Esab

[Brand X]

The 280 migmaster might be outstanding but the 275 and older Migmaster 250 plus were proven quality units! Reliable beyond belief. I really don't like the wire drive on the new Esab all in one units. Step backwards if you ask me. I owned two Duridrive 4-30 Esab feeders, so I know they can do better. The 260 mutimaster is still a excellent machine, and i hope they don't kill that one. It's wire drive is also better then the new machines.Pulse is a area where Esab really needed to improve most of their units, but I doubt you will see a better short-arc then a properly setup 350 mpi. If you want to know what a great shorrt-arc is? Load a 350 mpi up with Hobart QA-6 in .035 (C-25) or L-56 in .030. None of the wires like the mig-6 /Aristo types (86 would be the best Esab wire to use) can get close to matching how nice they weld with them.

The 161 was designed for a button control, and never a foot control. So it got off on the wrong foot from the start.

[ESABREP]

You are preaching to the choir on our marketing. Unfortunatley I don't have to much to say, but I am having a meeting with them in a couple of weeks and will let your thoughts be known.

I appreciate the kind words about having a rep on board. I am only in central texas, but I want to try and change as much as possible.

It's kind of funny you say about the Purox and Oxweld brands, but beside Smith we are the only other manf. that makes the full line of Gas Apparatus in the states, which is saying alot for us as a company. Since being bought by ESAB in 1989, this company has made a lot of strides forward and backwards. It was a collaborating of Alloy Rods, Airco, Union Carbide/L-Tec, All-State, Oxweld/Purox, Presto-Lite, Alco-Tec (we still are using their name but I'm sure that will change) and now Romar. It is crazy if you look at the history of our companies and the advancements we brought to the industry, but now being that we are ESAB, its a lot different. Not in a bad way, just different.

We are getting a lot of great products from Sweden and Poland and the quality is far better than anything we were getting out of Florence, SC. It wasn't bad, but lets just say I would do a trial run before doing a demo. The product itself when it ran was great, but now the stuff is a lot more reliable.

But I really apprecate your thoughts and will definatley use our history when talking about our Gas Apparatus, but if you get a change try out one of our new 3-Phase chopper designs units, with atleast the MA24 controller. Might be worth your while, but anway I appreciate it and thank you.

[DDA52]

Centex, huh? Would you be the rep that hits 3D Welding in San Marcos?

[ESABREP]

That would be me.

[DDA52]

Kewl. I am mostly at their Boerne store, but hit the SM store on occasion. I was extremely happy there was some yellow in there now. My shop went from blue to mostly yellow in the last few years and its tough to get yellow stuff around here...esp wire. Hopefully that will change now.

[ESABREP]

So, no movement so far on the forum on this page, so I thought I would throught some things out there.

You all by now know that I work for ESAB, I wanted to hear about some of the things you have heard about our company. If you could post a couple things I would like to hear what is being said about us and our products. Also, if you use them, and if so why do you use them, and if not why don't you use them?

This site is great because of the wealth of perscpetives you can gain in such a short period of time. Thanks for all your responses. Oh and be honest, don't hold back. I might regret that comment, but speak your mind.

[farmall]

ESAB marketing bl0wz.

What ESAB need is a retailer with a complete online store (not too hard since most stuff is drop-shipped anyway) for ALL their brands.

One site, easy to navigate, easy to order, easy to pull up the product, each product having a LINK to the SERVICE and other related manuals/updates.

The Scott Gross site isn't well designed because they are more set up for people who already know what they want to call in orders. Cool with me, but not many people are as into equipment research as I am and they will lose sales to companies like Miller who have vastly better websites.

If ESAB management have a "not invented here' mindset (which would be odd for a conglomerate of companies!) that needs to change so they can copy success.

Miller's site is the best, and includes a good forum.
Lincoln has an acceptable site that takes practice to navigate. The ESAB site for North America is better than the Lincoln site but not remotely as good as Millers.

THEMES:
Make your retailers online store site have the same look and feel as the corporate site. Many weldors and equipment buyers are old and not extremely web savvy.

KEEP a consistent theme. McMaster-Carr (for example) has the best catalog in their industry, and it hasn't changed much in decades except for detail improvements.

Products:
As can be expected from a heterogenous company-of-companies, products vary. It appears to me that many buyers have had good experience with the legacy company brands and go to ESAB for new gear of the same kind and quality. That's GOOD, but to capture newer buyers internet exposure is everything because that's the first place they look (and it should be).

