MIG Welder for Beginner/Light Use

[ArlyA]

So I just read all 12 pages of actually rather interesting comments. I don't have a mig but am interested. I certainly don't need one but it would be nice. I'd be more interested in a multi process welder but just a plain mig would be ok too.

One observation that sticks out is that there was only one comment so far on an Everlast welder. Why? They are a sponsor on this site. Does nobody buy their products or are they too expensive?

I posted a review of our Everlast in a different thread. I like it, don't like the controls setup all that well but it's still a good machine that I'd buy again. One thing I really like it's higher weld amps than the folks here mention. I'd never ever get a 115v machine.

 

[5030]

Here's a review of the Amico I posted here. It references more details I posted over on Muhammad's Welding Site.

That site is about as dead as a rusty nail lately...

 

[5030]

I also have an Everlast product but not a welder. I bought their 'water' cooler for my CK series 17 flex head TIG torch with superflex leads. It's a well executed cooler with a real bronze (cast) pump and not a wannabe sprayer pump and the coolant tank is very large as well and it's much less expensive than say a Weld Tech cooler or a Lincoln or a Miller for that matter. Only downside I can see is it has a puke green cabinet. When it arrived there was shipping damage (the quick connect return fitting was bent and leaked but Everlast sent me a new one, no issue.

I don't own any of their machines but I'd not be hesitant to buy one anyway.

 

[California]

... only one comment so far on an Everlast welder. Why? They are a sponsor on this site. Does nobody buy their products or are they too expensive?

Several posters have inquired about HF's Titanium series, in particular the 110 volt 125 Flux.

Only recently has HF started offering pro-quality anything. If these posters are asking about HF gear, then they aren't willing to pay the price for pro gear like 5050 does. They are defining themselves as a typical HF customer, a DIY type or other class of amateur, likely hobbyist, in most cases a beginner who doesn't know what he needs.

Everlast is in the pro category, at some multiple more expensive than what HF is known for. (Just recently HF has moved up to offering welders competitive in specs to the traditional vendors. Suspicions remain whether these units will have the manufacturer support long-term that the traditionals do).

That site is about as dead as a rusty nail lately...

Yep. You and I seem to do 90% of the replies when someone wanders in there.
I still feel an obligation to check in there occasionally because I was the one who told M about WeldingWeb going dark, with potentially a lot of orphan posters out there who might migrate to a new site if he established one.

But then months later WW got sold and came back online. The folks who need to talk about their pro shops and their pro gear resumed posting to one another over there.

 

[5030]

I post on there infrequently.

Far as HF offering pro grade machines, they do and I have 2 and they are both IGBT machines and still cost less than the mainstream stuff like Lincoln, Miller, ESAB and Fronius.

I have no issue with the 'pro grade' HF machines, in fact I find them to be more weldor friendly that the others, but then you'll never find a Chicago Electric welder in my shop, simply because I don't do 110 machines and they have to be capable of delivering substantial amperage at a reasonable duty cycle.

 

[ArlyA]

Several posters have inquired about HF's Titanium series, in particular the 110 volt 125 Flux.

Only recently has HF started offering pro-quality anything. If these posters are asking about HF gear, then they aren't willing to pay the price for pro gear like 5050 does. They are defining themselves as a typical HF customer, a DIY type or other class of amateur, likely hobbyist, in most cases a beginner who doesn't know what he needs.

Everlast is in the pro category, at some multiple more expensive than what HF is known for. (Just recently HF has moved up to offering welders competitive in specs to the traditional vendors. Suspicions remain whether these units will have the manufacturer support long-term that the traditionals do).


Yep. You and I seem to do 90% of the replies when someone wanders in there.
I still feel an obligation to check in there occasionally because I was the one who told M about WeldingWeb going dark, with potentially a lot of orphan posters out there who might migrate to a new site if he established one.

But then months later WW got sold and came back online. The folks who need to talk about their pro shops and their pro gear resumed posting to one another over there.

Gee, I never thought of my Everlast as a pro machine.

 

[newbury]

Gee, when I bought my EVERLAST PowerArc300 300A IGBT ARC Stick Welder for $269 back in 2014 it was less than HF's offering in the same size.

Everlast is in the pro category, at some multiple more expensive than what HF is known for.

 

[California]

I don't know anything about Everlast, beyond 5050 buys their stuff for work that is more rigorous than what amateurs inquiring in this thread are likely to do.

Keep in mind the thread title:
MIG Welder for Beginner/Light Use

 

[paulsharvey]

So I just read all 12 pages of actually rather interesting comments. I don't have a mig but am interested. I certainly don't need one but it would be nice. I'd be more interested in a multi process welder but just a plain mig would be ok too.

One observation that sticks out is that there was only one comment so far on an Everlast welder. Why? They are a sponsor on this site. Does nobody buy their products or are they too expensive?

From what I can tell, Everlast is over priced for what niche they fall into. Well lower brand than Hobart/Lincoln; and frankly, lower than Vulcan; but priced high compared to the lower tier. Just my opinion

 

[paulsharvey]

Also, Longevity and Everlast, same-same, both kinda over priced, pro-sumer kinda stuff.

 

[5030]

The guys (and gals) on the Welding Web forum rave about Everlast. Candidly, I don't but in their defense I will say their TIG cooler was reasonably priced, got fast shipping and they replaced the bent Quick disconnect fitting promptly and without hassle. All their offerings are made in China far as I can tell. My TIG cooler was. Even stated that on the inside of the cabinet, but then Miller and Lincoln are now sourcing most of their components from across the pond as well and Hobart is completely made in rice land.

I'm waiting for Hobart to go completely IGBT as it's much more energy efficient and much less expensive to produce. Everything HF sells (other than their bargain basement Chicago 110 volt welder is IGBT). My only issue with any IGBT machine is, they really aren't user fixable. You need sophisticated electronic measurement machines and a good knowledge of electronics to even work on them which is why I always opt for the HF extended warranty. If it breaks for any reason, HF just replaces it with a new machine and if they no longer sell your machine, they replace it with a higher grade machine and your old clunker gets relegated to the 'scratch and dent' table or winds up in their dumpster. I positively run the 'bags' out of my Vulcan Pro-Tig and both the Titanium plasma cutters. They all get run hard almost every day. Especially the 65 amp cutter than is coupled to my Shop Saber plasma table. When I go to HF, I make a beeline for the plasma torch consumables and usually buy all they have on the shelf. I can 'wail' through consumables when I'm running a production job on the table, especially in thicker material but it's still much cheaper than the Hyper Therm consumables that the machine I sold was. Like about 75% less cost. I did like the HT 'Fine Cut consumables but kerf isn't an issue on most jobs I run anyway.