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It's not just the tractor. It's the dealer network, parts availability, long term support, long term likelihood of still having a dealer, ect ect ect Daewoo/Doosan (the parent of kioti) makes a fine machine. Where they fall down is on long term support. The kioti tractors haven't been around...

What make and model of backhoe is this? Different companies have different cylinders.

I have no response to that. The only reason someone buys other than Deere or Kubota in the compact market is because it's either all they can afford or because the dealer is enough better than the competition to be worth the shortcomings. Half my fleet here is orphaned or less than desirable...

Now I'm thinking about building one of these to fit on my payloader.... I could rip out decent size trees with that

Loaders on old ag tractors are almost universally a nightmare to remove. Even the so called "quick attach" ones are only "quick attach" in that that aren't permanently attached. Personally I won't remove one without either a bigger loader or a yard forklift. If your thoughts are removing it...

I'd be inclined to just buy the right parts and get it done, then it should last you a very long time. Usually when I see someone put a cheap box on instead of having the original rebuilt, they usually come back to get their original done after blowing apart the cheap one.... I've done a fair...

Just look at the carmaking industry. Would you rather keep striking for your share until your job moves to Mexico, or have a still well paid non union job that actually exists?

The sub-26hp machines such as the BX series and the small B series without emissions systems still have mechanical fuel injection. I was just looking at a 2021 BX23s with a mechanical pump yesterday.

I can and have welded water jackets before. Usually on engines from vintage things that can't be replaced. Done right it can be successful. I am not sure I would consider it a DIY job though.

If you went to a local hydraulic repair shop they'd almost certainly have those fittings in stock. I would have them in my shop at least, and I'd sell you one for $5 and you'd have it right away. Also I'd caution to take the cylinder apart before welding it on. Both to prevent overheating any...

And it should also be remembered that there is a BIG difference between wheel rolling with a large payloader or a motor scraper, and a compact tractor.

That is exactly the point. Rather than being greedy maybe the unions should focus on ensuring that their jobs will still exist in another 10-20 years.

Or they lay off everyone and open another factory outside of the US to get away from the unions.

The other thing I would personally add is skip the mower attachment, and spend the little bit extra to get a standalone zero turn. I got a lightly used Kubota 54" zero turn (a trade in from the dealer) for about what a 3pt finish mower costs. Having previously mowed everything with an 84"...

The only two brands I would consider are Deere and Kubota. You spend more up front but they hold their value. You can buy a brand new Kubota, use it for a few years, and sell it with 2-300 hours for about the same as you paid for it today. One of the Chinese/Korean/Indian brands you are...

Having compared the results side by side, that is just simply not true. Obviously depends on the material to some extent. Clay a plate tamper is no good for. In well graded aggregate it's the vibration that is effective. Pack an area of road base or traffic gravel with the tires on your compact...

And those jobs would still be paid well without a union because they are worth something. The people who stand on the line bolting fenders on would be lucky to make half of what they do

That article is a joke.

Stores should two price tags on everything. Regular price for a carton of milk is $4.25 UAW member price is $8.50 You make more money than someone else doing the same job, so why shouldn't you pay more for things? Only fair that the grocery store gets their share of what you make.

And why should the profitability of a company have any bearing on wages? Wages are based on the value of the work performed. By that logic you should work for free for a company that is running in the red.

Auto workers are unskilled labor. There is no reason they should expect to be able to make the money skilled trades do.

And $19.25 to run a forklift seems unreasonably low why? What are you going to make running a forklift at a lumber yard? With no benefits and a lot more manual labor....

The thing unions, particularly ones such as UAW seem to forget is that the company could fire every single employee and they'd be lining up to take the same job back for less. For what is essentially unskilled labor, their pay and benefits are far, far above what can be expected anywhere else...

Another thought is that for the few hundred bucks it costs for a cheap one, it may be worth getting yourself a plate tamper. It will do a very nice job of packing everything, and you'll find it's something you end up using all the time once you have one.

Any halfway decent tire service will install tubes and boots as needed rather than replacing tires. Sealant is not the answer for a tire with calcium....

I would suggest getting a tire service out to do tubes. Instead of spending money on the sealant, finding it still leaks, and then having the tire service out after anyways. And tire companies HATE sealant. There is a good chance they will charge you more to fix it if it has that goop in it.

