After playing with Longevity’s ProMTS 200 multiprocess welder, Kevin just got its big brother, the brand new ProMTS 252i. He’s going to show you around the machine, then do a little welding.
The 252i is bigger than the 200, with a larger footprint and more weight. Of course, it still has the MIG, TIG and stick (arc) welding capabilities. It also has more robust components, a better and quieter fan, and some other nice changes.
One is really practical: you can now lift the dust shield with your glove on. Kevin says that comes in handy when you want to make adjustments while you’re working.
On the panel, there’s a selector for MIG, TIG or stick, a display that shows amps or wirefeed, depending upon which function youre in. There’s a voltage display, as well as function lights for voltage, arc force and down slope, and power and over temp lights. In the middle row on the panel, the first dial controls amperage and wirefeed, the second controls volts and arc force and downslope – again, depending upon whether you are in MIG, TIG or stick mode. The last, smaller dial handles wave control when you’re running the spool gun to weld aluminum. The bottom row has three switches: the first turns the spool gun on or off and the second turns the remote on or off. The last switch allows you to advance your wire without having to pull the trigger and release any gas, which comes in handy when you put in a new spool of welding wire, or lets you fill your line with gas so you can purge your line before you start welding.
Inside the door on the side of the welder is room for about a 30 pound spool of wire and a nice, stout, steel drive roller assembly. There are also four screw adjustments for post flow, pre flow, burnback for the MIG, and a slow feed adjustment that controls the wire speed as it initially feeds so it comes out slowly until it senses that it’s close enough to start an arc. Then the full force of the speed kicks in.
Now Kevin is ready to make some sparks! He uses the gas purge to clear the line, and notes that the volts are set at 25 and wirefeed at 150. He’s going to weld a 5/8″ solid steel ring onto a 3/8″ wall steel oxygen cylinder that hes making into a bell. Kevin runs a bead across one side, then the other side of the top of the cylinder to securely attach the ring. Afterward, he shows the weld.
“It’s a good, strong machine,” Kevin says, adding that he’s going to have fun with this welder, especially with bigger metal plate. Hes also working on the sculpture She, which is made of 16 gauge steel. He’ll be able to weld the sculpture with this machine by turning down the voltage.
Kevin adds that the Longevity ProMTS 252i works with 110 or 220 voltage. At 110 volts, you have 25 volts with the MIG. At 220, you have 30 volts. All in a $2100 multiprocess welder.
Kevin is ready to shed his leathers — he’ll share more adventures with this welder soon.
P.S. Don’t miss the tongue-twister at the end.