Please give me advice about an ARC VT 200 amp

@dweller , you are correct. The exception might be if the amp is somehow unstable without a load but IMO such an amp would be borderline criminal to sell on the open market.

FWIW a variac is not needed to restart this amp. If you are concerned about the condition of the filter caps, remove the tubes in the amp, and get a 60 watt light bulb (incandescent) and wire that in series with the power cord (if you don't know how to do this, have someone that knows electricity to do it for you- its not hard).

Then turn the amp on. The bulb will light up, but as the caps charge it will dim out. This will prevent any dangerous currents from damaging anything. If the bulb stays lit, the amp needs service. If the bulb goes out, reinstall the tubes and run the amp normally. Let it play for a while before you take it seriously as it will need some 'break in' time.

That's a whole lot cheaper than a variac!

@irish_tim

First tube amp! Wow, did you pick doozy for your first tube power amp.

It should arrive with the tubes removed. You will need to install the tubes. You can’t just install the small 6922 tubes where ever want. Hopefully the guy you bought the amp from marked, identified, each of the 6922 for the tube socket they are biased for. Match the number on the tube to the appropriate tube socket number. Tube socket numbers are on the circuit board near the sockets.
DO NOT JUST STICK THE 6922 TUBES BLINDLY IN THE AMP. You will seriously damage the tubes, and or the circuit boards, and or resistors in the amp.

Hopefully the guy marked, identified, the 6550 power tubes as well. They also require biasing and are matched pairs or matched quads. Not sure on the VT200, can’t remember. Even if they are identified for the correct tube socket, they should be checked for proper bias. Power tubes are somewhat easy. That is for someone that has done it before. Lethal voltages inside.

If the guy did not mark, identify, the 6922 tubes when he pulled them you are screwed! You will have to either send the amp to ARC, or find someone locally that works on ARC VT series power amps.

How to bias an ARC VT200.
http://www.audioresearch.com/ContentsFiles/VT200_BiasAdjust.pdf

ARC VT200 schematic wiring diagram, download.
https://elektrotanya.com/audio-research_vt200_amplifier.pdf/download.html

http://www.arcdb.ws/VT200/VT200.html

Jim

Thank you everyone for the great information.  I feel much better now.  

I have huge respect for audiophiles that are going with tube amps. I think this is  THE WAY to go if someone wants real and full tube sound. I don t think going tube preamp and ss amp is the right way, as I beleive messing with tube in the preamp signal stage is not the purist way. ( same issue with messing with tubes in the dac).

@atmasphere I am surprised you dismissed using a variac especially with an expensive amp full of electrolytics not used for 3 years. Also surprised about not loading the outputs. If anything was to go wrong, it is good practice to protect the amp. Maybe you can get away with winging it in the lab but isn't it better to give an unwary first time monster tube amp the safest instruction?