conventional style Push Pull gun

[HughF]

That's a smart idea, yes. Buy a Peli case and stuff the motor from the phoenix inside it then connect the push-pull gun to that. Basically convert your 330 compact into a power-source only.

Do it...

 

[Hood]

I was down at the workshop earlier this evening and hauled the side off to have a look and to give it a dust out. I was pleased to see that I didn't need to clean it out as there is a wind tunnel right down the middle over the heatsink and the circuit boards are well isolated from it.
It is quite tightly packed even though it is physically quite a big machine, 605mm long, 520mm high and 335mm wide.

Anyway some pics, first the PCB side.

Next up is the wire feed and welding wire.

As can be seen from the first pic you would have to remove a lot to get to the wire feed motor if going in from that side. I think however I should be able to gain access if I remove the Euro connector, +ve lead and then take out the 4 torx screws from the tufnol backing plate as seen in the pic below. Well I am hoping it is that easy

 

[Hood]

I have just seen something in the first pic that I never noticed when I was in there
Looks like it may be a plastic bag and maybe it contains circuit diagrams or if I am really lucky maybe the last owner had a load of cash hidden inside

 

[HughF]

I'm just gonna leave this here to tempt you:



Those r-tech 255's sell for 600 ish 2nd hand

 

[Hood]

I'm just gonna leave this here to tempt you:

View attachment 133804

Those r-tech 255's sell for 600 ish 2nd hand

Mine didn't, fair enough I was asking £800 for it but it was only about 6 months old and included a spool gun

I don't know how good these Selcos are but I think it would have to be a good machine to keep me as happy during welding as the Phoenix does.

 

[Richard.]

I was down at the workshop earlier this evening and hauled the side off to have a look and to give it a dust out. I was pleased to see that I didn't need to clean it out as there is a wind tunnel right down the middle over the heatsink and the circuit boards are well isolated from it.
It is quite tightly packed even though it is physically quite a big machine, 605mm long, 520mm high and 335mm wide.

Anyway some pics, first the PCB side.
View attachment 133796

Next up is the wire feed and welding wire.

View attachment 133797


As can be seen from the first pic you would have to remove a lot to get to the wire feed motor if going in from that side. I think however I should be able to gain access if I remove the Euro connector, +ve lead and then take out the 4 torx screws from the tufnol backing plate as seen in the pic below. Well I am hoping it is that easy

View attachment 133798

Bare in mind I know nothing about the interior design on these things but the guts in that phoenix look to be laid out very similar to the old magic wave 2000 I have. A number of boards surrounding the heat sink tunnel that are joined together with cables.

 

[Richard.]

Mine didn't, fair enough I was asking £800 for it but it was only about 6 months old and included a spool gun

I don't know how good these Selcos are but I think it would have to be a good machine to keep me as happy during welding as the Phoenix does.

Selco manufactured a lot of the Lincoln electric inverters. Many of the old ones are still kicking about at 20 years old. They’ve more than proved them selves in this game and can pack a punch equal to the likes of ewm.

 

[Hood]

Selco manufactured a lot of the Lincoln electric inverters. Many of the old ones are still kicking about at 20 years old. They’ve more than proved them selves in this game and can pack a punch equal to the likes of ewm.

Just been looking at the brochure and it does sound like a nice machine.

 

[Richard.]

Just been looking at the brochure and it does sound like a nice machine.

But before you get carried away is it going to solve your overall issue.
What does a selco do that the ewm doesn’t?

 

[HughF]

But before you get carried away is it going to solve your overall issue.
What does a selco do that the ewm doesn’t?

You can carry it around without breaking your back

The ewm is a shop machine, let's not kid ourselves about that. The r-tech is nice an portable but lacks pulse, the selco replaces the r-tech for the site work

 

[Hood]

But before you get carried away is it going to solve your overall issue.
What does a selco do that the ewm doesn’t?

Ha ha I was not getting carried away, I love the EWM too much.

 

[Hood]

I have a great idea Hugh, you can buy it and also the cheapo Chinese one and do a double review

 

[Richard.]

You can carry it around without breaking your back

So you’d just slap a normal torch on it and take it to the job I assume.
I’m gonna be negative here and say that’s not what hood wants.
It’s lighter than an old Phoenix yes but it’s still a lump with a spool on it and doesn’t directly replace the flexibility of a long push pull system.
It’s a compromise imo not a total solution.

 

[Hood]

A short torch would be no use to me, having to haul around 30Kg every 2 seconds would be a real pain. It can handle a push pull gun though so that would make things easier but I am very happy with the EWM's performance and it is what I will be keeping It will be even better if I can get the extra 8-10m reach.

 

[Jim Davey]

It would work if executed correctly.
Pesrsonally I’d not go down the route of removing the feeder.
If I were you I’d be selling the Phoenix compact and keeping my eyes out for a separate feeder pulse mig from any of the big names with a decent length interconnection cable and go with that.
Now, if that option doesn’t work for you. Then in that case I’d be looking to bolt an enclosure to the machine, housing a bigger auxiliary transformer and adding a minidrive.

Ideally, this is the machine to be connecting it to, they do pop up from time to time, you just need to be ready to jump on it when they do.

Or, alternatively, you can always talk to me about a part ex. I know your set as I sold it you, and I’d be happy to see it come back as I could place it right away in a new home.
I do have a used Phoenix 355 pulse that I’ve just acquired, on a trolley, with a cooler and a 15 metre minidrive demonstrator. I’m sure something could be worked out. I know I’m not supposed to offer it in here but as you’re an existing customer, and I have the solution to your problem sat in my shop.

 

[HughF]

That minidrive is cute... good work from ewm

 

[Hood]

It does look like a good option, will PM you but I have a feeling it will be out of my price range at present

 

[Jim Davey]

It’s neat. It’s got the 19 pole socket on the front so you can fit a push pull to it or go with a conventional torch.
The only slight drawback is that when you fit the minidrive to the power source or feeder you intend to run it from you have to fit a small modified wiring harness in the set which stops the wire inch button in the parent machine from working and overides it with the inch button on the minidrive.
If you remove the minidrive for whatever reason and go back to using the standard setup the inch button in the set won’t work until you open up the set and remove the modified wiring harness. It’s all on molex plugs and takes a minute but it’s a pain if the minidrive is on and off regularly.

 

[matt1978]

It’s neat. It’s got the 19 pole socket on the front so you can fit a push pull

So you can have 3 feeders in the system? Or when you have the mini drive and a push/pull fitted does it disable the main feeder inside the machine?

If you can have the main feeder, the intermediate drive and also a Push/Pull Feeder all running and sync’d at the same time
That’s really good.

We can only have one secondary feeder whether it’s a intermediate drive like the mini drive, a Nanofeeder or a push/Pull not a multiple combination.

 

[6 milli billi]

Most I have seen however are expensive, whether pistol or standard.
I don't actually mind the pistol type too much now, the Binzel I got from Jim with the welder is great but just doesn't fit in some of the places I could do with getting it in. Also it is just 5m and I could do with 8m.

Ask Jim about our "minidrive" intermediate wire feed unit, connects to machine like a torch via the euro fitting then can give you 10, 15, 20, 25m length, then connect a standard 3m torch to the other end!