I had a real nightmare graveling my driveway this past spring. I had trenched a water line across the yard the fall before, and there was a huge mud pit of our soft sticky clay.... At Spring thaw it became impassable. I think we got 9 out of 11 belly dump trailers stuck before we finally piled...

Armchair experts missing the point as usual.... No one is claiming that you should run 4wd all the time on every surface. That is obviously bad practice. But as to the argument of "it will damage your tractor" or "you're wearing out the 4wd components" No. They are designed to withstand being...

Considering I have never had a front axle or transmission component off a Kubota smaller than an M7 in my shop, I am inclined to say that (other than tire wear if on hard surfaces) he is right. The drivetrains are so robust on the smaller Kubota units that you'd really struggle to break one...

Well here's something to consider. My company does a lot of work for a large Kubota dealer near by, and their service manager is a friend of mine. I asked him today while I was there for something unrelated and his answer was "you can run a Kubota in 4wd all the time and not hurt anything"

If I had that problem I'd call a local earthmoving contractor and pay the $140 an hour for a full size trackhoe (like a Hitachi 200) to come and bury the pile for you. It'd only take them an hour or two, and you can sit back with a beer instead of breaking your back and your tractor doing it...

I run 5w40 full synthetic Duron year round in all my diesels. Some guys use 0w40 but it's a bit thin for my liking in the summer. 15w40 can be a problem in the winter (if you're in a cold climate at least) unless you have a good pan heater. Personally I think the minimal extra cost for...

Tube change was likely the difference. This was just pumping out of one tractor and into the other. These guys are pretty good though..

That was a mobile tire service driving to my yard and doing it out in front of my shop. Most tire companies won't even have the pump and tank at their shop. Filled tires are usually if not always done on site.

I had two tires MUCH larger than the ones in question pumped out, and filled (moving calcium from one machine to another) about two weeks ago. The entire bill for the service call including tax was $189 Canadian. It is not worth trying to do yourself. The tools required will cost more than...

Your best option is just having a mobile tire service out. Even if they have to replace both rims and tubes it'll probably cost you under a thousand bucks. And they'll have the whole job done and be gone in less time than you could even get the first tire off yourself.

Calcium chloride can resist freezing as low as -62f Again not a consideration everywhere, but in a place like Saskatchewan where -50F isn't unheard of, freezing at -35 is a bit of an issue

Are you looking at a substantial fill or basically topping the existing grade? Hard packed clean clay is the best base you can ask for. Strip organics, top with clean clay until you're 4-6" below your desired finish grade. My preference at that point is to use pit run. It generally packs...

A few of my pieces of equipment have a cock installed in place of the drain plug for hydraulic, fuel tank (for water removal), ect. One of these days I will have to switch everything over. It saves so much trouble. What helps even more is having a hose Barb on the outlet so you can run it to a...

4wd or not, you should never get going down a steep hill with your only plan being "my tractor has brakes" Ideally you shouldn't even be using the brakes to descend a hill, that's what your transmission is for Your bucket should also be ready to use to slow yourself before you get into trouble...

I have actually had pretty good luck with Kubota branded batteries. They're priced on par with the cheap junk that has given me trouble, but seem to hold up as well as any battery I've used.

For what it's worth, most reputable tire service outfits will not put calcium in without tubes. It's just bad practice. "Tubeless" tires are still perfectly capable of having tubes installed. Properly installed and maintained there is really no drawback to calcium. Combine that with being...

Most ag and industrial tire outfits are on call 24/7/365. It usually just costs more to have them out at night, holidays, ect. As to why they are leaking sooner, if your tires don't have tubes (check the valve stems) that would be a reason. If they've had a puncture and the rims weren't washed...

I just had to do both on my payloader. The set of rims was nearly $2000 less than the set of tires

Another benefit to the hole in the tips of your forks is you can also install a hitch ball or drop a pin through it, for moving trailers or implements around the yard. It can be handier than hitching to the drawbar at times

I've never been big on hooking over forks due to the risk of slipping off. Also not thrilled about the hooks on the bucket since it limits you to a chain (risk of damage depending what you are lifting, and the chains most people use technically aren't rated for lifting) On my loader buckets I...

I don't understand why everyone always talks like calcium is some evil thing from the past on this forum.... It is still by far the most widely used tire ballast, and for good reason. It's economical, heavy, every tire service truck has a tank/pump for it (and not the alternatives) and it...

