8m push pull mig torch

[sprees]

is anyone else going through torches like 2 - 3 a year.?
Getting sick of it now
We have 3 saprom S3 Mobiles with 8m push pull watercooled mig torchs

 

[sprees]

And @ Nearly £1800 quid a pop !!! and very little if any warrenty.
Hardly a consumable !!!

 

[500e]

That's a Lorch quality product, what are you welding & volume, is the torch the one recommended for the amps you use

 

[Jim Davey]

When you say getting through, what exactly are you doing to them?

 

[Jim Davey]

A quiet word with the clumsy chaps on your shop floor might yield better savings than asking how long they last everyone else.
My hire fleet units take all kinds of abuse and most have lasted ok except for in extreme cases (loss of coolant flow is a killer) so is a long drop or a crush from a heavy object. I'm on the Binzel type but they are all similar in principle.

 

[Appyasme1]

Jim, what do you think about the Super Snake?

 

[Jim Davey]

I can't comment as I haven't actually used it. Most of the local ally boatyards are on it though and it's cheaper than my EWM which I have used and I think is good. It can't be bad but I thought the feeder unit itself looked a bit delicate.

 

[Appyasme1]

I have had our guys try it, could be a problem with the wire feed because of its length. If the liner gets damaged, also with wire inside the liner, it is going to be a swine to pull out

 

[Jim Davey]

It seems to work ok, I don't think they should reccomend people to use a 5mtr torch on the end of it though, it just doesn't work right.

 

[Appyasme1]

You are quite correct Jim. It is too long, prone to damage and very expensive to repair.

 

[sprees]

Thanks for ypour input guys.
We are making aluminium boats, approx 10 a year,
I agree, it is A quality product, thats why im using 3 of them, and have been for about 7 years
We have no problem with the wire feed, 1.2mm 5356 and have found that a liner change every 3rd or 4th coil keeps things running smothly,
when we got the first one, we found out very quickly that if you drop the torch or use it to tap material into place the magnets in the motor break up and feed start playing up.
So abuse or clumsyness is not an option and we know it !!!

The issue seems to be with the circuitry, alsmost as if there is a break in a cable, the unit changes programs
and plays up when the gun is held at certain angles, It is hard to pinpiont the problems,
we have tried swaping torches between welders and know its not the welder its in the torch.
I have send numerous ones for repair and if anything is found they dont seem to last long.

 

[sprees]

I can't comment as I haven't actually used it. Most of the local ally boatyards are on it though and it's cheaper than my EWM which I have used and I think is good. It can't be bad but I thought the feeder unit itself looked a bit delicate.

we have had our feeder units modified to include geared drive rollers top & bottom, this has greatly improved the feed.

 

[Jim Davey]

Do they use Can Bus and just two trigger wires like the rest of the program torches?

 

[matt1978]

Hello,

The torches are made by TBI, I do know that they do a Maxon Motor version now, which is made for more demanding use. But that is only the Motor/Gearbox. It sounds like your talking about Wiring.

Are you buying them directly from Weldfast/TBI?

I know warranty periods and torch manufacturers is a bit of sore subject sometimes.

 

[matt1978]

Do they use Can Bus and just two trigger wires like the rest of the program torches?

If it is a PowerMaster torch (but I don't think it is) then the Can communication is done via the standard +/- trigger wires but on a Push/Pull there is also a 8? core cable to supply the voltage to the Pull motor and to synchronise etc.

I know he definitely had the TBI-Lorch PowerMaster torches to start with, but I think he has been on the standard TBI push pull direct from Weldfast in recent years as I certainly don't remember seeing any orders for 2-3 Push Pull torches per year for Wales.

@sprees Maybe worth considering a Nano Feeder?

Could have a 10 meter Nano feeder and then a standard 3m or 4m 501 type torch on the end? Bit of investment to begin with, but may well work our much cheaper in the long run.

 

[Kent]

What type of ali boats you build out of interest? Why not post s few pics up for all to see
Threatening to make an ali centre console myself one day

 

[sprees]

If it is a PowerMaster torch (but I don't think it is) then the Can communication is done via the standard +/- trigger wires but on a Push/Pull there is also a 8? core cable to supply the voltage to the Pull motor and to synchronise etc.

I know he definitely had the TBI-Lorch PowerMaster torches to start with, but I think he has been on the standard TBI push pull direct from Weldfast in recent years as I certainly don't remember seeing any orders for 2-3 Push Pull torches per year for Wales.

@sprees Maybe worth considering a Nano Feeder?

Could have a 10 meter Nano feeder and then a standard 3m or 4m 501 type torch on the end? Bit of investment to begin with, but may well work our much cheaper in the long run.

HI Matt, My Appologies, I have sent torches to Camarc for repairs 3 times in 2015 totaling £579 + vat
Bought a new LMW 5400 PP in April, & Another in May £1600 each, One is still working ok,(touch wood) the other has stopped working.
and I am considering buying another new one.
we are able to use one of the old Powermaster torches for tacking etc, but it intermitantly switches tiptronic programs on us.

 

[sprees]

Some of the latest projects,
You can see what we do at www.robustboats.co.uk

 

[sprees]

View media item 1619View media item 1620

 

[Jim Davey]

Sounds like the insulation on the switch wires or the switches themselves wants looking at.
I'm not a big fan of job master type torches for this reason, they do seem to have more to go wrong that a standard gun.