220V Plused spray MIG welders?

   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #61  
But could you get the prices as a walk in? As a small user? Are you coat tailing to get it at the cost you mentioned? The guy could build the trailers no problem but the issue is cost and profit. Gonna do all this work to get the stuff to build one for himself? Find 3 others to buy one like it?
The real way to save money on a trailer is to keep eye open and buy used. Even then new ready made is really competitive. I build once in a while but usually with free stuff and for specific purpose. The aqusition, the material, the prep the design, all costly for 1 off. Different if a guy doesnt care how long it takes or what it cost. Avg guy would be difficult to do it in 100$ in gas and wire even if he was thrifty.
Just like the welding machines you sell. Couldnt put it together at 50 cents an hour if you found all the parts for free.
 
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #62  
I would like to test a 150 class from you guys. I dont need it but I get asked a lot about recommendation and I really think that machine is revolutionary due to some of the features and the cost. I have heard good things. Especially in relatively recent times. I had a bud bought one similar in a different country, he is not a career welder but said it worked well and was some super cheap price.
Lots of stuff inflates in cost, this had dramatically deflated, lots of tools like that. If you would have told me 20 yrs ago that my go to battery dri;ll would cost 50$ now I would have said fos. The cost has probably stabilized but the modern tools are now so good and cheap that doesnt make much economic or use sense to chase up brands names for a lot of it and so many good clones now available of elite that much is now at disposable pricing really.
Some places cost is not so sensitive but cant think of a single reason I need that tool truck to ghet something that works can be bought for 20 cents on the dollar, some 10 cents and some as low as 5 we beat the snot out of with a 4# hammer still works just dandy. Lots of it now has long service history,,,,,, wayyyyy better than when we got it in the middle of a bind or thought it might sit in re,mote boxes, it blended in and a lot of it has become the go to tools. Some of the best adjustables I own are flea or ATD level. Used to be flea tools were India junk but now they are simply white box and snatched off the line before they were brand stamped and packed for other sales venues.
The BD 4 1/2 grinder is as good as the yellow bastards I broke a whole garage full of, 1/3 the cost and as good or better when one considers the cost + the3 fact never need to fix the fuggin cords on them.
 
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #63  
At this point would have been glad to give a 150 a spin. When I bought my Max the MVP had just came out and the green were just starting and some of the others were having some growing pains but,,,,,, it would have been neat to get it 25% the cost for sure, makes for great return even with minor work, now have all the features. Doubt a user could ever tell them apart.
 
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #64  
I remember when HF showed up, a bud had a catalog and bought that stuff and seems had to pretty much fix everything before you used it. Import welders were a bit like that, the things kinda worked but the build quality was poor. The finish on that green machine looks fantastic.
I got a Bud bought one or similar. He should have bought 2 and still should buy another but has poured gobs in to old used sale junk that never did work right and even at charge card prices should have bought a new small engine drive.
Anyway, bought a import, not sure which one but worked super good. I actually told him to as I recall and had all the what if questions. Its a straw argument but still hear all about the what if reasoning. Anyway, runs the living snot out of it in a small welding biz he makes his living from. Use dit every day. Had it about 5 years and it pukes up a part, I cant recall but he calls and wants to know anyone can fix it. Was maybe 350 for repairs if it worked to this well worn machine and it was really tuff to splain to this really smart guy that he could stock every part for it for 600 or 650, thats what I told him.. Youi can get ity all brand new,,,,,all put together, 5 years newer, under warranty, great warranty, pot odds hundreds better than a lottery ticket, all packed in a box plug it in.
For his purpose at the time he paid 500 to do what a 5K Miller would do for him. Cost him a 100 a year. Miller would have to last 50 years at that rate and bought with yesterdays dollars assuming you had it then to start with.
 
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #65  
Had a salesman stand there face to face about trade in value...Made it sould like a bargain to get 5K more for it in 10 years if I wanted to sell it if I spent 10k more today. Remember the old argument against Dodge, its trade book was a few hundred less,,, for a truck you paid 3K more for when you bought it.
I have heard the same about the Snap tools, if I buy this for 300 today it will be worth 150 used when I retire in 35 yrs,,, well I have seen beat to snot HF wrenches with the good ones missing sell for more than new at auction. Could replace a 150 inverter every time the warranty was up for 100 a year. I bet the majority of them will still be working 10 from now.
 
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #66  
Same for Stanly and some of that turd Cman, but the Stanley for sure, brutal tuff, sold at Walmart, if I had to start over wouldnt even bother buying "good" tools. So many outlets today its often easier to let them shelf it or order till its needed and buy adequate and useful over bling first and a guy isnt out much if it does go south or leave/lost. Not even worth insuring. I bought a DC buzzer for 100 less than retail in 83 maybe, 82 and gave up 225$ with some lead and a couple connectors. A 150 Everlast cost new today less than the regular retail then and does the same work even better in some sense,,,, this has got to be the ultimate in return on investment for tool cost, has skyrocketed the math.
 
Last edited:
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #67  
Has reduced operating cost from engine drive in so many places that its really revolutionary, fuel, maintenance, weight, dollars on the shelf or behind the seat.
Was a chore the other day to do a little handrail and the helper says, weld it in place vs pre engineer it all. We would have grabbed a forklift and got a machine but there is an outlet 6 ft and a machine weighs 11 pounds makes a lot of difference. Only down side is the engine is idle another day and wouldnt hurt it a lick to run it once in a while but this has so retired most of them dont even keep batteries in them anymore.
I had a portable the other day and took 1/2 day to fix one up to do 1 hr work,,, ha
 
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #68  
But could you get the prices as a walk in? As a small user? Are you coat tailing to get it at the cost you mentioned? The guy could build the trailers no problem but the issue is cost and profit. Gonna do all this work to get the stuff to build one for himself? Find 3 others to buy one like it?
The real way to save money on a trailer is to keep eye open and buy used. Even then new ready made is really competitive. I build once in a while but usually with free stuff and for specific purpose. The aqusition, the material, the prep the design, all costly for 1 off. Different if a guy doesnt care how long it takes or what it cost. Avg guy would be difficult to do it in 100$ in gas and wire even if he was thrifty.
Just like the welding machines you sell. Couldnt put it together at 50 cents an hour if you found all the parts for free.

No. I walk in. But first I shop around on the phone...and compare and not shy about telling them I think it is too high, if it is too high. I figure out what I need and figure out how much waste I have and what I can use it for for other projects, or if it is worth it to build two. People automatically assume that these places won't deal with them or offer a better price. A lot of times they like to give the small guys a break, as it could be their future "business". My guys deliver for free if I have 150.00 worth of steel. I had a young guy fresh out of welding school, with some decent skills just turn 3 grand on a trailer after costs. I told him where and how to look for materials. Yes, he had initially found much higher prices, and I told him where to look and what to look for. If you can't make 30% on a trailer, something is really wrong. You should be able to double your money at least, but 30% is doable without much sweat. For example, I have built a lot of 5x10 equipment trailers with mesh bottoms. Cost is about 550 (give or take) dollars, and I sell them between 900 and 1100 dollars depending upon the exact equipment on it.
 
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #69  
Are you in the business of selling trailers, is it a hobby? There is always other reasons people quit doing it, I think there is a guy on GJ does this out of his garage. He been at it in a while and I never asked him any math. I have met him at my place but dont recall if it was full time, wife works etc, just dont know the details.
I had a bud tried it a while had a full shop and already operating, I think they saw it as supplemental and could afford it, they dropped it and saw a setup they did later where they bought a trailer and tossed the stuff on. You couldnt buy steel any lower than they could.
I saw another local outfit go all to trailers but he came up with some more semi custom scheme to fit big azz boats and semi know another gave up their field work to fuss with some kind or trailer work for the tourists etc. Works in his shop and hasnt taken a site call in a decade. Both were successful before they wedged their way in to the trailer biz.
I have heard the math about like you describe, I can see putting it together for a bud here and there but the juice before and after gets thinner with the associated cost. Could add up depending on the circumstances. Not saying it will but its something to consider.
Its a little like the welding machine, somewhat but slightly different margins that cant be turned in to multiples. Toss a bunch of parts on the table at wholesale cost and then figure out how much a guy could put together a welder for if he did it for nothing. Then the machine only cost 55$ and the rest is all profit???? It sold for 250. In this case technology has driven down the cost, there was a limit you could buy raw materials for and it took a certain amount to work right.
 
   / 220V Plused spray MIG welders? #70  
I understand wanting to promote the ability to earn with the machines and appreciate the competition brought to this market. In fact I think the value of it is near revolutionary really,,, the ability to do this work at this cost is fantastic. Welding machines have always been a fair value, they really are and were historically and prices remained rather stagnate since 90s anyway and the new imports kept a lid ion it with another few bricks.
I havnt ever used one of your machines but i got to figure from some pretty reliable testimony the value and dependability has rocketed. I bought most of mine way before this curve and simply dont need any more but the price and the value, the quality, the risk reward is huge in favor of the end user in this line of equipment. Its in the entertainment disposable cost range for a machine can produce professional results. Same way for cameras, very similar to the modern welding machine and particularly the import clones. Really doubt most professionals could tell them apart from the results.
 
 
Top