A good budget priced welder?

[PapaPerk]

Thank you for all the replies. I appreciate it.

Just to clarify. I'm not a "noobie" welder or a novice. When I weld I use high end miller equipment at work. My question is... What equipment could I buy for home use that would give me satisfactory results?

How is the weld quality of fluxed mig wire? I've never used it before. As noted above I always have access to high end equipment using argon. Lol

I'm going from a Cadillac to a chevette (home budget). But I do not want cheap junk either.

 

[Shield Arc]

Back when I welded for a living I ran flux core self shielded wire the most. If you don't need a T-8 wire! Hobart's Fabshield 21-B is very hard to beat. I never failed a 1-inch side bend test with it, and a few of them I should have failed!

Here is some 21-B ran with a 46-year old engine drive.

 

[adirondackmtnman]

Thank you for all the replies. I appreciate it.

Just to clarify. I'm not a "noobie" welder or a novice. When I weld I use high end miller equipment at work. My question is... What equipment could I buy for home use that would give me satisfactory results?

How is the weld quality of fluxed mig wire? I've never used it before. As noted above I always have access to high end equipment using argon. Lol

I'm going from a Cadillac to a chevette (home budget). But I do not want cheap junk either.

My Hobart 125ez laid down a pretty decent weld. It's harder to weld up sheet metal with them, burning through was a constant problem when I welded anything smaller than 12ga. There were actually only 2 things that made me trade up: One, the gas and wire are cheaper in the long run than flux-core wire, even with infrequent use, and Two, I found the lead on the gun to be a little too short for my liking. Altogether, I liked the welder for the money, and for a point-and-shoot, basic homeowner setup, it was extremely convenient. I have no need in my home shop for all the technical welding stuff the other guys have spoken about on here, I just need to stick two pieces of metal together, preferably have it look OK, and hold for a good long while. Your needs may be different, but without breaking the bank initially, flux core is a good option IMHO

Sent from my LGL35G using TractorByNet

 

[joshuabardwell]

One thing I will add: how long will replacement boards be available for an inverter welder? You mention replacing the diodes in a transformer machine, those are simple components that should continue to be replaceable. But try to find a circuit board for a 20 year old welder (or computer). I doubt they will be in stock anywhere even at a high price. Of course, if you got 20 years out of a welder, you may not care.

Ken, this is a 100% valid question, and it's certainly a place where a big, established company is going to have more resources to put towards that sort of thing than a smaller one. I don't know what Everlast or Longevity's policy is on this sort of thing, but if I had to bet, I'd bet you'd be more likely to get a replacement board for a 20-year old Lincoln than a 20-year old Everlast. For me, I'm not worried. 20 years from now, if my PA160-STH bites the dust, I'll consider myself to have gotten more than my money's worth out of it, and I'll be glad for the chance to buy whatever fancy-pants new welding technology has been invented in the meantime. Not everybody feels this way, though.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Well I see the neverlast circle jerk is alive and well in this thread.
To the OP, I suggest posting this question over on WeldingWeb. You'll get a more unbiased opinion there. Many non-everlast users here now refuse to post in "what welder" threads because of what you see here. Good luck in your decision.

"Unbiased". What BS. If we're biased for Everlast over here, they're just as biased against it. Go ahead and hear what they have to say and make up your own mind, but don't kid yourself that anybody is giving you anything except their personal opinion.

 

[k0ua]

Ken, this is a 100% valid question, and it's certainly a place where a big, established company is going to have more resources to put towards that sort of thing than a smaller one. I don't know what Everlast or Longevity's policy is on this sort of thing, but if I had to bet, I'd bet you'd be more likely to get a replacement board for a 20-year old Lincoln than a 20-year old Everlast. For me, I'm not worried. 20 years from now, if my PA160-STH bites the dust, I'll consider myself to have gotten more than my money's worth out of it, and I'll be glad for the chance to buy whatever fancy-pants new welding technology has been invented in the meantime. Not everybody feels this way, though.

Joshua for my next welder I was kinda thinking about one of those Star Trek hand Phaser's. It welds, cuts, can heat rocks for warmth in cold climates, can dig tunnels, and kill all sorts of enemy's and even dispose of the bodies if the settings are high enough (vaporize)..Yep, that is what I am thinking.

 

[cowski]

i would get a miller acdc thunderbolt .to me the variable setting beets the lincoln taps.i would add a lincoln 140 tap wire welder.between those 2 .they will cover most all of home/farm welding.i would not get a ac only or dc only stick welder.to cover aluminum you can add a kit to the lincoln.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Yes, buy American when you can and can justify the expense. But to spend $2000 for something that is used an hour or so a week when a $300 unit will do the job just doesn't make sense on the farm.

Bingo. And this is what the "pros" over at WW don't seem to understand. They'd rather somebody shell out big bucks for a high-end unit from a major manufacturer OR buy a used version of a 50-plus-year-old technology (buzzbox). Those are the only two valid choices, according to them.

 

[joshuabardwell]

Joshua for my next welder I was kinda thinking about one of those Star Trek hand Phaser's. It welds, cuts, can heat rocks for warmth in cold climates, can dig tunnels, and kill all sorts of enemy's and even dispose of the bodies if the settings are high enough (vaporize)..Yep, that is what I am thinking.

Gosh, James. Just make sure it's painted red or blue and not green.

 

[k0ua]

Gosh, James. Just make sure it's painted red or blue and not green.

I know. It is crazy..if my little green welder puked the next time I turned it on, I have probably gotten my money's worth out of it, on the things I have fixed/built. with it. And heck it is STILL under warranty. I don't have a thing against high end Miller or Lincoln welding machines. I think they are some of the best welding machines on the planet, I just cannot afford them. And granted the original poster of this thread is not a noob, but a lot of welding noobs come on here and ask us "what should I buy".. Well I tell them my "opinion" and others can tell them their "opinion". and the noob can spend his money how ever he sees fit. When a guy says he has $350 to spend on a welder, I am not going to tell him to buy an AC buzzbox either from a LWS or Home Depot, when $350 will buy a decent modern full featured welder elsewhere. That is my story and I am sticking to it.

James K0UA