MAGNETO IGNITIONS FOR THE SA200; THE FACTS OF LIFE AND YOUR SANITIY
WHY DOES THE LINCOLN SA200 WITH A CONTINENTIAL ENGINE HAVE A MAGNETO IGNITION?
I have been in and out of the welding industry for over fifty years. No one ever gave me a reasonable answer. I have been told the following:
1. It will never weld right without a magneto! WRONG!
2. A magneto produces a "hotter", more powerful spark. WRONG!
3. Non-copper spark plugs will burn up a magneto! TO IGNORANT TO BELIEVE!
4. If your battery dies, you can always hand crank-start your machine. TRUE!
How many welders out there in the real world do not carry jumper cables?
5. What new gasoline or vapor fuel engine can you purchase today​ with a magneto ignition? A chainsaw, lawnmower, and air-cooled small gasoline engines are all I can think of, and their magnetos are all electronic.
The biggest downside to the magneto is its mechanical complexity. In the world of "reliability", we have a concept called "SINGLE POINT FAILURE", refer to the magneto image on the right, every part with a blue dot is a single point failure. This means that if any of these components fail in service (including the individual electrical connections), the magneto dies. The parts are getting more expensive as the market declines, and fewer technicians can troubleshoot the magneto. If you wish to continue to depend on your magneto ignition, keep a good spare.​
Nothing will ruin your day faster than getting fired from the best welding job you ever had, stuck in Poedunk, North somewhere. A thousand-mile drive back home with no money!
FAIRBANKS MORSE FMX4B-16A
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The American Boush magneo was used on many of the SA200s. It was a good magneto,
much simpler than the Fairbanks Morse. I assume that Fairbanks Morse was chosen for a good
reason nobody seems to know. The round timing mark window makes them easy to identify.
Since there is little demand for Bosh repair parts, we have listed this parts breakdown. If you need a part, please call or email our office. If it is available, we will contact you with pricing and delivery.