For my consideration is a Miller Big D4 400 amp (I think; some sources claim 350 amp) diesel powered welder. It is powered by a Perkins 4 cylinder diesel, with 1490 hours on it. Seems to be in okay basic shape, although it is lacking side panels. The trailer is lunette type. I cannot try to run it and there is no obvious place to try turning the rotor. I wonder if this welder is worth anything.
Big fortys are for heavy repair. You need that kind of power if you are going to replace cutting edges on earth moving equipment and have to gouge as well as lay in large beads. A diesel unit like this is very expensive. I am not sure what they run today. Ten years ago they had tag prices well over ten tousand new. I would get a set of jumper cables and try cranking the engine over with the starter. If the thing will not fire it could be a very expensive repair. Because of the high power rating it is rare for the generator to burn out. Randy
Thanks Randy. I really liked that unit. Unfortunately, I will not be allowed to crank it before making up my mind.
i
This sounds like another military surplus find.
Well, if they won't allow you to see if it can be started before you buy, turned over with the starter, or even turns over with a wrench, the sensible thing is to bid only for the scrap value. As in, the generator may well be good, but the motor is toast, or vice versa. Unless you have one or two other matching units for parts, this could be expensive to fix.
Then again, the only problem could be something simple and stupidly cheap to fix, but you don't know that. And it's not the way to bet.
If it ran and worked (or at least it did the last time they used it) they would say so, to get the best price. 1500 hours is not that much run time on a Perkins, if it was maintained.
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Bruce is right about diesel repairs being pricey. If I recall the diesel Big 40 was around 11 grand and the gas version at the time was done around 8 grand. If you can't crank the engine over then you are buying blindfolded and that is risky. If I was selling the unit I would make sure people saw it start in order to raise the bid price. Is the seller not motivated for some reason? Randy
You got it. There is also some sort of a diesel trash pump on a trailer, and that engine cranks (I tried cranking it since there was a battery and no one was looking). The pump looks awfully nice and not used.
Anyway, the pump aside, I really, really like the Big D4 welder. Sometimes with that stuff, I want some things to keep and play with for a couple weeks. They usually sell nicely afterwards, although, as you noted, the welder could be an exception.
I agree. I will only bid quite conservatively.
Agreed, again. The engine looked like nothing was missing.
They usually are not keen on getting the best price for their stuff, they do not care. (your tax dollars at work).
i
the seller is the military, they are indeed not motivated.
iHaven't looked recently but at auctions a couple of years ago (before the economy took the nose dive), those big diesel powered units were going for almost nothing. In most cases, the auctioneer had to joke around to get someone to take it for 20 bucks just to get it off the floor (non trailered units).
These were units that WERE started and tested on site and ran well. They were older though so may not relate to the one you are looking at.
Koz
Ignoramus29781 wrote:
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