Brazing would be my preference for a proper repair. For a temporary fix either epoxy as mentioned or I have personally had luck with "würth quick seal" and equivalent product you can buy without an account would be loctite instant gasket. They come in a pressurized tube, and are similar to RTV...

The point being some jobs aren't worth doing yourself. The few dollars it costs to have someone with suitable equipment do the job for you is often better than spending a large amount of time and risking expensive damage trying to do it yourself with what is available. I've seen the rear axle...

A heavy disc will break that all up very nicely

Typically on dump cylinders they get a groove worn in the chrome in the fully retracted position from all the pounding around experienced while the truck or trailer is driving. The fact that it isn't leaking otherwise points to this rather than bad seals. It's not the seal itself causing the...

Calcium is very much not a thing if the past. Foam makes the tire too hard and looses traction. Beet juice doesn't even exist up north here. Weights work, but you can only add so much. Just about every loader tractor up here has both calcium and iron weights on it.

Ha that was borrowed from my neighbors.... Believe it or not it's their smallest 4wd tractor

This is today's pile. Probably 30x90 by 16' high. Cut a fire break around it, kept the disc on standby. Half an hour between second and third pics, just lit with a torch at one end.

I've owned tractors that had calcium in the tubes with regular old brass valve stems for 30-40 years. Given enough time they can eventually corrode enough to break off, usually when the tire truck is trying to pump the calcium off to change them. Failing in a year is certainly not to be expected.

Up here basically any burning is fair game as long as it's not a tire pile.... Brush piles, cattails out of sloughs/ditches, fields, old buildings, you name it. Just have to call into the fire department first so that they know not to show up. Usual process for bush is pile it all, burn fall...

Loader is all remarkably tight actually... I couldn't believe it to be honest. Bucket does need a new bottom, but that's simple enough. Otherwise it seems to be just leaks and cosmetic issues. I own a hydraulic shop and also do line boring on heavy equipment so I'm not too worried about what...

The one option for smaller bore cylinders off the shelf would be a replacement shank lift cylinder for an air seeder. On the bourgalt units they are around 1.25" bore by 6-8" stroke with about a 5/8 or 3/4" rod. Something like that is what I'd be inclined to use myself. I couldn't build myself a...

Certainly adding the reliefs is a good idea. It will not be a cheap project though. For example just the char-lynn motor for the chute rotation, I retail those for around $600. Without specing and pricing the entire system I'd figure on at least $1500 worth of parts to put it together. If you...

Best bet for a part like that is to remachine it after welding it brazing. But if you're careful enough it may be good enough without

I found an older loader for too cheap to pass up the other day. Few things to fix on it, but not bad overall. And considering that's my day job I'm not too worried. For the nearly two acres I have to keep cleared, it should be a pretty nice upgrade from the older 70hp Deere loader tractor with...

There is a ton of castings on backhoes. Many of them are cast nodular iron. It falls about halfway between cast steel and grey cast iron in terms of weldability. Axle parts, depending on the brand of machine the outrigger feet, outriggers themselves, some of the linkages around the bucket, ect...

I don't like bondo brand, but good body filler is likely the cheapest and easiest and most durable option. The quality ones aren't as hard and brittle so you won't run into cracking with the expansion and contraction. They spread and sand better too. And if you buy through a good supplier it's...

Any good hydraulic shop can build a new cylinder from scratch. And on Deere equipment, often for less than a replacement from the dealer.

The burying the bare wire in the trench eliminates that nuisance

I had a bit of a laugh to myself when I had the "call before you dig" guy out to locate a phone line before we trenched for a water pipe. After about 10 minutes struggling with the locator (apparently a weak signal from old phone lines) he took one of the marking flags bent at a right angle and...

Most of the snow blowers I've seen have a cable and arm assembly to rotate the chute with a small cylinder. If you want to run it with a hydraulic motor you'll want an orbital motor. Char-lynn are my preference. Size the motor based on hydraulic flow and how fast you want the chute to move...

When I built my yard we trenched between all the buildings and the pole. Instead of rods at each building, there was a heavy copper ground wire buried in the trench alongside the service cable. They all tie together back at the pole and into the grounding grid of the pole. It's a hell of a lot...

