SMALL portable welder needed. . .suggestions?

[ScottV]

Ok Bob I have more info on the Maxstar 150S
I am sure some other people will ring in too.

I hope I get info this good when my girlfriend buys her tractor!!
She wants a Koiti DK 40 But I think I have her talked into a DK45S
I also liked the Branson 4220 I looked at. I will ask these questions in the right forum.

http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/showthread.php?p=24179#post24179

 

[daedong]

Bob,
Over the years i have done a lot of welding. Unfortunately things are a little different there. However i have just browsed the miller site and i think this unit web page would suit what you have described you need. It has the added advantage of dual power that widens its use. I would suggest that you run flux wire unless you have a particular job in mind and then run solid wire and gas.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

For the price difference between the DVI and the PASSPORT, it seems like the small added cost of the PASSPORT would be worth the money to me. But I still consider both of these to be more than I was hoping to spend. And for the most part, I don't consider the DVI (and some of the other welders) to be SMALL or PORTABLE.

To me, small means I can lift it up a ladder. Portable means I can put it in the trunk of one of my convertibles. When I have to carry gas tanks or when the welder is on wheels, then any reasonable definitions of small or portable is being stretched. Early on in the thread is a link to a Century Welder, that is what I have now, I'd like to step up from there, but for the repair tasks it would be used for, many of these other welders are simply too large or heavy for use in my warehouse.

Is there anything else like the Century unit on the market?
Or some alternative to the Miller Passport?

 

[Tevi]

That is why I reccomended it.I feel that when you buy you will not be dissapointed.There is no match to the Passport.If its for work can't you write it off.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Yup, it is for work. And I can write it off. I just don't know that it makes good business sense to pay so much for something that is used to make infrequent emergency repairs. It would be sort of like buying a tow truck along with a car, just in case I broke down on the side of the road. I could do it, but I'd have a real hard time justifying it. I think I need to look over some of our repair bills from the welding service, if they are high enough, and if the repairs could be done in house, then it would be worth it.

 

[Tevi]

You have said you want this for repair but once you realize at how nice it is may it be considered for modification's or other possible projects.Figure what a welder gets in your area per hour and figure 1 hour minimum charge x repairs per year.For a quick off the top of the head calculations and you'll realize how it will pay off

 

[Jagmandave]

Can someone explain spray arc welding to me? The bead in that pic is amazing! And I thought I could lay down a nice bead with my Lincoln Mig..............

 

[MadReferee]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Can someone explain spray arc welding to me? The bead in that pic is amazing! And I thought I could lay down a nice bead with my Lincoln Mig.............. )</font>

Typically used for thinner materials and using a 98% argon 2% CO2 gas mixture using a machine in the 250+ amp range. You effectively "spray" the wire material onto the base material instead of short circuiting it onto the base material.

To get a full explanation, go to the link below. You can page forward or backwards using the control at the bottom of the page.

How Spray Arc works

 

[ScottV]

Here is one done with a Maxstar 150 SLH

Pretty depressing really. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

All this talk about welding machines made me upgrade
to another unit. It has more features then a Maxstar does.
They charge for them too. Luckily I Have a friend that
works at a welding store. I traded my 230 volt tig for this
120/230 unit. These units sell for $1650 for the machine only
and he worked a deal for $1,000.00
The advantage this machine has over the passport, rods are much cheaper then wire if you need to weld something special.


http://tinyurl.com/aodzf

 

[Wannafish]

The company I work for just purchased an ESAB Pulse Spray Arc Welder for welding thin (.125" to .060") aluminum. We are using 99.995% pure argon and so far it is everything they advertise.

 

[SCDolphin]

OK I am in the same boat.........would like a welder that would work with 120 or 240 volts but after reading this I am not sure which is the best choice. So which is it??

Thanks

 

[Bob_Skurka]

<font color="green">
OK I am in the same boat.........would like a welder that would work with 120 or 240 volts but after reading this I am not sure which is the best choice. So which is it?? </font>


I think it is the Miller Passport.

At least I hope it is, I just talked with the salesman at the welding supply company and pretty much cut a deal on a Miller Passport (he has to answer one minor question before I will commit).

The DVI would be a bit cheaper, but I can't imagine we could get it into some places we need to get it into. I'd say if absolute portability is not critical, then the DVI would be a good welder to look at too.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

txdon, I just ordered my Passport from Indiana Oxygen today. Got a new auto darkening helmet, an extra CO2 cylinder and a couple extra spools of various size wire. Its all in stock so I'll have it next week.

Since you are a couple days ahead of me with the Passport, have you had a chance to try yours yet? What say you?

 

[txdon]

Bob, my Passport is better than the demo model at the show. I must have better electricity in Lee County. It will weld everything the specifications stated with a crisp spark and pretty bead. I like the fact that it is 115 and 230V. It runs good on the cabin plug and for the 3/8" it sizzles on the 230v generator.

 

[firtol88]

I'll be on the lookout for more updates. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

 

[hobbyfarm]

Now, THAT'S a purty bead! /forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Good news: My Passport arrived, along with a new auto-darkening helmet, two spools of wire and one extra CO2 bottle.


Bad news: I don't have time this weekend to play with it, the lovely Mrs_Bob has my weekend all lined up with real work (mostly involving tractors).

 

[txdon]

Bob, have you had a chance to use the Passport? I was wanting to know if you used a large or small roll of wire. If you used the small roll, what order did you put the brass and fiber washers to keep tension on the roll? Thanks.

 

[Bob_Skurka]

Don, despite the frequency of my posts indicating that I have too much time on my hands, the opposite it true. . . it is my busy season at work and home life is busy as heck too. So sadly all my new toys are sitting in a corner in my office. I opened the box but that is as far as I got. In addition to getting the welder I've got the Snow Trac running last week, have been sourcing light fixtures for the new garage/shop that is under construction, pulled the Avanti out of storage and got that fired up recently, working with the sub contractors who are remodeling the house, planting a 2+ acre garden, planning 3 trips for the summer, one out of the country, and working with a girl scout troop in New York to organize shipping cases of Girl Scout cookies to a base in Iraq for our soldiers . . . and I still don't have our pool open for the summer yet!!! /forums/images/graemlins/frown.gif

 

[daedong]

Bob

So what a you doing to fill in your time /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif