Airco Welders

[Glenn FitzGerald]

I have an Airco (AC) arc welder Dad bought new about 40 years ago. Is Airco still in business...parts still available for this machine?


Thanks,
Glenn F.
 

[S.Crum]

Ask over on this board, haven't failed to find out what I've needed to know yet.
http://hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/
poke here

 

[Weldin Man]

Most Airco welders were built by someone else. Most of the engine drives were built by Miller. I have a Super Hornet 300Amp that is a Miller Big 40 painted Orange. I also have a Airco 231 Stick -Tig Combo Built by ESAB. To my knowlege ESAB bought out the electric welder division.Airgas bought out the gasses division and Airco is no longer in business. Some of the parts for the older welders are impossible to get, and if you can find them they are terriably expensive.
 

[135 Fan]

Some was made by Westinghouse as well. The gas division was bought out by BOC gasses originally I think. Airco was a pioneer in cutting machines and produced some of the finest ever made. Koike/Aronson was making the Radiagraph which Airco invented in 1937, I believe, and is second to none but stopped production after 65 years probably so they could sell more of their own machines. That is what most big shops still use because it has never been improved upon. I know a big shop that has a few dozen of them. Airco invented MIG and it was introduced in 1948 under 2 patents. They were early with TIG as well and called it Heli welding while Linde called it Heli arc or vice/versa. Lincoln also bought some of Airco. I Have 1980 general products catalogue that's an 1/2 an inch thick. I also owned a 1959 Hornet Special with an F140 Continental that was every bit as good as an SA200 and about the same size. I would be curious to find out why they sold out all their divisions. They were right up there with Lincoln, Miller and Hobart. Dave
 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

Hi Glenn,

Parts might not be available for your welder, but there's a fairly high likelihood that you'll never need any parts which are so specific to that machine that you won't be able to run it without them. Leads, electrode holders, ground clamps, etc. are more or less generic, and nothing else much ever wears out with those well made transformer welders. I wouldn't be surprised if you got another trouble-free 40 years of use out of it.

All the best, Stan
 

[soldar hombre]

Check out American Welding Society forum too...
AWS dot org

 

[greygoat]

My Airco was built by Miller
 

[lebump]

I just inherited a working "Airco, 225 Amp, Stringer II-U, AC Welding Machine".

Two questions:

1) Is it worth keeping?

2) Anyone know where I would find the manual (ADI-1767, L&SP # 2730B)?

Thank you.