece of junk? What about its competitor, the old tombstone? Same price... Is it a cheap piece of junk, too?

Hobart makes "quality" machines, but they are not in the same class as heavier industrial machines like the Dialarcs and Idealarcs. Obviously to meet a price point something has to give. Same applies to the AC Lincoln "tombstones" ( as opposed to the "tombstone" Idealarcs)

The Lincolns tend to be a bit more "robust" because they are tapped machines vs the infinitely adjustable Hobart Stickmate and Miller Thunderbolt. Note My old Thunderbolt XL had the same plastic gear to move the pointer. Mine got F'd up when someone decided to force the crank one day. The machine already had issues since it got dropped hard before I bought it and the warped sheet metal tended to bind the pointer on occasion. I simply learned to count revolutions of the crank, guess at the setting from the rough position of the amps on the dial, then run a few test beads and fine tune my setting from there. I still run it this way to this day with no issues. The position of the pointer didn't really matter... We learned to adjust the old Dialarcs at the tech school the same way.

[BradTN]

Originally Posted by Ruark

So you're saying my Stickmate 235 is a cheap piece of junk? What about its competitor, the old tombstone? Same price... Is it a cheap piece of junk, too?

Ruark...chill buddy ! No need to get all defensive. You start a thread and we comment...that's how it works. I found your thread interesting, so I gave my opinion. I'm not a Hobart fan...that's just how it is. As for your question: I own 2 Lincoln Idealarc 250 round tops and 2- 225 Lincoln stick machines. Enjoy your welder...may it serve you well.

[jpump5]

That pointer mechanism is one of two weak points I see in
my T-bolt XL.(the other being the attached leads).
Haven't had any trouble with it in the four years i've owned it.
Does seem a little cheesy.

[Ruark]

Originally Posted by BradTN

Ruark...chill buddy ! No need to get all defensive. You start a thread and we comment...that's how it works. I found your thread interesting, so I gave my opinion. I'm not a Hobart fan...that's just how it is. As for your question: I own 2 Lincoln Idealarc 250 round tops and 2- 225 Lincoln stick machines. Enjoy your welder...may it serve you well.

Naw, I didn't mean to antagonize anybody. This welder is all I need for fiddling around out here on our farm. I just always thought of welders in general as being pretty much indestructible, especially the major brand names like Lincoln and Hobart.

Summarily, I think the main culprit here was those bolts being fastened down too tight. The crank was downright hard to turn. When I eased those bolts out half a turn, it became very easy to crank, and stopped slipping.

[frieed]

On my old stickmate lx I found that for repeatable settings, you need to approach the desired setting from the same direction. Specifically, the 120A setting, when arrived at from 150A is hotter than the 120A setting when arrived at from 90A (or vice-versa, can't remember for sure anymore). Lots of slop in the indicator mechanism.

[wayne55]

I have a Hobart Stickmate AC/DC welder. The crank on mine was pretty hard to turn also. After reading your experience, I loosened the 4 screws one-quarter turn each. This made my crank much easier to turn. I had hesitated doing this before I read your post as I did not want to mess with the factory setup.

I also played with the pointer setup. Like you I could never get it exactly on 130. It also does have a little play in it as it varies when turning it in one direction or the other.

All in all though, it seems OK.