Everlast Welder / plasma cutter CT416D

[gaustin]

I have one of these coming in today to check ouut and see how it runs. It is a combo machine and I am interested in seeing how well the 40 Amp plasma works. Ive go a few things here that need cutting up. Maybe do a little tig with a foot pedal to see how it works. I had them and remotes when in the Navy but haven't used one m uch since. They seemed like a waste of you got your machine set right. Now that I am older, I may think they are the greates thing.

I am just curious about anyone that has set one up and if they had any problems. Owners manuals seem to be in short supply from what I understand.

Thanks for any info.

[gaustin]

I have the info I need I beleive.

Thanks Alex

[gaustin]

I have the info I need .
Thanks Alex

[gaustin]

I received the machine today. Well packaged and I was able to get it together easily. I did have to substitute a piece of hose that seemed too short.

Once it was together I tried a few cuts and was impressed with the cutting. Though the arc seemed to start a little hard, once it fired up it cut well. I was limited in air supply so I minimized my cut time.

Since I can't figure out how to popst pics here, heres a page with a few and some of my ramblings. http://weldingdata.com/WelderReviews...ast/EV416D.htm

[EVERLAST_SUPPORT]

Gaustin,

Glad you like the unit. Cuts look great.

[gaustin]

Made a few more cuts today and setup the tig rig. Everything worked great. The amperage on the dial "seems" to be higher than what I am actually getting but that may be wrong. I haven't checked it with an ammeter but hope to soon. The instructions I have refer to a pre/post flow setting however the switch on the one I am using seems to only change the postflow. There is no preflow. Anyone have any ideas?

The plasma was used to cut some sample pieces of 1/2", 3/8" and 10 Ga carbon and based on my travel speeds etc, I would limit the machine to no more than 3/8" unless you have MUCH patience. I was running about 80 PSI.

I was limited by how long I could cut due to my 4CFM compressor getting a little warm. I have cut about 48" of 10 gage, 4 inches of 1/4", 4 inches of 3/8" and 3 inches of 1/2" and am still on the same tip however I have swapped to the other end.

I hope to have some pics and maybe a video up later. Attached is one of the tig welds.

[EVERLAST_SUPPORT]

If it is a switch and not a knob for the gas delay, it's post flow time in seconds.

The weld looks nice.

I use the foot pedal for TIG and sometimes forget that it takes over the amperage knob, not up to what the knob is set too, so pedal down is 200 amps. Then I start thinking, this thing is putting out way too many amps. But it's just my heavy foot.

[gaustin]

I realized it is post flow only however I found the following statement in some instructions for the machine.

4. Set the pre/post flow switch to 2.5 seconds or 5 seconds. 5 seconds for thicker steel..

I very soon realized that either my instructions were incorrect or the machine did not function as designed.

The welds came out OK. The torch is a little uncomfortable because of the switch. The switch is easily bumped if you are welding on something slightly out of position but thats just a personal opinion.

[gaustin]

I have a page up with a few more pics of the EV416D. I still have more welding and cutting to do with it but I am impressed with what it can do for the cost.

Here is the page http://weldingdata.com/WelderReviews...ast/EV416D.htm There are pics of 1/4", 3/8" and 1/2" material cuts,

[gaustin]

I updated the page with the review today. The forum here doesnt have the ability to emebed pictures so I guess you will have to go to the web page if you wanna see the pics.

4 Oct 08

I was able to get a little more capacity on my air by adding a storage tank
that I could charge over a period of time.

 

I had a welder qualification test that was a little too big to fit in my
fillet weld break jig. I had to cut some off the edges. I went ahead and setup
the video camera just to record how long it took and I traveled 5 inches in 1
minute and 10 seconds. That worked out to 4.3 IPM. 

Cut on 1/2" Carbon Steel WPQ coupon (Fillet Weld Test)

After that cut so well I decided to see how it would handle a little more
cutting. I changed to all new consumables and began cutting strips off the edge
of the plate. The machine consistently struck an arc and cut pretty much the
same through all 40 inches. 

