"Stormin Mormon" wrote in message
...

OP did mention some 220 volt loads which work fine,
which suggests it's a problem with the neutral.

What comes to mind, here, is for the OP to check
the neutral line, and look for open or corroded
connections. Figuring of course, that there "is"
a neutral. With his mention of three wire, might
be two hots and a ground.

With old circuits it is hard to say what they did. It could have been the
barn was only wired for 240 volts and no neutral. Then someone may have
wanted 120 volts so they used the origional ground for the neutral. Or it
could have been wired like the old stove circuits in a house. Only 3 wires
where the neutral and ground were the same wire.

Any way, he should quit fooling around with the ground rod and look at what
is beind down with the neutral.

I think we are all in agreement that there must be a problem with the
neutral. Either it is not used and depending on the ground, which is a very
bad idea, or there is a bad or missing connection on the neutral wire.