Can anyone help identify this Arc welder??- Triangle Minx

[Beagle]

Hi I was wondering if anyone knows anything about this welder?

http://s735.photobucket.com/albums/ww351/XKss21/Minx Welder/

(photo bucket link)


It's a Triangle Minx Arc welder. It came from an old garage which was closing down. As you can see it has a big blue industrial plug on it.

I'm not sure if it's 1 or 3 phase..... It says "1 PH 50 cycles" and "200-480v" on the primary coil. So in theory can I cut the blue plug off and wire into the domestic mains? Or does it need an industrial supply to get its full potential?

Being called "Triangle" I would have thought 3 phase but it says 1 PH on it. Perhaps this is the data for just a single phase?

May be for sale if anyone is interested?

 

[Hitch]

Take the cover off the connectors, check that wiring is in the positions for 240v (i imagine it is) Probably a diagram inside the cover.


Remove the blue plug and stick on a 13a 3pin, or make an adapter, with a 3pin plug and blue socket. You probably wont be using it to its full power potential, but it will work on lower settings, perhaps with the odd blown fuse.

 

[drivewasher]

That blue plug IS single phase 240volt. It's a 16 amp cee17 bs4343 iirc.
Yellow ones are 110volt and 3 phase are red.
Its the plug they use on caravan/camping conections etc, I would expect the origonal owner fitted it cos there is no fuse in it, unlike a standard 13 amp plug

 

[zzr1200]

Triangle was pro spec garage equipment from the dark ages, but its years since I've seen any s/hand units plus thats probably a 32 amp plug, old old transformer welder...

 

[Beagle]

Thanks a lot for all the info guys. I've got a high speck hobby Mig so I don't really have much use for it.

Is it worth trying to sell? Feels like a quality bit of kit, is there such thing as a "classic" welder?!

 

[aero]

If its heavy it should produce nice welds.

I use the blue 3 pin single phase plug and a special circuit that has the old style wire fuse, no aggro with RCBs and no blown 13amp fuses.

 

[trailerman22]

So do you think it will run from a electric cooker socket from a kitchen better ! as Ive been told higher amps come from there ! thank you

 

[BrokenBiker]

So do you think it will run from a electric cooker socket from a kitchen better ! as Ive been told higher amps come from there ! thank you

If you just plug it in to a cooker outlet with a 3 pin socket it will still have a 13amp fuse in the plug.

ideally to use full amps you need a proper circuit installed

 

[trailerman22]

Hahah ! laughing at myself for being so dumb ! I totally understand what you said ! spot on ! I thought I had more sense ,forgive me ,how I didnt realize what I said.
Can you tell me what this welder would do with a 13 amp fuse in it and a 2.5 rod ! thank you

 

[Bill Edwards]

It will probably work fine. When at (or getting close to) full power it'll use more current which will exceed the 13 amp fuse that you fit so it would blow, hence they're fitted with plugs that can take a higher amperage.
For low power jobs you'll probably be perfectly OK.

 

[J.B. Welding]

• also you may need your big arc welder one day for a job and get a sparky in to wire you in a 32amp socket. This way you can weld 15-20+mm plate and beams! But for now it may be handy for burning the odd stainless rod or 'specialized tasks' like welding on new corners to your anvil!

 

[J.B. Welding]

Hi, I just managed to load the pic and saw its a 180amp machine, it won't weld that thickness well but should run upto about 150amps on a 13amp plug.

 

[trailerman22]

Thank you all for your answers ! I found it very helpful ,as you can tell Im pretty new to welding at home, as well as newish at all welding !

 

[the snooper]

If you just plug it in to a cooker outlet with a 3 pin socket it will still have a 13amp fuse in the plug.

ideally to use full amps you need a proper circuit installed

I think he means (or who ever told him) the dedicated electric cooker outlet not the 13amp type you would plug a gas cooker into for the ignition

 

[brightspark]

u can take your supply of a cooker supply fed at 30 amps providing it isnt been used for an electric cooker and the lead out from it to your welder is no smaller than 4,0mm cable and the misus dont mind a big cable strewn across her kitchen and out of the window

 

[KemppiFrog]

My arc welder is 160amps but can run off 2 phase as well as single. So that would explain the 240/480 on yours. Cooker supplies are 45amps? but only for the hard wired cooker. Me? Like brightspark, I would fit a blue 32amp socket wired into the cooker supply and run an extension from that. Here, where regs are different.....I did that from the main board to my w/shop.

 

[trailerman22]

Fully understood ! thank you again to all !

 

[trailerman22]

I have just purchased one of these welders so will keep you informed on what they are actually like.I like older things as they tend to last longer and are well built.

 

[the snooper]

I have just purchased one of these welders so will keep you informed on what they are actually like.I like older things as they tend to last longer and are well built.

hope you don't apply the same theory to women

 

[BrokenBiker]

hope you don't apply the same theory to women

speaking of which ive just been speaking to 38 year old in work that pulled a 62 year old bird on the weekend and theyre going for a quiet drive tomorrow night...anyway...back on topic, doing as kempi suggests isn't a bad idea to get full amps out of your machine, just have to put up with running a lead through the kitchen