Worth it?

[Keith Merrell]

https://prescott.craigslist.org/tls/...129731716.html

[Welder Dave]

Depends what's wrong with it. That machine has a thermal cut off if it gets too hot. If there's a problem with that could be a simple fix. If it's been continuously over heated maybe it's not economical to fix. Maybe talk to some welder repair shops to see if they have idea what could be wrong.

[psacustomcreations]

What accessories come with the machine? Torch, ground, cables, foot pedal, filler rods, etc??

Just those could make it worth it. See if you can talk him into throwing more into the pot so you get an even better deal.

[M J D]

Pass on it. If it was a cheap easy fix it would have already been done.

[shovelon]

Says it does not work but is not specific as to the problem. Could be a really expensive fix.

[guajilloweld03]

That depends if you will be making the repairs or will you be sending it out to be repaired. If you have to send it out for repairs then it not a deal, but if you are repairing it your self then it might be if there is no computer board. The last few years have bought a few machines and repaired them. It is like a learning project for me, spend my time researching and testing how it all works. So far have worked on a Idealarc 250/250 - diodes were bad, and a millermatic 35 the thermal switch on diode rectifier tripped. Some body had left a can of oil on top of machine then it dripped on capacitor bank and this caused it to heat up.
Get it for the lowest price you can and learn how to fix it. The way I look at it is. Used to spend that in a month going out partying, at least now I have something more than a memory and some times never could remember how I got home.

[Rondo]

These are historically a pretty wimpy machine. I owned one and popped the duty cycle so many times I sold it.

[tapwelder]

What is the attraction? A/C tig? What does "doesn't work" mean? Will it power on?

As stated, I could see duty cycle being an issue. However, the short duty cycle might be needed to rescue your hands from the hot torch.

I would pass unless I knew what repair was needed before purchase.

What are they worth in working order? Calculate your expected profit from resale. You will out grow the machine, though it might make you some bucks and pay for itself.

Good luck

[bead-boy]

To quote the add : "weld shop said they could fix it but I don't have the time to take it there"

The seller intentionally left out everything the shop told him. Things like a $250 fee just to look at it and determine what was wrong, regardless of intention to repair after that. And the high probability it will have to replace the main board at a cost of several hundred to a thousand dollars.

If you or someone you know has the ability to perform board level troubleshooting and repair, then it might make sense to buy it, but there is still risk of losing your money. Offer $150 and see what he says.

[BD1]

I like the these ads, easy fix, just needs cord , needs cleaning , no time to fix.
Yes, avoid them completely.
It would be done if easy.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[TraditionalToolworks]

Quite honestly anyone that feels anyone could figure out if that welder is worth it from the ad doesn't even deserve an answer.

What ever happened to people using their brain?

OP, if you're interested in the welder, contact the seller to find out more info. If not, why waste other people's time?

If you don't know how to determine the value of a welder, you need to do more research. Use the search function on these forums, there's plenty for you to garner.

Anytime an ad pops up on craigslist that looks like a suspiciously good deal, you can almost be assured the seller has already tried to fix it with no success and looking for a sucker. If you don't think so, pursue the purchase, but don't expect anyone else to help you with the amount of information given in the ad, not to mention you listed no information whatsoever in the original post.

[leightrepairs]

Need to call BS on the ad, how does the weld shop know if they can fix it if they have not seen it? He doesn't have time to take it to the shop but has time to sell it on craigslist? I think you would be throwing away$250.

[gnm109]

I would walk away. If it needs a new motherboard, you are in trouble. Only if you know what is wrong with a machine should you even consider it.

[Broccoli1]

Need to call BS on the ad, how does the weld shop know if they can fix it if they have not seen it? He doesn't have time to take it to the shop but has time to sell it on craigslist? I think you would be throwing away$250.

the ad doesn't say the repair shop can fix it, just that can take a look at it.

"the weld shop said they could take a look at it "

[Broccoli1]

Quite honestly anyone that feels anyone could figure out if that welder is worth it from the ad doesn't even deserve an answer.

What ever happened to people using their brain?

OP, if you're interested in the welder, contact the seller to find out more info. If not, why waste other people's time?

If you don't know how to determine the value of a welder, you need to do more research. Use the search function on these forums, there's plenty for you to garner.