The Last CUT !

All the cuts together.

Consumables After 40" of 1/2" Plate.

The final Cut Close-up.

So far the machine seems to run fine. I do not own this one so have not subjected
it to dropping it to see if it still works. If Alex gives me the go ahead, I
will do it .I hope to try a little tig and E7018. The rated output is 160 amps
which should run a 1/8" 7018 down pretty fast. (Less than 50 seconds) . So
we will see .

Though I cannot speak on the support I think the machine would be a great
addition to any homeowners shop and even someone messing with a little light
fabrication. I would suggest buying a spare JUST IN CASE but if I have this for
any length of time and get 30 or 50 lbs of electrode through it and 100 hours or
so of arc time, my opinion may change. Tonight I had an estimated arc time of
about 14 minutes with the welder qualification test and the 8 test cuts.

[Hammack_Welding]

Gaustin, not trying to be to critical, but don;t you feel that a 40 amp plasma should be able to cut 1/2" carbon faster than 1" every 15 seconds? I believe that I could cut faster than that with my Powermax 30. If I had to cut at that speed then I personally would rather buy a O/A rig and a separate welder.

[David R]

I was asked in another part of this forum how my 40 amp machine cuts. I got the honor of working today, so I took some time out and make a couple of cuts.

HT 600. 40 amps, 1/2" plate. 8" in about a minute or just a little less.




The cross cut I went just a little slower.




Consumables. The electrode is about $7, the cup with a hole in it is about $4
These consumables last 3 to 5 or more times as long as my old unit with a PT31XL torch.
I think half the performance comes from the torch.


I have an OLD transformer ESAB unit that weighs about 200 or more lbs. It is a 30 amp machine. Its rated for 3/8". I can cut better and faster on 3/8" with an oxy acet torch. When I bought this one, I wanted a 60 amp machine. The LWS told me to take this HT 600 (40 amp) and try it. I never took it back and he knew I wouldn't. It will cut 1" @ 40 amps.

I use this machine A LOT.

David

See if this post stays

[gaustin]

Looks like the post stayed. I haven't had a chance to cut much for show but have drug the machine around a few places to repair a 4" exhaust and cut some parts off a trailer. Been waiting for the "mosfit" explosion but it hasn't happened yet.

I have some 1/2" plate to bevel soon, that may put it to a test.

[gaustin]

Got a chance to use the 416D again today. Only cut about 60" of 3/8". Used one electrode. though the cut was blowing through fine, there was alot of buildup on the tip of the torch. I had the air on about 80. Anyone with ideas ?

Swapped it over to Tig in about 30 seconds and made some welds. Kinda nice when I only have one outlet.

I also stuck a rod on purpose (tig wire) until it turned red and started to melt. No mosfets blew. The machine was all the way up but the wire was only 3/32" so that may not have maxed it out.

[UA440Fitter]

Originally Posted by gaustin

Got a chance to use the 416D again today. Only cut about 60" of 3/8". Used one electrode. though the cut was blowing through fine, there was alot of buildup on the tip of the torch. I had the air on about 80. Anyone with ideas ?

Swapped it over to Tig in about 30 seconds and made some welds. Kinda nice when I only have one outlet.

I also stuck a rod on purpose (tig wire) until it turned red and started to melt. No mosfets blew. The machine was all the way up but the wire was only 3/32" so that may not have maxed it out.

If ya don't mind..... Try to make the same cut with the air set at 60..... Then try 55, and then 50. I set my 80 on 70psi and it cuts great. If I turn the machine down to 40 amps, I have to knock the air down quite a bit. It's all about the current making plasma. Too much air and you have "diluted" the stream.

Bret

[gaustin]

Thanks. I could actually see metal rolling up from the front edge of the cut and spraying back on the tip. I will try some lower pressures.

