Esab, Lincoln or Miller

[Code54]

I received the EASB machines and got to try it out - amazing! WOW what a difference for cheap older machines. Darn thing nearly welds by itself.

 

[chim]

I recently bought an Everlast 200STi, but have not used it enough to get familiar with it. Been using a Millermatic 175 for years and wanted a good stick machine to supplement the metalworking tools. Looking forward to getting caught up with a bunch of other work so I can get down to practicing with stick welding. Last time I did anything sizable with stick was a utility trailer build with an AC tombstone in 1990!

 

[BigNuge]

I received the EASB machines and got to try it out - amazing! WOW what a difference for cheap older machines. Darn thing nearly welds by itself.

You’ll love it. I certainly love mine, no regrets here.

 

[camshawn]

I have had a thermal arc 211i (Esab now) for about 6 yrs with no issues. My only regret is not buying the bigger one(252i). I keep doing heavier stuff.
Cam

 

[snout]

Been looking at a small multiprocess welder for the house. 110/220 Mig, Tig and stick. Mainly going to use the Mig but think I will play with the Tig some. Almost 100% mild steel so I am not concerned with Alum. Can always get a spool gun if needed.
Main question is about the welder itself.

I really like the Lincoln 210MP but am also really thinking hard about the Esab Rebel (EMP - 215). I have looked at the Miller but for some reason I am not really sold on it (I know it is a NICE machine and good quality but....)
Does anyone have any thoughts, feeling, first hand knowledge of any of these machines. Any thoughts on Esab? Their smart Arc system looks and seems great -any thoughts ?

EDIT: Of course, I missed the part where you mentioned you picked up the Esab. Congrats on the new rig. Maybe post up some photos of what you are working on :beer:

OP, I know I'm new, but I have a bit of experience with the gear you are looking at.

Boiler Plate
Full disclosure, I gravitate towards Miller for pluggy-wall-driven and Lincoln for engine driven. I have no beef with Esab, I just don't get the support from my LWS on Esab that I would need to be happy, so for me it's Red or Blue. I see Green posting on this forum, however, I wouldn't anchor a boat with their gear. I like watching Ian Johnson videos on the You Tubes. He seems to really like Esab, which is an excellent recommendation right there.

Buying a welder should not be about brand, it should be about comfort and support
If it were up to buy a multi-process rig again, I would look for these core tenants:
- Is there a local welding supply shop (LWS) that has the consumables and shielding gasses I need? Will I be left high n' dry on a weekend when I run out of consumable X?
- Is the company going to support my rig for the life of the unit or did I buy something that will be a nightmare to fix (I can tell some green stories there...)
- How does the gun / torch feel? Standing while holding the gun will tell you nothing. Lay down and do some off-angle dry runs and see if your wrists go numb.
- Can you get some actual trigger time on the unit at your LWS? Depending on where you are, that should be easy for Blue, Red or Yellow.


I know you said you weren't feeling Miller -- but why?
Multi-process inverter-based welders have come a long way in the past few years. If you are looking for a 200-class 110/240 inverter, The Miller Multimatic 215 is the gold standard. While pricey, you can outfit it with the Tig contractor pack, dual-cylinder running gear and have great Mig and Tig output. The auto set feature is great for a beginner. You will still need to grab a few coupons and test your settings, but it sure makes getting into the ballpark easy. They now ship with the MDX gun, which, for me is a bit of an annoyance, because the trigger and gun feel are not quite what I'm used to. Also, they require all new consumables, another minor sticking point for the guy who has tons of other consumables stashed away. No complaints about the Tig pedal and torch. The wire feed is top quality and accepts 8" spools.

Let's look at what I like:
- The mig wire feeder is Miller quality and is easy to adjust for small / large spools and a variety of wires
- It will accept an 8" spool for less changeouts.
- Its inverter-based, so small enough to be very portable
- The Tig pedal and torch are great. I burn a lot of tube with the Tig setup.
- I have the previous Mig gun (M-Series), which has since moved to the MDX gun. I like the older gun better. The new guns are 5' longer, which is nice.
- Setting memory is awesome. Feltpenning settings on the hood gives you more street cred, though.

What I don't like:
- The MDX 100/250 gun is not my thing. I'd need to run a few spools before getting used to it
- The autoset feature is over-kill and really doesn't replace a setting decal under the hood
- Autoset wire feed is consistently too fast. I would slow down then slow it down again
- I dislike how Miller is always doing some rebate program. Just sell the darn things for $300 less. If something is always on sale, it's not really on sale.
- Seems like Miller increases prices yearly, but never increases those rebates. Again, annoying.


