Lincoln Electric POWER-ARC IM871-A - Manual (Page 16)

B-1 OPERATION B-1
SAFETY INSTRUCTIONS
Read and understand this entire section before oper-
ating your POWER-ARC 5500.
Do n not a attem pt tto u use tthis e equipment u until y you
have tthoroughly rread a all tthe o operation a and m main-
tenance m m anu als s supplied w w ith y you r m m ach ine.
T h e y ii n c l u de ii m p o r t a n t s s a f e t y p pr e c a u t i o n s ;
detailed e engine s starting, o operating, a and m mainte-
nance iinstructions; a and p parts llists.
ELECTRIC SHOCK can kill.
• D Do n not ttouch e electrically llive p parts
or e electrodes w with y your s skin o or w wet
clothing.
• IInsulate y yourself ffrom tthe w work a and g ground.
• A Always w wear d dry iinsulating g gloves.
FUMES AND GASES can be
dangerous.
• K Keep y your h head o out o of ffumes.
• U Us e v v e n t i l a t i o n o o r e e xh a u s t tt o
remove ffumes ffrom b breathing z zone.
WELDING SPARKS can cause
fire or explosion.
• K Keep fflammable m material a away.
• D Do n not w weld o on c containers tthat h have
held c combustibles.
ARC RAYS can burn.
• W Wear e eye, e ear, a and b body p protection.
ENGINE EXHAUST can kill.
• U Use iin o open, w well v ventilated a areas o or
vent e exhaust tto tthe o outside.
• D Do n not s stack a anything o on o or n near tthe
engine.
MOVING PARTS can injure.
• D Do n not o operate tthis e equipment w with
any o of iits d doors o open o or g guards o off.
• S Stop tthe e engine b before s servicing iit.
• K Keep a away ffrom m moving p parts.
Only q qualified p personnel s should iinstall, u use, o or s ser-
vice tthis e 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
WARNING