[specter]

Gee Dave I hope your not looking for the mosfets to blow. I thought I was the only one jinxed.

[gaustin]

Haven't had much time to do anything with the machine other than a few little projects. Cut a 4" chrome exhaust for a friend and welded it onto his truck.
Today I pulled it out of the old damp shed to do some training for a young man interested in learning how t o weld. I figured this would be a good test to see if there were any problems with rods sticking. We were using 1/8" 6011, 3/32" 6013, and 1/8" 7018. The machine worked well and stood up to quite a few stuck rods and then went on to weld fine. I was using it in conjunction with another import machine that was a stick welder only. It too worked fine but I wanted a little more amperage for the 1/8" 7018.

Then with a flip of a switch I setup to let him cut some with the plasma. He cut a piece of 16 ga exhaust along the centerline then we fit it back together and stick welded it using 3/32" E6013 on DCSP. He was able to stick it back together with only a few holes blown in it.

[gaustin]

Had an chance to use the 416 for a job for a neighbor. A aluminum dock ramp with steel bolt on legs had broken at the bend line on the legs. A VERY tight radius was used for the bend.

Anyway I beveled and backgouged with the plasma and welded with some 6010+ and 7018. All went very well.

Here is the current review page. http://weldingdata.com/WelderReviews...ast/EV416D.htm

Hope to get a little more in before I send it back. The 1st picture below is the BACKSIDE of the root pass.

[specter]

Nice work

[gaustin]

I got to do a little "duty cycle" testing on the EV416 and will be posting more later . The Over Current system does work and reset by itself. I ran some 1/8" E7018 back to back on what I estimated to close to the 125 Amp setting. I estimated this by the electrode burnoff time and not with an ammeter. The setting on the dial was close to the 135 amp setting. After burning 5 electrodes the machine protection kicked on and then reset a minute later. I was then able to burn that rod and another then it cutoof again. It reset 30 seconds or so later and I was able to burn the remaining electrodes.

The machine welded smoothly during the entire operation. After the welding was done, I switched to plasma and cut the 1/2" plate that I had done the welding on. Though I had cut some 1/2" before, the machine seemed to be struggling. I changed the consumables and tried again. I had to move too slowly for my patience at the time. I had it cranked all the way up and tried various air pressures with no success.

Attached are the actual arc times and modified (not 10 minute cycle) duty cycle times.

During all the time I have had this machine it has perfomed well. I have always used the plasma amperage as an estimate of a practical cutting thickness. Though 40 amps can maybe cut 1/2" well, its slow with the machine I have. I have no way of reading the actual amperage output of the plasma cutter. My electrical supply measured at the plug on the machine reads 2 legs at 115 volts (230).

I also ran a few beads with some Harbor Freight 6013 and they worked pretty well. Especially for 1/3rd what TSC lists them for.

[Scott Young]

from your posts gaustin, you seem to bid it fairly well. i have some food for thought though, you are severely limited on stick time ie 5 electrodes till oops and then two till oops. also your cutting isn't any more improved over an o/a torch. also o/a has the ability to cut sheet goods all the way to 4 inches and more with a single unit. i don't know what the cost of gas versus electricity and tips would be, but it would be interesting to find out. i doubt that the cost would make a difference. your running two machines to make a cut and spend money on electrode tips. an o/a tip will last a professional a year or better with daily use, i know for a fact that a o/a tip will last a hobbiest 10 years or better.

as far as the tig goes buy a torch and set up off of any dc stick unit. i know it wouldn't have a pedal, but unless you are welding some really thin stuff you won't need it. i doubt the everlast machine would excel at the really thin stuff where the pedal would make a difference.

i think for $600 a person would be better vested to purchase a used cracker box and a o/a set. he would be guaranteed that they work, last a long time, and he could get his money back out of it if he changed his mind. with the track record of everlast a person isn't afforded any of this.

by the way, great looking welds.

[EVERLAST_SUPPORT]

On a personal note.

