How Long Have You Had Your Welder

[ebaran]

This is a thread we are testing out - a place where you can post your "reviews" of your welding gear.

[johnrbauer]

I have a 1967 red face Lincoln Pipeliner that my dad bought in the late 60s I not sure if it was his or mine. But when he passed away that was the only peace of equipment that everyone knew where it was and who it belonged to. I still have that machine and it is still my most prized possession.

J. R. Bauer

[rabidchimp]

I've made my Power Mig since June of 2013, and my Square Wave 175 since February or so of 2011. Had one other Lincoln 175 mig from 2005, until last summer.
-Aaron

[puddytat]

Hi, I've had the Multiplaz 3500 plasma welder and cutting torch for the last 3 years or so......it works for me.
Ian.

[Brand X]

I have underwear older then any of my welding machines..

[MinnesotaDave]

The first welder I ever bought was an oxy/acetylene weld/cutting outfit from sears in 1995.
It's a Harris model and still works fine. I needed to weld/repair the bed on my 77 F150

Next was a century AC/DC stick welder that I still have - I had broken my tractor bucket.
Popped some diodes a few years ago (likely cause I kept letting it get hot) but replaced and the kids can still use it when dad is using the big Airco

I'm not sure how long I've had the mm210 I bought new - maybe 10 years? Excellent machine

[tommyjoking]

I will have a hard time commenting here.....I have a machine from 1976,1983, 1991, all are still in use and that includes the most modern PS I have. Say what you will but I will purchase an inverter when I prove to myself it will make more money.

[MarkThomas]

LONGEVITY: I Bought 3 Machines from Longevity 5 years ago. Turned into 5 Machines later.

Original Purchase: A 518D Tig/Arc/Plasma, A cut 50D Plasma, and a Diesel Generator AT6500..
The Generator ran 15 minutes and died. Spent the next 3 or 4 months swapping parts with Longevity, waiting for replies. Still no Running Generator.
I paid $200 to ship another one. It arrived,, no 220V output, and no 12 Volt Output. 220V fixed by replacing bad breaker. 12 Volt still not working to charge battery. Didn't want to spend another $200 to get another machine with more problems. Still have Generator, still won't charge its own battery. Havn't bothered to crank it for over 3 years, don't know if it will crank or not. Probably won't.

The 518D Multi Machine: Arrived DOA also. Plasma would never work, Arc Unusable:Voltage Varried Wildy. Didn't test the Tig since nothing else worked.
The Cut50D Plasma Cutter: Never cut anything. Didn't work, straight out of the box.
After fighting with Longevity owner, about a year later, waiting on a better set of machines, I traded in the two DOA failures for another.. A WeldAll 160PI.

It arrived, Arc Unusable, Plasma Wouldn't Cut, Tig, works, but, none of the TIG functions other than Post Flow and Amperage works.. Foot Pedal Works, switch on Torch does not.. None of the Pulse Functions work, AC balance and Frequency does not work.
Longevity could not troubleshoot over the phone on any of the machines, and would not replace the DOA machines they shipped or fix them, on their dime.
I was tired of spending more money to ship more DOA units, and Gave up, since 100% of the machines I received were failures, and it was Obvious, these 100% failures were my problem, and not theirs, and more money was not going to solve the problem of getting a machine that worked, but, more failures.

I waited 5 years, and contacted Longevity again (the owner).. Reminded him about the 100% failures of his "Quality Machines" earlier, and the fact that I had purchased brand new machines, and I was still waiting for a working machine.. Asked him what his failure rate was now, after 5 years.. He said, it was much better, and asked if I wanted to buy another machine.. Do I really have to say what my answer was to that question?

Needless to say, I still have the WeldAll 160PI.. Not working, since like the day it arrived here.. Longevity still won't make the original purchase right.
Of Course, Simon says what he always says "Machine is not under warranty", can't send you a "Free Machine",, just after he reads the fact that all of his previous machines were 100% DOA..
He also says, "I never shipped you any DOA machines".. I guess that is why we shipped parts back and forth for months, and traded emails (I still have),, and I guess that is why I waited, and sent back two DOA machines to upgrade to the "Latest and Greatest" designs that just came out from the factory to solve all of the previous problems, and was shipped another machine DOA with the same exact problems almost a year after my original purchase..

Do they build quality machines today? I have no idea, but, based on the "do you want to buy another", instead of,, I can finally send you a machine that works,,, I seriously doubt it. I can however comment on the $2,000 I spent originally, and have not a single working machine to show for it..
And, I have no doubt, that my original purchase will never be made right.. Even though I posted threads where Longevity said,, Call for an RMA,,, when called, they never gave an RMA, and would not define what would happen if I sent the machine in anyway.. I figured they would keep it, and say they never received it, like they did the two machines I sent back before.. Funny,, I had pictures of what was in the box, as I sealed it, and had the UPS driver look at the pictures,, sign my printout of the picture that I printed, and sign to verify what was in the box when he picked it up... I guess that is the only reason I got the DOA WeldAll 160PI shipped to me...

Just the facts... and documents to back them up..
And,, Simon,, if you reply to this,, I already paid for the machine, and the shipping, and received DOA's.. If you are finally going to send me a working machine,,, it is at your cost, not mine, and when I receive one, I'll pay to ship the other back.. And if you want to send machines until you get one here that works,, I'll clear out the back of my shop to collect the DOA's, and if I finally get one that works,, you can send a Freight truck to help me clean my shop out of the machines I get before I get one that works.. What a joke...

I had sworn to never buy a "China made Machine".. Funny,,, Finally purchased a Plasma cutter from Harbor Freight.. Machine works great.. I wish I would have bought from them before I bought Longevity.. At least I could say,, I have a working machine after 5 years.

[MarkThomas]

Thanks... I am a business owner, not a for hire Welder.. My welding are projects of need, and surely not day to day welding operations.. I do love to design, create and build things, or modify them and make them better suitable for their function..
It is hard to justify buying a "Plasma" when you have an Oxy Rig, and really only "Need" to work with Mild Steel. Hard to Justify a MIG, when you have an Arc, and for the thin stuff, Gas Welding tips, or move up to something thicker..
Needing a Generator because of the lack of Maintenance on the Power lines around here (300 feet from the end of the line 15 miles from town), made me bite the bullet, and buy the Dealership with Longevity, and the 3 machines they required for the dealership. The Cut50 Plasma, The 518D multi machine, and the Generator...

If there is one thing I do, it is Research....
That is what brought me here in October 2008.. At the time, no Negative comments about the Company..
They were new Vendors, and it didn't seem out of the norm to not have at least some of the Complaints..
A Google of "Longevity + Complaint" turned up one or two, but, the complaints were not detailed enough to develop a strong opinion, and some people will complain on these sites for little or no reason, or will complain about their Competitors as it they were a customer...
When I posted something Negative about them here, and 5 minutes later, it was deleted,,,, I knew why I wasn't finding the information "I know existed back then", about them.
I tried and tried to work with Simon... I just could not get over the fact that "me" purchasing brand new machines from them, that arrived DOA, should mean that I should pay more shipping for more replacement units that "Also" arrived DOA... After about 4 months and $200 more dollars on a $600 machine, to get another Generator that had more problems than the first, it was obvious that more money meant more DOA units...

Quote (Simon): Yes, we are having problems with these machines, BUT,,, we have a new line, new technology that will be finished soon, and are much better machines"..
I waited from November 2008 to September 2009 (10 Months), to get one of these "Fixed and Better Machines",, to get something that worked...
I sent the two machines (Cut50 and 518D) back, to swap them for a "New" WeldAll 160PI).. It arrived DOA also..

I can't describe the "Frustration" that I experienced.. But,, maybe something bumped loose during shipping. Pulled the cover, nope... Called Support.. It took 2 weeks to get someone on the phone that knew enough to tell me to check the connections, and check the spark gap.. (Obviously - No "In House" Repairs are being done there")..
Give me some more money, and I'll send you another machine..... "NO",,,, Send me a working machine, and I'll pay shipping on that one,, same as I did pay for the first machine that "should have worked"... After a month or so, took it to a Welding Repair shop... The mechanic looked at it and said,, "Piece of xxxx?"...
So,, I figured,, contact them again, tell Simon,, when you get the bugs worked out, I am still waiting on my new "Working" machine...
His Reply "Your Machine is out of Warranty"... My Translation of that comment.. The Brand New Machine you shipped to me DOA, the $200 more and trouble trying to fix the Generator and still does not work, the 10 months of dealing with that Garbage, and having to look at the "Brand New Machine" sitting in my Shop, Never being Used, and Never being Fixed/Replaced,,, and now, it is out of Warranty??? Needless to say, I gave up..

Met someone who had a Harbor Freight Plasma, and said,, Inside, they are Quality Machines, 18 foot leads, etc... I jumped on one...
After about an hour cutting expanded metal to update a brand new trailer I just purchased, and I could not believe how well the machine worked..
After Longevity, I had sworn off of Chinese machines, never to buy another, and due to justification, not being a welder, I never purchased a name brand rig...
I was so furious that I had not gotten a Refund/Replacement, or a working machine,, and I had done without this sweet technology for 5 years because of Simon...
I decided to go ahead and purchase a MIG also, because I had a project I wanted to build for my Company (3 Tiered Life Vest Rack), and the MIG would make it so much easier, I could see..
So, I emailed Simon, reminded him about the fiasco, the 100% DOA shipments, the Generator, the Weldall160PI, etc.. and suggested it seemed like after 5 years, he might be able to send a working machine, and make this purchase right.. I offered to trade the Weldall160PI for a TigWeld 200Ex ($100 less than the Weldall160PI), and if it arrived and worked, I would buy a MIGWeld 200S from him also... He replied, can't send you a "FREE" machine, but, I can sell you a "Returned Unit", less than what I just asked for..
Needless to say,, It was a shame that the posts I was looking for back in 2008 were not there for me to find before dealing with Longevity.. From 5 years of dealing with them, and the Mile long list before and after me, I should have found them.. Still, today, there are only 3 posts that I found (not including mine), that are the truth of the Longevity Service Ethics, that would have steered me away from them, and would have kept me from posting here about them..
I just purchased the Harbor Freight item#68886 180Amp MIG Welder (Black Model) with 6' leads, soon to upgrade to the 10' lead due to a recent post here by borderding,
http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...nce-mods/page2

I have already run about 6lbs of wire through it, have another spool on order, and finally going to do the project, I started 5 years ago with Longevity...
And, I am doing it with the Chinese machines I purchased from HF,,, after 5 years of swearing off of their products because of Longevity..
In the link above, I posted a few pictures of the cart I just built to house them, and make them portable, so I can put them up in a 21" x 30" foot print, when not in use...
I don't buy products from Companies that won't stand behind them.. At least I try not to, and try to research before I buy..
I remembered finding a video on youtube of a guy taking a sledge hammer to a brand new Longevity machine after he had had enough with Longevity.. Can't find it any more, so, I posted on of my own, without the sledge hammer portion.. The Tig partially works.. No Pulse, No AC features, but, can do some light tigging on DC, so for now, I'll keep it, until I buy another, then, I'll post a Sledge Hammer Video..
But, for now, won't be deleted, and is there for anyone thinking about buying Longevity.. I'll do a few more when I have time and take a few minutes to put together a good video.. You have to see how the Arc works on them... You get 20% voltage to start your arc, and then 100% to weld with it.. Impossible.... I can put in a brand new set of consumables on the Plasma, and burn them up trying to get an arc started with the 1/32" clearance needed to try to start the jittery arc..

They might ship you a working machine, but, if they don't,, get out your wallet and buy a few more.. Maybe better luck next time.. 100% DOA was not my idea of "Better luck next time...
And, Simon,, if you read this, don't reply with "We offered you a fix, Call and get an RMA, because if you do,, I'll post the dates and email where you refused to do exactly what you said,, just before closing my thread... Of course,, being this thread is designed for welders that have lasted a while, won't be many posts here he is interested in.. But, for the record,,

I HAVE A LONGEVITY WELDALL 160PI.. It Arrived DOA, Longevity would not make it right, and it still sets here in the shop, 5 years later, still DOA...
Of course, forgot to mention again, there were 4 other DOA units before this one. 100% DOA failures.. And, the only Warranty is what is printed on the Website, but, you have to make it past the CEO Simon to get it.. Good Luck..

[cornemuse]

1, Miller Thunderbolt I bought used in about 1970 included about 150 lb. of various rods.
2, A set of 'Rego' gauges + Victor torch, actually I have both victor & uniweld regulators, I prefer the Regos. All from early-mid '70's.
3, TA Arcmaster 185 (tig-stick) I bought about 7-8 years ago.
4, Lincoln dual 180 bought a year ago or so.
5, Hypertherm 45 got a few months ago.