To sell manly testosterrific products in the US, market with image in mind. Note Chevrolet and Ford truck marketing (vast money at stake) techniques. Cool modern tech with a dose of industrial history works across many industries. Customers don't like to ADMIT it works, but that doesn't change a thing! Pull up old Oxweld literature on Ebay for examples, and if the archives don't have it any more, buy some back and scan it. A lot of those ads were surprisingly artistic and well done.

Welding competitions and school awareness programs go a long way in exposing products to new folks forming their opinions. That's one thing ESAB should continue.

Adverts showing weldors with complete multibrand ESAB setups highlighting the unique RANGE of their products (from jewelry torches to heavy industry) would leverage that asset.

None of my suggestions are expensive or remotely radical or unusual. They are as basic as can be, and are proven elsewhere.

[ESABREP]

Farmall, Thanks for your suggestions. I have a meeting coming up with our Marketing director and I am taking all ideas I get to them. I can't give them everything, but I'm going to take the best and you had some good ones.

[farmall]

I forgot one good thing:

The ESAB North America site IS attractive in composition, content, and low use of excess whitespace. It's readable, so keep that.

[Scott Young]

As for your product line, I have used the a few different 250's and one 275. I love them. I can't say enough about them positive for what they are. I wouldn't have discontinued them. I liked that they had one of the broadest ranges top to bottom and performed well all the way through. I didn't have any problem dialing it in for sheetmetal and then turning ut up and pushing the top out of it with .052 dualshield. It would simply cadillac through it all.

They will be sorely missed. At least yall have kept the spool gun.

[mwr]

Hi,

First post here but long time lurker. Can anyone point me in the direction of a seller who still actually has a Multimaster 260 or even a Migmaster 275 in stock. I talked to Scott Gross Co. and they are out and dont know if they'll get any more.

Oh, I am in California if it matters. Thanks a lot.

[farmall]

You have a PM.

[ESABREP]

Hi,

First post here but long time lurker. Can anyone point me in the direction of a seller who still actually has a Multimaster 260 or even a Migmaster 275 in stock. I talked to Scott Gross Co. and they are out and dont know if they'll get any more.

Oh, I am in California if it matters. Thanks a lot.

The Mulitmast 260 is still available it is just called the Multimaster 300 now. It is the same machine we just added couple standard features, like inductance control and burnback adjustment. You should be able to get it from the LWS that is our dealer there. Also, if you like the 275 you will like our 280 pro. It actually is more like a 300 amp machine but same price (about) as the 275. And like the 275 you have two inductance (slope) taps and then a coarse and fine voltage setting. You also will get digital amp and voltage reading, something that the 275 didn't have.

Hope that will get you what you need.

[ESABREP]

You have a PM.

A PM??? What is that??

[Sandy]

A PM??? What is that??

Private Message. A private messsage sent from one member to another through the board here. In your profile you set up whether or not you will be accepting private messages, get or not get an e-mail notification of these private messages and so-on.

[Brand X]

The Mulitmast 260 is still available it is just called the Multimaster 300 now. It is the same machine we just added couple standard features, like inductance control and burnback adjustment. You should be able to get it from the LWS that is our dealer there. Also, if you like the 275 you will like our 280 pro. It actually is more like a 300 amp machine but same price (about) as the 275. And like the 275 you have two inductance (slope) taps and then a coarse and fine voltage setting. You also will get digital amp and voltage reading, something that the 275 didn't have.

Hope that will get you what you need.

The last runs of the 260 had inductance, and they alway had a burn-back control.

http://www.scottgrossstore.com/servlet/Detail?no=13815

The non-driven top drive roll is a step back on the new machines (215/280). Plus 40 amp bottom end is not as low as the 275 machine. The 250/275 was from well proven stock, and the new machines are not.

http://www.esabna.com/literature/Arc...0301%20165.pdf

[Scott Young]

