PowerMaster 205 Tested, Photos, Videos

[hildstrom]

Everlast PowerMaster 205 stick/tig/plasma welder/cutter combo

I received this Everlast PowerMaster 205 combo unit on 8/12/2009 as a warranty replacement for my Super250P that died and its first faulty replacement PowerMaster 205 that died. The unit seems pretty high quality, but the documentation is inadequate. Hopefully it will stand the test of time unlike its older brothers. The manual is much better than the manuals for the Super series with more complete specification tables and function descriptions. Hopefully some of the stuff I have here will help clear up questions for others.

Initial Stress Testing 8/18/2009

I finally had time to unpack, setup, and test the welder today. It was over 100 degrees in my garage. I set everything up and began testing. I stick welded at full power with and without arc force up to the duty cycle time of 60% or 6 minutes. Next I plasma cut at full power up to the duty cycle time of 60% or 6 minutes. Next I DC TIG welded at full power for about one minute. Finally, I AC TIG welded some aluminum at 120A for about 4 minutes. I never exceeded the recommended duty cycle time and thermal protection never kicked in. So, the welder definitely passed my initial stress test.

Discussion and Results

The great news is that the specifications match my RMS measurements and my measurements match the LED readout. There is no discrepancy between peak and RMS current and the LED readout like on the Super250P it replaced. The real surprise is that the PowerMaster 205 actually has more power than the Super250P because of the difference between peak and RMS ratings. The PowerMaster 205 managed 205A welding vs the Super250P's 180A. The PowerMaster 205 also managed 56A cutting vs the Super250P's 40A. Excellent! So, the PowerMaster 205 seems like a much better unit so far. I hope Everlast continues to improve their units and this new one is definitely a step in the right direction.

I will post correct and updated specifications here as I make actual measurements. These specifications are followed by photographs, which are followed by videos at the bottom of the page.

This unit does:
* stick/arc/MMA/SMAW welding
* TIG/GTAW welding
* plasma cutting/plasma arc cutting/PAC

Using:
* DC
* AC 20-100Hz
* DC Pulse (rapidly switching between two current levels)
* AC Pulse (rapidly switching between two current levels)

Here is a great discussion on welder power and that mysteriously defined arc force control, aka dig. Basically, it allows you to have some control of welding current by adjusting the arc length when stick/arc/MMA/SMAW welding. It boosts current by the chosen amount when the arc length is below a given level. If arc force is set to 50A, it will boost welding current by 50A when you push the stick electrode close enough to the weld pool. Apparently, this is useful when stick welding deep and narrow to achieve good penetration and prevent sticking. The manuals only mention Arc Force in the stick/arc/MMA/SMAW context and do not explain it.






Here I put a 1/4" NPT quick-connect that is normally used for compressed air.


Then I created an adapter from by B-size to 1/4" hose barb/nipple to 1/4" NPT. I used normal plumbing soldering flux and solder to attach a 1/4" NPT female coupler to the hose connection that came with my argon regulator. This allows me to attach a quick-connect compressed air style hose to the argon bottle and connect it to the regulator on the back of the welder. I can set the pressure to 65 psi with compressed air attached for plasma cutting. Then I can quickly switch from compressed air to argon.



Here are two youtube videos of the PowerMaster 205 in action:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4DgA-13ftQQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0T6U9OyR5qk


I will keep my PowerMaster 205 page up to date.

[performance]

Hildstrom,

Glad you posted. We will look forward to some more.

I have a couple of comments, points of safety and a question.

Safety first...for all to benefit.(re: the video)

Welding and cutting on brake drums/ rotors is not advised. The possible presence of brake cleaner can release deadly phosgene gas, especially in the presence of argon, long after it seems dried. Only a tiny amount can kill you. I believe that information is in the manual. Cutting/welding on the floor near an automobile is not recommended due to gas vapors and a whole host of things that like to burn when in contact with molten metal. Metal prices have fallen. Please guys, buy some scrap or skulk around your local machine shop for drops to practice on. You will get much better results on your "experimentation". Even considering new metal, $50 goes a long way on practice material. Gas, electrodes, or one full size roll of welding wire will cost more than that.

Question:
What documentation are you referring to as being inadequate? We certainly have been working on things. I'd like to know so that we might be able to resolve the issue. Can you be more specific?


Comments:

From the PowerMaster series manual on the arc force control:

Arc Force. This controls the dig of the arc. The dig is a term used to describe the intensity of the arc. It determines how hard the arc penetrates the metal when the arc is held short. This is an exceptionally helpful feature in MMA (SMAW) operation. It helps hold the molten metal in place in out-of-position welds by providing a crisp, forceful arc. Or, it can provide a soft, buttery arc that easily washes the metal into the toes of the weld. This is a matter of operator preference. Rotating the knob clockwise increases dig. There are no recommended settings regarding this feature. Skill, operating styles and electrode selection are controlling variables that help determine the optimum setting of the arc force. Holding the arc close activates the arc force control and an increase of amps can be observed. With a little experimentation, the proper setting can be found for each task.


