Thoughts on buying an old Airco welder?

Bill_C · May 5, 2006

I've occassionally needed a welder with a little more oomph than my trusty old Lincoln Weldpak 100 wire feed...(but at the moment I can't quite swing the $400 for a new Hobart Stickmate AC/DC at Tractor Supply)...Anyhow, there's an old Airco that I'm going to look at tomorrow, listed at $100. (Supposedly this is 220V input, and AC/DC, just needs a little paint).

Worth $100??? Perhaps, if it worked perfectly (despite needing paint) and if it had welding leads...But Airco hasn't sold welders in years, so parts are probably unobtainable. Even if it doesn't need repair, if it doesn't have any leads, that's another $100 (gee, the new Hobart at least comes with clamps, rod holder, and leads)...

Anybody have any thoughts on old Airco welders? If it were an older Lincoln or Miller AC/DC, I'd be less hesitant, but to me, ancient welders aren't "vintage" or "collectible", they're inefficient (and very heavy).

Farwell · May 5, 2006

Can't hurt to check it out it may turn out to be a jewel.
Welcome to TBN
Farwell

BloomingtonMike · May 6, 2006

You could always try craigsist for possible deals as well and also local garage sales?

I bought a 1965 Lincoln IdealArc 250 and love it. You are right though very very heavy.

bobodu · May 6, 2006

( ancient welders aren't "vintage" or "collectible", they're inefficient (and very heavy).

)

They are heavy for a reason....duty cycle!!!
People alway worry about getting parts....back then things were made to last...proabaly never need a part.I'd give a hundred for the Airco and not a dime a Hobart!!!!

Bill_C · May 6, 2006

Well I looked at it, and it was in very poor condition. Some knobs were complely broken, switches missing, the paint had completely faded off the entire front face, internals looked damaged.

So I respectfully passed, I would like another welder, not another project.

Farwell · May 6, 2006

Bob,
I am looking for feedback on Hobart. From your post it looks like you have had some problems with Hobart. I have been looking at the Hobart 10K Champion welder/generator but have not been able to get any comments on the Internet either way.
I will appreciate any information either way on Hobart.
Thanks.
Farwell

bobodu · May 6, 2006

( Bob,
I am looking for feedback on Hobart. From your post it looks like you have had some problems with Hobart. )

I guess I outta tell you that my only experience is with an $1100 Hobart MIG the company bought to replace the Lincoln they had...the owner took it home because he built a place to keep it...ratfink!!
Just not impressed with it at all...wimpy comes to mind.Slow feed on the trigger pull,plugs up constantly,inconsistant feed...just a few things I don't like.Except for the little Lincolns...I'll take red one over a purple one any day.Ever wonder why you don't see many service trucks with Hobarts?
Yes...I am aware of the Hobart/Miller connection....I'm sure some Hobart guys will come along a tell us how helpful,friendly,courtious,kind....etc. their machine is and I admit I can be narrowminded...but the experience was/is bad enough for me to turn my back on the whole line.

Farwell · May 6, 2006

Bob,
Thanks for getting back to me.
I have a Hobart mig set up that I bought 10 years ago and I have the same complaints that you have. I just chalked it up to my inexperience.
I am going to do a lot more research before I buy a combination welder-generator.
Farwell

Taylortractornut · May 7, 2006

The plant we landfill for Tiffin motor homes has about fifty airco from when they started back in the early seventies. They are pretty good and most are ac/dc. Check around in a few trader papers theres alot of bargains in stick welders.

markct · May 7, 2006

just a word about old welders, while there are junk and gems just like with anything, most older welders are pretty reliable and most parts are more or less off the shelf parts for a competent welding shop. i have a lincoln ac/dc 500 amp welder i bought for a $100 when i was 14, its the best money i ever spent, its heavy, weighs around 900 lbs, and didnt come with leads, but it will weld all day at 200 amps and not even warm up, try that with a little hobart or lincoln and ya will be buying another, the older big heavy welders have the duty cycle ya need for long heavy welding and air arcing, cant air arc with a little buzz box, just doesnt have the amperage or duty cycle needed. i recently picked up a lincoln ac/dc 300 amp welder that i am going to start using instead, just because it has more adjustment in the lower amperage range, but it still has the duty cycle that ya need for real use. now ya are probably thinkin 300 amps isnt a very big welder, heck a 225 buzz box can be carried by one guy, but ya gota remember this is an older shop sized welder, its about 500lbs according to the manual, and is about the size of a kitchen stove. yup its old and heavy, but not inefficient as someone else said. at work we have the same welder and just sent it down to the welder repair place cause it had a diode burn out, i was just talkin to the guy there and he was sayin how one of those welders will outlive most anything on the market today. they are truely a time tested design. now i know this sounds like an add for lincoln but in reality its just what i have had because they came along at the right price, hobart and miller have both made simular machines of simular quality also, im just saying dont believe anyone that tells ya old welders are junk.

