Personal experience with Ready-Welder connected to a stick welder for power? (1 Viewer)

[mabrodis]

Looking at getting a Ready-Welder II to compliment my welding stuff. The RWII can be powered from a stick-welder for welding power and then use a small transformer to power the actual wire-feed motor, I'm sure it would be a bit clumsy, but if it honestly worked and was usable I'd live with the shortcomings of it, because in the garage it'd be a MIG and on the trail it'd be a nice battery trail welder.

Has anyone personally welded on such a setup (connected to a stick welder)? Can you get descent adjustment on heat (adjusting it on the stick welder and with the wire speed control right?) Just curious how all that works together and if it's a slick setup or a setup that doesn't really work...I know many who have used the RW off just batteries, and that's fine...but I'm more interested in how it performs when powered from a stick welder.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[mobi-arc]

I'd spend a few extra bucks and get a GO-WELD...very well engineered product. Can't comment on how it connects to a stationary welder.

 

[honk]

I'd spend a few extra bucks and get a GO-WELD...very well engineered product. Can't comment on how it connects to a stationary welder.

Boy! You never miss a chance at self promotion, do you?


Mabrodis,

I'm pretty sure that the Readywelder (or the go-whatchamacallit-arc) won't run off of the power from most buzzbox type AC arc welders. It needs DC current. If you have an AC-DC+DC- stick welder it might power a ReadyWelder on DC+, but I'm not sure of that. Look real carefully at the power requirements as this is a common misunderstanding - that those portable welders can be run from any ol' welder and the website(s) don't really clarify the answer. I think that I did see the question in the FAQs on ReadyWelder's website but can't say if it's still there.

Funny thing is that I've got a ReadyWelder new in it's case that I bought almost a year ago and never got around to trying out.

 

[rusty_tlc]

From the FAQ section of the ready weld website.

5. Can I connect the RW-II to my Miller/Lincoln etc MIG or ARC welder to use as a "spool gun" attachment?

Answer: Quite possibly. The RW-II was designed for pure DC and does not tolerate AC, voltage spikes or input levels which exceed 48 volts. The circuit board brain of the RW-II is very sensitive to waveform distortions as well. Welding machines with "constant voltage" and/or "constant current" DC outputs which can be adjusted to levels between 24 and 36 volts DC, may work just fine, but keep in mind that the RW-II was designed for batteries and any other power source may cause problems.
?

 

[mobi-arc]

Boy! You never miss a chance at self promotion, do you?

GO-WELD is not our product and we're unaffiliated with either Ready Welder or GO-WELD....so much for the self-promotion slam.....not that there's anything wrong with self-promotion.