Appreciation post: That old Lincoln tombstone welder at the shop changed my mind

I was over at a buddy's shop in Cincinnati last week helping him patch up a boiler feedwater tank. He told me to use his old Lincoln tombstone welder that's been sitting in the corner since the 80s. I figured it would be junk compared to my fancy Miller inverter, but I gave it a shot. The arc was way smoother than I expected and it ran those 6010 rods like a dream. That machine has zero electronics inside it, just a simple transformer and a fan. It struck me that all that newer gear I've been buying might not be much better for basic field repairs. Has anyone else run into an old machine that just flat out works better than the new stuff for certain jobs?

2 comments

2 Comments

juliaa251mo ago

Isn't it wild how those old transformers just refuse to die? There's something about that raw AC power that makes certain rods burn way better than any of these new inverters with all their fancy arc force settings. I still grab my grandpa's tombstone for anything outdoors where I don't want to worry about dust killing expensive circuit boards.

uma3061mo ago

My uncle had one of those old Lincolns that he used to build fence gates with back in the day. @juliaa25 is spot on about the dust thing too, my Miller inverter freaked out after one season of barn repairs. That old tombstone just sat there humming along while I was chasing a ghost code on the digital screen.