Stick welding question

[deereman75]

I know they were very popular in the 1980s. Are you going to buy one?

I am really considering it. They still make virtually the same welders now, sold as arcon. I know a number of people on weldingweb use them, and they all say it is a really good machine. Do you have any other recomendations?

 

[rankrank1]

I am really considering it. They still make virtually the same welders now, sold as arcon....

Are you sure it is virtually the same welder now? Seems I rember reading somewhere that Miller actually bought the PowConn's out and used them as the basis for their first generation Inverter platforms.

 

[Shield Arc]

Do you have any other recomendations?

Well yeah! :laughing:

 

[deereman75]

Are you sure it is virtually the same welder now? Seems I rember reading somewhere that Miller actually bought the PowConn's out and used them as the basis for their first generation Inverter platforms.

Yep. Miller bought powcon. In the late 90s the founder of powcon started making arcon welders, using the same technology as the old powcons. (this was after the patents expired) They are build exactly the same as the old powcons. Here is a link to their site. ARCON Welding - Portable Arc Welding Equipment

 

[rankrank1]

Yep. Miller bought powcon. In the late 90s the founder of powcon started making arcon welders, using the same technology as the old powcons. (this was after the patents expired) They are build exactly the same as the old powcons. Here is a link to their site. ARCON Welding - Portable Arc Welding Equipment

Cool site. I quickly scanned through their design philosophy's and principles. I like it when companies such as this share their logic and reasoning on why they built it like they did.

Unfortunately, The prices eliminate me from this market of welder although I am not sure what the older used PowCon's sell for that you are looking at.

Equipment like this is designed for a true welding professional or shop who is going to produce something to sell - or in other words actually make money with the machine or welding profession.

 

[deereman75]

Well yeah! :laughing:

Any recomendations about $3000 less then that? :laughing: I dont mind waiting for a while until I get enough cash for something good, I live by the policies ''buy it once'' and ''find the most you will ever need, and get the next model up'' :laughing: Another machine I have been thinking of is a used miller xmt 304. The only reason I am looking at inverters is I am short on space, and only have 30 amps of power. I always prefer old tools, and if my current shop wasnt the size of a garden shed, with 30 amp power I woudnt even think about getting an inverter. Something more like this.

Or this.

Oh well, just a few more years until I move out, and set up my own shop.

 

[deereman75]

Cool site. I quickly scanned through their design philosophy's and principles. I like it when companies such as this share their logic and reasoning on why they built it like they did.

Unfortunately, The prices eliminate me from this market of welder although I am not sure what the older PowCon's sell for that you are lookig at go for.

Equipment like this is designed for a true welding professional or shop who is going to produce something to sell - or in other words actually make money with the machine or welding profession.

I often see 300 amp powcon stick welders on ebay for around $500-$700. Still a fair bit, but within reason for a serious hobbiest.

 

[Shield Arc]

I've heard the XMT-304s are really good. I have a Miller 330A/BP very nice 7018 arc, but one power hog, I had mine on a 90-amp breaker. I've used several Idealarc over the years, another great machine, but again a power hog!
I know at your age money is tight. So you really need to buy used. Any good reliable DC machine will work for your learning process. It's not needed but it's still very nice to have digital readout. If you can't find a good used name brand machine for under a few hundred dollars, you just can't beat the arc on that PowerArc 200.

 

[rankrank1]

...I couldn't bring myself to get rid of it, so it's parked so far back in the barn it would take a week for me to crawl back there....

Well if you get bored in your retirement, and would like an extremely low cost project to allieveate the boredom. I certainly would like to see some pictures of fresh stick weld beads on both AC power and DC power using that little Montgomery Wards (Century) buzzbox on some scraps that you have lying around.

Most of us are envious of all the professional grade shop equipment that you have - welders, saws, vertical mill, plasma, etc. While I do not think the Montgomery Wards/Century is necessarily a bad machine. I do think it is a slight notch below a Lincoln AC225/DC125 tombstone buzzbox or Miller Thunderbolt AC225/DC150 buzzbox which are both arguably two of the most popular welders of all time. Many of us still use machines like any of these three due to both their affordability and durability.

In short, posting welds (and hammer bend tests if time permits) from that Montgomery Wards/Century machine would be quite helpful to hacks like me.

 

[Shield Arc]

While I do not think the Montgomery Wards/Century is necessarily a bad machine. I do think it is a slight notch below a Lincoln AC225/DC125 tombstone buzzbox or Miller Thunderbolt AC225/DC150 buzzbox

You really think so? I never thought of it that way.
Be interesting to see if that old girl still works! I wonder if those lead lugs will even unscrew from that machine? I know for a fact that machine has never been on AC so I don't know if it ever worked on AC. I bought that machine new, because I had to practice for an upcoming 6-G test. Last time I used it was to see if it would work on that generator, that must have been about 10 years ago.