Would you happen to know the range of that tool? I'm sadly assuming it probably won't work you here where our lines are 12' down.....

That does work, the real problem comes trying to coil it back up after the job is done....

Without getting into any real trade secrets, a good starting point is 600f preheat, cool as slow as you can. If you braze over a crack, it will crack. Joint prep is 90% of it. Practice on a similar thickness piece of scrap steel to get a feel for how to make the bronze flow when you want and...

One caution I'd make (coming from someone who owns a shop that regularly repairs large cast iron parts) is that if you just bought a torch and don't have quite a bit of experience, I'd probably suggest not trying to fix this yourself if it is a structural part. Proper repairs on large castings...

Thanks. Makes sense now that you mention it. Looks like quite a nice machine, I'm sure it'll prove very popular

Here's a question, do these (or your Tig/stick/plasma units) support plasma gouging? If it did I could see this being a real handy unit for small jobs on service calls. Instead of having to bring multiple machines or drag out the big engine drive that can run an airarc for a half hour job....

The off the shelf cords are cheaper, and the ends on them seem better. However I've found in a Canadian winter you may as well be trying to coil and uncoil a piece of steel pipe. Of course making your own from cabtire leads to replacing the ends (especially the female ends) CONSTANTLY if they...

Now that I would agree about. For someone starting out an autodark gives you less to worry about at once and that will certainly make it easier.

I'm going to be the one guy who doesn't like auto darks.... I've had probably 5 of them (miller/Lincoln, not even cheap ones) and they've all been nothing but trouble. Even the ones that didn't break were just a pain in the neck for what I do. I would agree that for typically hobby use they are...

Speaking of welding.... I'm just testing out a new to me electric heat treating furnace I picked up for some upcoming cast iron welding jobs. 12x14x18 chamber, goes to 2000° I can hear my power meter spinning over the 60hz hum.....

Couple recent things. First one is a product I highly recommend. Norton blaze rapid strip wheels. Absolutely magic at removing paint, rust, and mill scale. Next up is a pump housing at the start of being rebuilt.

That looks like a nice little one. Also you just solved a long term mystery. A friend of mine has an Arctec branded welder (lightening arc 140) that we could never figure out who made for them. I did a few more welds as I procrastinate unloading my truck. Two weaves not pictured, and...

Universal reference for scale.

Same piece, turned up about 10 amps and capped with an ArcTec 223xc. I am going to get another box of some sort of not Esab 7018 to try out with it. I'm wondering if it is a bit pickier on rods than the Idealarc. I usually can make the slag curl with Esab rods but I can't seem to get it doing...

Thought I'd start a thread to share a few thoughts. I have used a few inverter stick welders before, but never a name brand one. I have had a positively ancient Idealarc TM 400/400 for the last while that I am basing my comparisons on. I unfortunately no longer have my less expensive inverter...

Thought I'd post this after mentioning ArcTec yesterday. This is done with 223XC. As you can see they run quite nicely. Not quite a drag rod like 7018, works best to hold a very slight gap. Bit faster freezing puddle as well.

Here's my new welding table. Been using it for a bit now and I'm incredibly happy with it. Frame is 2x4x0.125 tubing, and the top is a spare lathe faceplate I had.

Another recent PITA.... Bearing went in the apron gearbox. Better part of a day to tear it apart and fix. This winter when it slows down enough I want to pull the entire headstock off and fix an oil leak.

Another recent one. A bit of reverse engineering on what used to be a shaft coupler on a disc that was no longer available. Started as a length of 5" round 1045. These jobs are where having a nice heavy lathe pays off.

I recently added an 84" blower to my Deere. I've got way too much driveway and parking space to keep cleared with the loader. Last winter I had a neighbor clear my yard with a 9520 and a 16' blade, but this should be a lot handier and cut down on the snow piles.

Starting off with a job that came in recently. I rebuild these cylinders off large air drills for one of the local equipment dealers. Mostly lathe work these.

Morning everyone. Doubtful anyone actually remembers me after disappearing for the better part of a decade.... Long story short I'm off living on an acreage and running a machine shop in Canola farming country now. Not really doing any social media anymore so I figured I'd come back here...

I have finally got started with tig welding, but I am having a really hard time with the tungsten and work turning black. A few questions to start with. First, will a contaminated tungsten cause the work to be dull, black, and seem not shielded? Second, how far should the tungsten stick out of...

