welders?

[geoffinbc]

To get a top of the line welder at a great price buy from Red-D-Arc or similar weld rental outfits. The machines are top notch and half the price and come with all the running gear. They have been used but the price goes down depending on rental time. And a lot of times places rent them for months to do certain jobs but they sit for 7 hours in an 8 hour day.

[TGP37]

I weld all day wit the Miller Syncrowave 300 at 120amps D/C, and you don't need to turn up the amps to weld to a flange. Typically you want 10amps for every .010" thick, so 16ga (.065") should be welded somewhere around 60amps, only a little higher for where flanges meet. I set the machine to double the thickness (120amps for headers) and use the remote foot pedal to control heat. Usually you just need to use higher amps to get the pool started on flanges, then go back to about 1/2 pedal to push the pool.

I see, I was adjusting travel speed. I will try adjusting the amps instead.

One thing is sure, I got great penetration...maybe too much?

[ForcedFirebird]

I weld all day wit the Miller Syncrowave 300 at 120amps D/C, and you don't need to turn up the amps to weld to a flange. Typically you want 10amps for every .010" thick, so 16ga (.065") should be welded somewhere around 60amps, only a little higher for where flanges meet. I set the machine to double the thickness (120amps for headers) and use the remote foot pedal to control heat. Usually you just need to use higher amps to get the pool started on flanges, then go back to about 1/2 pedal to push the pool.

[TGP37]

My Tig welded 0.1" mild steel with fantastic penetration at 130A. 16 gauge steel did good at 90A-100A with a quick bead. 80A for slow work.

I only needed to hit 160A when welding the flange to the 0.1" steel. And that flange was 3/8" thick. I found the 3/32 Ceriated Tungsten to work great....and it avoids the radioactive thoriated tungsten. Ceriated is not as good at high Amps but anything under 150A definately isn't high amps.

For beginners, I can attest the prep work is vital. Got to have clean metal, otherwise the tip gets dirty and it's all over. Stop, pull the tip, cut some off, grind it down, grind the weld, it gets out of control fast.

[NateD4]

The most important thing in welder care is duty cycle. Don't exceed what the manufacturer recommends. As a reference pushing 180 amps while welding aluminum intake manifolds my Miller 180 can easily draw 60 amps at 240 V. For exhaust you don't need many amps, though if I was investing more then a few hundred bucks in a welder I'd buy a Miller or Hobart.

[ericjon262]

My unit came with the plasma cutter. For my application, I needed to cut 0.1" steel plate with curved features. And I'm sure the cutter will be vital in future projects.

I was prepared to encounter issues with the cheaper tig. Like the wrong regulator and sh1tty consumables.

Though, I only owned this tig for a few days now. And as things seem to go, it will collect dust over time and probably burn out if I let it. The quality tig should last longer, of course. But the way I see it, any idiot can over work any machine and break it. Quality or not, the cheaper stuff just gives away sooner. So I let the machine cool down very often when welding. I found the torch cable is stiff cold and becomes flexable with use (heat). If it feels soft, I let it cool for a bit.

So I think a lot more can be said for how the operator treats the machine versus being made in China or not. Americans often make crappy stuff too. It seems if the operator abuses and breaks a device, it is a POS if made in China, it is a POS if made in America. Either way, people beat on teh maker for their own abusive policies. Funny, lol.

No kidding!

[TGP37]

My unit came with the plasma cutter. For my application, I needed to cut 0.1" steel plate with curved features. And I'm sure the cutter will be vital in future projects.

I was prepared to encounter issues with the cheaper tig. Like the wrong regulator and sh1tty consumables.

Though, I only owned this tig for a few days now. And as things seem to go, it will collect dust over time and probably burn out if I let it. The quality tig should last longer, of course. But the way I see it, any idiot can over work any machine and break it. Quality or not, the cheaper stuff just gives away sooner. So I let the machine cool down very often when welding. I found the torch cable is stiff cold and becomes flexable with use (heat). If it feels soft, I let it cool for a bit.

So I think a lot more can be said for how the operator treats the machine versus being made in China or not. Americans often make crappy stuff too. It seems if the operator abuses and breaks a device, it is a POS if made in China, it is a POS if made in America. Either way, people beat on teh maker for their own abusive policies. Funny, lol.

[ericjon262]

Ericjon262, that is sneaky cause Eastwood welders come off as American. Sneaky little bass-tards....lol

I got the everlast style CT520 TSC. After replacing the regulator and consumables with quality products, it works well for me. I think the biggest mistake people make with a chinese product, like a welder in this case, is using a power supply that barely provides proper amps. Then use the welder at full power and burn the unit up from too much resistance in the power supply.