As we have mentioned before, our manuals are not designed as a welding primer. However, we include much more information in our manuals than the average Miller or Lincoln manual with respect to the basic functions and operation. I have several manuals in my possesion because of the machinery I operate on a daily basis. The expectation is that the manual will be guide to locating the functions and basic operation of the controls. The knowledge and skill needed to operate a welder is already assumed by the other companies. We have sought to hit a balance between a long book on welding technique, and a concise, functional operator's manual.

That's one reason we have this site dedicated to the customer, or curious welder to answer any questions.

Finally, you can purchase quick release fittings for gas that are standard inert threads for coupling. But if the fancy strikes you, this is an excellent "fix". to a common issue. In the future, we will have a different set up that will erase any need to switch hoses.

[performance]

After checking Alex, I confirmed that the unit failure you had was related to shippng damage. We have had a couple of issues with shipping with our larger units. The next shipment will have improved packaging.

We have been working with UPS to correct the issues. We have revised packaging and box strengths to help us accomodate the drops and bangs that occur in shipping. But the damage has been the exception rather than the rule. But it has been taken seriously. One damaged unit is too many. UPS recently shipped my wife some packages from a company that she was teaching a summer camp course for children at the local college. The materials were shipped in UPS boxes and arrived torn, and damaged. There were tupperware containers full of legos inside that had actually broken the plastic lids and scattered legos all the way from Michigan. I would hate to say its all Everlast's packaging problem, because of what I have personally observed with UPS's own boxes. The shipping damage that has been occuring has largely been internal in the circuit boards with broken solder or traces. Many times these units fail some time after shipping, usually with a "heavy" load on the circuits applied that finish the damage off. We have been sending larger units wrapped in bubble wrap. It has alleviated the issue, but not completely stopped it.

Again, we have added that to our list of upcoming improvements. We are also upgrading internal components integrity. But for anyone interested in buying a new unit and afraid of this issue, it is actually very low rate. Remember, we are talking about a handful of issues in thousands of "normal" shipments.

Our units have been placed in industries, where they are subjected to rigorous use daily, without any problems with normal heavy usage.

[everlastsupport]

Mark is sooo right. These issues are very rare now and that makes us all happy.

In the past your normally knew if it was abuse without even having to open the box. I've seen the pictures mailed to DHL many times, some wrapped in DHL tape no less yet and they said they did not drop it.

However, sometimes they could drop a box from a truck and it land flat on the bottom. Not even bend a corner. But once a unit it opened up you know.

Just happy this is not a problem anymore.

We are having a lot of success with UPS over the last shipper. The bubble plastic actually surprised me with how much shock that was removed from the inside of the box. I just received a unit from the warehouse and the styrofoam was not even cracked. That's California to Florida. So we are very pleased.

Saw your videos on Youtube. Thanks for the support.

[hildstrom]

Thanks for the feedback. First, safety; I plasma cut toward my open garage door parallel to my car. I welded with my body between the electrode and the car. There was no danger to my car in either case, but it is difficult to gauge the distance between the vehicle and the sparks in the video. The brake rotors came off the car in the background with about 60k miles on them. I cleaned them outside with a wire wheel and did not use any chemical cleaners. In the stick welding video, there was a fan just outside the frame to my left blowing welding fumes away from my face. It was also running when I was plasma cutting. It assured there were no buildups of any gas vapors on the garage floor prior to any sparks flying. I'll do my best to appear more safety conscious in any future videos.

As far as the manual goes, it is much better than the Super250P manual, but there is always room for improvement. I did not intend this thread to be a complaint about the manual, but here are some additional thoughts since you asked.

The arc force control has no units associated with it and the description is somewhat lacking. Using subjective terms like forceful and buttery make no sense to me in this context, but that could be because of my lack of experience. The arc force is arc-length controlled arc current. In my testing, setting arc force to 10 decreased the average current by 40A or so unless I short-arced it, which would briefly increase the current to 160A. It has more of a constant-power behavior than without it. What is the actual arc force control range in amps? There is a typo in the specifications table "Open Current Voltage". What is the open-circuit voltage of the plasma torch? What is the pilot arc current? What is the pinout of the torch/pedal control connector and what type of connector is it? This information is useful to someone wanting to use a torch-mounted variable finger control. Where are the schematics? How do I check and maintain the internal HF spark gap? Please take these comments and questions constructively because overall I am happy with my new unit.

The air/argon switching issue is a relatively minor thing, but the argon regulator to 1/4" NPT adapter I made should be easy to provide. It would be nicer to have separate units, but that would be more expensive and take up more space than this all-in-one unit. It would be sweet if there were quick-connect fittings for both sides of the welder. This would let you switch between air and argon in a second at the back end. A quick-connect fitting at the front would make switching torches faster. This is the same issue I have with my old ShopSmith. The machine can do a lot of different things in a small space, but switching between processes takes a little bit of time.

