Hot take: The old Lincoln 300D welders were way better than the new inverter ones

I was swapping out an old boiler tube last week and had to use the new company inverter welder. It just didn't have the same growl and arc stability as the old 300D I learned on back in 2007 over at the Indiana Harbor plant. That thing could burn through 3/16 rod all day without a hiccup, I swear. Any of you guys still run those old tombstone style machines?

3 comments

3 Comments

xena116d ago

Ever tried running one off a 100 foot extension cord in a rainstorm?

the_laura16d ago

Good luck with that, lol. If you're stuck running a 100 foot cord in the rain, make sure that extension cord is at least 8 gauge, not the 14 gauge junk from the hardware store. Cheap cords will drop your voltage so bad the arc just sputters. Also, keep the connections up off the wet ground on a dry block or something. That old 300D will still work but it'll sound angry and you'll burn through rod faster than normal. Not the best setup but it'll get the job done if you're careful.

chen.casey16d agoMost Upvoted

And that comment about the 100 foot cord in the rain, yeah I've been there. I was patching up a grain silo on a farm back in 2012 and had to run a 150 footer through standing water. If you got a 300D, you REALLY need to check those ground clamps every time you move. That old iron transformer machine will pull some serious amps through wet ground connections and if the clamp slips you'll get a nasty bite. Also, put the machine on top of a couple of pallets or dry boards, not just a block. The bottom of those old cases ain't sealed worth a damn and water will find its way in through the vent slots. And for the love of God, keep an eye on that cord connector where it plugs into the machine. Water drips right down the cord and pools in the plug if you don't hang it with a loop.