Rebel283 · Jun 13, 2021

I just picked up an old Airco 250 AC/DC Bumblebee off of Craig’s list for $250 with leads. It was a young kid who was selling it he said it belonged to his dad. Is old and heavy but it did hum when we plugged it in. I didn’t try running a bead because the leads need new ends. I could have offered the kid less but my heart went out to him. There’s more to this story but I’m going to get it back to the shop and check it out. I will report what I find.

the old grind · Jun 13, 2021

I've had my Airco for 45 yrs or so and only retired it when I picked up a Miller M180P that came with a cart.

Other than a bear to move around the Airco always got the job done. With 1/8" electrodes at <125a I doubt if I ever worked it hard. (duty cycle) As for parts, it's pretty simple, with two lead sockets vs a hi-lo switch that might fail. IMO these oldies are great machines at what $$ we can get them for nowadays. DC would be nice if I could weld for sour hen crap. Gonna need a class and months of practice before I can appreciate the finer points of my 180a HFT AC/DC or 250a IGBT multi-process Everlast.

07wingnut · Jun 13, 2021

Picked up this old Miller 330A-Bp for about 200 Canucks a couple of weeks ago. Works like a charm, AC, DC straight and reverse, and TIG. These things are built like tanks, weight in excess of 750 pounds. It requires a 240v 100amp service to operate at full capacity. It came with cables, 50feet of 150amp/220 volt cable for connection, and a TIG torch with a small Argon cylinder.

flyerdan · Jun 13, 2021

That's a deal right there; it's like you bought the SO cable and bottle and they threw the rest in for free.
I still have an Airco 300, robbed the leads and plug for my Tigwave, but I'll bet it would still burn rods all day if put into service.

Wyobuckaroo · Jun 13, 2021

Well I looked at it, and it was in very poor condition.

So I respectfully passed, I would like another welder, not another project.
+ + +
Sometimes you go on many, many missions before scoring a trophy.... That is the thrill of the hunt... Always worth the effort rather than just throwing money at something..

stevewarner1957 · Jun 14, 2021

Well most Airco machines were made by Miller. The Bumblebee 250 is just a orange Dialarc 250 Miller. From the looks of the front panel square vent holes rather than louvers it’s around a 1975 machine. I restored a Airco Super Hornet 300 engine drive that was really a Miller Big 40. I wouldn’t be scared of Airco products at all.

workinonit · Jun 14, 2021

Nice job on the restoration. Some days I wish I had my Dialarc 250 back.

stevewarner1957 · Jun 14, 2021

I prefer the old Lincoln Idealarc250 but the Millers are great machines too. I had a Dialarc for awhile, it was a 1992 I believe. Smooth welding machine

cqaigy2 · Jun 14, 2021

Nice machines.

sandman2234 · Jun 17, 2021

I was neighbors with a guy the worked for a welding supply shop, and we would do projects together. We needed a bigger welder, so he put the word out we were looking for one. He got a call from their store in Gainesville, Fl that they had taken one in on trade. We agreed to buy it, sight unseen. They had to repair it first, so we waited and waited. Finally called and told them we were coming after it, and he said he had got the part in that morning and would stick it in right away. We got there, and walked in thru the repair area, where hundreds of old welders were sitting in various stages of repair. There was a nice Miller sitting there with leads hooked up. I told my buddy, "sure would be nice to get this one". We told the guy behind the counter who we were, and he asked if we saw it as we came thru. Then he laughed, because he knew we had no idea what we had bought. He said that he could just give us anything, lol!. We walked out there and he pointed at the big blue Miller, and told us to load it up. It was 330AB/P and our agreement was to pay trade in plus 10 percent plus the repair bill. Breakdown of cost was $200 trade in, $20 markup and $17 part, which he installed for free. $237 and it came with a foot pedal and water cooled TIG torch, (350 amp I think). Probably doesn't sound like all that good of a deal nowadays, but this was in 1989 and the welder wasn't very old, having been traded in by The University of Florida (Go Gators!) to keep their Engineering Shop equipped with a later model welder.
The paint had not been worn off of the foot pedal, so it hadn't seen much use!
Still have it, to this day, runs a bead fine, and I have been known to crank up the amps and TIG weld 5/8 Aluminum plate with it!
David from jax