Re: Penny wise, pound foolish - plasma cutter
- From: John <amdinc@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Sat, 17 Mar 2007 20:12:30 -0500
spaco wrote:
I have heard that story sevral times before. I used to be an elecronic
tech in the days when we fixed boards until the traces were so chewed up
from desoldering that we couldn't rebuild them anymore.
Some human is fixing those boards someplace. Usually there are just
a few things that go wrong, so after the first half dozen or so, the
tech can fix them fast, cheap and easy.
Unless the board is phuscially fried, or has a VERY high priced
compenent on it, it will be repairable.
Maybe a few well placed questions at your supplier can find this guy?
Does he moonlight? If not, try googling around.
If you can get a set of schematics and/or a repair manual, you may be
able to locate a local tech who could tackle it.
How about contacting the mfr and asking them if this particular unit
has had upgrades? That design might have had flaws that have been more
recently corrected, so you wouldn't have that failure again. You might
be surprised that they may offer a cheaper way out, if you press them.
As an example of that, A guy posted here a year of so ago about a deal
with Darex Drill Doctors where they were
providing free replacement chucks to owners who got defective units as
long as 6 or 8 years ago. (I tried it and it worked!!!!)
Pete Stanaitis
P.S. I just heard that Darex no longer does the free thing, but they
do offer you an improved unit at a reduced price. A friend of mine took
them up on that deal and was pleased.
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gwpm57 wrote:
I got a real good deal on a used plasma cutter - I thought. $250 for
an ESAB PLM 875. It turned on but would not hold an arc, which was
why the seller was getting rid of it. I figured the repairs couldn't
be that much. Wrong. The shop told me it would be $950 to replace
one driver board and two IGBT's. Ouch! I looked on line for a used
driver board with nothing coming up quickly. With my very limited
experience with these units, it would appear that paying about $1,000
for one is probably a pretty good deal. With tax on the repair I'll
be up closer to $1,250. A new one is about $2,200. I'm temped to
have it repaired and put it behind me. I'd hate to find out there is
a more economical way to repair it, or that this will only be the
first of more things to fail. What would you do?
Thanks,
Bob
Just change every active part( semiconductor) part and all the caps. on
the board and test the remaining resistors. Probably not more than 50
bucks worth of parts on it. The IGBT's can easily be checked with a
resistor, battery, cheater cord and light bulb for a good dynamic test.
They can also be checked with an ohm meter for shorts which usually is
the problem.
John
.
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