My current welder hen-house includes:
- Systematics (Snap-On) MM250SL -- Yes, I paid full price. You can swap guns to get access to normal-price consumables.
- Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 -- When I need to run stick...
- Millermatic 252 w/ MDX 250 gun (I'm still adjusting to the gun but 15' is cool)
- Multimatic 215 w/ Tig setup (I use this for tube pretty much exclusively)
- Lincoln Ranger 305G (Put it in my truck to impress the ladies of agriculture)

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

EDIT: Of course, I missed the part where you mentioned you picked up the Esab. Congrats on the new rig. Maybe post up some photos of what you are working on :beer:

OP, I know I'm new, but I have a bit of experience with the gear you are looking at.

Boiler Plate
Full disclosure, I gravitate towards Miller for pluggy-wall-driven and Lincoln for engine driven. I have no beef with Esab, I just don't get the support from my LWS on Esab that I would need to be happy, so for me it's Red or Blue. I see Green posting on this forum, however, I wouldn't anchor a boat with their gear.

Buying a welder should not be about brand, it should be about comfort and support
If it were up to buy a multi-process rig again, I would look for these core tenants:
- Is there a local welding supply shop (LWS) that has the consumables and shielding gasses I need? Will I be left high n' dry on a weekend when I run out of consumable X?
- Is the company going to support my rig for the life of the unit or did I buy something that will be a nightmare to fix (I can tell some green stories there...)
- How does the gun / torch feel? Standing while holding the gun will tell you nothing. Lay down and do some off-angle dry runs and see if your wrists go numb.
- Can you get some actual trigger time on the unit at your LWS? Depending on where you are, that should be easy for Blue, Red or Yellow.


I know you said you weren't feeling Miller -- but why?
Multi-process inverter-based welders have come a long way in the past few years. If you are looking for a 200-class 110/240 inverter, The Miller Multimatic 215 is the gold standard. While pricey, you can outfit it with the Tig contractor pack, dual-cylinder running gear and have great Mig and Tig output. The auto set feature is great for a beginner. You will still need to grab a few coupons and test your settings, but it sure makes getting into the ballpark easy. They now ship with the MDX gun, which, for me is a bit of an annoyance, because the trigger and gun feel are not quite what I'm used to. Also, they require all new consumables, another minor sticking point for the guy who has tons of other consumables stashed away. No complaints about the Tig pedal and torch. The wire feed is top quality and accepts 8" spools.

Let's look at what I like:
- The mig wire feeder is Miller quality and is easy to adjust for small / large spools and a variety of wires
- It will accept an 8" spool for less changeouts.
- Its inverter-based, so small enough to be very portable
- The Tig pedal and torch are great. I burn a lot of tube with the Tig setup.
- I have the previous Mig gun (M-Series), which has since moved to the MDX gun. I like the older gun better. The new guns are 5' longer, which is nice.
- Setting memory is awesome. Feltpenning settings on the hood gives you more street cred, though.

What I don't like:
- The MDX 100/250 gun is not my thing. I'd need to run a few spools before getting used to it
- The autoset feature is over-kill and really doesn't replace a setting decal under the hood
- Autoset wire feed is consistently too fast. I would slow down then slow it down again
- I dislike how Miller is always doing some rebate program. Just sell the darn things for $300 less. If something is always on sale, it's not really on sale.
- Seems like Miller increases prices yearly, but never increases those rebates. Again, annoying.


My current welder hen-house includes:
- Systematics (Snap-On) MM250SL -- Yes, I paid full price. You can swap guns to get access to normal-price consumables.
- Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 -- When I need to run stick...
- Millermatic 252 w/ MDX 250 gun (I'm still adjusting to the gun but 15' is cool)
- Multimatic 215 w/ Tig setup (I use this for tube pretty much exclusively)
- Lincoln Ranger 305G (Put it in my truck to impress the ladies of agriculture)

What's your beef with Everlast? There are literally hundreds of customers here on this site that are now Everlast owners. If we weren't supporting our products like we should, I can tell you that you'd hear about it. We are still supporting units from 2009. The old 210EXT with 2 knobs is an exception since the factory we were producing in shut down. But this has happened to Lincoln as well very recently.
To set the record straight, Everlast pioneered and has perfected the multi-process MIG/TIG/Stick unit in the US. The Multi-matic 215 is rather minimalist in what it has to offer and is no where close to the "gold standard",particularly, since it doesn't even have HF start capabability.

