What's the minimum current rating of a TopMig 150 Turbo?

[skotl]

As per title - I want to try and calculate the range of the 6-way selector on my 150T but need to know what the minimum rating is.
The only manual I can find online is the generic one on this site, but it doesn't have these specs (which is odd - it tells you how heavy each model is, but not what its range is!).

 

[the snooper]

number 1 is 25 amps so I imagine they increase in 25s

1 25
2 50
3 75
4 100
5 125
6 150

 

[the snooper]

it also states

output setting / material thickness

1, 0.7 / 1.0 mm
2, 1.0 / 1.5
3, 1.5 / 2.0
4, 2.0 / 3.0
5, 3.0 / 4.0
6, 4.0 / 6.0

 

[skotl]

Ah! Fantastic - thanks, Snooper.

When you say "it states", is that the a) online manual, but I was too dumb to spot it, b) a manual you have in your possession or c) a handy chart on your welder that has been over-painted or remove from mine? Just wondering

 

[the snooper]

I have a booklet but it only states low 25 high 150

it covers topmig turbo 150 , 170 , 195
and autoplus 130 , 150 , 180 , 210

 

[skotl]

Excellent! That helps a lot - cheers.

After two years of ownership, it's time to figure out that whole "thickness / current / wirespeed setting" chart thing so I stop wasting so much wire each time

 

[the snooper]

if you need any more info just ask

 

[skotl]

Welllll.... as you offered...

The generic manual states that wirespeed increases as you up the power... Now, I can see why a wee bit of fine-tweakery would be useful, but why the massive difference in available wire speed with the control on the front? (and I know there's the internal fine-adjust pot - already had to slow it down after the power supply mod).

 

[the snooper]

the massive speed adjustment could be for aluminium, ive only welded ally once but the wire speed and amps have to be turned up, its totally different to welding steel

 

[skotl]

Ah. Fair enough.

Two tasks this weekend; 1) Figure out the chart, as above and 2) build a welding bench having figured out the chart

I guess the delight of the SIPs is that no two are exactly the same, so whatever chart I make up (bearing in mind the transformer mod) will be specific to my machine. Is this the case with the poor people who don't have SIPs, and whose machines just simply work?

 

[the snooper]

Ah. Fair enough.

Two tasks this weekend; 1) Figure out the chart, as above and 2) build a welding bench having figured out the chart

I guess the delight of the SIPs is that no two are exactly the same, so whatever chart I make up (bearing in mind the transformer mod) will be specific to my machine. Is this the case with the poor people who don't have SIPs, and whose machines just simply work?

I would imagine it will be easy to figure out you know what power for a given thickness a few tests to get the wire speed right and you've cracked it

 

[Wedg1e]

I guess the delight of the SIPs is that no two are exactly the same, so whatever chart I make up (bearing in mind the transformer mod) will be specific to my machine. Is this the case with the poor people who don't have SIPs, and whose machines just simply work?

The same make and model should (SHOULD) be built using components with minimal variations from the design spec. so output current would be within a few percent for any given setting on any two similar machines.
However Snooper is perhaps assuming a linear progression of the steps (25A as he says) which may not be the case; once you get to higher current there's a greater tolerance 'window' within which an acceptable weld would still result, so it makes sense to have a selection of outputs closer together at the lower end... for example my 16-step Romarc 200 uses something like 10 of the steps to cover from about 12 to 90A and then goes up in approx. 15-20A steps to maximum. Changing wire size and feed speed bu99ers-up the exact span, of course

 

[skotl]

Huh... that makes sense. I take it that, short of a current clamp meter, there's no way to measure what the output current is? Oh, and would a 230V AC current clamp work on a ~50V DC mig lead?

 

[Wedg1e]

Huh... that makes sense. I take it that, short of a current clamp meter, there's no way to measure what the output current is? Oh, and would a 230V AC current clamp work on a ~50V DC mig lead?

Some sets of course have a built-in ammeter but as you say, a clamp meter is the way to go otherwise.
Sadly an AC-only clamp meter won't tell you much
I have a £17 AC-only clamp meter from B&Q that works just as well within its capabilities as my company-issue HEME... but the HEME has DC mode as well.