ZENA 150 Amp Mobile Welder

A piece of critical equipment is broken. You can’t move it to your shop. And you don’t have a high current power source for your shop welder anywhere near the breakdown. And you don't have a $5,000 mobile welder.

You could get a professional with mobile equipment, or you could get a ZENA™ mobile welding system installed on a tractor, a truck… or even an old ride-on mower. Just drive your welder to the job. Connect the cables to the welder’s power generator. Start the engine and set it to a fast idle. Weld the broken item and you’re back in business!
Fast, Easy, Convenient.

Convert ANY Vehicle into a 100% duty cycle High Power Mobile Welder

The ZENA™ mobile welding system can be installed into any vehicle (tractors, ATV's, trucks, cars, emergency vehicles, forklifts, construction equipment, water craft, lawn tractors/mowers, etc.), transforming it into a self-contained mobile welding station with performance and operating features that equal, or exceed heavy and expensive transportable engine-driven industrial welders.

Welding Controls at your fingertips

All welding controls are built into the electrode holder. There is no need to vary engine speed to control power, nor do you have to go back and forth between the vehicle and your work to make adjustments. With the ZENA system, it’s all done with three controls that are literally at your fingertips. You have total control, and welding becomes a real pleasure.

Our “boost” control makes it easy to start and maintain a welding arc in difficult conditions - increasing welding current until your arc can be established.

For your safety, power is only supplied to the electrode holder when you press and hold the “power” pushbutton. Work in tight spots without accidental arcing. Change rods without getting shocked - even while standing in water!

The power control dial precisely and instantly controls welding current (adjustments can be made while welding), and allows you to control weld penetration and quality to an unprecedented degree.

Standard with 6m Cables
High quality 6m long welding cables are standard equipment on all models. Longer length cables (from 9 to 60 metres) are available on a custom order basis.

Improved Welding Characteristics
Zena welders produce a high frequency pulsating DC welding current in both standard and reverse polarity modes. The power generator (patents pending) produces an extraordinarily fine bead and a welding joint with a better appearance, and with less impurities, than any other stick welder. When compared with other welders, the ZENA system also provides greatly increased welding efficiency. Simply stated, a 100 amp output from the ZENA system is functionally equivalent to 120 amps (or more) from an ordinary welder!

Complete Electrical Isolation
All ZENA welders are electrically isolated from the vehicle and earth grounds. Weld with standard or reverse polarity without damage to delicate electrical systems.

NOT an Alternator
To keep costs low and installation easy, ZENA modify an auto alternator case to house their custom - built parts. There are no standard auto parts inside. Start to finish, their power generator is built for welding. The ZENA power generator is usually installed in addition to your existing alternator. However, if necessary, it can replace an existing alternator -- operating (when not welding) as a high current power source that outperforms any stock alternator.

Click here to download the installation manual (PDF file 1.4Mb)

The ZENA™ Backpak™ Welder is a unique welder for remote locations.

Here's a low - cost commercial - duty welder that you can truly take anywhere!

There has never been anything like this incredibly lightweight go-anywhere welder -- a welder so compact that it's mounted on a fully functional backpack frame -- literally a backpack welder.

The ZENA Backpak™ welder is powered by a small, heavy duty 2-cycle gas engine originally developed to power military drone aircraft, industrial fire fighting pumps, portable concrete cutters, and racing go-carts. It has been reconfigured to provide a perfect power plant for the ZENA welding system. One that will stand up to the rigours of work on remote construction sites!

It's a precision engine that produces enough power for high power 100% duty cycle welding, yet it's light enough that when combined with our incredibly light and compact ZENA welding system, the entire weight of the Backpak welder, including the frame, pack straps, and 6m of welding cables, is only about 30kg! And, like all other parts manufactured by ZENA for use in ZENA welding systems, the engine used in this incredible welder is also made in the United States of America by US Motor Power.

This is no toy -- it's a real workhorse!

