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Everlast PowerMaster 205 stick/tig/plasma welder/cutter combo

I received this Everlast PowerMaster 205 combo unit on 8/12/2009 as a replacement for an older welder that died. The unit seems pretty high quality and hopefully it will stand the test of time. The manual is much better than the manuals for the Super series with more complete specification tables and function descriptions. Hopefully some of the stuff I have here will help clear up questions for others.

Initial Stress Testing 8/18/2009

I finally had time to unpack, setup, and test the welder today. It was over 100 degrees in my garage. I set everything up and began testing. I stick welded at full power with and without arc force up to the duty cycle time of 60% or 6 minutes. Next I plasma cut at full power up to the duty cycle time of 60% or 6 minutes. Next I DC TIG welded at full power for about one minute. Finally, I AC TIG welded some aluminum at 120A for about 4 minutes. I never exceeded the recommended duty cycle time and thermal protection never kicked in. So, the welder definitely passed my initial stress test.

Discussion and Results

The great news is that the specifications match my RMS measurements and my measurements match the LED readout. There is no discrepancy between peak and RMS current and the LED readout like on the Super250P it replaced. The real surprise is that the PowerMaster 205 actually has more power than the Super250P because of the difference between peak and RMS ratings. The PowerMaster 205 managed 205A welding vs the Super250P's 180A. The PowerMaster 205 also managed 56A cutting vs the Super250P's 40A. Excellent! So, the PowerMaster 205 seems like a much better unit so far. I hope Everlast continues to improve their units and this new one is definitely a step in the right direction.

I will post correct and updated specifications here as I make actual measurements. These specifications are followed by photographs, which are followed by videos at the bottom of the page.


Here is a great discussion on welder power and that mysteriously defined arc force control, aka dig. Arc force is arc-length controlled arc current. Basically, it allows you to have some control of welding current by adjusting the arc length when stick/arc/MMA/SMAW welding. It boosts current by the chosen amount when the arc length is below a given level, which can achieve a more constant power output than without it. If arc force is set to 50A, it will boost welding current by 50A when you push the stick electrode close enough to the weld pool. Apparently, this is useful when stick welding deep and narrow to achieve good penetration and prevent sticking. The manuals only mention Arc Force in the stick/arc/MMA/SMAW context and do not explain it fully.



 specifications in manual measured
model PowerMaster 226 PowerMaster 205 PowerMaster 205
input voltage AC 220/230/240V 50-60Hz
AC TIG open-circuit voltage 60-80V
base current range 20-220A 20-200A
AC balance control 30%-70%
AC frequency control 20-100Hz
rated duty cycle 60.00%
DC TIG pulse current range 5-220A 5-200A
rated duty cycle 60.00%
current down-slope timer 0-10S
base current range 5-220A 5-200A 205A
pulse width ratio 0.1-0.9
pulse frequency range 0.5-25Hz
after flow time 1-25s
arc starting method high frequency
DC MMA open-circuit voltage 60-80V
base current range 5-180A 5-160A 160A
rated output current 180A 160A
rated duty cycle 60.00%
CUT cutting current range 20A-60A 20A-50A 56A
rated duty cycle 60.00%
arc starting method pilot arc 27A
efficiency >= 80%
mass 55lbs (25kg)
protection class of enclosure IP21S
dimensions 17x8x11.5in (430x200x290mm)





Here I put a 1/4" NPT quick-connect that is normally used for compressed air.


Then I created an adapter from B-size to 1/4" hose barb/nipple to 1/4" NPT. I used normal plumbing soldering flux and solder to attach a 1/4" NPT female coupler to the hose connection that came with my argon regulator. This allows me to attach a quick-connect compressed air style hose to the argon bottle and connect it to the regulator on the back of the welder. I can set the pressure to 65 psi with compressed air attached for plasma cutting. Then I can quickly switch from compressed air to argon.