We all know, if the resistance goes up so does the amps....and amps melt/kill electronics.

I got a 50' extension cord that can push up to 30A for a 110V standard plug. Hard to find since the 110V max's at 15A. I use the washer/dryer power supply since it was designed to handle current for extended periods.

Some guy who plugs this in a socket in his dining room is gonna burn something up. The tig function can draw up to 20A.....so I stay at or below 130A output.




That's my opinion....Chinese products, while cheaper, can last if treated gently, kept clean and isn't abused.

well, I can get the tig and plasma for about 1400, or I can get just the tig(albeit much higher quality) for about 2500... it's just a matter of how bad I need both...

[TGP37]

Ericjon262, that is sneaky cause Eastwood welders come off as American. Sneaky little bass-tards....lol

I got the everlast style CT520 TSC. After replacing the regulator and consumables with quality products, it works well for me. I think the biggest mistake people make with a chinese product, like a welder in this case, is using a power supply that barely provides proper amps. Then use the welder at full power and burn the unit up from too much resistance in the power supply.

We all know, if the resistance goes up so does the amps....and amps melt/kill electronics.

I got a 50' extension cord that can push up to 30A for a 110V standard plug. Hard to find since the 110V max's at 15A. I use the washer/dryer power supply since it was designed to handle current for extended periods.

Some guy who plugs this in a socket in his dining room is gonna burn something up. The tig function can draw up to 20A.....so I stay at or below 130A output.




That's my opinion....Chinese products, while cheaper, can last if treated gently, kept clean and isn't abused.

[ericjon262]

I got a CT520 Tig/Plasma

It welds great BUT the kit I got had a Chinese argon regulator. And the tig consumables were of a lesser quality.

So I had to purchase a real US argon regulator and a set of consumables. Wasn't bad though, after all expenses, the Tig set up cost roughly $1100. Price included helmet, gloves, filler rod, argon + 40cf cylinder, regulator and a 30A extra heavy duty extension cord for welding machines.

I happen to have a welding shop near by so I had help when I ran into issues. The darn Chinese argon regulator thread was a whole 0.1" smaller in diameter. I thought, I am NOT putting a POS on 2,000 psi.........only to have it blow off and cause serious damage or harm.

That is one thing I stress.......,safety. If I had another $1k available to budget, I would have bought the Eastwood combo. Just to avoid chinese crap.

But ironically, the welder itself works freaking awesome.

FYI, the eastwood set is made in china, according to an eastwood rep on another forum, it was designed here, and is built in their facility there...

Miller Diversion is less than the Lincoln in the link above. I like the Miller stuff myself, I have a late 80's Syncrowave 300, I have welded aluminum soda cans together and 5/8" steel. If that's not a good enough range, I don't know what is.

I'm kinda leaning towards either the eastwood or the miller.

[ForcedFirebird]

Miller Diversion is less than the Lincoln in the link above. I like the Miller stuff myself, I have a late 80's Syncrowave 300, I have welded aluminum soda cans together and 5/8" steel. If that's not a good enough range, I don't know what is.

[TGP37]

I got a CT520 Tig/Plasma

It welds great BUT the kit I got had a Chinese argon regulator. And the tig consumables were of a lesser quality.

So I had to purchase a real US argon regulator and a set of consumables. Wasn't bad though, after all expenses, the Tig set up cost roughly $1100. Price included helmet, gloves, filler rod, argon + 40cf cylinder, regulator and a 30A extra heavy duty extension cord for welding machines.

I happen to have a welding shop near by so I had help when I ran into issues. The darn Chinese argon regulator thread was a whole 0.1" smaller in diameter. I thought, I am NOT putting a POS on 2,000 psi.........only to have it blow off and cause serious damage or harm.

That is one thing I stress.......,safety. If I had another $1k available to budget, I would have bought the Eastwood combo. Just to avoid chinese crap.

But ironically, the welder itself works freaking awesome.

[NateD4]

I have a Miller, consumables aren't that bad. ESAB makes decent consumables... But you get what you pay for.

[geoffinbc]

Miller and Lincoln are the top two brands for consumers. Parts are plentiful and so are consumables. Both are about equal. I use both brands every day and cannot complain about either. What I can say is that newer welders have FAR BETTER arc stability versus the older models and modern inverter machines trump them all even when doing standard MIG and Stick welds you can see, hear and feel a difference.

I don't like the idea of the Eastwood and other Chinese knock off brands. They might be fine for the guy who fires it up once a year but not it you intend to use it regularly.

[ericjon262]

http://www.eastwood.com/ew-tig200-versa-cut-kit.html

I think this is what I'm going to get, seems like a good deal, and I've had multiple referrals!