As with ALL ZENA welding systems this 150A, 100% duty cycle, backpack transportable, DC arc welder is designed for the professional who earns a living from welding. Day in, and day out, in all kinds of weather, in locations that conventional welders can't begin to function, this unique welder will out - perform, and out - last, the big expensive commercial welders that it's designed to replace -- even though it sells for a fraction of the cost.

But while cost, reliability, and performance are certainly key, the truly great thing about this welder is its incredible portability. Before this, portability in commercial duty welding equipment meant a 140-190 kg machine, about 90 kg of welding cables, and a big truck. Now it has an entirely new meaning.

This welder can go anywhere that you can wajustifylk or climb!

If you can get there, your welder can get there! And, you don't need long, heavy welding cables!

For example, ride out with this backpack mounted welder strapped to your pack horse, or< ATV. When you get to the point where you can go no further, don the welder, easily carrying it, by means of its fully functional backpack frame and strap system, to a job site where even your horse, or 4x4 couldn't go!

You're not tethered to, or limited by anything. Top quality, high power, commercial/industrial calibre welding can be accomplished anywhere, at any time, with no need to ever carry long heavy welding leads again!

This welder is even light enough to allow it to be easily lifted (or carried) to a work location high on a tower hundreds (or even thousands) of feet in the air.

This is also the first, and only, portable welder perfectly suited to efficient transport in small aircraft.

ZENA have customers flying these units in small planes and helicopters to remote locations to make repairs, or to do fabrication work that previously could only be accomplished with large welders, and hundreds of feet of heavy welding cable. These welders are often carried at great expense to the work site by large cargo helicopters (which, themselves, typically cost more to operate for a single hour that the cost to buy this incredible Backpak welder).

The list of people who can benefit from this incredible welding machine is long indeed:

It's a perfect tool for loggers, forest workers, fence builders, sign installers, ironworkers, mechanics, blacksmiths, firefighters, conservationists, sailors, emergency service personnel, missionaries, off-roaders, 4x4 enthusiasts, and, of course, the guys who do almost all of these things almost every day -- farmers!

For operator safety, power IS NOT supplied to the electrode holder UNLESS the operator depresses and holds a push-button safety control. Don't try changing welding rods and/or welding while standing in a pool of water with any other stick welder. It can be very uncomfortable and very unsafe -- with the ZENA system, it's a snap!

Frequently Asked Questions

What does the term "duty cycle" mean?
Duty cycle is a welding equipment specification that defines the number of minutes, within a 10 minute period, during which a given welder can safely produce a particular welding current. For example, a 150 amp. welder with a 30% duty cycle must be "rested" for at least 7 minutes after 3 minutes of continuous welding. (When you are paying an employee for welding, anything less than 100% duty wastes money.) Failure to carefully observe duty cycle limitations can easily over - stress a welder's power generation system, contributing to premature welder failure. Many welders do not have internal protection systems that prevent this sort of over stress -- leaving the task to the owner or operator.

NOTE:
Unlike conventional, old technology welders, ZENA welders are designed not to generate more power than they can safely produce continuously -- true 100% duty cycle operation -- freeing our customers from the need to worry about welding system duty cycles and equipment damage from overheating.

Look carefully at welder specifications. Many welding equipment manufacturers will identify a particular welder by its maximum possible power generation capacity, even though that welder may only be able to produce that level of power for a short period of time. For example, a given welder may be touted as a 200A welder. However, careful reading of the documentation that comes with the unit may show that the welder can only produce this rated power with a 20-30% duty cycle (or even less). There is a huge difference between this welder and another 200A welder that can produce its rated power continuously -- both in work capability, and in long term reliability. Professional welders understand that almost all welding equipment manufacturers rate their welders using the maximum current that can be produced as the key specification -- not the 100% duty point. So to compensate, a pro will buy a 225-250A welder in order to get the100- 150A 100% duty performance that they need to do their work.

If you buy a ZENA welder, you won't need a 250A welder to get 150A, 100% duty performance! ALL ZENA welders are rated at their 100% duty cycle power capability.