When you say "the unit failure you had was related to shippng damage", which unit are you referring to? Are you talking about the Super250P or the first replacement PowerMaster 205? I did not notice anything obvious with either of them. Thanks. -Greg

[performance]

Thanks for the feedback. First, safety; I plasma cut toward my open garage door parallel to my car. I welded with my body between the electrode and the car. There was no danger to my car in either case, but it is difficult to gauge the distance between the vehicle and the sparks in the video. The brake rotors came off the car in the background with about 60k miles on them. I cleaned them outside with a wire wheel and did not use any chemical cleaners. In the stick welding video, there was a fan just outside the frame to my left blowing welding fumes away from my face. It was also running when I was plasma cutting. It assured there were no buildups of any gas vapors on the garage floor prior to any sparks flying. I'll do my best to appear more safety conscious in any future videos.

As far as the manual goes, it is much better than the Super250P manual, but there is always room for improvement. I did not intend this thread to be a complaint about the manual, but here are some additional thoughts since you asked.

The arc force control has no units associated with it and the description is somewhat lacking. Using subjective terms like forceful and buttery make no sense to me in this context, but that could be because of my lack of experience. The arc force is arc-length controlled arc current. In my testing, setting arc force to 10 decreased the average current by 40A or so unless I short-arced it, which would briefly increase the current to 160A. It has more of a constant-power behavior than without it. What is the actual arc force control range in amps? There is a typo in the specifications table "Open Current Voltage". What is the open-circuit voltage of the plasma torch? What is the pilot arc current? What is the pinout of the torch/pedal control connector and what type of connector is it? This information is useful to someone wanting to use a torch-mounted variable finger control. Where are the schematics? How do I check and maintain the internal HF spark gap? Please take these comments and questions constructively because overall I am happy with my new unit.

The air/argon switching issue is a relatively minor thing, but the argon regulator to 1/4" NPT adapter I made should be easy to provide. It would be nicer to have separate units, but that would be more expensive and take up more space than this all-in-one unit. It would be sweet if there were quick-connect fittings for both sides of the welder. This would let you switch between air and argon in a second at the back end. A quick-connect fitting at the front would make switching torches faster. This is the same issue I have with my old ShopSmith. The machine can do a lot of different things in a small space, but switching between processes takes a little bit of time.

When you say "the unit failure you had was related to shippng damage", which unit are you referring to? Are you talking about the Super250P or the first replacement PowerMaster 205? I did not notice anything obvious with either of them. Thanks. -Greg

Greg, I'll start backwards and go up the list.

The unit failure on the 205 PM was damage resulting in shipping. It usually shows up as a broken or damaged trace, everything else being undetectable.

The issue that you cite about the changeover has been already addressed for the future. The solution that you created may work okay. But the water separator really should not have argon run through it. Rather, it would be better and far more efficient to make a "permanent" T connection between the water trap and the gas inlet with shut off valves attatched. You can buy a specific valve just for this type of setup from welding supply stores for your gas connections. This is what many customers find to be the best solution, by twisting a valve to shut one off and twisting a valve to open another.

The arc force control is generally around 50-60 amps. The terms "forceful and buttery" are common in the trade when describing welding charachteristics. The term "crisp" is also one that is used as a synonym to "forceful or sharp" arc charachteristics. It is as you say, likely due to inexperience. They may be subjective, but nearly all aspects of how to set up a welder properly are subjective in nature. Infact, no two welders or weldors weld the same. We cannot guess the level of the customers understanding or welding capacity either. So, we use standard and acceptable terms of the industry in our descriptions in order to avoid confusion by our more experienced customers who understand what it means. The boosting of the amperage increases overall wattage to prevent rod sticking, improve penetration and to hold metal in place in out of position welding as the voltage falls in a short arc situation. The arc force nomenclature of 0-10 is actually a common designation offered by Miller and others on their units, to serve as a percentage marker of total available amps of arc force.

The typo will be fixed in coming revisions. The meaning is still conveyed though.

The question of the plasma OCV should be about 200V, since the same basic electronics are used in the plasma systems. There is no practical reason to publish pilot arc current. But as you should be aware, the pilot arc on your machine is established differently that a High Freq cutter which is generally much lower than an HF pilot.

The pinouts change from time to time. That is why they are not published along with the schematics. The schematics, pinouts etc are proprietary information and are NOT going to be published publicly, unless there is a need for them to resolve a problem. Then they will be (as some are now) published on the forum via techinical bulletins when we feel that the need to release such information is vital to customer support. You will not find Miller, Lincoln or any of the other guys providing schematics. You may find simple wiring diagrams. The reason being, is that a schematic is the same as a "secret" recipe of Coke or KFC. We can provide simple wiring diagrams if you request, but of course, they are included with the box manual and though the English is lacking, are fairly reliable to the basic components. Backwards engineering is always going to happen. But because of our competitions constant copying of upgrades and improvements in our designs, we will not give them a road map to do so.

The point gap maintenance is a safety issue regarding accidental discharge of capacitors and possible harm that it may cause to the operator. Those gap settings are available on a case by case basis. We want to discourage unauthorized customer tampering with our units, unless we are there via telephone to guide them through a sometimes tricky process.


Hope this helps. See the picture for the argon connector which can serve as a unifying valve for the argon versus air changeover issue you have noted. This is standard, off the shelf welding supply parts.

Mark