who makes the #1 welding machines/ equipment

[ArcBurn007]

I'm all for miller

[gjgarre]

Never met a Miller I didn't like.

[gizzardgutz]

Millers are good machines, Hobarts are good machines, Never heard of Esab?, but...Lincolns are the BEST!!

[Sparky#1]

Millers are good machines, Hobarts are good machines, Never heard of Esab?, but...Lincolns are the BEST!!

ESAB is over 100 years old and make very good machines.

[ArcBurn007]

never heard of esab? they make a lot a torches and welders

[gizzardgutz]

I use Victor torches and Lincoln welders, I've used Millers and Hobarts, never heard of Esab.

[mudbugone]

I'd have to think it would depend on the type of welding being done....they all make good machines,some are just application specific better in some areas or types of machines.

This is like what do you like better Redheads,Brunettes, or Blonds.... Just depends on the unit,it's overall condition,how it functions, and how it strikes me at the time.

[DesertRider33]

I like blue, but red is nice too, and so is grey, purple, green and yellow.

The legend, for those who don't know the colors...

blue = Miller
red = Lincoln (and HTP)
grey = Hobart and Hypertherm
green = Linde and MK
yellow = ESAB
purple = ThermalArc/Thermadyne

...and the Chinese ones... I don't give a rat's a$$ what color they are, you won't see any in my shop!

[ArcBurn007]

Hey thats right its american or nothing when it comes to welding products

[delwelds]

In my opinion:

Lincoln for stick
Miller for MIG
as far as TIG it's a toss up between many

but really it's like mudbug said,

This is like what do you like better Redheads,Brunettes, or Blonds.... Just depends on the unit,it's overall condition,how it functions, and how it strikes me at the time.

[ArcBurn007]

what about the american or chinese issue?

[DesertRider33]

what about the american or chinese issue?

What about it??

FLY RED, WHITE & BLUE OR GO HOME !!!!

[SundownIII]

I'm kinda partial to the 130A Harbor Freight machines for tig.

Course for plasma cutting it would have to be one of the Chinese machines, either Notlongivity or Neverlast.

[MAC702]

I call it a tie, since customer service wasn't part of the question.

[lugweld]

ESAB is the number three welding machine company in the US for those of you living under rocks.

Any one ever watch monster garage? Jesse James is the spokesman for ESAB.

Another name you might have heard of is Prestolite, or Purox is their torch line.

But for those of you that need a visual image:

Guess which voted for ESAB?

[DesertRider33]

Wasn't ESAB part of Linde about 20 or so years ago?

I have an old set of Purox oxy/acet regs here, I think they're from the 70's. I have part of a Purox torch somewhere too. As far as I know, Purox and Prestolite didn't make arc welders. Other companies did though, like Airco, from the 80's and earlier. I think some of their machines were re-branded Millers.

[SundownIII]

Hey Lugweld,

What's the hammer for?

You need that to get that ugly yellow box running?

[SundownIII]

DesertRider,

I "think" the way it went was Linde was bought out by L-Tec years ago. L-Tec was then bought by ESAB. Linde developed the original Heli-Arc process and are the only manufacturer that can use that term. Since ESAB bought the rights, they are the only company that can now use the term.

I remember using an old Linde Heli-Arc welder back in the mid '60's for building fuel cells for our race boats. Unit was owned by Hercules Powder Company and one of their engineers crewed on our team. Tig welders were about out of reach of the smaller guys back in those days.

[lugweld]

Hey Lugweld,

What's the hammer for?

You need that to get that ugly yellow box running?

Sundown,
The hammer is for driving out roll pins. And throwing at the cat.

Desert,

I didn't mean to infer that Purox or Prestolite made welders. I was only saying that it was a part of ESAB, just like Harris is part of Lincoln, Victor is part of Thermadyne, and Smith is part of ITW/Miller.

BTW, even though I own a smith, a prestolite or Purox torch would be a nice prize.

[DesertRider33]

L-Tec, I had forgotten about them. Thanks for that history lesson, Sundown! Yeah, I remember when nobody called it tig, it was heli-arc, and the machines were massive beasts (like my old Dialarc).

Lugweld, I wasn't gettin on ya bro. I have a nice older Smith torch here too. They sure are pretty.

[lugweld]

The Chrome/nickel plating is nice, unless you over heat it.

In fact the L-tech/linde machines are still in the ESAB line up today, with a few changes. But they are easily recognizable. Recently a dealer friend of mine asked me if I knew where he could get a new MIG. He said his old one was worn out. I asked him if he wanted one just like it. He said yes but Ltech was out of business. I said go buy an ESAB. Your old machine is identical to mine. I think his was about 25 years old, severely abused and exposed to the weather all its life.

[Xtreme Fabrication]

I am going to say miller. Just look at the list of my babys.

[Go1lum]

Fronius. Miller and Lincoln are way behind them in technology. I.E

[ericm]

Never met a Miller I didn't like.

Even this one? http://www.txexecutions.org/reports/385.asp

[Supe]

I've come across Lincolns that couldn't do what the comparable Miller could, but never vice versa. Miller all the way for me.


Fronious DOES make outstanding equipment though. And the old Linde gravity feed subarc machine I used to run ran like butter, and was responsible for some of the nicest beads I ever put down!