Lincoln Electric IM871-A Operation, Safety Instructions, General Description, Welding Capability

B-1 OPERATION B-1

SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS

Read and understand this entire section before oper- ating your POWER-ARC 5500.

WARNING

Do not attempt to use this equipment until you have thoroughly read all the operation and main- tenance m anuals supplied w ith your m achine . T h e y i n c l u de i m por t a n t s a f e t y pr e c a u t io n s ; detailed engine starting, operating, and mainte- nance instructions; and parts lists.

ELECTRIC SHOCK can kill.

•Do not touch electrically live parts or electrodes with your skin or wet clothing.

•Insulate yourself from the work and ground.

•Always wear dry insulating gloves.

FUMES AND GASES can be dangerous.

• Keep your head out of fumes.

• Us e v e n t i l a t i o n o r e xh a u s t t o remove fumes from breathing zone.

WELDING SPARKS can cause fire or explosion.

•Keep flammable material away.

•Do not weld on containers that have held combustibles.

ARC RAYS can burn.

• Wear eye, ear, and body protection.

ENGINE EXHAUST can kill.

• Use in open, well ventilated areas or vent exhaust to the outside.

• Do not stack anything on or near the engine.

MOVING PARTS can injure.

•Do not operate this equipment with any of its doors open or guards off.

•Stop the engine before servicing it.

•Keep away from moving parts.

Only qualified personnel should install, use, or ser- vice this equipment.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The POWER-ARC 5500 is a generator/welder designed for home use and other non-commercial applications. As a generator it can supply up to 4,000 continuous watts (or 5,500 surge watts) of 120/240 volt, single- phase AC power. As a welder it provides 125 amps of AC constant current for welding with AC stick elec- trodes. A single dial provides continuous adjustment of welding output. The machine is lightweight, portable, and can be lifted by two people.

The Lincoln warranty covers the Power-Arc 5500 (excluding the engine) for 3 years from the date of pur- chase. The engine is covered by the engine manufactur- er’s warranty policy.

RECOMMENDED APPLICATIONS

GENERATOR

The POWER-ARC 5500 gives AC generator output for medium use, non-commercial demands. For more details on operating the generator, see GENERATOR OPERATION in the OPERATION section of this manual.

WELDER

The POWER-ARC 5500 provides excellent constant cur- rent AC welding output for stick (SMAW) welding. For more details on using the machine as a welder, see WELDING OPERATION in the OPERATION section of this manual.

OPERATIONAL FEATURES AND CONTROLS

The POWER-ARC 5500 was designed for simplicity. Therefore, it has very few operating controls. A single dial on the control panel lets you select either generator or welding use. For welding, the same dial selects con- tinuous current output over the machine’s 70 to 125 amp range.

The gasoline engine controls include a recoil starter, choke, and rotary stop switch. See ENGINE OPERA- TION in the OPERATION section of this manual and the engine owner’s manual for details about starting, run- ning, stopping, and breaking in the gasoline engine.

WELDING CAPABILITY

The POWER-ARC 5500 is rated 125 amps, 20 volts at 30% duty cycle on a ten-minute basis. This means that you can load the welder to 125 amps for three minutes out of every ten-minute period. The machine is also capable of higher duty cycles at lower output currents. You can load the welder to 100 amps for six minutes out of ten for a 60% duty cycle.

The current is continuously variable from 70 to 125 amps AC. The POWER-ARC 5500 can weld with all 3/32 and most 1/8 inch diameter Lincoln AC elec- trodes.

POWER-ARC 5500