Wanna swap feeders? I have a Hobart Hefty for trade.
Wanna swap feeders? I have a Hobart Hefty for trade.
I'd trade up or down for a hefty or similar voltage sensing unit as long as it has a gas valve, torch, and work's on dc. My mobil master 2cv is in brand new condition it has a euro plug, with a 18 ft. tweco no.4 witch is also like brand new. Would also consider selling it for $500. Thank's Rick.
Old news, but I didn't know about the moving of arc welding manufacture offshore:
"Under the new structure to be implemented by the end of the year, the manufacture of gantry cutting machines, arc equipment and plasma power supplies will be transitioned to other global factories."
http://www2.scnow.com/scp/news/local...ob_cuts/63798/
I'll use up what I have, but no new ESABs for me. They don't need my business if Americans aren't building (I check the factories which build my purchases) what I buy.
I'll be looking for American Made products from Miller or Lincoln. May they kill their competition.
Farmall,
Apparently you don't know about the layoffs at Miller, or that Lincoln already imports most of its own product, or that ESAB isn't an American company to start with...
Miller, Lincoln, ESAB, and Thermal Arc all makes stuff off shore already as well.
Esab Migmaster 250
Lincoln SA 200
Lincoln Ranger 8
Smith Oxy Fuel setup
Everlast PowerPlasma 80
Everlast Power iMIG 160
Everlast Power iMIG 205
Everlast Power iMIG 140E
Everlast PowerARC 300
Everlast PowerARC 140ST
Everlast PowerTIG 255EXT
ESAB absorbed the US operation in Florence, but is snuffing it. Multinational company, but getting rid of the US workers. I'd not object if they had kept them.
I mentioned I check the origin of the specific machines I buy new, not that I shoot for the impossibility of PURE US production.
A "welding power supply origin thread" WOULD be interesting though.
I have a Migmaster 251 and love it far better than the lincoln & miller migs I've used, but I'm all for buying the best quality I can afford not catering to which local economy produced it. My shop has stuff from snap on and bridgeport thats American made, German Haberle and Wurth and a host of other goodies. Don't fool yourself into thinking that Chinese only make crap, I'm sure there are very determined and capable chinese factories but the crap market is quite lucrative if you can produce it cheap enough and still make a profit.
Chinese make excellent computers and electronics. I don't mind buying when there is no competition and their work is superior. Their low prices and high quality kickstarted the consumer PC revolution in the US.
They aren't there yet with welding machines, so I'll try not to fund their development. There is not currently a Chinese "welder equivalent" of their Lenovo Thinkpad.
I just picked up a Migmaster 275, it says made in the USA right on the top.
I have welded with a lot of Lincolns and Millers, including both the 350P and the 350MP and the 275 blows both of them away. I would also take it over the XMT's also. Ran about 20lbs through it in the last several days and I am real impressed. The price was right too.
I here cutting gas regulators are going to be made here. only the welders are going over seas.
Time will tell if they are making a bad choice.
Some are still coming of the line. My friend was just down in Florence SC, and used some of the new Swedish mig stuff. Auto sense which gas or wire type and corrects the arc to suit.
The thing about the 275 was, it is/was a really good machine that was selling well. Can the new Swedish Migmaster 280 pro match that?
Getting ready to purchase a new mig welder next week and was looking to get something in the 250amp range and was wondering has anyone used one of the esab migmaster 215 pro yet? How would you rate it compaired to a lincoln powermig 216?
I'd let them build it for a few years before buying. I follow that rule with lots of equipment and it has served well. Always let early adopters find out if something has problems.
Lincolns take generic Tweco-style consumables and fit Tweco guns, while ESAB Tregaskiss-style consumables are more expensive.
Hey, Im new here...interesting stuff. I have a Migmaster 251 as well and its still working...top notch! I know someone who works with some ESAB people and will ask about the new swedish machines.
can anybody recommend a replacement torch for the mt-200 gun? i have a linde/l-tec 225 and would like a torch that has readily available consumables. thanks in advance!
The MT-200 should have the Euro back end, which means any Euro backend gun will fit.
I'd spend some time on Ebay since there are MANY MIG guns for cheap. A "Euro" search won't necessarily get you there, but browsing different MIG gun brands will.
Anything that takes Tweco consumables will take "generic" Tweco consumables, which are cheap.
thanks for that info. i did find a place today that carries the consumables for mt-200. i guess i hadn't looked hard enough in the past.
I don't have an MT-200, but other ESAB guns take Tregaskiss-style consumables so I'd compare pics online to see if any match.
Kind of an old subject but I just wanted to throw this in. ESAB europe basically took over power source production because US made machines had reliability issues. Now, that was not the only reason but its part of. The new european built machines are absolutely beautiful welding and are far superior in technology compared to the US built ones. We like them so much here at work we all got brand new Mig 6502c power sources along with the origo 3004 feeder with a MA 24 control board. I very nice feature for solid wire welders is the MA 24 has a synergic feature that allows you to set the WFS and the machine will take care of the voltage for you. It will recognize the gas being used and will set the proper voltage. You can actually weld continuously with out stopping and change from say 75/25 to a 100% CO2 and hardly notice a difference in the arc. I wouldn't flinch a bit to buy a swedish built welder from ESAB.
Last edited by mrSpatter; 12-10-2010 at 09:43 AM.
Any feedback on the ESAB 280 ??? I'm looking to buy one in the next 2 weeks
One of those issues was case ventilation on some models according to our repair contractor. Waiting for spares from Sweden won't make the US user experience any better, however good they may be.ESAB europe basically took over power source production because US made machines had reliability issues.
I like it when other people buy new models so they can beta test them, but I see no point in doing that myself. New models mean a shot at buying older models (refined over years of production) for less money. Let us know how it runs.Any feedback on the ESAB 280 ??? I'm looking to buy one in the next 2 weeks
I like it when other people buy new models so they can beta test them, but I see no point in doing that myself. New models mean a shot at buying older models (refined over years of production) for less money. Let us know how it runs.
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I think the models like the 275, and 260 are going to hold their value real well, no matter what the Swedish do to the machines. (used market) I sold my almost new 260 yesterday,and the guy was happy to give me my asking price. I now can setup my (new old stock) 350 mpi inverter. I really doubt any of the new machines will match the short-arc, and reliability of that machine. Doubt the newer MTS 350 could match it either. Way less adjustments to the arc.
Blue Demon 140 MSI
Blue Demon 200 AC/DC
Esab 160i caddy
Esab CV353
INE 1500
Lincoln 250 Idealarc
Thermal LM-200
Thermal 60i- 3phase
Thermal 15c
Topshak 40 plasma
Miller Regency 200/LN-72
Viking 250 mig/2410 feeder
Weldcote 140
I actually work for ESAB. Been with them for a couple of years now. I've seen some of our good machine and some of our bad, and I am normally the first person to tell you if what we have is good or bad. the old heliarc 161 was not one of our good ones. Unfortunatley. The new machines we are getting from Poland. (all power sources now are coming from poland and the wire feeders are coming from Sweden), are outstanding. Also, the 280 has two inductance taps to help with short arc/spray arc transfers. But if I were you I would ask to try one out for myself. I normally let customers see the equipment first so they can test them out. Also, we have a 100 day satisfaction guarantee. You can ask the LWS you work with about it, but pretty much for the first 100 days after purchase if you do not like the machine and the way it performs you can return it for a full refund/credit. We are doing our best to prove our quality to the industry and allow us the opportunities to do so.
So if you have any questions about ESAB you can ask me. I've heard some interesting things on this site about us, and some are true some are not but in the past we haven't done a very good job on communicating with the industry as to our company plans and goals.
Good luck.
Good to see an actual ESAB rep on the board.
That's putting it mildly. It amounts to indifference. Maybe you can help change that.in the past we haven't done a very good job on communicating with the industry as to our company plans and goals.
If it weren't for the Scott-Gross website ESAB marketing would be invisible. ESAB communication is terrible. Have the powers-that-be look at the Millerwelds forum. THAT is a modern design that would do well in Yellow and Black.
The rest of the ESAB North America site is OK, but whoever thought a Facebook page could substitute for a forum was not a weldor.
You could be a hero if you can get senior management to change the way they advertise and communicate with the public.
I reverse my previous position on ESABs survival since they also make Purox/Oxweld torches which they were smart enough not to change much. (Those aren't marketed well either!) Leverage the HISTORY of your torch brands when selling in the US. A Series E from the 1940s is a fine torch, and ESAB still make them along with other great vintage designs.
Florence customer service is worth mentioning because Stan Smith is outstandingly helpful. They should pay him more.