Here is the specs on the 275:
POWER SOURCE
MIGMASTER-275
Primary Input -Single Phase 208/230/380/400/460/575 Vac
Rated Output 275 Amps @ 28V
Output Current / Voltage Range 30 A/12V - 300A/30V
Maximum Open Circuit Volts 55 Vdc
Duty Cycle:
208/230V Unit 40% 275 Amps @ 28 Vdc
60% 250 Amps @ 26 Vdc
100% 200 Amps @ 24 Vdc
Duty Cycle:
208/230/460/575 Unit
380/400 Unit
35% 275 Amps @ 28 Vdc
60% 225 Amps @ 25 Vdc
100% 180 Amps @ 23 Vdc
Primary 60 HZ Input (Amps):
208/230 Unit
208/230/460/575 Unit
66/61 Amps
66/61/30/25 Amps
Primary 50 HZ Input (Amps):
380/400 37/36 Amps
FEEDER Feed Type/Speed Range Push Type - 40 to 750 IPM (1 - 16.3 m/min.)
Wire Sizes: Hard 0.023" (0.6mm) through 0.045" (1.2mm)
Cored 0.035" (0.9mm) through 1/16" (1.6mm)
Soft 3/64" (1.2mm) and 1/16" (1.6mm)Welding Gun Cooling Air
GunMaster-250 Gooseneck Angle 45 degrees
Rated 60% Duty Cycle (DCEP) 200 Amps Argon Mixtures, 300 Amps CO2
Conduit Length Available in 10, 12, and 15 ft. - See Section 2.3.2
Physical Net Weight *210 lbs (95 Kg.)
*Includes running gear Height *32.25 inches (819 mm)
& cylinder tray. Width *19.5 inches (495 mm)
Depth *40.0 inches (1016 mm)


The range isn't as broad, but what concerned me was the drive system was much more inferior. Notice the difference. I ran .052 dual shield 7100 ultra to the wall all day everyday out of an ESAB 250. I then ran it out of a 275 and can speak to both models ability to lay it out in spades. The guns had to be upgraded due to be turned to dust. some things aren't meant to be pushed to the limits everyday. The ESAB 250 and 275 were battle tanks that would yawn at you if you gave them a mind to.

I didn't have digital meters on much of the equipment and most of the men I know could care less. Some of the old hands would say, "Those greenhorns too busy looking at the numbers and not the puddle." There is a lot of truth in that. I don't know what the numbers are, but I do know what the puddle is doing. Yes, it is nice to know the numbers, but don't sacrifice performance for a trinket.

I will hold judgement on the 280pro due not having run one, but it has to walk on water to beat the 250/275

[Brand X]

This one was the finest 250 made. Two inductance taps, electronic contactor, four roll drive setup, Tweco 2/4 front-end/double bottle racks, quieter fan,burnback A lot more copper holding things together.

[ESABREP]

The last runs of the 260 had inductance, and they alway had a burn-back control.

http://www.scottgrossstore.com/servlet/Detail?no=13815

The non-driven top drive roll is a step back on the new machines (215/280). Plus 40 amp bottom end is not as low as the 275 machine. The 250/275 was from well proven stock, and the new machines are not.

http://www.esabna.com/literature/Arc...0301%20165.pdf

That is the 300X, the 260's didnt' have the inductance on them. These are the new 260's, we just changed the name, and added a couple of standard features.

[farmall]

There was/is an inductance control module for the 260. Ours weren't fitted with them but being ordered for training are basic machines with no extras.

Inductance Control Module - 0558002888

[mwr]

Thank you for the info everyone, and I did not realize there was a Multimaster 300 as well as the 300X. I was aware of the X, but I don't know how it actually differs by being optimized for X series wire.

[Brand X]

That is the 300X, the 260's didnt' have the inductance on them. These are the new 260's, we just changed the name, and added a couple of standard features.

Just so you know, I bought a earlier version but a black faced one, and they never came with the optional inductance control. The later models did , I bought second 2w60 with the factory installed inductance control. Mine was a spool-gun package. Don,(DDA-52 received a tig package 260 from the factory. (250 plus had a melt down) and it had a factory installed inductance control. Not in a box, installed in the machine. (like mine)

I bought every option that Esab made for the 260, so I know what came on the machines. I don't think you been around Esab stuff as long as I have. ! also owned a( L_tec) 300i migmaster, The inverter in the 250 case, just for a example.

[ESABREP]

I don't doubt that you have been around longer than I have. I just want to let everyone know that the 260 is basically still around just called the 300 now. When I was referring to the standard features, I was referring to what was available on the latest version of the 260. The inductance control was always available for it, but you had to buy it extra. With the 300X and the 300 you don't order it extra, its on every unit.

[Brand X]

Thank you for the info everyone, and I did not realize there was a Multimaster 300 as well as the 300X. I was aware of the X, but I don't know how it actually differs by being optimized for X series wire.

That would be drive rolls, and the 400 amp gun. Machine is the same. That came from our local Esab rep, that has been with Esab's a real long time. Moved to automation now.

[Brand X]

I don't doubt that you have been around longer than I have. I just want to let everyone know that the 260 is basically still around just called the 300 now. When I was referring to the standard features, I was referring to what was available on the latest version of the 260. The inductance control was always available for it, but you had to buy it extra. With the 300X and the 300 you don't order it extra, its on every unit.

You did not have to buy the inductance control extra on the last batches of the 260!!!