Anytime an ad pops up on craigslist that looks like a suspiciously good deal, you can almost be assured the seller has already tried to fix it with no success and looking for a sucker. If you don't think so, pursue the purchase, but don't expect anyone else to help you with the amount of information given in the ad, not to mention you listed no information whatsoever in the original post.

bad morning?

Coming here and asking questions seems to be a reasonable research tool.

"wasting people's time" How? did a bell go off and pull you from an important project and force you to click on this thread?

original post is pretty clear: he saw the ad on CL and wants to know if a non-working welding machine is worth it, "it" being the cost/return risk of such a gamble.

looks a few people did decide to offer help/advice on such a gamble.

[TraditionalToolworks]

bad morning?

Maybe, and if so maybe today is also...I see the same non-information as I did. Anyone offering advice is merely opinion.

Sure, he called his LWS and it can be fixed. BFD, that means nothing, Lincoln provides parts, doesn't say how much it can be fixed for.

"wasting people's time" How?

The OP should have at least called the seller and gotten some information from him. Anyone would need to be able to read minds to know what is actually wrong.

original post is pretty clear: he saw the ad on CL and wants to know if a non-working welding machine is worth it

So you should be able to answer for him then, right?

looks a few people did decide to offer help/advice on such a gamble.

Which I don't see from you, so what prompted you to hit reply and offer no advice?

[TraditionalToolworks]

looks a few people did decide to offer help/advice on such a gamble.

Let me expound on my comments.

Do you think it would be good to promote people not doing their homework, just coming to the site and posting a link to a craigslist ad asking if the machine is worth it?

Because my area, which is probably similar to L.A. has up to 100 listings for welders. Some say working, some say not.

The OP didn't put anything other than "Worth it?" in the subject with a link. Yet the guy lists 4 welders in his sig.

So, seriously, would you like it if 20 people came here posting a link without telling you what they expect out of the machine? What they're going to be welding? Or more importantly if they even called the seller to find out information?

I don't think that's a very good type of activity to encourage myself.

[Louie1961]

Do you think it would be good to promote people not doing their homework, just coming to the site and posting a link to a craigslist ad asking if the machine is worth it?

You need to lighten up Francis...The OP is a youngster, still in high school, who has relied on the "old timers" on this board for a number of years. He was posting pics of his welds when he was like 11 or 12, and we have long encouraged him to keep coming back. You are out of line with your comments.

[Broccoli1]

Maybe, and if so maybe today is also...I see the same non-information as I did. Anyone offering advice is merely opinion.

Sure, he called his LWS and it can be fixed. BFD, that means nothing, Lincoln provides parts, doesn't say how much it can be fixed for.


The OP should have at least called the seller and gotten some information from him. Anyone would need to be able to read minds to know what is actually wrong.


So you should be able to answer for him then, right?


Which I don't see from you, so what prompted you to hit reply and offer no advice?

His question was already answered so I did not offer up redundant advise.

I commented because the CL ad does not say that the repair shop can fix it, just that they can take a look.

I don't mind posts like the OP.

Didn't think he needed more info at this point.


Rondo also provided some added value with this:
"These are historically a pretty wimpy machine. I owned one and popped the duty cycle so many times I sold it."

[TraditionalToolworks]

His question was already answered so I did not offer up redundant advise.

Whoa, wait a second. The seller changed his ad. He added more info, previously it said welding shop told him they could fix it.

Now he says they can look at it.

So would you offer advice to buy it based on that?

Or are you just in here to do nothing?

EDIT: and the OP hasn't changed his post one iota. I stand by my comments and I wouldn't recommend anyone buys based on that seller's ad, which is even more vague today.

[TraditionalToolworks]

You need to lighten up Francis...The OP is a youngster, still in high school, who has relied on the "old timers" on this board for a number of years. He was posting pics of his welds when he was like 11 or 12, and we have long encouraged him to keep coming back. You are out of line with your comments.

Well, I don't know him Petunia.

He doesn't have any info in his post, and I don't follow him. Should I ? (I think not)

There's no age limits for online forums..he has a few welders. He should call and ask the seller before he posts here. How do you even know he can get the welder home?

[John T]

Well, I don't know him Petunia.

He doesn't have any info in his post, and I don't follow him. Should I ? (I think not)

There's no age limits for online forums..he has a few welders. He should call and ask the seller before he posts here. How do you even know he can get the welder home?

Don't pay any attention to Louie If anyone is out of line it's him.

