what to look for in a used stick welder
- Thread starter bigballer
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Beltzington
Platinum Member
Same question, this or something similar seems like an inexpensive solution. Comments?
Inverter Arc Welder - 80 Amp
Inverter Arc Welder - 80 Amp
undercut
Silver Member
I'm currently looking at DC inverter welders from Everlast and Longevity. Not much more money and you get the option of going 220V as well as 110V as well as get better quality and a lot longer warranty. I highly suggest checking them out. Their entry level units can put out 140 Amps under 220V.
In regards to the Harbor Freight unit, to get the full 80 amp output, you'll need a 120V 20A outlet. Not all 120V outlets are rated for 20A. Some are rated only for 15A. Apparently, despite what the manual says, full output may or may not adequately burn 3/32 rods. Depends on the unit you get, the rod you are trying to burn, your application, etc. Smaller than 3/32 rods can be harder to find and more expensive than 3/32 and 1/8 rods. A number of people have had a good experience with it. I purchased one but it was a lemon and thankfully I figured that out within the return period and returned it.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
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undercut
Silver Member
If you are looking for used welders, be extra cautious about ones with frayed / repaired power cords or weld leads. Moisture can find their way past the electrical tape and cause a short or worse on damp ground, create an alternate electrical path than was intended and put you in the circuit - shock hazard.
k0ua
Epic Contributor
the latest one is an AC/DC thunderbolt for $300 used 1 time.. i think i am going to go for it.. any objections?
By all accounts I have heard the AC/DC thunderbolt is a good welder. It is a big heavy transformer welder, but it will probably last your lifetime and you can give it to your children.. It allows for infinite control of current, not switched taps and that is a good thing.
James K0UA
thank k0ua.
i found out it's the newer style SN: LA189.. which were built between Jan and July 2000. are the newer ones as good as the older ones? list price on it is $706.. asking price is $300
here is link: Thunderboltｮ XL 225/150 AC/DC - Stick - Miller
the other one i am considering is a 1994 mode for $125.. supposedly used very little and looks like this: http://www.interschola.com/template/itemimages/18000s/18846/img_0764.jpg
would i be better off with the newer model?
i found out it's the newer style SN: LA189.. which were built between Jan and July 2000. are the newer ones as good as the older ones? list price on it is $706.. asking price is $300
here is link: Thunderboltｮ XL 225/150 AC/DC - Stick - Miller
the other one i am considering is a 1994 mode for $125.. supposedly used very little and looks like this: http://www.interschola.com/template/itemimages/18000s/18846/img_0764.jpg
would i be better off with the newer model?
k0ua
Epic Contributor
I don't know if the new one is as reliable as the old one, but I think you should buy them both. the older one was what I was thinking of, and is worth more than $125.. I think you should get them both and see which one you like the best and you could make money and sell one to to someone else. One thing I dont like about the newer one is the leads are fixed.. Of course you could put an inline coupler in the existing leads at the welder to allow adding more welding leads.
James K0UA
undercut
Silver Member
Sorry, can't say much about whether the newer model is better than the older one but the price seems pretty good. One advantage the AC stick welders have is they cope better if your steel is magnetized.
If you don't mind the bulk of a transformer welder and the price is right, those are definitely worth looking at closely.