I keep the thunderbolt for stick welding, I much prefer it to the TA unit, even tho its AC only.

I have a Victor 'J-27' torch with accessories, & a Uniweld torch, which uses interchangable tips from both torches. Victor & Uniweld regs. The Regos were manufactured in the mid 1940's, had them rebuilt when I got them, early '70's, no problems since, the victors both need rebuild/replacement, the uniwelds both still work. Makes we wonder about Victor products.

[Willie B]

Marquette OA 1969, Used but didn't own my father's friend's Westinghouse 600 amp DC Chrysler Industrial 236 flat head. What a beauty! Twentieth Century 295 AC I still have 1974 I haven't used in many years, but if I ever want AC it's my first choice.

[cope]

Miller Model 88 250 amp AC Stick. Made in 1962, bought it used in 1978.
Millermatic 210 bought in 2004
Hobart 187 bought in 2006
Longevity 200EX bought in 2013
Longevity 40i Plasma bought in 2013
1980 vintage Victor O/A
1980vintage Prestolite O/A

[tanglediver]

Since 1994.

[tanglediver]

In 1986...I tried to run a mig machine on a simple bracket with zero instruction.
Century AC 230 in 1994, I gave that to one of my mentors. My Honda Genset/Welder was ripped off. I had a Lincoln fluxcore only machine from around 2005 that I gave away (it was THAT good). I bought a fleebay SP135 in 2007 that I gave to my brother. I bought an Econotig around then from an advertisement on W.W. which I still have. I gave my uncle a MillerMatic 250 in about 2008. Around then I got my XMT304 off ebay. I found a craigslist Idealarc 250 around 2009. My brother also has my old Miller 180 stick machine (I still call it mine, but I took dads chainsaw so...) I got a project Sureweld tig machine at some point in 2011 perhaps. Oh, and there's a Lincoln Weldanpower that needs an overhaul somewhere out there, but ya know, there's work to be done first.

[wookiewelder]

Thanks... I am a business owner, not a for hire Welder.. My welding are projects of need, and surely not day to day welding operations.. I do love to design, create and build things, or modify them and make them better suitable for their function..
It is hard to justify buying a "Plasma" when you have an Oxy Rig, and really only "Need" to work with Mild Steel. Hard to Justify a MIG, when you have an Arc, and for the thin stuff, Gas Welding tips, or move up to something thicker..
Needing a Generator because of the lack of Maintenance on the Power lines around here (300 feet from the end of the line 15 miles from town), made me bite the bullet, and buy the Dealership with Longevity, and the 3 machines they required for the dealership. The Cut50 Plasma, The 518D multi machine, and the Generator...

If there is one thing I do, it is Research....
That is what brought me here in October 2008.. At the time, no Negative comments about the Company..
They were new Vendors, and it didn't seem out of the norm to not have at least some of the Complaints..
A Google of "Longevity + Complaint" turned up one or two, but, the complaints were not detailed enough to develop a strong opinion, and some people will complain on these sites for little or no reason, or will complain about their Competitors as it they were a customer...
When I posted something Negative about them here, and 5 minutes later, it was deleted,,,, I knew why I wasn't finding the information "I know existed back then", about them.
I tried and tried to work with Simon... I just could not get over the fact that "me" purchasing brand new machines from them, that arrived DOA, should mean that I should pay more shipping for more replacement units that "Also" arrived DOA... After about 4 months and $200 more dollars on a $600 machine, to get another Generator that had more problems than the first, it was obvious that more money meant more DOA units...

Quote (Simon): Yes, we are having problems with these machines, BUT,,, we have a new line, new technology that will be finished soon, and are much better machines"..
I waited from November 2008 to September 2009 (10 Months), to get one of these "Fixed and Better Machines",, to get something that worked...
I sent the two machines (Cut50 and 518D) back, to swap them for a "New" WeldAll 160PI).. It arrived DOA also..