 

[Code54]

I been using the Esab a bunch recently and am VERY happy with it. Again, I fully believe the Esab, Miller and Lincoln area all great units and I had support available so for me that wasn't an issue. I liked that the Esab came with the Tig torch and was several hundred less with rebates so it was heard to pass up.

 

[snout]

What's your beef with Everlast? There are literally hundreds of customers here on this site that are now Everlast owners. If we weren't supporting our products like we should, I can tell you that you'd hear about it. We are still supporting units from 2009. The old 210EXT with 2 knobs is an exception since the factory we were producing in shut down. But this has happened to Lincoln as well very recently.
To set the record straight, Everlast pioneered and has perfected the multi-process MIG/TIG/Stick unit in the US. The Multi-matic 215 is rather minimalist in what it has to offer and is no where close to the "gold standard",particularly, since it doesn't even have HF start capabability.

No beef sir, I learned my lesson dealing with Everlast long ago....
The reputations of "you get what you pay for" and "buyer beware" are earned and do not appear out of thin air.
As for this thread, I rather not turn it into a bash-fest. A simple Google search should help any prospect make an informed decision whether or not they should part ways with their hard-earned money.

But while we're still chewing the rag here...
It must be absolutely exhausting defending your brand on all these different forums. Ain't never seen Blue, Red or Yellow have to do that. They must have it all wrong.

Anyhoo, back to chorin'

 

[dragoneggs]

No beef sir, I learned my lesson dealing with Everlast long ago....
The reputations of "you get what you pay for" and "buyer beware" are earned and do not appear out of thin air.
As for this thread, I rather not turn it into a bash-fest. A simple Google search should help any prospect make an informed decision whether or not they should part ways with their hard-earned money.

But while we're still chewing the rag here...
It must be absolutely exhausting defending your brand on all these different forums. Ain't never seen Blue, Red or Yellow have to do that. They must have it all wrong.

Anyhoo, back to chorin'

I don't know Mark nor do I have experience with Everlast. Blue happens to be the color of my current MIG welder. I have found Mark to be informative and good at educating newbies on features and benefits similarities/differences regardless of color. Even though he is clearly tagged as an advertiser I wouldn't say he dwells on 'defending' his brand. My :2cents:

 

[user.69169]

Seems like last 10 years or so don't make a whole lot of difference what color a welding machine is, dey all got problems, and in my humble opinion as a Cajun and welding school Dean, most them problems originate with total misunderstanding between manufacturer and user. Add in Engineers, SALESMEN, and dreamers who morph into weldibaters riding home from der office in dat electric car really connected to de coal mine dat makes electric to charge it, and you got a mess.

Then pile on dat de manufacturer made a machine designed to work wid a robot and sold it to a dreamer who bought not having a clue what he needed based mainly on price point after talking to some guy ain't been out of his jammies in months who dropshipped direct from de warehouse full of China made products including sex toys, and you got a high problem potential.
What you ain't got any more is de fellow at Local Welding Supplier who took machine out de box, put de right plug on it and checked de machine out cause every dang manufacturer eliminated final inspection to shave price.
Add in don't much matter who built de machine, UPS, FedEx, DHL and that ocean voyage probably shook somthin loose along de ride. You got no idea de forces and impacts a box ridin in a truck are subjected to.
Lets not forget dem wonderful plastic Warranty Timers every manufacturer puts in the build often called zip ties.

You go over to the official Miller forum and by far de most popular post is My Machine Broke and nobody will fix it for free. Second most popular is de PC Board in my machine burned up and a new board costs more den a Chinee machine, and it might burn up too.
Just too much PC in all dem machines for dis old man. Kind of reminds me of when I hauled dem big TV/radio/record players between customer houses and de TV shop. De rule of boxes says you put too much junk in any box something gonna fail and you ain't even got a radio.

(removed)'s RULE- I can't fix it or get it fixed in 20 miles, I ain't buyin it!
How long does it take to eat up what you saved buyin warehouse direct from dat fellow in his jammies to get spent shipping back and forth to de place claims dey fixed it? Dat's exactly why so many machines holdin down shelves instead of welding.