Okay, here is my first ever tig weld. I need to figure out a better way to get pictures.... It looks Far, FAR worse on the picture than in person. In person, it isn't too bad. I went back over half of it to wash it into the toes better. The part nearest the end of the plate is as welded...

Oh, here is a picture of how the tungsten look.

I finally have everything I need to start tig welding. I have my argon hooked up, and yesterday I got a pack of 1/16 inch thorinated tungsten. Anyways, I am wondering how I should sharpen them. I don't have a bench grinder that can be dedicated to tungsten, but I do have a kalamazoo 1x42 belt...

Due to the unique (non existant....) advertising of esab products, I cant find anywhere with the O-rings for my purox torch tips and cutting attachment. Its a w201 and cw202 handle and attachment. I believe it is virtually identical to the current w300. I am wondering if I have to have purox...

I don't think I did too bad. It's a purox w201 torch handle, with cutting attachment, 6 welding tips, and 9 cutting tips. I also got a set of purox regulators, and a spare liquid air acetylene regulator. Also included were 4 airco tips, and 3 NOS Harris calorific cutting tips. The welding tips...

Question for you guys. I am picking up a purox torch tomorrow (used) that comes with 6 welding tips. My question is, will these standard acetylene welding tips work with propane for brazing? Is there anything dangerous that could go wrong? Should I just give it a shot? I am thinking of getting...

I have finally ran out of scrap steel for practice pieces. With the amount of fillet welds I am needing to do for practice, and testing, I have decided to just buy it. I am looking for a bit of advice before I shell out the cash. I am thinking of going with 1/8x1 hot rolled flat bar. It will...

In using my latest B tank of acetylene, I have decided to get something else when it's empty.... I can close the tank valve, and bleed the whole system, and within a day or two, the inlet gauge reads 150psi..... The tank valve is bad. I think the main issue is the darn square shank on those B...

Oh man. That stickweld 250 loves these liquid air (15 year old blueshield) rods! The rods were a lot damper than I thought... Where they sat on my hot bench, there was a puddle of water... And they were still the nicest running rods I have ever seen. 106 amps DCEN, 1/8 plate 3/32 liquid air...

Well, I have wanted to try 7024 for a long time, but I couldn't make myself spend the cash for a can of blueshield rods... Anyways, under the rod cabinet at the museum I work at, is a few hundred pounds of very old and possibly scrap welding rods. In that pile was a very old box of liquid air...

Well, it's not my nicest, prettiest, or strongest build, but it works, and it only cost me 4 7018s to make. It isn't quite to my normal standards, but it's not too bad for something built in an hour, from scrap, with a "designed on the fly" plan... It solidly holds an 80cf argon tank, and with...

Well, after 6 months, I am finally back to welding. I got my stickweld 250 wired up yesterday, and with simon's help I got it right on my second try.... Darn 3ph cable... LOL Anyways, I burned a few rods today, and I was surprised how fast it came back to me. These were my first welds since...

Well my stickweld 250 is back. They ended up sending me a brand new one. They also included a tig torch and argon regulator! :thumbsup: Now for the not so good part. Just a few little issues. #1, The electrode holder had a chunk of insulation missing. Not an issue for me, because I put a new...

I think I did pretty good on this straight torch. Only cost me $4 (yes really!) It's a really old Harris model 76. Some bits look a little rough, but everything seemed to check out alright. The valves all work properly, and nothing seems to leak. Any thing else I should check before lighting it...

Well, I was looking around on YouTube, and this came up. Try and spot how many bits of bad advice he gives. Things like "insert a rod into the electrode holder, then plug in the power cord"

Well, if any of my job applications pan out, I hope to be adding a mig to the fleet before long. I am looking on suggestions of used full sized Migs (250 class) to look out for. So far, my watch list consists of the L-tec/esab migmaster 250, and the hobart beta mig 250 (Just saw one for $450...

We did an air liquide run today. Finally got the torch filled (only been empty for a year... :ashamed:) Also upgraded oxygen to an 80 cf tank. Only $40 with trade in of 40 cf tank. Fillup costs about the same, real good deal is you ask me. Than came the real sticker shock. A new bernard...

