My philosophy is... When you purchase ANY welding machine on the cheap, that is exactly what you get, a cheap marginal machine. Save your pennies up and buy something quality.

 

i agree with side car. sometimes spending alittle more upfront will save you in the long run. if your not in a hurry to buy something today i should have my hands on a $1200 210a dv machine in a few weeks to try out that does dc tig ,mig, stick ,spool gun ready and ill report back what i think of it. ill also have a couple auto hoods under $200 to see what i think of them if your needing a cheap hood

 

disdain that word “best”. and best and budget should never be used in the same sentence. decide on your reqts:

TIG DC + MIG: Lincoln 210MP, or HTP equiv

save the plasma work for a separate machine.

 

210mp isnt even made any more and honestly they seemed to be alot of people have problems with them.

 

I agree with the posts that buying a quality machine would be the best tool, but I can’t justify spending that much money on a machine I will only use a few times a year other than building a corral.

I need a machine that runs on 110 of a generator for the corral but would prefer 220 when in the garage. Has anyone used the Klutch welder I linked in the original post, thoughts on it for my purposes? What about the Amazon welders yes welder, arc captain, femerol, toollium, azzuno, etc?

I am not planning to weld every weekend but I would like it to work when I do need to use it (looking for the Goldilocks welder cheap but decent, maybe it doesn’t exist).

Thanks

 

What about this one: https://primeweld.com/products/mts-145-multi-process-mig-tig-stick It's $250!
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Primeweld gets good reviews. I have a MIG 180 and like it so far. It does MIG and aluminum. It comes with an electrode holder, so I think it does stick as well.

I'd avoid the Amazon ones with the funny names.

 

What about this one: https://primeweld.com/products/mts-145-multi-process-mig-tig-stick It's $250!
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Primeweld gets good reviews. I have a MIG 180 and like it so far. It does MIG and aluminum. It comes with an electrode holder, so I think it does stick as well.

I'd avoid the Amazon ones with the funny names.

That's a 120volt only machine. You would have to go to the primeweld 180 to get dual voltage.

 

Brand X has probably played around with more of those low cost machines than most of us and has hit some Klutch welders that he really likes. All the low cost welders are a gamble in my opinion, but if you're determined to go that route, that Klutch might be as good a bet as any. I set my 200 Vevor up for strictly Fluxcore, but for the little I've used it it's done well... I just haven't had a reason to use it much. Those other brands you list raise a lot of red flags in my mind.... we just seem to keep hearing horror stories about them. He hasn't chimed in on this thread, but maybe you should drop Brand X a PM to see if that's a machine he has any experience with...

 

Jim, and I have been using the Klutch welders longer than Esab has been using them..:jester: Most the time Pretty dang solid.. Some don't lift arc like claimed,and generally low output on Stick 120 volts..The Mig arc is generally really nice.. 120 or 240 volts

https://www.hugongwelds.com/product/pro5_2.htm

 

Ahhh.... I woke him up!

 

For solid wire, the inductance control on the Klutch would have me favoring going with the Klutch over the Prime Weld 180.

 

The more I look there are so many options for cheap welders, and it sounds like some work great and some never work. I have been looking for a used Lincoln/esab/miller/Hobart but nobody has any for sale in my area (rural eastern Montana). I found a weldpro on Amazon for $200 I’m thinking of ordering it’s a MIG155Gsv dual voltage comes with a 3 year warranty, any experience with Weldpro?

 

Does the search function on this forum not work anymore? This question is asked and answered several times a week.

 

Sorry to start another thread but no one actually gives a recommendation for cheap welders they just say “save your money and buy quality” which is probably good advice, but lots of people don’t have the ability to save the money, so I am just asking about options that I can afford.

 

I see both sides of the story. If you saved $500, you can save another $500, as the others mentioned. Also, the world does not owe you answers to all your questions, so if no one wants to give a recommendation/options, that is what it is, right? Sometimes you just have to try things out, and even then the world does not owe you a machine that has all your required features for your price point. You already found one that meets your needs. It's not our obligation to scour the ends of the earth to find you a diamond in the rough that costs a whopping $25 less. That being said, you can find good reviews on budget welders on tb1717's YouTube Channel. Good luck in your quest.

 

$200 is almost a guaranteed miss.. There is a level you go below, and it's like pissing it away even with a lifetime warranty.There is no free lunch.. :jester:

 

Okay, good to know the specs looked good on the machine other than it has a 6 foot lead on the mig gun (it’s listed at $299 with $100 off). There is also a similar machine with a removable mig gun with a 10’ lead for $350 ($500 normally).

Both are weldpro brand, any thoughts on this brand?

 

Why not wire feed run fluxcore, instead of stick. Then a cheap stick weld for learning tIG.

 

PRIMEWELD has a finance program that offers reasonable payments.