Vintage Hobart Welder question.

[JBailey]

I recently acquired a Hobart welder, probably 1940-1950's vintage. I'm trying to determine the model but have been unable to find it on any of the identification tags. I do have the following information: 300 Amps, 40 Volts, Serial Number DW-54024, Specs. 839. Tag calls it "Simplified Arc Welder". I believe the unit was originally powered by a Wisconsin V4 engine. From this information can anybody identify the model. Does anybody have any technical information on it. The welder still works and I'm in the process of reconditioning it. Thanks.

[Franz©]

Your machine was most likely originally produced to be PTO powered from a Jeep or Truck. Hobart Bros, not to be confused with the Current Hobart welded division of ITW, produced a lot of those machines for military use.
A very similar generator was used in conjunction with 6 cylinder engines by Hobart Bros thru the 50s, as a direct drive machine. A 4 cylinder Wisconsin would be way short of power to turn that generator.
You may be able to get some information posting on http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/ IF you can get one of the "Hobart Experts" off his dead posterior long enough to look the machine up. Unfortunately, the "experts" tend to be too lazy to do much since the sale of Hobart to ITW. The part of Hobart that produced those machines was broken off and sold to Thermal Dynamics after the acquisition. Thermal is completely devoid of any ambition to either support old Hobart machines, or provide information on them.

[Paul B]

Originally Posted by JBailey

I recently acquired a Hobart welder, probably 1940-1950's vintage. I'm trying to determine the model but have been unable to find it on any of the identification tags. I do have the following information: 300 Amps, 40 Volts, Serial Number DW-54024, Specs. 839. Tag calls it "Simplified Arc Welder". I believe the unit was originally powered by a Wisconsin V4 engine. From this information can anybody identify the model. Does anybody have any technical information on it. The welder still works and I'm in the process of reconditioning it. Thanks.

I have one I think would be very close to the same, It has a 231 6 cyl chrysler industrial on it and it isn't one bit over powered. you better let it warm up before trying to weld if you have the amps set very high

[Robert Haus]

WOW! what a great find!! ...given that it has a two-bearing generator, you can run it from whatever you wish, probably need 30 horse to get full current out of it.

It reminds me of the ones that Willys-Overland offered as an option on the early CJ-2 and 3 jeeps...they were pto belt driven and mounted in the area of the passenger seat...then the operator could just drive up to whatever needed welding and goto work.


rh