I just thought I would let you guys know. Diamond ground products has an offer where they will send you up to 4 free 7 inch tungsten electrodes of whatever size and type you want for free. They even include a free guidebook of your choice. I asked for the 1/16 2% lanthinated. Lets see if this...

I have been getting back to knife making lately, and am wanting to try some knives in the style of john nelson cooper. In order to do this I will have to weld a rod/bolt onto the high carbon blade blank. What would be the best way of welding the end of a 1/4 inch rod onto the edge of 3/16 tool...

The title says it all, I am wanting to get a head start on pipe welding, and need some help. My questions are: What size pipe is good to start practicing with? (small? Big? What wall?) Would I be better off starting pipe welding with 6010 or 7018? (I am going to learn both, which is better to...

First, Im sorry I have been away for a while (again :ashamed:) I have joined another forum, and have been busy there for a bit. Anyways, I am sure I will be spending a lot more time here. Now onto the news. I am still in the application stage right now, but if all goes to plan, I will be...

Well I have finally finished restoring my old stihl 08s. I was able to salvage both piston and jug, the scoring was light enough that it turns over easy, and has compression, so it was suggested by my father to just leave it. He has fixed enough old machines that I am trusting him on this one. I...

Well I have finally got back to work on my old stihl 08s that has been taking up space half painted for the last few years. Anyways I pulled the muffler off, to prep for paint, and as I look in the port, I see some marks on the piston. Seeing as this is a 50 year old saw I have never started, I...

Well about 10 minutes ago I got back from picking up my ideal saw. A 1992 stihl 034, with new jug and piston 4 years ago. Started up on the 3rd pull, and I fell in love. It was used as a back up saw by a professional firewood cutter, but it hasn't been used much the last few years. A little...

Just wanting to hear what everyone's favourite mix oil is. Mine is the castrol super 2-stroke. Exact same oil as the stihl, just a different bottle, and far cheaper at my local hardware store. About $5.60 per litre. If you like the stihl mix oil, please try castrol. They are both bottled in the...

Well hopefully in the next week or so after a trip to air liquids I am wanting to try my hand at gas welding aluminum. I don't really do any work with aluminum, mainly because I have no real good way of attaching it. I have been reading a bit about gas welding it with a normal o /a torch...

Here it is. Edit, I just how bad the photo is, I will get a better one when the sun goes down a bit.

I'll repost the pic. And sadly no, it is going to my uncles other ranch near Armstrong bc. I did the restoration in Alberta. His new place has about 40 acres of hayfields, and he is wanting to do about 10 acres in squares himself.

Well first I'd like to say that after over 2 months, I am back on. Now, to my question. I have found a rusted up, very old 40# stake anvil that I am hoping to buy. Now it is rough, but I think I could get it to be a decent bladesmith anvil. It was looking great until I touched the grinder to see...

It's done, just need to reinstall windows. Here are some pictures. There is a before and after, including the man behind the project. There will be a final picture hopefully tomorrow with the usable windows installed.

Okay, here it is. First of all even varsol wouldn't remove that gunk, I am sure it has to be a stain on the casting, as nothing will get it off. So I got the outside of the cab primed, then I ran out of primer. I will have to go into town tomorrow, and get a few more cans.

Well here it is, I have finally got the before pictures. Stay tuned for updates.

Well in a few weeks I will be starting on a cosmetic restoration of my uncles old case 730. He just bought it from a retired mechanic, and it is in perfect mechanical condition, I am just dealing with the looks. Anyways, this will be my first tractor restoration, and my biggest ever restoration...

Well after trying to freehand a torch cut yesterday for some coupons. (read only perfect one was the one done with a grinder) I decided I need to make a guide for it. I have seen on weldingtipsandtricks clamping a piece of angle on, and running the side of the tip against it. I am wondering if I...

Well after yesterdays welding went so well. (perfect smooth 7018 beads, slag falling off on its own..) I decided to try and get some nice t-welds done for some pictures. That didnt happen. Each time I layed a bead on a flat plate, it was perfect. Each time I tried to do a joint, it sucked. It...

You may remember many months ago, I asked about sharpening drill bits on a grinder, and I said I had someone to teach me. Well I never did get around to talking to him, but I had watched a few videos. Yesterday, I decided to grab a dull bit, and try sharpening it on the new grinder. All I can...