I can't describe the "Frustration" that I experienced.. But,, maybe something bumped loose during shipping. Pulled the cover, nope... Called Support.. It took 2 weeks to get someone on the phone that knew enough to tell me to check the connections, and check the spark gap.. (Obviously - No "In House" Repairs are being done there")..
Give me some more money, and I'll send you another machine..... "NO",,,, Send me a working machine, and I'll pay shipping on that one,, same as I did pay for the first machine that "should have worked"... After a month or so, took it to a Welding Repair shop... The mechanic looked at it and said,, "Piece of xxxx?"...
So,, I figured,, contact them again, tell Simon,, when you get the bugs worked out, I am still waiting on my new "Working" machine...
His Reply "Your Machine is out of Warranty"... My Translation of that comment.. The Brand New Machine you shipped to me DOA, the $200 more and trouble trying to fix the Generator and still does not work, the 10 months of dealing with that Garbage, and having to look at the "Brand New Machine" sitting in my Shop, Never being Used, and Never being Fixed/Replaced,,, and now, it is out of Warranty??? Needless to say, I gave up..

Met someone who had a Harbor Freight Plasma, and said,, Inside, they are Quality Machines, 18 foot leads, etc... I jumped on one...
After about an hour cutting expanded metal to update a brand new trailer I just purchased, and I could not believe how well the machine worked..
After Longevity, I had sworn off of Chinese machines, never to buy another, and due to justification, not being a welder, I never purchased a name brand rig...
I was so furious that I had not gotten a Refund/Replacement, or a working machine,, and I had done without this sweet technology for 5 years because of Simon...
I decided to go ahead and purchase a MIG also, because I had a project I wanted to build for my Company (3 Tiered Life Vest Rack), and the MIG would make it so much easier, I could see..
So, I emailed Simon, reminded him about the fiasco, the 100% DOA shipments, the Generator, the Weldall160PI, etc.. and suggested it seemed like after 5 years, he might be able to send a working machine, and make this purchase right.. I offered to trade the Weldall160PI for a TigWeld 200Ex ($100 less than the Weldall160PI), and if it arrived and worked, I would buy a MIGWeld 200S from him also... He replied, can't send you a "FREE" machine, but, I can sell you a "Returned Unit", less than what I just asked for..
Needless to say,, It was a shame that the posts I was looking for back in 2008 were not there for me to find before dealing with Longevity.. From 5 years of dealing with them, and the Mile long list before and after me, I should have found them.. Still, today, there are only 3 posts that I found (not including mine), that are the truth of the Longevity Service Ethics, that would have steered me away from them, and would have kept me from posting here about them..
I just purchased the Harbor Freight item#68886 180Amp MIG Welder (Black Model) with 6' leads, soon to upgrade to the 10' lead due to a recent post here by borderding,
http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php...nce-mods/page2

I have already run about 6lbs of wire through it, have another spool on order, and finally going to do the project, I started 5 years ago with Longevity...
And, I am doing it with the Chinese machines I purchased from HF,,, after 5 years of swearing off of their products because of Longevity..
In the link above, I posted a few pictures of the cart I just built to house them, and make them portable, so I can put them up in a 21" x 30" foot print, when not in use...
I don't buy products from Companies that won't stand behind them.. At least I try not to, and try to research before I buy..
I remembered finding a video on youtube of a guy taking a sledge hammer to a brand new Longevity machine after he had had enough with Longevity.. Can't find it any more, so, I posted on of my own, without the sledge hammer portion.. The Tig partially works.. No Pulse, No AC features, but, can do some light tigging on DC, so for now, I'll keep it, until I buy another, then, I'll post a Sledge Hammer Video..
But, for now, won't be deleted, and is there for anyone thinking about buying Longevity.. I'll do a few more when I have time and take a few minutes to put together a good video.. You have to see how the Arc works on them... You get 20% voltage to start your arc, and then 100% to weld with it.. Impossible.... I can put in a brand new set of consumables on the Plasma, and burn them up trying to get an arc started with the 1/32" clearance needed to try to start the jittery arc..

They might ship you a working machine, but, if they don't,, get out your wallet and buy a few more.. Maybe better luck next time.. 100% DOA was not my idea of "Better luck next time...
And, Simon,, if you read this, don't reply with "We offered you a fix, Call and get an RMA, because if you do,, I'll post the dates and email where you refused to do exactly what you said,, just before closing my thread... Of course,, being this thread is designed for welders that have lasted a while, won't be many posts here he is interested in.. But, for the record,,

I HAVE A LONGEVITY WELDALL 160PI.. It Arrived DOA, Longevity would not make it right, and it still sets here in the shop, 5 years later, still DOA...
Of course, forgot to mention again, there were 4 other DOA units before this one. 100% DOA failures.. And, the only Warranty is what is printed on the Website, but, you have to make it past the CEO Simon to get it.. Good Luck..

