KickingHorse Bench Measurement Reference

This page condenses the fastest bench-useful KickingHorse measurements and control checks into one service-facing lookup.

How to Use This Reference

Simplify the machine first: correct branch power, correct clamp path, correct process, and the correct fitted torch or gun.
Treat these values as diagnostic checkpoints, not calibration specs, unless the official or workbook source explicitly says otherwise.
If the machine changes behavior immediately with a shorter cord, better outlet, better clamp, or a known-good accessory, stay out of internal repair until that external branch is resolved.
Use the model guide whenever a measurement looks correct but the symptom still does not make sense.
If a local asset filename renders badly in Windows, use the clean labels in KickingHorse local reference manifest before hunting through the folder manually.

Reading Rules Before You Compare Values

On small KickingHorse inverters, branch quality and current return are part of the measurement story. Do not compare readings while the machine is still on a weak source path.
Measure OCV only after proving the correct idle state. A false dead-machine diagnosis is common when the wrong point or wrong mode is used.
On plasma models, separate HF, OCV, pilot, and transfer. A single "won't cut" complaint can hide four different branches.
If the display, feedback, or process-selection branch is suspect, compare the live process behavior with the display before assuming the power section is at fault.

Arc / Stick Checkpoints

Model	Checkpoint	Healthy expectation	If abnormal, keep diagnosis in...	Open next
`A100`	input branch under attempted load	usable `120 V` class input on a real `20 A` branch or healthy `3 kW` generator baseline	branch, extension-cord, or generator path before internal repair	A100 measurement card
`A100`	OCV at the output studs	about the mid-`80 V` range on a healthy machine	clamp or current path if OCV is healthy but the weld is poor; internal output branch if OCV is absent	A100 measurement card
`A100`	output polarity baseline	holder and work leads match the actual rod test	wrong `DCEN / DCEP` keeps the complaint in setup and current path first	A100 fault workflow router
`A100`	rectifier DC when the machine seems dead	rectifier DC present if the front end is alive	switch path or low-voltage supply if rectifier DC is present but the machine does not wake; IGBT branch if rectifier DC is healthy but OCV is missing	A100 board opening map
`A100`	power-light and fan behavior	no slow flash and no wake-collapse once the fan branch is healthy	fan branch or external supply path before whole-machine replacement	A100 fault workflow router
`A220`	source baseline at the machine	stable `208/230 V` class input, ideally with a true `50 A` path for top-end proof	utility or generator path before internal repair	A220 measurement card
`A220`	OCV at the output	about the mid-`70 V` range	utility path, clamp bite, or internal output branch depending on whether OCV is normal	A220 measurement card
`A220`	output polarity baseline	holder and work leads match the actual rod test	wrong `DCEN / DCEP` keeps the complaint in setup and current path first	A220 fault workflow router
`A220`	heat at clamp, holder, and plug during load	no abnormal heating on a healthy current path	clamp and cable heating before inverter repair	A220 fault workflow router

MIG / Flux-Cored Checkpoints

Model	Checkpoint	Healthy expectation	If abnormal, keep diagnosis in...	Open next
`F130`	source and cord compliance	real `120 V / 20 A` baseline with any extension cord kept within the official `25 ft` and full `20 A` path	utility or extension-cord path before electrical blame	F130 measurement card
`F130`	idle output before trigger	about `12 VDC` before the trigger is pulled	control or output branch if the idle state is already wrong	F130 guide
`F130`	output after trigger	about `44 VDC` after the trigger	voltage-rise or control branch before blaming mechanical feed drag alone	F130 guide
`F130`	OCV baseline	about the official `46 V` class baseline on a real `120 V / 20 A` source	source, output, or control branch before blaming mechanical feed drag alone	F130 measurement card
`F130`	breaker behavior during a real start attempt	machine strikes without nuisance breaker trip on the correct branch circuit and correct `0.035 in` baseline or proper `0.030 in` conversion	branch-power, cord path, and setup path before board replacement	F130 bench test
`M185`	source and breaker baseline	real `208/230 V` source with the intended `40 A` or `50 A time-delay` path for the proof level	source path before display-board or output blame	M185 measurement card
`M185`	preset-versus-actual display transition	preset values arc-off and actual values arc-on	display-feedback branch before splitting into unrelated faults	M185 measurement card
`M185`	voltage and amperage display response during real welding	display tracks the active weld rather than holding obviously wrong values	display PCB, feedback, or shared display-control branch	M185 guide
`M185`	wire-feed plus display behavior together	both behave normally and do not fail together	shared display or control branch if feed and display faults travel together	M185 guide
`M185`	OCV baseline	about the official `72 V` class OCV on a real `208/230 V` source	source, output, or control branch before display-board blame	M185 measurement card
`M185`	start feel after inductance reset	starts remain stable after returning inductance to a sane baseline	setup or inductance branch before display-board or output-branch blame	M185 bench test

Multiprocess Checkpoints

Model	Checkpoint	Healthy expectation	If abnormal, keep diagnosis in...	Open next
`MA200TS`	drive-roll pressure baseline	about `4 to 5` for steel and about `2 to 3` for aluminum or flux-cored wire	mechanical feed setup before electrical diagnosis	MA200TS guide
`MA200TS`	wire behavior at power-up	no wire movement until a real trigger command is given	trigger, support-power, or control-seat branch	MA200TS bench test
`MA200TS`	left and right meter response during welding	display responds to the active process and does not stay pinned at maximum	feedback cable, hall-sense, or control path	MA200TS guide
`MA200TS`	process button after display-board work	moves freely and releases fully	stuck-button or mode-lock branch before deeper repair	MA200TS guide

Plasma Checkpoints

Model	Checkpoint	Healthy expectation	If abnormal, keep diagnosis in...	Open next
`P40`	HF strike-pole gap	about `1.5 mm`	gap, striker cleanliness, or torch-start branch before an HF-board call	P40 guide
`P40`	HF PCB supply	about `24 VDC`	support-power or control branch before the HF board itself	P40 bench test
`P40`	OCV test point	measure at the machine output with the HF wire unplugged from the torch-output branch	wrong test point can create a false no-OCV diagnosis	P40 guide
`P40`	control or fan supply	stays near `24 V` rather than sagging toward `14 V` or rising toward `48 V`	switch-power branch rather than torch, clamp, or front-end faults	P40 guide

Best Companion Documents

Notes

The strongest numeric KickingHorse checkpoints are concentrated in A100, A220, F130, M185, MA200TS, and P40.
MA200TS and P40 remain the densest service-note platforms in the brand, so use their guides and bench sheets early when the complaint crosses more than one subsystem.
Small KickingHorse inverter complaints are unusually sensitive to external power quality and current return. That is not a cleanup step; it is part of the primary diagnostic branch.
F130 and M185 now have clearer wire-size, cord, source, display, shared-branch, and inductance baselines at the brand-reference layer, so first-contact triage should not need to fall back to generic MIG assumptions.
A100 and A220 now have matching measurement cards, bench sheets, opening maps, job packets, and routers, so the arc family no longer has to fall back to guide-only navigation.
A100 and A220 should still be treated as stick-first platforms at this layer. Source proof, polarity proof, and current-path proof come before any internal arc-inverter call, and improvised TIG should be stopped as unsupported.