wheres my pedal?

[jonesg]

Bought a 200pi in 2010.
Pedal didn't work , after back and forth on the phone I mailed it back in June 2011.
No reponse , when I call I'm told to email, when I email I'm told to call.
I need my pedal please.

Below is the chain of email.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Order ID Number: 8579119028

Gerard Jones
(old address) 120 jackson street , Canton MA.
(New address) 220 Rockland street , Canton MA 02021 USA.

----- Forwarded Message ----
From: Gerard Jones
To: Customer Service at www.longevity-inc.com
Sent: Wed, January 27, 2010 11:24:20 AM
Subject: Re: tig pedal fault

Hi ,
I called a spoke to Simon about my tig pedal Tuesday, he said to email for directions on how to return the pedal for testing or replacement.

Regards, Gerard Jones.


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
From: Customer Service at www.longevity-inc.com
To: Gerard Jones
Sent: Mon, January 25, 2010 5:13:11 PM
Subject: RE: tig pedal fault


Dear Customer:
Thank you for contacting us about your issue. Please contact us at our toll free # so that a live representative can help you resolve the issue that you are having with your foot pedal. Please have your order # available upon calling.



If you have any questions or concerns, please email or call us. As always, we appreciate you taking interest in our quality products.
Sincerely,

Customer Service

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------


From: Gerard Jones [mailto:jonesgjonesgjones@yahoo.com]
Sent: Sunday, January 24, 2010 10:28 AM
To: help@longevity-inc.com
Subject: tig pedal fault



Hi I have a 200PI, new.

It welds good but I tried using the pedal for the first time.
When the pedal is plugged in the amps read 200+amps, the dial on the pedal doesn't change the readout. The dial on the machine has no effect either.

This only happens when in TIG mode, stick and plasma allow the dial on the pedal to moderate amps all the way down.

That suggests to me the pedal is good, the problem is in the tig wiring within the pedal harness or the machine.

I've tried every switch and dial in every possible position, nothing makes the dial on the pedal work in TIG mode.
Any ideas?
Regards, Gerard Jones.

[shovelon]

Are you saying the pedal does not work? Or you sent it back and did not get it returned?

[jonesg]

Are you saying the pedal does not work? Or you sent it back and did not get it returned?

The unit itself seems to work fine, when the pedal is plugged and clicked on it goes to 200 amps and destroyed the ceramic cup. All 3 cups are broken now.
The pedal position doesn't change anything.

After going round and round, complaining on 2 forums, they told me to send it back, I did.
Then nothing.

This has been going on 2 yrs, customer service is ... nonexistent.
They might be ok if you have time to chase them, I don't.

[longevity-inc.com]

Jones

Give us a call on Monday so you can speak with customer service in regards to the pedal. They will be able to look up your order and see what went wrong and where.

We also reset your password for www.freeweldingforum.com and emailed you the login. We are fully staffed during the week so if you placed a call, we would be here to respond!

I apologize for the inconvenience and look forward to servicing you!

[jonesg]

Update, they sent me a replacement pedal in 2012 but the problem didn't resolve.
I couldn't affords the $80 shipping to return the machine so I decided to just ignore the pedal problem.
The welder itself still works fine in every other regard today in July 2020.

I am beginning to think the pedal circuit in the welder itself might be reversed polarity.
When using the pedal it acts as if the torch is plugged into the wrong polarity port and melts the tungsten.
Some day I'll try reversing the torch polarity with the pedal, it might fix the problem, not now because I am down to my last cup for the torch.

[ben_john7]

And how did you solve the problem with broken ceramic cups?

[jonesg]

And how did you solve the problem with broken ceramic cups?

Sorry I don't get in here much to check mssgs.
They swapped the pedal, same problem.

I just decided not to use the pedal.
Pedal will ramp up and down ok in stick mode, but it goes haywire in tig.
I think the tig pedal circuit is miswired inside the machine and goes into reverse polarity when pedal is engaged.

I suppose I could always just plug the torch in POS and ground into NEG to try it but I only have one cup left and pedal isn't that important to me.
My skill at welding is about zero , a functional pedal wouldn't do a whole lot for me, most time I'll use stick anyway.

Some guys had problems with these machines and they died, mine still works fine overall, it must be 10 years now.

[GiantTechGuy]

Sounds like the pedal pins are reversed.

[Jay8454]

I have this same problem, oh what a small world. But, mine only caps it self at about 60 amps. I went through the same thing you went through and the same dates but, the only difference I bought a pedal off eBay same issue. Their customer service is a sham. I think it's a PCB board issue but I'm not smart enough to read the schematic on the board to find the problem (~chough, guy that bough cheep stuff here). I kinda need the pedal because I am getting better at TIG welding aluminum and seeing a need for it in future projects.

[jonesg]

I have this same problem, oh what a small world. But, mine only caps it self at about 60 amps. I went through the same thing you went through and the same dates but, the only difference I bought a pedal off eBay same issue. Their customer service is a sham. I think it's a PCB board issue but I'm not smart enough to read the schematic on the board to find the problem (~chough, guy that bough cheep stuff here). I kinda need the pedal because I am getting better at TIG welding aluminum and seeing a need for it in future projects.

i think the previous post is probably right, pins are reversed.
it welds fine using the trigger on the gun, but goes nuts when using the pedal, but pedal is not the problem, the wiring on the pedal receptacle in the machine is reverse polarity from what it should be.
I haven't tested it to confirm yet but it seems the most likely answer, just connect your torch in reverse polarity to what it should be if using the pedal.
Let me know if you get around to trying this, i rarely dig mine out these days.

if this doesn't solve the issue you can always use a brake cable as used on a bicycle, from the pedal to control the amp dial physically.

[jonesg]

Sounds like the pedal pins are reversed.

yeh, it seems most likely.
Still have to check it out to see if it solves the problem.

[jonesg]

I touched the case with the stick electrode by accident and the welder blew up, the power supply board is toast.
It lasted 12 years so not so bad.

replacing it with a yeswelder MIG/tig.stick for $399.