cheap entry level welder ????

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Al.Fisherman

New Member
Sep 9, 2009
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Calera, Alabama
Al that just like mine, I have the wheels and handle on it. It has welded everthing I have had to use it on from trailer hitch installs to the trailer I built. A good stick welder I would say.
Umm no wheels or handle...been sitting in my garage in the same place for the past 13 years, before that at my old house never moved. I have long cables, no need to move, wouldn't know how to act with wheels.
 

Greg58

Well-Known Member
May 1, 2011
5,353
2,575
113
65
Newnan,Georgia
Below is pics of my welders, my sears welder is from the 70's the cambell hausfeld from early 2000. Having both has been good, the 110v mig is handy to have plus it was a gift so no complaints here.
 

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rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
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Left coast
lol

L&S, a Ford/Chevy discussion ain't no argument! lol
Everyone knows the SBC is the best engine in he whole world! :)

I have NOT had to buy a circuit board for blue or red.
Talk on the hotrod/fab/welding forums is that is what the cost is.
if u know different, I'll gladly default to u. :)

What I DO know is since I got banged up I ain't gonna be able to do heavy construction any more, (even if there was an economy), so I set out to rehab myself and figgered I'd learn precision welding.
I went to the LWS and looked for a Dynasty 350. I quickly back-pedaled to a Dynasty 200sd. and I couldn't even afford that.

Then I surfed all the boards mentioned earlier, (weldingzone is one of the best), and read all the stuff abt china welders vs domestic.

One fellow was a project super, went to asia for a number of years. worked on BIG projects. He said we had massive crews of welders working day and night and not a single red or blue to be seen on the site.
He said the weld quality was first rate. If not, he would have failed it!
It WAS going to be first rate!

He said 'Riland' was at the top of the china welder heap.
Thing is, them folks over there clone this, that, and everything! Paint 'em a different color, use the same color, badge produce 'em.. no tellin' what's really going on...

Except, when u open up red or blue u gonna see the same type circuitboard as in a chinawelder. Wanna see pics of mine? I can dig em out if u wish...
Or if the group wants to see 'em.

Mine is what they call a 4 in 1 machine that will ac/dcstick weld, tig ac or dc, and has a plasma cutter function. Came with everything needed for operation. I got pulse, up slope/down slope, CAW, and of course it came with the foot pedal... tig handle, rod handle, and the plasma torch.
It comes up on google images as a Super 200p.

I paid, I think it was $1200 with the tax and freight.
The burn is smooth, controllable in all aspects, and stable at the duty cycle I require.

The Dynasty I wanted would have been abt 6k or more.
Yup, I know the dynasty is btr!

EZ choice for me.
I could bring home something to learn with,
or try to keep saving nickels found with my metal detector. :)

ezier to pay for a grand worth of tooling than over 5k investment.
I know.

Best
rc
:)


Had to buy the argon bottle.
 

Lowandslow

New Member
Jan 24, 2011
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Mesa,AZ
Well like I said..not trying to start an argument. Sounds like you have done your homework on the welder you purchased. Also sounds like you are more than happy with it. I'm all for saving money on tools and would have likely made the same decision. I think a Miller Dynasty 350 is ~$10,000! I also wouln't doubt a circuit board for same is $900.00. I was talking about small mig units so common in our garages for an "entry level welder". Just trying to make the point that 'cheap' is not always the best value long term. Best to all. :)
 

KS Firefighter

New Member
Feb 9, 2012
14
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0
Netawaka,Kansas
something noone else has mentioned yet when you go to buy your welder pay attention to duty cycle one of those hf welders runs a 10-15 percent duty cycle which you wont be able to get much done in that time, if you dont know what a duty cycle is whatever the percentage is is out of 10 minutes 10 percent dc means for every 10 minutes you can weld for 1 mine is only %20 or 2 minutes out of 10 with the lincoln hd weld pak from home depot $230 uses flux core only nice little welder though.
 

rustycase

Gutter Rider
May 26, 2011
2,746
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Left coast
lol

it always turns into the Ford vs Chevy thing ! lol

Yep... Ur right abt the duty cycle, KS.
Critical for a welder who needs to go out and run long strings and have optimal penetration.

I think bicycles and car exhaust pipes may be the saving grace for all these little cheapo welders... the best way to justify them! lol

I've had a couple jobs, over the years, where I burned rod all day long.
(Didn't like it a lot! Hot slag and sparks on you all day long...)
IF I was to do that kind of work I would definitely go with blue, or red.
...the one big production shop left in my area uses all gray for the crews, though. cheapest, but they seem to get a lot of mileage out of em, and toss em when something goes wrong.

Whew!
I made a run by the local scrap yard a few days ago and the place was almost naked ! They have been selling off all their inventory.
I keep searching for lengths of 1 1/8 pipe to use on bike frames and it seems like there is never any in lengths I can use for projects I'd like to work on.
...REALLY can not afford to buy this stuff at new prices!!!

Running up against a new problem on the horizon... my argon bottle is getting real low. I'm almost afraid to find out how much that's gonna cost!

Best
rc
 

Ibedayank

New Member
Oct 29, 2011
1,171
0
0
Columbia Tennessee
Rusty
Cost of mig wire/fluxcore has DOUBLED in the last few months and gas refills have also went up. This is why I have been using the arcwelders more. When im going to blend out the weld anyway it looks of the weld don't matter.