Well we will be changing to propane soon, and trying to decide if we should keep the acet tank or not. I know we will have to give up gas welding if we sell the acet tank, but I can live without that. The main issue is I will still need some way to work with sheet metal. What I am getting at is...

Well I am a 14 year old high school student, and I just took up wood carving. Insted of easing into it like I should have, I jumped right in, and practiced for a few days. Well my hand and wrist have been very sore, and some lumps have apeared on the back of my hand. My shop teacher (an expert...

Well here is the first part of my stickweld 250 review. I have been testing how well it works with 6011, and I have to say I love it. Here is a picture of the stack of dimes look I managed to get with it. This was after only 2 rods to find the settings, rod angle, and travel speed. I have never...

I think we all know the brand of this one. Try and guess the model.

Well I just tried out my new longevity stickweld 250, and I love it. It welds very smooth, and is so quiet. I am totally lost on the settings though. It seems the amperage needs to be differnt for DC, and I have no idea what settings I should use. Then I have the arc force and surge control. I...

Well here is another picture of one of the cuts I made. This one is a heck of a lot better. The side you see is the bottom of the cut.

Well today I was doing some torch cutting for the first time in probably 2 years. All the torch cutting I had done then was melting my way through some rusty re-bar. I have been watching a few videos on it, and looked up the settings online. Well here it is. I was using 5 psi acet, and 25 psi...

Well I finally have a welding table, and I have to say I love it. The frame is made of some heavy pipe, some small box, and a really overbuilt shelf, all of which I got at a salvage yard for $0.45 per #. The top is 36x24 1/4 inch plate, bought new from metal super market. (I had to buy a 24x48...

Well here is a picture of some of the beads I made today. 7018ac 1/8, 130 amps ac. The dull one second from the top is an old weld that was on the plate already. And just for the sake of it, here is a picture of the welder that did it all.

Well I just finished my welding table, and I was making a few practice beads on a piece of scrap sitting on it. I was using a lincoln 7018 ac 1/8. I got it stuck, and went to free it like I have hundreds of times, and in the process of that, every single piece of flux on the rod fell off. The...

Well I have seen a few videos of saws like the Evolution rage circular saws, and I think something like that could be really useful. Well I dont have the spare cash for one of those, and I am not sure how long they would last. Now heres my question. We have an old 8 1/4 inch skill worm drive...

Any recomendations about $3000 less then that? :laughing: I dont mind waiting for a while until I get enough cash for something good, I live by the policies ''buy it once'' and ''find the most you will ever need, and get the next model up'' :laughing: Another machine I have been thinking of is a...

I have seen that video a few times, neat to see, but not something I would do. The lincoln was great for me to learn on at first, because it was cheap, and you cant break it. I have to say the stepped settings, and ac output is getting to be a pain though. As I have said, I am planning on...

You think that is hard, try to change the amps by 3 with this! :laughing::D Either too cold or too hot... Except for 3/32 6011, the 75 amp setting is spot on for that.

Well I have yet another stick question. I am wondering what the rule for rod size to base metal thickness is. Also, I would say I am a hobbiest welder at best, so any tips regarding practice will help a lot. (I hope to be considered a good welder someday...)

Here is a pic of the one I am looking at. $100, might be able to get it for a bit less, it also has $36 shipping. It looks fairly good to me, but I dont know much about torches.

Ok I have done a lot of digging around, and I think I have determined the tip style of my torch. From what I can tell, air liquide torches are made by concoa, which bought out the airco torch line. Also, I have compared pictures of air liquie tips, and airco tips, and they are the same. I have...

Well I just got a set of milwaukee thunderbit split points, and I am wondering how I could sharpen them when they get dull. I cant seem to figure out if/how you can hand sharpen them, and I will not buy a drill doctor. Can I sharpen them any way? Or will I have to send them out?

Heres another one.

Heres an easier one.

Try this one.

Well right now I have a blueshield cutting torch it, and a smith aircraft torch for welding. I still want to keep acct around for welding, but I need something cheeper for cutting and heating. Basically what I am wondering is what fuel gas would be best to switch to, and what (other then a grade...

Give this one a try.

Try and get the make and model of this one.

Heres a harder one. Edit: you can kind of see the name on the side, try to guess it without looking at it.

Yep. Give this one a try.

Heres a bit easier one.

Everyone on here should know this is a john deere, but can you tell what model this is.

Heres an old one.

try this.

