DC stick amperage needed for general farm repairs.

[roadhunter]

Anyone know of a cheep and good 160 or so amp stick and lift arc tig welder?

I have a ESAB 161 that fits that description. I have a big 300 amp machine but I used the little 161 for just about everything. I run 7018 1/8 all the time and it does great. Everyone likes to talk about needing big welders but many don't even own rod that requires 200 amps.

 

[Ed of all trades]

I would go with at least a 200-amp welder for SMAW. It is nice to have a little safety factor with the welder. Just say you get into a project that requires you to run 5/32-inch 7018 one after the other.
In time you could pick up a Tig rig, and maybe find a good deal on an LN-25. Pretty much all your bases would be covered then.

How does the PA 200st do with the tig? I have done a good bit of gas welding but never tig. Ed

 

[Shield Arc]

How does the PA 200st do with the tig? I have done a good bit of gas welding but never tig. Ed

It does very well! I'm not use to lift arc, so I turn that off and just use scratch start. It also has a very nice arc for self shielded flux core too.

 

[ThomasH]

How many times have you heard someone say " I wish I had a lot smaller welder"??

Sure as heck not me. I have two Miller XMT 300 amp welders...

 

[mikefromnh]

As a newb to welding I bought the pa200st a couple years ago for general around the acreage stuff and a log splitter I wanted to build. I've burned a couple hundred pounds of rods with. I have had it turned up over 160 amps twice. 99% of the time it's been below 140 amps. My go to setting is 120 amp dcep for 1/8" 7018.

I did have one failure with the welder. The fan stopped working. It was a cheap computer/CPU fan. It took about 10 days for everlast to get a replacement to me and 15 minutes to swap.

If money is a concern the PA140st for 275 with the tig setup seems like a pretty good deal.

 

[mikefromnh]

I would go with at least a 200-amp welder for SMAW. It is nice to have a little safety factor with the welder. Just say you get into a project that requires you to run 5/32-inch 7018 one after the other.
In time you could pick up a Tig rig, and maybe find a good deal on an LN-25. Pretty much all your bases would be covered then.

What's a good deal on a ln 25? Everyone I've seen for sale has been in the 8-1200 range... So why not go for a powermig 200 for $800? Or does the ln 25 offer better performance?

Obviously if I could find a ln25 for 3-400 It would be worth considering.

 

[Shield Arc]

Keep an eye on ebay. I've bought two there so far. I bought this one for a friend, (he doesn't do computers) for $400.00

 

[mikefromnh]

Keep an eye on ebay. I've bought two there so far. I bought this one for a friend, (he doesn't do computers) for $400.00

I take it that it has to be a voltage sensing wire feeder? And something like this miller wouldn't work?

Miller S22-P12 Suitcase Welder

 

[Shield Arc]

Yes, it has to be voltage sensing. The LN-25s will take a 30 + pound spool of wire. In the mid 1980s Miller and Lincoln were competing with each other. I was on a project where they bought some Miller feeders. The plastic cases didn't last at all. Some of the Miller feeders the doors came off the first day. Now remember these are construction workers! I've personally seen guys break a cannon ball!:laughing:

 

[ThomasH]

I take it that it has to be a voltage sensing wire feeder? And something like this miller wouldn't work?

Miller S22-P12 Suitcase Welder

No, it would take a Miller 8VS or 12VS unit (the VS meaning voltage sensing).