Blessed with 3 welders, which to keep? Why?

[h2onut]

Due to my uncle's recent passing I now have 3 welders, a Lincoln stick 225 ac, a miller 135 mig with large gas bottle and cart and I already had a Hobart handler 120 mig with small gas bottle. I will be putting electric in the barn next month. I don't do a lot of welding but in the short time I have owned the farm there have been some tractor mods I would have liked to do along with things around the farm. I use a 5000watt generator for power right now. I thought I would sell one of the welders and keep one at home and one at the farm. Your suggestions/opinions are valued. I am in Northern Kentucky if anyone is looking for a like new welder after I get a consensus here on TBN. I am looking for a big anvil for the barn too and forging equipment. Projects I want to build include a swing arm post hole digger holder when not in use and beefy strap hinges for the barn doors.

 

[philbuilt]

I would not part with the stick welder. It will do the heavy stuff. Keep them all, a MIG at the house and the other 2 at the barn. That would be a thing of convenience or sell 1 of the MIGs.
Phil

 

[Kernopelli]

I would keep the Lincoln and the Miller. The 135 will do anything plus a little more than the Hobart (and it's probably worth almost twice as much), plus you get to keep the convenience of a portable 110V unit for home use. The 225 stick can handle the heavy stuff and they are bullet proof.This is the same set up I have and wouldn't do without either one.

 

[AlanB]

I would keep them all, one mig would be spooled with innershield, and the other as MIG.

Stick would do your heavier stuff.

You just cannot have too many welders.

 

[EddieWalker]

I agree with those that say to keep them. Welders will last your lifetime and are always something that will come in handy. Mine might sit for years, but then I'll need it for something really quick, or weeks worth of work.

Something to consider is what they will sell for. Not what they are worth, or what was paid for them, but what will they sell for if you put an ad in the paper? Usually it's not very much, and hardly worth parting with them.

Eddie

 

[JoeinTX]

We've got a Lincoln electric that stays around the shop and a Miller Bobcat that goes out for the pasture jobs........neither could completely replace the other. The little electrics are so quick and convenient for little jobs.


Needless to say, the minute you get rid of one of them something will happen and you'll wish you still had it.

To this, but totally OT, the GF won a contest at work and as the prize she was offered the choice of either a 37" TV or a digital video cam. Well, seeing as we already had a large TV, she took the vid cam. It wasn't a month later before our big TV, which had worked flawlessly for years, spit the bit.

Now we've got a very nice vid cam (that we use sparingly) and we're watching DTV on a 17" flat panel that we were given a couple of years ago after a move. :{

 

[CATMAN]

I can tell you how my Dad's Iowa farm is set up and it works good. Old, Old Forney AC stick welder(180 amp) , 210 amp Lindweld MIG w/0.35 wire with gas shielding and big tank(inside machinery shed), and a little 110 MAC w/ .024 wire with gas shielding and small tank on cart (this really helps on sheet metal projects or exhaust repairs). He has a 25 KW portable PTO generator, and the AC stick works like a dream with it hooked to it for outside field projects(like fenceline bunk's cable post reinforcing job).

This variety just seems to handle everything quite nicely. I can't even count the times that Dad, my brother or myself have put that little 110 unit in the tractor's loader and welded up feed conveyors, augers, auger tubing, safety shields and covers,etc.​

My brother owns the migs (that he purchased used) and just leaves them on the farm, and does his projects in Dad's shed. From my experience, these three types fit the bill.

Out here in Washington state, I have two MIGs; 250 Amp Hobart w/ .035 wire and gas and little 110 Hobart handler w/.024 wire and gas. Note: My projects can fit in the garage, so this works for me.​

 

[h2onut]

Thank you all for your responses which I know are honest here since there is nothing to gain otherwise. So far everyone says keep the stick welder which makes sense to keep at the farm. I hadn't really thought through a reason to keep all of them. It just seemed redundant to keep two similar migs but after reading the posts, and doing some resell value checks the miller is worth twice as much and will do a little more. So if I sell the hobart and I get $250 to $350 depending on how someone values the gas setup and cart. For that little It would be handy to keep it at the house which is 45 miles from farm. Now if I sell the miller which is practically new and I could get $650 to $800 with the setup and extras, would I be better to put that money to better use on the farm and keep the hobart? The barn is just a basic barn and I guess whatever is out there will rust. Thank you for your knowledge guys.

 

[EddieWalker]

... Now if I sell the miller which is practically new and I could get $650 to $800 with the setup and extras, would I be better to put that money to better use on the farm and keep the hobart?

I didn't realize that you could get that much for it. Knowing this, I'd list it for top price or even a little more and see what happens. Maybe ask $900 for it and let them work you down to $850 or $800.

That $800 is enough to make it worthwhile selling it in my opinion. Especially since you have a arc and another mig welder.

Eddie

 

[h2onut]

yeah $700 or $800 will buy a nice heavy anvil for my future blacksmith area in the barn.