Keith can stick up for himself. He is not a child.
He is learning as he goes and doing a pretty good job.

All that said, I've seen a few of Keith's videos and frankly he comes off a little "big for his Britches"
no disrespect keith... just callin it like I see it. Like usual.....
anyway... keep looking for a welder and pass on that square wave 175 junk.

Louie needs to ease up on proxy parenting and keep reading welder literature.... so he can teach us all about duty cycles.

-Peace and Love...
peace and love.

[TraditionalToolworks]

Don't pay any attention to Louie If anyone is out of line it's him.

I just went up to Home Depot, and thinking about this.

1) I wouldn't let my kids go buy something like that on craigslist if they were not 18 years min., and I would caution them just as I said in this thread, albeit maybe I was harsh, but I'm harsh with my kids...I would caution them against any "strangers bearing gifts" on craigslist. DAMHIKT

I have been on a number of wild good chases, including trusting people I shouldn't have and not testing something out to get something that did not work when I got home.

Worse is driving a couple hours to have someone sell something out from under y

Keith can stick up for himself. He is not a child.
He is learning as he goes and doing a pretty good job.

I would still caution him as I do everyone on buying anything on craigslist, and especially a welder that is known to have issues. I think he must have realized that.

Maybe Louie would give him a deal he couldn't refuse on that Syncrowave 250 to help him out. If it was cheap enough shipping probably wouldn't be an issue.

The other thing I was thinking about at Home Depot was that most online forums don't allow minors to join because of the liability. I don't know how WeldingWeb is, it's been quite a while since I joined, so can't remember but I've moderated a number of online forums and in the software there is usually a checkbox if you want to allow anyone under the age of 18.

Anyway, I'm certainly not without fault and I will do my best not to be harsh on folks that don't deserve it. Not sure that includes a screaming broccoli or not...

[monsoon-mech]

1) I wouldn't let my kids go buy something like that on craigslist if they were not 18 years min.,

wow.. that woulda eliminated me learning to weld.. I started at 12 with a 225 Lincoln buzz box I traded for with an old guy that lived several blocks from us... rolled it home in a lil red "western flyer" wagon hitched to the back of my bike... no craigs list or even internet back then but us kids also would go on bike rides to the next town by ourselves and nobody was worried bout it as thats how kids grew up... my dads attitude about me buying stuff or trading for it was that it was part of learning how to make prudent responsible decisions some worked out others didn't but I didn't lose the $$ I earned from cleaning yards or fixing stuff on those bad deals.. it was well worth the cost to gain the education 42 years later I'm still learning with the resources kids have available these days like this forum for instance ... Kieth oughta have a shot to make some pretty good deals himself sure wish I coulda asked a few hundred experienced old timers advice right from my keyboard back then... and yea I agree with ya Traditional.. looks like a deal I'd say pass on unless he's wanting to spend $250 in order to disect that 175 just to learn how it works.. kinda steep for that though maybe at $75 (I just paid a kid to clear the weeds outa my driveway.. they are charging ALOT more than I did 42 years ago so maybe $75 would be a bargain)

[TraditionalToolworks]

wow.. that woulda eliminated me learning to weld..

I think you misunderstood me, I wouldn't let my kids go buy that on their own, I certainly would have helped them go buy it with me. I just wouldn't let my kids go visit some stranger who I don't know when they were less than 18 years old.

no craigs list or even internet back then

Right, and there's the kicker. Even I've met some strange folks selling stuff on craigslist. Gang members and/or other people I wouldn't want to trust too far, and that's where my comment above was coming from.

and yea I agree with ya Traditional.. looks like a deal I'd say pass on unless he's wanting to spend $250 in order to disect that 175 just to learn how it works.. kinda steep for that though maybe at $75 (I just paid a kid to clear the weeds outa my driveway.. they are charging ALOT more than I did 42 years ago so maybe $75 would be a bargain)

I think it would take more than $250, Lincoln parts are not cheap. The fact that they're available is a good thing, just that a circuit board could be a deal breaker.

Somehow that seems like too good of a deal for $250. Everything is an easy fix until you need to pay for it out of your own pocket.

Tools were never an issue for my kids, they could always use mine. Now they're grown, so they can do whatever they want. I know they would be cautious of something that looks like a good deal though, it's the way I taught them.

What I was getting at above if the kid is not 18, he should get his parents to go buy the welder with him, not that they shouldn't let him weld. I did kind of short state that.