Century/Lincoln Connection: Does It Matter?

[Iplayfarmer]

I'm casually looking for a DC welder. A welding shop in the next town sells Century and Lincoln welders. He can sell me a 150 amp DC stick Century for $300. The guy on the phone said that the Century welders are somehow affiliated with Lincoln. I understood that Lincoln and Century are jointly owned, but that Century welders are from a different factory.

Here are my two questions...

What is the affiliation between Century and Lincoln?

If they are affiliated, what difference does it make? In other words, does some kind of affiliation with Lincoln make Century welders any better than other welders on the market?

[bobodu]

Yes they are one in the same....like Miller and Hofart.
One I would own and the other I would not.

[Iplayfarmer]

Originally Posted by bobodu

Yes they are one in the same....like Miller and Hofart.
One I would own and the other I would not.

So, what's the difference?

[bobodu]

Quality....lower prices get you less quality.
I only own Lincolns. Boss let me borrow a Century MIG he had sitting on the shelf...I took it back because it just sat on MY shelf.

[Hooked_on_HP]

I have a Century 140 mig that is probably 6 yrs old. It was probably built beforethe lincoln affiliation. It is ok for small welding jobs. Small as in short welds. The longer you weld with it the worse it welds.It acts like it gets hot. I am going to replace it with an HTP 200 mig welder.
Bill

[bobodu]

"In 2003, Lincoln bought the Century brand, and many Century welders are made in USA. "
Many?

[towmotor]

If, as you say, you are casually looking, then will you also be casually welding?

If so, maybe the Century unit isn't a bad idea.

On second thought:

I checked around the 'net to see this DC welder that's only 300 bucks!
The only one I could find was a shoulder toted house current unit.
I'll bet this thing has an aggravatingly low duty cycle-probably no more than 20%.
Usually those shoulder carried units are very expensive and they still have a relatively low duty cycle, but they're good in a pinch, when you're off in the hinterlands where 240V power isn't available.

I'd casually go to Home Depot and see if they have something more suitable. Or, you could look at craigslist for a used one.

[luscsmith]

Shop for a good used one, auctions or craigslist. I bought a Miller 300 amp AC/DC high freq, leads torch and foot pedal for $500.00 after a couple of years of watching and waiting.

Scott

[Iplayfarmer]

Originally Posted by towmotor

If, as you say, you are casually looking, then will you also be casually welding?...

You're absolutely right. When I do get some time to weld, though; I don't want to have to wait on a duty cycle. The nice thing about my situation is that I have everything I need. I'm just thinking about wants now. If I don't find what I want, I'll just keep using my big AC stick or my little MIG.

Originally Posted by luscsmith

Shop for a good used one, auctions or craigslist. I bought a Miller 300 amp AC/DC high freq, leads torch and foot pedal for $500.00 after a couple of years of watching and waiting.

Scott

After hearing the reviews in this thread, I'm likely back to shopping for used on CL or the want ads. I saw the ad for the Century welders and wondered if they really were that good of a deal or not. Sounds like maybe not.

[towmotor]

I don't want to beat a dead horse, IPF, but I wouldn't down the entire Century brand, just that particular unit.

I have a little Century MiG that I bought in the early 90's; it works pretty well, it uses easily available rollers, tips and cups, and I imagine that the entire conduit/gun assembly is interchangeable with one found on the more expensive brands.
I'd certainly call the local welding supplier for other parts or repairs if the need should arise.
But!; I've used it primarily for stitching body panels on cars, replacing floors and the like.
I did use it to repair a chassis one time and there the little welder's Achilles heel was made apparent.
Duty cycle is everything when you're trying to do work on heavier gauge metal and you're trying to get it done as quickly as possible-and that is where you get what you pay for, IMO.