Esab

[backuproller]

i see all the usuals on here, miller, lincoln, hobart, etc. but does anyone have any experience with esab products. they have a plant 50 miles from the house and i can pick up some of there damage and dented stuff on the cheap. but i haven't heard anyone on here talking about them. http://www.esabna.com

[MAC702]

Dan here has an ESAB and knows a lot about many of their models. A few other guys also on the Hobart board have them. They have a very loyal following and are quality machines. My experience is limited to one of their plasma cutters (they claim to have invented them) about 10 years ago. It worked well, back before I really knew a whole lot about them.

[TubularFab]

I really like my Powercut 1500 plasma cutter. I first got to play with thier stuff on Monster Garage - I liked the plasma's and Tig's, but was undecided on the mig. I don;t know how well maintained thiers were, but they all were fussy and had failures during the show. One had a bad trigger switch and I had to bang it against the floor or lift many times to keep it working. But, they were pretty abused. I was never satisfied with the starting and stopping(burnback) either. I could get one or the other but not both where I wanted them.

[Dan]

The only ESAB unit I have experience with, is the unit that I own, which is a Migmaster 250. In my opinion, this is a very good performing unit. Also, I suspect I am the only guy on this planet, that has sold a MM 251 to purchase the Migmaster 250 as a replacement.:eek: :)

[Maddirtbkr]

I own a Esab Migmaster 251, It was damaged and I was able to find all the parts needed to repair it through my local welding shop. A local welder said it was a great, older commercial machine. My damage was the receptacle for the torch cable was torn off the front of the machine and required the associated parts to connect it to the wire drive motor.

[Denni]

We have ESAB 653's and 450's only problem is sometimes when gouging they trip the ground disconect, we have 17 of them and 5 SAW's

[TozziWelding]

All my torches are ESAB (Purox, Oxweld, Linde, and for the real old timers Union Carbide) The quality is great and I prefer them over The Victor torches that I have. As far as there machines go I have only used older Linde machines and they were spot on.

[emerickwelding]

I have an Esab Heliarc 352. Awesome machine. Can't be happier with the performance

[Scott V 2]

One had a bad trigger switch and I had to bang it against the floor or lift many times to keep it working. But, they were pretty abused. I was never satisfied with the starting and stopping(burnback) either. I could get one or the other but not both where I wanted them.

The triggers on their guns are Tregaskis, same as on the Miller units.
It probably needed looked at and not hammered into submission.

If it was a Migmaster 250 they can have start problems. Different
units just seem better then others. I have had many Esabs and
have not found a better short-arc unit then a 350 mpi. That said,
I decided the the 260 Mutimaster with the inductance control,pulse
welds as nice as I need. It runs so sweet with .035 Hobart Quantum
that I hardly miss my MPI. I wanted a warranty with my machine and
the 260 has a inverter like arc without the back of the mind worries.:eek:
I like it way it welds better then my Powermig 300 or MM-350 p I tested.
(Short-arc) Although those others are good units too. The 260 in good
shape has as good of a start as any machine made. The burnback is easy
set right too. I upgraded my burnback to the spot/postflow/ preflow/ trigger
latch, just because I got it for $50.00 old stock. It was missing a reed
switch and (esab techs figured it out) they sent it out free of charge.

I now have every option on this unit and it tig welds down to one amp.
I never thought these units were as good as the 250 migmaster but with
the inductance control it comes alive.

[TubularFab]

Scott - I agree that it needed looked at, but have you ever watched monster garage? The mentality of the shop and guys that run it does not stray from the image of the show. Beating it into submission was about the only way to keep working and meet the deadline.

I do believe it was Migmaster 250's; might have been a 260... I cannot remember. I can away from the show and immediately bought a Powercut 1500 - and also found thier autoshade sheilds quite nice.

[Scott V 2]

I found the esab 1500 to be my favorite hand held plasma-cutter in a
portable unit. I traded mine away for a Cutmaster 101 (CNC) and missed
the esab unit. The 101 cut less bevel but was down on power compared
the the esab. Now I have the 151 and that is no longer the case.:)

Monster Garage had a Esab 260 from what I remember.
If it had dual meters it was a 260. With the 250 the
meters are a option and it comes with one only.
Tapped output too.

[fyoung]

Scott - I agree that it needed looked at, but have you ever watched monster garage? The mentality of the shop and guys that run it does not stray from the image of the show. Beating it into submission was about the only way to keep working and meet the deadline.

I do believe it was Migmaster 250's; might have been a 260... I cannot remember. I can away from the show and immediately bought a Powercut 1500 - and also found thier autoshade sheilds quite nice.
Are you saying you were a movie star?
Regards, farris

[littlefuzz]

I used to use the old Linde machines and they are probably the best migs I've ever run.