Can 115v Units be modified?

[jkerulusmc]

I am only asking this question because if able to do it I was going to have a quailfied person attempt it. Also I don't really care about the warranty I only paid $300 for it.

I got a 115v 135amp model that has a heat selector switch (1-4). Can it be modified with an adjustable voltage control and LED readout? I am ok with the wire speed control on the unit.

Thanks for the advice!

[farmersamm]

Forget about the welder being tapped. I'd figure 90% of the small units out there are tapped.

Look on the inside of the door, find the recommended settings, and start welding. You can fine tune your travel speed and wire speed to match the metal.

You'll get used to it.



I promise.

[jkerulusmc]

When you say tapped you mean upto a certain voltage, like say 10-20 volts? If so then couldn't you replace the current selector unit with a voltage control unit with read out so you could fine tune it and know exactly how many volts are set vs. the wire speed?

I do get what your saying though, I just like to over analyize things.

[Oldendum]

If you needed a continuously adjustable voltage control and and LED readout, you wouldn't have purchased a basic 115v 135amp model.

[farmersamm]

I think the voltage is fixed at each selector position, I'm not sure. But it's close enough to really be of little consequence. Get a piece of scrap and set it high enough to start to burn through, then set it to the next lower voltage setting.

I've found that even with the LN-25, which has infinite voltage controls via the portable welder settings, that I usually stick to the ballpark recommended voltage for the wire.

Set the volts to make the puddle "liquid"/"wet" with good penetration, then set the wire speed for amps which fine toooon it and allow for various travel speeds. Again, I generally set the stupid things to whatever the wire manufacturer recommends and it seems to do ok. When your wire starts to stub in the puddle, it's time to turn it down a bit.

This, to me, is one of the problems with semi-automatic welding. The parameters. With stick you set the amps and churn and burn.

[farmersamm]

Soaked up enough air conditioning, it's time to get back to it. Do some welds and see how it turns out.

[jkerulusmc]

Thanks for the replys.

I know I am thinking too hard on this one. I guess I won't be good with it until I blow through some wire and break it in (lean the machine). I know the Mfg settings are close enough for practice and light work. Can't wait to get my Ironman 230, it will feel like home again.

[jdchmiel]

technically it is possible, but it would not be a financially beneficial thing to do as I am sure the price difference between a tapped unit and a continuously variable unit would be less than what it would cost to have a pro redo the unit.
FWIW, the 4 heat settings are to use different windings in the transformer. To bypass that you would probably rewire it to use the highest voltage winding, and then use the variable circuit to control the power.