New 205 observations--

[JBnID]

This could take a CS call. The new 205 combo is a beauty but seems to run at a max of about 30amps with foot pedal all the way down.
DC, mild steel, amps all the way up, preflow one second, post flow eight seconds. Arc force seems to make no difference, pulse makes no difference in power but sure is cool. One thing I've never seen before is a change in the light. #13 is not near dark enough during brief periods of a second or so, but seems just right on start-up, but this is my first try with inverter TIG and with a auto helmet. Reverting back to a 25 year old hat and memories of welders past, I see a dim arc, then a 'zinc contamination' blinding flash or flashes that wipes out the vision of any puddle that might have started. Ground seems good, no magic smoke from the machine....
Mostly confused right now.
Ideas?

[sportbike]

Try it with the torch switch and see if it is any different.

[performance]

What 205 do you have? Sounds like a helmet issue. That is how pulse operates. The foot pedal cog may be slipping.

[JBnID]

PowerPro 205 is the machine. I agree with the helmet issue. I had to turn the sensitivity up and din down. mutter mutter new fangled dang things...

I experimented some with the 2T torch control but it's not for me. I used a Wp17 150 amp for so long everything else feels like a pick axe and there seems to be no way to hold it without hitting the switch. I got no more heat out of it either.

I'm pretty sure it's running about 50 amps. It's just barely enough to melt 1/16 rod on 1/4 plate. You have to wait on it. If the torch is kept in one spot with the pedal all the way down, it'll melt out a place smaller than a dime in ten seconds.
I'm sitting here pondering how to describe something as subjective as heat in a weld puddle. I know my old machine would hum and rattle and burn a hole at 150 so I know something's odd somewhere.
Is there a way to check the foot pedal with an ohm meter to see if the linkage is slipping somewhere?

[sportbike]

PowerPro 205 is the machine. I agree with the helmet issue. I had to turn the sensitivity up and din down. mutter mutter new fangled dang things...

I experimented some with the 2T torch control but it's not for me. I used a Wp17 150 amp for so long everything else feels like a pick axe and there seems to be no way to hold it without hitting the switch. I got no more heat out of it either.

I'm pretty sure it's running about 50 amps. It's just barely enough to melt 1/16 rod on 1/4 plate. You have to wait on it. If the torch is kept in one spot with the pedal all the way down, it'll melt out a place smaller than a dime in ten seconds.
I'm sitting here pondering how to describe something as subjective as heat in a weld puddle. I know my old machine would hum and rattle and burn a hole at 150 so I know something's odd somewhere.
Is there a way to check the foot pedal with an ohm meter to see if the linkage is slipping somewhere?

You do have the main amperage knob on the panel turned all the way up correct? What amperage is displayed on teh panel display when the machine is at idle?

[JBnID]

All the way up and it varies between about 198 and 203.

[performance]

Black is hot, and white is hot. Green is ground? Sounds like many cases I have dealt with that had the wiring wrong.

[JBnID]

The power is right but that was my first thought too. Wouldn't something be complaining if a wire was undone inside?

[performance]

It would act similarly. It would act like it was trying to run, but on 110V. It could even be loose on the inside of the plug. I have seen it happen a number of times.

[JBnID]

A loose wire in the plug would make perfect sense since I did it but its not the case. 242VAC in the plug and to the power cord. I've rechecked every knob and switch.

These welds were all with full pedal and (not much) 1/16", 312 SS filler. Center right, with the undercut, is full bore and no filler. Obviously very cool. I'll check the hard rod functions tomorrow. If SMAW works maybe the field of possibilities is narrowed?

[JBnID]

I'm pretty sure it's running on half rations. 3/32" E7018 will run (a little hot) at 160 but barely sticks to the work at 80amps. 1/8" E7018 is cold at 160A.

I can disassemble, test and solder much better than I can get back to town and don't mind troubleshooting. See y'all Monday.

[JBnID]

UPDATE-- After determining my machine was faulty, it took four days to get the OK to return it. That was very frustrating. Then it took another week-end and two work days for my welder to get back to Everlast and FINALLY a replacement sent out. On April 4th I had a new machine but that was after spending $400 on a rental to do a job that had to be done on time while mine was caught up in UPS never never land. My letter of complaint of still having an uncertain foot pedal was never answered, but thanks to the work of another forum member, a new potentiometer was installed and for the first time the welder performs as its supposed to.

BUT, last week, while awaiting a new pot but the old was usable at low amps I did two very small and tedious jobs that showed me the welder is fully as good as the Miller I'd rented the week before and certainly worth the money (if not the aggravation).

The first job was pulling a 3/16" ball from a blind hole in a custom rifle part. Arcing to the side of the hole would likely ruin the $350 part. Since the hole had been (incorrectly) staked, the weld would take a lot of tension and impact if the ball would be pulled out passed it. I beveled the end of an 1/8" piece of drill rod and clamped it so the end was against the top of the ball which was just below flush. Using a 1/16" red tungsten and .030 Rockmount Brutus MIG wire (312L), I got a puddle started on the top of the ball and filled the chisel end with a good bead. By holding the drill rod in the vise and tapping the part, the ball wedged through the bad staking and out. The spring wasn't even annealed, but was replaced anyway. With a new ball, spring and a proper staking job, the ball protrudes as a detent ball by the correct .045" and a Jim Wisner 3 position safety for a Sako rifle was salvaged from the ravages of a hammer mechanic.

The second job was simply extending a Tikka extractor by .020 to better hold a .223 case. The extractor is .210 wide and thins down to a .010 edge on a tapered end. I used aluminum 'dams' on both sides and used the same .030 312L wire as filler to extend the bevel and edge out the proper amount, plus a gob that always has to be refiled to shape and polished. 312 SS is plenty hard and tough enough for parts that are usually spring hard like extractors, carrier dogs and cartridge stops.

I've also used the plasma for the first time and think it's about as handy as opposed thumbs. GREAT TOOL!

I was disappointed by Everlast customer service. If you consider the sliding grading scale as one being the worst (if it breaks you own both parts) to ten being something like Cabella's that's so good you wonder how they can do it, I would put Everlast in the middle at about a five. In my case, that became an expensive factor because I ordered the machine with two weeks to spare before it was REALLY needed. Due to UPS losing a trailer which made the welder a week late, then it being a bad welder that had to be physically IN California before a replacement was sent out (the same day) set me back another 10 days and cost $400 in rentals and nearly 300 miles of extra driving. It was during that time I thought it best to just be quiet. I was NOT at ALL happy to be out money and machine and still have to dig up more money to do the job. That was a bad move in customer relations made worse by the sudden stop in communications.

I doubt any of these machines will last long enough to become classics, but they should be easy to pay for with their versatility if they only last a year or so. I would NOT recommend this PP205 to be a traveling machine. Everything inside is crudely attached to very flimsy mounts and the circuit boards look like the typical Heathkit Cub Scout project. Vibration will be an early killer. Mine is wall mounted til it dies.

[inthefrey]

UPDATE-- Everything inside is crudely attached to very flimsy mounts and the circuit boards look like the typical Heathkit Cub Scout project. Vibration will be an early killer. Mine is wall mounted til it dies.

Good review.

[NRM]

It sucks to hear you had a bad experience with customer service and had shipping delays. I've had my PP205 for a year now and everything is working fine. I need to dial in my aluminum skills as I haven’t used the AC function that much. When I did try I was blowing through the material and could not get a good bead started.