How Long Have You Had Your Welder

[DanD78]

I bought my first welder in 1978 while a senior in high school. It is an old at that time A.O. Smith that looks like R2-D2 from star wars. It is a 250Amp AC only machine. It is still taking up space in the corner of the shop. I have had a lot of other machine over the years and keep trading up. My XMT-304, two Powcons and a Trailblazer 301G are the latest. The only transformer macine still in use is the old Lincold 250 with the big round crank on the face.

Dan D.

[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

Forgot about the Craftsman 2 stage O/A set and Airco (Miller) 225 amp AC that I started with in 1970. I did more work with that combo in the time I had it than with all the other machines put together. I built two trailers in my driveway in the Texas July sun with the Airco.

[pirate]

I've had my Forney 250 amp arc welder for 36 years. I'm sure I will die before it does!

[whtbaron]

My dad bought our Forney 225 AC arc in the mid 70's. So far I've changed a couple plugins, and the on/off switch, but it keeps on welding like a trooper. I know everyone frowns on aluminum wired machines, but it's been very dependable.

[Weld one]

First welder that was mine dad bought me in 1977 for high school graduation. I have the mate to it we bought on a job in the mid 80's still works. It is a daton ac dc 250. Then I bought a 1 year old Hobart beta mig 200 in dec 93. Then about five years ago my brother bought a couple of miller cp 300 (1994) at a sale I put a wire feeder on one and it works. About a year ago I bought a lincoln dc 400 (1996) a couple of weeks ago I bought a lincoln sa 200 red face 1967-1968 all still work and I enjoy using them.

[ckobesko]

I've had my hh140 for 4 months. Love it. The tbolt and century 295...both been sweet. If I had to keep only one....the hh140 and tbolt ...ide flip a coin.

[poohman]

2 year old Hobart TR250HF bought in 84 with torch,foot control and spool gun. Runs like a top everyday. Second oldest is 92 Canox (rebadged Miller) 200 migmatic bought brand new and now semiretired last year to stainless only.

[kaboom10]

Had both of my welders for over a yr now. Tack welded with the mig. Tig, stick and plasma cutter combo has never even been turned on yet. Needed a plasma cutter and like the fact of having a Tig for tubing fabrication. The plasma is for fabrication of the twin turbo setup brackets.

[Kemppi180evo]

One hour... Just got my kemppi minarc 180 evo. Have unboxed it and tried some 7018 with it and it runs like a dream..
Before i had a telwin 165 force for a year but never liked that one thats why i bought a new one...

[tlsmith]

Miller 252 new 7 years no problems

[Shiftace]

Still lovin' my '87 ClassicII after 22 years.

[Sedanman]

Got a 140 amp mig welder off the tool truck in 1987, still have it.........and few others.

[stevencbradley]

Ummm... I had a Lincoln tombstone ca. 1984 for a lot of years, plus a midsize Harris OA set purchased later
Moved, now I have a little Victor HVAC OA set, a Miller 150S, and a Powcon 130 I got off CL. Next is a wireless, but I only have 110, so light stuff only. Come to think of it, I also have an old carbon arc torch, for which I don't have an AC machine at the moment. Need to move so I can get 220. Current house won't work for it. Love my toys...

[GiantTechGuy]

Any GiantTech machines ?

[RWinkle]

Lincoln 225 bought 25 years ago. Century 170 MIG 10+ years

[smithdoor]

Hobart 300 stick welder for over 30 years. MIG welder Airco 250 with Miller wire feeder 25 years. Till sold my company in 2004

Today I only have Harbor freight mig 170 for 3 years

Dave

[Ggg6]

Millermatic 200
One owner since 1986
I have a few that are older, but I have not owned them nearly as long.

[Willie B]

1974 I think. A Twentieth Century 295 rated at 100% duty cycle. I was a kid & the extra $150. for DC seemed too much. I did buy the DC version bought by somebody else that same night.

I once owned a 194_? Westinghouse engine driven monster.

Oldest I now use regularly is a 1969 Lincoln 300-300 900 LB monster.

[California]

Describing my sig, below. These are for farm repairs and minor fabrication.

* Amico MIG-130A Flux, Dual Voltage. Truly portable! - Bought it new December 2021. $149 on Amazon. Most convenient welder I've owned.
* HF MIG-180 with all the mods. Heavy. - 2010 model I bought used 2017. My workhorse for farm repairs, before the Amico.
* Grizzly H8153 Stick/Tig 130/160. - 2007 model bought used 2017. Stick welds great, haven't used TIG.
* Wards PowrKraft AC-230. Stick & carbon arc. - 1960's bought 2003. My primary welder before the MIG-180, now saved for heavy stuff.

Prior:
Harbor Freight 'MIG' 90-AC. $72. About 2006. It worked for some minor farm repairs but mostly just a frustration-maker.
Century MIG-130. 1991. Bought used about 2010. A far better 110 volt welder, just heavy to drag out for a project.

[Willie B]

Too much editing.

[California]

Too much editing.

Sorry. Didn't mean to PO the welding gods.

[Munkul]

The first welder i owned for myself was a 250 amp Esab AC/DC TIG, it was 25 years old when I got it and it did a lot of work for me. I went from being quite rubbish, to being able to produce good sub contract work.

No.2 - Cemont 280 amp MIG set - was OK, did some useful work, ultimately I didn't care for it too much.

No.3 - Miller XMT with a 64 series MIG wire feeder, also over 20 years old, and still one of the finest MIG sets I've ever used. Sold this to my brother last year.

No.4 - Jasic lunchbox DC stick welder - was a good set, my brother used it most. He moved it on when he got an IFL TIG set which was smoother and better and more useful for farm repair.

No.5 - Replaced the Esab with a Lorch handytig 200 AC/DC, this is my workhorse set now, it wasn't cheap but it's made its money over and over. German quality and design.

No.6 - Kemppi masterTIG 200amp DC set - got from work free, fixed it, did some work with it and sold it on. Really high quality machine but very basic.

No.7 - Replaced the Miller with a Lorch Saprom S3 pulse MIG set, again, absolute pleasure to use, but has a lot more modern and easier to use pulse programs for steel and aluminum.

No.8 - Thermal Arc 250 amp DC TIG set - bought cheap, currently awaiting repair to the TIG trigger side of the board.

No.9 - Migatronic MTE 440 AC/DC TIG set - got this for free, got it working (440 amps on AC is unreal!) and sold it on, as i didn't have work for it.

No.10 - Lincoln Powertec 425S MIG set - sold this on, what a nothing machine it was. awful arc starts, spattery arc, just rubbish, even with brand new torch and return clamp. I've still never used a Lincoln MIG set that I actually liked.

Erm... I think that's all the machines I've owned

[JohnAP]

I just purchased an inexpensive S7 200 amp mig welder last week.

[Heinz peiper]

Newbie and hobbyist here...first welder was a harbor freight core flux welder..recently bought a arcaptain arc 200 stick welder..at the playing around and trying to figure it out phase..