Last time I was doing some gas welding with my smith AW-1 aircraft torch, the handle was getting so hot that I couldnt touch it without a glove, or it would burn me. The handle on my blueshield torch has never got hot to the point where I couldnt hold it, so I am sure there is something wrong...

nope I cant find anything. I was thinking wallis bear at first. But the wheels are wrong. anyways try this one.

Heres another one. This is the hardest one I can think of...

Bingo! we have a winner! Heres another one.

Heres a good one.

Well the title pretty much says it all. My favourite rod now is the blueshield 6011 from air liquide. I am thinking that might change when I get dc and start using 7018s. So whats yours?

Well the harbor freight tools that dont suck thread has been very active, but I was thinking us canucks could use a thread about our cheep chinese tools store. Ill start it off with one to stay away from. A few years back, they had a battery charger on a limited time offer for like $19. I used...

I dont know about the powermax 350, but hyperthern is kind of the industry leader in plasma cutters, they are often thought of the best you can get. I am not sure, but I think the powermax 350 is the older version of the powermax 35, which is a very good machine (so I have heard). You got a...

if it is the small portable type with a handle, that seems like a bit much to me, although I have almost no knowledge on used welder pricing, and dont claim to. (except tombstones)

Well I will be getting one of the cheep siphon sandblasters soon, and I am wondering what abrasive to use. I have a high end 3M cartrage resperator, and I am wondering if it is safe to use silica sand with that, I know all about the hazards of silica sand, but will that make it safe? If not...

Well my backup angle grinder, a cheep old clarke strongarm, finally needs replacement. I was using it with a wire wheel, to try and clean rust and paint off the bender I am building, and the side handle snapped in half. This thing vibrates alot, and is way too loud (compared to my makita), so I...

Well there is a thread talking about harbor freight tools that dont suck, but I think there needs to be a thread that is all about the worst of the harbor freight tools, the ones that are unsafe, dont work, or you just would never buy again. Also, feel free to add tools from princess auto, the...

Well for the first time in two months, I had the time to do some welding. I started with my normal rod, the 6011, and it welded like crap, I tried differnt heat settings, and it just wouldnt make a decient bead. Then I tried a 6013, I have never liked this rod, it has always made a mess, and no...

Well here it goes. I had bought a Campbell Hausfeld DA air sander at home depot, to use for stripping paint, rust, and mill scale before welding. At the store it was listed as 10 CFM, when I got home and looked at the manual, it says it comsumes almost 20 CFM. I cant stand when they list the...

I saw this truck on the local on line classifieds, and I really felt sorry for this guy. "1990 toyota 4x4 pickup $900" "I took my truck into the high school shop with minor engine trouble... and now it needs a new engine, I dont have the money to fix it so I have to sell it" I have also heard...

I am starting this thread to see what the stuipdest welding question is. The stupidest one I have heard is "If I hook gas up to my mig welder, can I use it as a cutting torch".

I was looking at princess auto's website, and I saw that ALL of the powerfist mig welders had an ac output. This was strange, because almost all mig welders (except princess auto and harbor frieght) are dc. Also, I recall hearing ac mig welders wont work properly, so would the powerfist and...

I am wondering how all of you bevel the edges of plate before welding. I use a 7 inch angle grinder, but there has to be a better way.

I was looking through ritchie bros archives at welders, and I saw that someone bought a lincoln idealarc 350 amp power supply without cables, FOR $15, why cant I ever find deals like that.....

I just noticed that the local KMS tools has the lincoln electric sp-180t mig on sale for $650, $150 off. I have a bit of experance with a stick welder, and really want to learn how to mig weld. I was wondering if any of you have one, and what you think of it.

i have restored a number of chainsaws from the 50s as well as a few other machines but i am wanting to restore a tractor and i am wondering how good a 8n would be as a first project.

I have a green machine backpack blower that I bought for $40 and it overheats and stalls after running for 10 minutes or more. I know that it is doing this due to it running too lean and i just have to adjust the carb. But i can't find any place on the carb to adjust it, there are no screws on...

Right now the only chainsaw I have that is less then 40 years old is a stihl 009 with the electronic chain break.:thumbsup: I have a fairly big collection of vintage logging saws but have almost no knowledge on the new 60+cc saws, and know absolutely nothing about echo products.:confused: I am...