Hey Mark. You should try and get yourself into a 42i !!! I'd think it would blow that Harbor Freight cutter out of the water!!

[shovelon]

Hey Mark. You should try and get yourself into a 42i !!! I'd think it would blow that Harbor Freight cutter out of the water!!

Bwwhhhaaaa!!!!!!!! You should be a comedian!

[walker]

I bought the 80s MM200 that I learned on when it was new. I still use it every day, I'll get back to you on the longevity of the machine when it wears out. Don't hold your breath. I also have had an XMT304 for a couple of years. Great machine. My TB251 is also a good machine. I have had minor issues that I fixed with help from here and the Miller board. Also have a Century transformer machine from the 80's that will last the rest of my life.

[KennyP]

I Bought a AHP TIG a few weeks off amazon- its already dead wtf!!????

[MarkThomas]

Ha.. I had a Cut50 from Longevity.. It arrived DOA, and never worked.. I had also purchased a Generator AT6500 and a 518 Multi unit machine.. They didn't work either.. OOPS,, Correction.. The ATS6500 ran for 15 minutes before it died, and it took almost a year and $200 more of my money, fighting with longevity to finally get a Generator that would run, but, didn't charge it's own battery.. Very good when you can't plug in a battery charger to get it running again..

And,, finally,, a Trade up from the Cut50 and 518D to a Weldall 160PI.. Latest and Greatest..
Junk.. It arrived with the exact same problems the Cut50 and 518D had...
The only thing it would do was basic low voltage Tig, but, none of the AC functions or Pulse functions work...
That was 5 years ago..
Did I say that I still have the Junk Generator, and the Junk 160PI.. Yes, I do.. WHY?? Because of the Longevity Warranty on them Shipping DOA machines...
Yes,, I think I would be much better off giving up my very much working HF Plasma for another hunk of junk anything that Longevity ships...

Thanks for your comment and suggestion, but, I'll keep my HF.. It works, and works very well.. Havn't had a single hickup yet, and have cut just about everything with it. The Longevity machines.. They last for a very long time.. If you just put the broken piece of junk in the back of your shop and walk past it every day, looking at it, knowing you got royally screwed by them.. Thanks, but, no thanks..

And,, do you think that Simon ever made it right? Nope.. I don't do business with people like that.. At least not more than once.

[MarkThomas]

Thanks for your comment KennyP... It's good to know things like that.. Let us know if you get any problem resolution, or if you get the typical Longevity style service.
That means, you'll have your few week old TIG for as long as you can't stand to chunk it out in the drive way and beat it to death with a sledge..
I saw a video on youtube of a brand new Longevity machine.. Guy had the same problem with them I had. Took a sledge to it.. I couldn't stop laughing... But, I felt for the guy.. I know what he was going through.. Same was done to me.

[mike837go]

O/A kit with many new parts from the 1970's, Craftsman buzz box from the same era.
Miller 140c MIG/flux core 2012 (replaced a POS MIG from 1982)
6 month old harbor freight 165A TIG/stick.

I am a well-equipped hobbiest that enjoys playing with his toys. And sticking them back together when they break.

[ccawgc]

I have a 300 amp AC Glen arc welder. belonged to my grandfather.
I am going to guess it is 20 to 30 years older than any machine talked about so far. And I do have the owners booklet for it.

[92dlxman]

lol, to my name I have a Lincoln welpack 100hd that has been fine on 20amp circuits. it RARELY gets unwound, but has been bumped down ladders, dragged through dirt, etc

I also have my 1988 sa 200 that has been in pieces for wayyyy too long. motor runs great, just waiting for the gen to get overhauled.

for work, I use a company-issue trailblazer 302 with 400 hrs or so on the clock, no issue. and a maxstar 150stl that has been flooded, dropped, asked to pull 120amp welds all day long while sitting in 110 deg. heat off of 120v power. . . .those little maxstars are fantastic machines.

when I have to work in the shop, for mig I usually pick the oldest millermatic available, going as old as having separate connections for "high" or "low". tig off any maxstar or xmt 304. stick off xmt 350

[AKweldshop]

LONGEVITY: I Bought 3 Machines from Longevity 5 years ago. Turned into 5 Machines later.

