SOO who has the best welder in here?

[elvergon]

I´m welding web Ill with no cure avaible rather than post threads. No one has any post recently so I´ll make my own.

I would like to know, from all the peeps in here, Who´s got the best welder. (their OWN welder, not from his work cause the guys who work for the NASA would probably win without even competing).

And would like them to defend their welder too by saying why it is the best.

AHH I feel so much better now

[spuddown]

Trying to start a fight?

[elvergon]

Of course not =) just wanna hear everyones oppinion and their arguments probably people with best machine could just do a weld that might not hold enough.

C´mon people wanna hear your thoughts!

[TxRedneck]

Bobus Catus...

[littlefuzz]

Everyone knows that the lincoln ranger 250 is the best (of course whatever a person has is gonna be the best, even if it's a set of jumper cables hooked to a car battery) . This probably isn't the best topic to post in a forum full of proud, possibly big, welders.

[smithboy]

The best would just be wasted on me. I got what fits the combination of least expensive, best quality and what I can make use of without completely re-educating myself, a dialarc 250 with a high freq box, a powcon 300sm, a couple of powcon 300ss (really good buys used that I would highly recommend), a millermatic 130, and an assortment of cv/cc wire feeders. All are more reliable that I am.

[prop-doctor]

of coarse its Lincoln idealarc 250 stick/tig with pedal.... but all i do is alum/SS.. I still miss me old red cracker box

[BBchevy396]

Lincoln Invertec V350pro , advanced process................... Lots of p**p!

[gnm109]

Originally Posted by prop-doctor

of coarse its Lincoln idealarc 250 stick/tig with pedal.... but all i do is alum/SS.. I still miss me old red cracker box

A man after my own heart. I still have my "big red 250/250 unit". When I can't weld anymore, it goes in the living room with flowers around it.

Asking a question like this in a welding site such as this one is like screaming "fire": in a crowded thrater. It's bound to start a riot.

All of the major welding companies make great welders nowadays. Some of the cheapies are OK, too. It's a case of you get what you pay for.

Proibably the "best" is what works for what you do.

[wizard]

Not really a question worth asking. I have what I consider to be a very good wedler but it is not like it is the bast by any means. It is amatter of money and unfortunately a lot of my dough goes for more pressing needs. Considering that a purchase of another more signifcant welder is off in the future there is no telling what will be ideal then.

Sure it might be a Lincoln or it might be something else. Maybe even something built some place besides here in the US. It all depends on who is innovating and delivering good pricing at that point in time. Miller is good at innovating, the Passport being a perfect example, but they aren't to good about pricing that innovation. So even if I upgrade to a new welder in the future it is likely not to be bleeding edge simply because of costs.

Dave

[elvergon]

I don´t know if it is worth asking but it´s nice to hear what people think the best welders a normal person could buy. Also wanted to hear their comments about it. In this welding world you have to know what is the caddy of the machines

[elvergon]

Originally Posted by smithboy

The best would just be wasted on me. I got what fits the combination of least expensive, best quality and what I can make use of without completely re-educating myself, a dialarc 250 with a high freq box, a powcon 300sm, a couple of powcon 300ss (really good buys used that I would highly recommend), a millermatic 130, and an assortment of cv/cc wire feeders. All are more reliable that I am.

Whats that powcon 300ss smithy??

[MAC702]

Originally Posted by elvergon

Whats that powcon 300ss smithy??

I've got a PowCon 300SM, also. They are older inverters, and darn-near bulletproof. I got mine broken for a steal, and replaced a $2 potentiometer and the thing is welding like a champ. Even put a feeder on it and it sprays .045" solid wire, too.

[smithboy]

The 300ss is just a dc stick welder. It is an older inverter just like Mac said. The first, I got off ebay pretty cheap. The second, I got not-working for a steal and found out that it was just a bad fuse on the board...fixed it for pennies and neither have broke yet. I use the ebay one as a power source for my starcut plasma cutter. The other is my traveling stick welder. I have been toying with the idea of hooking them in parallel to get a single phase 60% duty cycle, 400 amp dc welder/plasma/mig power source. Folks here have given me all the info I need, and I got everything ready....I just aint made the cables yet.