I "had" 2 o/a setups and a MIG. Did some TIG at buddies shops and had to have one. I sold the large o/a and MIG, sometime ago.

I have kids around so the tanks made me think about getting rid of the large set (danger awaiting). Fire, etc. I still have the MC and it is put away unless I need to heat something to bend it. Also, the warping from the heat is not so great with o/a. I really like o/a and it is one way to go (it's very similar to TIG far as welding).

Refilling two tanks (o+o) is more than refilling one (argon), you still need a filler. On cutting, the consumables are not that bad once you get the hang of using it and stop killing them early. And the amount of oxygen you use to cut with o/a, that does balance out the price to me and I have used both.

I have the Everlast MIG, TIG and Cut70 and I am happy.

Everlast hat back on. We guarantee the units work and if you have one that has a problem you will get a new one that does work. We sell many units each month, the few with a problem come here and seems like the same names all the time.

But hey, we aim to please, sometimes we do screw up an order or something is damaged in shipping. No plans to carrying oxy/acet units and I know the LWS has had a deal for the last couple months, now down to $600.

With us, there is always a 30 day money back guarantee (even if you leave the country for a year as I read in one post).

[gaustin]

Originally Posted by Scott Young

from your posts gaustin, you seem to bid it fairly well. i have some food for thought though, you are severely limited on stick time ie 5 electrodes till oops and then two till oops. also your cutting isn't any more improved over an o/a torch. also o/a has the ability to cut sheet goods all the way to 4 inches and more with a single unit. i don't know what the cost of gas versus electricity and tips would be, but it would be interesting to find out. i doubt that the cost would make a difference. your running two machines to make a cut and spend money on electrode tips. an o/a tip will last a professional a year or better with daily use, i know for a fact that a o/a tip will last a hobbiest 10 years or better.

as far as the tig goes buy a torch and set up off of any dc stick unit. i know it wouldn't have a pedal, but unless you are welding some really thin stuff you won't need it. i doubt the everlast machine would excel at the really thin stuff where the pedal would make a difference.

i think for $600 a person would be better vested to purchase a used cracker box and a o/a set. he would be guaranteed that they work, last a long time, and he could get his money back out of it if he changed his mind. with the track record of everlast a person isn't afforded any of this.

by the way, great looking welds.

I think the overall investement cost for a cutting torch of name brand quality and an AC/DC transformer/rectifier would border the cost for the multiprocess setup.

I lean toward OxyAcet for thicker stuff and the versatility of having a gas torch for heating, bending, tinting, etc can be a great value. On the otherside the plasma allows for minimum distortion on thin materials along with the ability to hold a torch like a pencil. For what little I would do around the house and the cost of a set of bottles, I think the plasma is my choice. The cost of operating the plasma cutter here is about 20-25 cents per hour. Based on 10 cents/KWH. Consumables may be a different point. I may work up something on that.

WIth the GTAW that I do and have done, a foot pedal/remote is of little value but is a nice feature to have. To get that on a Transformer/Rectifier you get up in price quick. I concur regarding the Tig with any CC output machine. Even aluminum is possible in many applications.

I appreciate the comments on the welds. They came out pretty good for just slag welding.

Id be interested in knowing how close my amperage is to what the machine is rated for. I noticed that the amperage rating on the back is based on a lower than normal arc voltage. It is listed at 15 or 16. 16 Volts is low and would require more amperage to melt off a given amount of electrode (I Think). I had recently welded with a 140 amp inverter that was an import but it was stick only. It didn't cut out if I remember right. It had about the same electrode burnoff time but my memory may be failing.

Still all in all for something in the $500.00 range it seems like a pretty good buy. I agree that some of the practices as documented here can be a cause for question. But the machine itself, seems fine.

I will be shipping this one back when I get it arranged with Everlast and I appreciate them letting me use it.

Gerald Austin

[gaustin]

Whats a good way to reach Alex. I have tried the phone number on the website 2X and email. Is there an office witrh someone there ?