Lincoln Electric CV 425 is an industrial constant voltage power source for MIG/MAG welding and flux cored wire. You set the current from 10 to 420 A, at 325 A the machine runs at a 100% duty cycle. It weighs 152 kg, has a housing in class IP23 and class H insulation.
What this machine is for
This is a power source for heavy fabrication. The description points to shipyards, offshore platforms and dusty production halls, that is places where welding runs in long beads through the whole shift and the equipment collects dust and damp. The build is a transformer rectifier one, the printed boards are potted, and the housing has class IP23. Less electronics in the power path means simpler diagnostics and fewer parts sensitive to hall conditions.
The duty cycle at 40°C is 100% at 325 A and 30.3 V and 60% at 420 A and 35 V. At 325 A you weld without a time limit, so thick plate and long butt welds run without breaks to cool the power source. The open circuit voltage runs from 10 to 39 V.
This is a constant voltage power source, prepared for wire processes: MIG/MAG and flux cored wire. The description also lists MMA and TIG Lift, but describes them as limited, so for a covered electrode and for TIG it is better to pick a separate power source. Lincoln Electric CV 425 in such a layout is the heart of the station, to which you add a wire feeder, a torch and cables.
A constant voltage characteristic means the power source holds the set arc voltage, and the current follows from the wire speed. Thanks to that the arc length corrects itself when the welder changes the torch distance to the material, and that is why a CV layout suits wire processes. With a covered electrode and with TIG a drooping characteristic is handier, in which the current stays constant, and that is where the limit on these modes in this machine comes from.
Flux cored wire widens the use. In the gas shielded version it gives efficient hardfacing and welding of thick plate, in the self shielded version it works in wind, where gas from a cylinder stands no chance. Both variants need rollers with a knurled groove in the feeder and a torch with a suitable rating. In shipyard work or in a rebar hall it is exactly this combination, a high duty cycle and cored wire, that decides the output of the station.
Features and equipment
- Constant voltage characteristic for MIG/MAG and flux cored wire, a stable arc when working with a feeder that has electronic speed control.
- Two output sockets with different inductance, the choice between a soft and a hard arc changes the amount of spatter and the depth of penetration.
- Potted printed boards and an IP23 housing, protection of the electronics against dust and damp.
- Class H insulation, the windings take higher working temperatures.
- A 14 pin connector for Lincoln Electric LF series feeders, the description points to LF-33.
- Prepared for liquid cooling, with a CoolArc 25 cooling unit added you work with a liquid cooled torch.
- Compliance with the EN 60974-1 and EN 60974-10 standards and the CE mark.
- Service documentation and parts catalogues with diagrams are available, which makes diagnostics and repairs easier after years of work.
- A modular build, one power source handles different LF series feeders, so you match the control and the station equipment to the job.
- Windings and rectifier suited to continuous work at high currents, ventilation running right through the housing.
Technical data
| Brand | Lincoln Electric |
|---|---|
| Type | constant voltage power source, transformer rectifier technology |
| Main processes | MIG/MAG and flux cored wire |
| Limited processes | MMA and TIG Lift |
| Supply voltage | 3 x 400 V with a tolerance of 10% |
| Recommended slow blow fuse | 32 A at 400 V |
| Welding current range | from 10 to 420 A |
| Duty cycle at 40°C | 100% at 325 A and 30.3 V, 60% at 420 A and 35 V |
| Open circuit voltage | from 10 to 39 V |
| Inductance adjustment | 2 levels, output sockets |
| Housing protection class | IP23 |
| Insulation class | H |
| Cooling | gas, liquid cooling option with a CoolArc 25 cooling unit |
| Required wire feeder | external, 14 pin interface, for example LF-33 |
| Standards | EN 60974-1, EN 60974-10, CE |
| Dimensions (h x w x d) | 880 x 696 x 1020 mm |
| Weight | 152 kg |
What to watch out for
The supply is 3 x 400 V with a tolerance of 10% and a slow blow 32 A fuse, that is a separate power circuit. The description allows other voltage versions of this model, so you check the rating plate on site. This is the power source alone, without a feeder, so to work you need a feeder with a 14 pin connector, an interconnection cable, a torch and an earth cable. The record gives gas cooling, the CoolArc 25 cooling unit was a separate module.
A weight of 152 kg at dimensions of 880 x 696 x 1020 mm means a fixed station and transport on a pallet, not carrying. The IP23 housing takes dust and water falling at an angle, but not flooding. The constant voltage characteristic translates into MMA and TIG working to a limited degree, so plan this machine for wire.
When you put the station together, count the cables as well. At 420 A the section of the earth cable and the length of the interconnection cable have a real effect on voltage drops, and on longer runs the arc goes soft, while on thick material the penetration falls short. A liquid cooled torch pays off only when you work at the upper settings for a longer time, and then you need a cooling unit and coolant. Check whether the unit comes with an interconnection cable and which inductance socket was used, because the first arc setting and the amount of spatter depend on it.
This unit is sold
This machine has already gone to a customer. Similar units are listed below, and if you want the same model, leave your contact details in the form and we will let you know when the next one arrives.