[Tailshaft56]

Originally Posted by prop-doctor

of coarse its Lincoln idealarc 250 stick/tig with pedal.... but all i do is alum/SS.. I still miss me old red cracker box

There was one of them for sale in Arma Kansas. Actually it was at Airgas in Pittsburg. It had a lincoln pluger control instead of a foot pedal. I came close to purchasing at $1300 but passed and got a TA. Where you at Prop? My guess is near a Lake somewhere.

[zapster]

i have a chicago electric mig spraying fluxcore something or another in the shed


...zap!

[TxRedneck]

my bobcat is the best machine ever because its mine, it does everything I need it to, I could afford it when I bought it, its never let me down, and best of all ITS PAID FOR!

[TxRedneck]

Oh and it helps it carries its own power

[Roy Hodges]

my BEST machine ? really hard to say- my S A 250 is so sweet on lo-hy , and my S P 250 is so sweet & easy on mig , it just depends what process i need to use at the time . And, my Miller Dial Arc 250 H F welds tig fine- i guess you pays yer money and takes yer choice .

[elvergon]

That´s what I wanted to hear from y´all

C´mon Redneck, tell us more about your bobcat....Type? (knowing you it must be stick ,....duty cycle...custom mods)

You should say that too Roy, explain more about your welders

[halbritt]

I'm pretty certain that I have the best MIG welder around. That would be a PowCon 400SM with a Miller S-64 feeder and a 400 amp Roughneck gun. It also works quite nicely on aluminum with a Spoolmatic 30A. It's got a few notable features (fan on demand, 24VAC accessory power) over the 300SM, but is otherwise just about the same with a bit higher duty cycle.

It'll get into spray transfer up to .045 on single phase and 1/16" on three phase. Now, I just wish I had a pulser for it.

[TxRedneck]

THe bobus is the 225 NT with the 10Kw generator. It is primarily a stick machine, but can scratch tig, ac and dc, but steel and stainless is all its realy good for, alum without a remote is not something I am interested in. Plus I think the price they ask for a HF is unbelievable. It can weld wire, but you are limited to a Voltage Sensing type feeder. Not that these are bad feeders, there are pros and cons to each. However, most folks would say if given a choice, they would prefer the remote control type. As mentioned before, 10Kw genny. This is real nice. I lived in a trailer before and the power went out for a day and a half. I was able to power all the necessary things; most lights, the stove, the fridge and freezer and microwave. I cant remmeber but I think we had to be cautious how we operated everything, but we were able to run all necessary things. This was important with a brand new baby in the house. I think this to some degree adds to my love for this machine. It took care of us when we needed it most.

[NJ Plowman]

It sure aint me, everything I own is JUNK...

[Roy Hodges]

Originally Posted by Roy Hodges

my BEST machine ? really hard to say- my S A 250 is so sweet on lo-hy , and my S P 250 is so sweet & easy on mig , it just depends what process i need to use at the time . And, my Miller Dial Arc 250 H F welds tig fine- i guess you pays yer money and takes yer choice .

well, the sa250 is a lincoln engine driven diesel,with a 3cyl. 38 h p Perkins; a fantastic engine, welds stick rod 6010 & 7018 lo-hydrogen "PERFECT" -ask the REFINERY PIPE welders . the lincoln sp250 -is a computerized mig - i think the best ,meaning the simplest there is to use& learn & does a good job. unless you need a 100% duty cycle at max output in a production shop ,& the miller 250 dialarc HF is my tig machine, not a current model , it goes to 310 amps , also good on stick. but NOTHING is smoother than a PURE DC generator on stick jobs .

[Tailshaft56]

How about Thermal arc TA-185 TSW. Slick little inverter and best in class for the $.