Don't make the mistake of comparing a commercial duty, 100%justify duty cycle welder (like a ZENA welding system) with hobby welders which promise high welding currents, but which are limited by low duty cycle performance.

How easy is it to install?
Anybody who can weld should have no problem with installing a Zena welder. The biggest problem is finding a space to mount it. The easiest way to add the welder to your vehicle is to use our add a pulley system. The existing alternator’s nut is removed from the pulley shaft and a new nut along with an additional pulley is added. We effectively piggyback onto the existing alternator pulley. The electrical system is also isolated so you do not have to touch the existing motor vehicle wiring except to find a 12 volt supply that is switched by the ignition. In this way you won’t void any engine warranties. This system is particularly suitable if you have a modern serpentine belt system (multi groove).

An alternative system is to add the unit into the existing drive train without the add a pulley but this is only possible if you have an A section belt drive on your vehicle (older vehicles and tractors). You will need to replace your existing drive belt with a longer one.

What is high-frequency DC? I thought that DC meant unchanging voltage (like a battery)?
Your understanding of what is meant by the term DC is not correct. There seems to be a lot of confusion about just what the terms AC and DC mean.

In the field of electronics, AC is used as an abbreviation for the term Alternating Current which is a condition that exists any time electrical current flows in two directions within a given electrical circuit, with the number of the current reversals typically occurring at some predetermined rate over a given period of time. DC is used as an abbreviation for the term Direct Current, which is a condition that exists any time that electrical current flows in one direction only within a given electrical circuit (i.e. from a positive electrical potential to a negative electrical potential).

Direct current flow can have a number of forms: a constant electrical current (which would be the case where a constant electrical voltage flows in a single direction within an electrical circuit with a unvarying electrical load resistance), or it can be constantly varying as the result of changes in supply voltage and/or electrical circuit resistance changes and/or electrical circuit load changes. It is still Direct Current as long as the electrical current flow is in a single direction. Such current can vary in an infinite number of ways and still be DC as long as current flows in a single direction within the electrical circuit.

Click here to download the "add a pulley" information (PDF file 2.5Mb)

In the ZENA mobile welding system, the term high frequency DC (HFDC) has a very special meaning:

With the ZENA welding system, the term high frequency DC is used to describe a special condition where the direct current flow in the welding circuit (arc) is caused to vary, very slightly, in a special way, under electronic control, with the tiny variations happening at a very high speed, so as to produce greatly improved welding characteristics when compared to a conventional welding current generating system of the type used in standard engine driven welders, or in welders which use automotive alternators as welding current generators (which often refer to high frequency DC in their specifications).

In the ZENA welding system the high frequency current transitions / variations occur at least 18,000 times per second, and will typically exceed 21,000 times per second.

HFDC current provides three very substantial benefits in the ZENA welders:

HFDC creates electrical agitation of the welding puddle (you will hear a high-pitched whistling/whining tone coming from within the puddle while you are welding). This puddle agitation process works to facilitate the removal of impurities from the weld puddle. It also improves the weld penetration by moving hot metal from the center of the puddle towards the edge of the puddle, and cooler metal toward the center. This allows the arc to melt additional metal in the areas surrounding the puddle -- for a given current setting, and to significantly improve overall weld quality. This is achieved by insuring that the metal that makes up the bead and the metal surrounding the bead are more homogenously mixed with each other. The heat within the bead is more evenly distributed. HFDC also improves the ability of the welding cable to transmit DC welding power from the generator to your electrode -- reducing the effects of welding cable DC resistance and internal impedance.

HFDC also works to increase the stability of the welding arc and allows an operator to achieve excellent welding results with both a shorter than normal welding arc, OR a longer than normal welding arc (up to 2X the welding rod diameter). Inexperienced welders find the welder much easier to use and with better results than a conventional welder -- pros find it much easier to create x-ray quality welds and, at the same time, find that top quality results take less effort.