Original Purchase: A 518D Tig/Arc/Plasma, A cut 50D Plasma, and a Diesel Generator AT6500..
The Generator ran 15 minutes and died. Spent the next 3 or 4 months swapping parts with Longevity, waiting for replies. Still no Running Generator.
I paid $200 to ship another one. It arrived,, no 220V output, and no 12 Volt Output. 220V fixed by replacing bad breaker. 12 Volt still not working to charge battery. Didn't want to spend another $200 to get another machine with more problems. Still have Generator, still won't charge its own battery. Havn't bothered to crank it for over 3 years, don't know if it will crank or not. Probably won't.

The 518D Multi Machine: Arrived DOA also. Plasma would never work, Arc Unusable:Voltage Varried Wildy. Didn't test the Tig since nothing else worked.
The Cut50D Plasma Cutter: Never cut anything. Didn't work, straight out of the box.
After fighting with Longevity owner, about a year later, waiting on a better set of machines, I traded in the two DOA failures for another.. A WeldAll 160PI.

It arrived, Arc Unusable, Plasma Wouldn't Cut, Tig, works, but, none of the TIG functions other than Post Flow and Amperage works.. Foot Pedal Works, switch on Torch does not.. None of the Pulse Functions work, AC balance and Frequency does not work.
Longevity could not troubleshoot over the phone on any of the machines, and would not replace the DOA machines they shipped or fix them, on their dime.
I was tired of spending more money to ship more DOA units, and Gave up, since 100% of the machines I received were failures, and it was Obvious, these 100% failures were my problem, and not theirs, and more money was not going to solve the problem of getting a machine that worked, but, more failures.

I waited 5 years, and contacted Longevity again (the owner).. Reminded him about the 100% failures of his "Quality Machines" earlier, and the fact that I had purchased brand new machines, and I was still waiting for a working machine.. Asked him what his failure rate was now, after 5 years.. He said, it was much better, and asked if I wanted to buy another machine.. Do I really have to say what my answer was to that question?

Needless to say, I still have the WeldAll 160PI.. Not working, since like the day it arrived here.. Longevity still won't make the original purchase right.
Of Course, Simon says what he always says "Machine is not under warranty", can't send you a "Free Machine",, just after he reads the fact that all of his previous machines were 100% DOA..
He also says, "I never shipped you any DOA machines".. I guess that is why we shipped parts back and forth for months, and traded emails (I still have),, and I guess that is why I waited, and sent back two DOA machines to upgrade to the "Latest and Greatest" designs that just came out from the factory to solve all of the previous problems, and was shipped another machine DOA with the same exact problems almost a year after my original purchase..

Do they build quality machines today? I have no idea, but, based on the "do you want to buy another", instead of,, I can finally send you a machine that works,,, I seriously doubt it. I can however comment on the $2,000 I spent originally, and have not a single working machine to show for it..
And, I have no doubt, that my original purchase will never be made right.. Even though I posted threads where Longevity said,, Call for an RMA,,, when called, they never gave an RMA, and would not define what would happen if I sent the machine in anyway.. I figured they would keep it, and say they never received it, like they did the two machines I sent back before.. Funny,, I had pictures of what was in the box, as I sealed it, and had the UPS driver look at the pictures,, sign my printout of the picture that I printed, and sign to verify what was in the box when he picked it up... I guess that is the only reason I got the DOA WeldAll 160PI shipped to me...

Just the facts... and documents to back them up..
And,, Simon,, if you reply to this,, I already paid for the machine, and the shipping, and received DOA's.. If you are finally going to send me a working machine,,, it is at your cost, not mine, and when I receive one, I'll pay to ship the other back.. And if you want to send machines until you get one here that works,, I'll clear out the back of my shop to collect the DOA's, and if I finally get one that works,, you can send a Freight truck to help me clean my shop out of the machines I get before I get one that works.. What a joke...

I had sworn to never buy a "China made Machine".. Funny,,, Finally purchased a Plasma cutter from Harbor Freight.. Machine works great.. I wish I would have bought from them before I bought Longevity.. At least I could say,, I have a working machine after 5 years.

What have you learned from this experience??
You have had a rough go at this deal....
How much cash did you lose??

~John

[colohusker]

I'm just now dusting off the Air Products Combo 160 that I inherited from my grandfather and what I learned on. I think he bought it new in '81, and even if I can't get it working nicely again, it's nice to have the memories of the old coot and the days in the workshop with him.