X-mas Present for Husband

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Hi,  I need some advise - PLEASE!!!!My husband has been needing a welder for some time now. I want to get one as a Christmas present for him but am overwhelmed by the options and choices in welders.  I don't want to purchase a welder that won't fit his needs.  I'm expecting the cost to be $$ - $$$$.  I'm not sure if it matters - but he needs to weld heavy construction equipment (i.e. dozers, trackhoes, etc.) and other smaller jobs (i.e. fences, etc).  Any suggestions would be much apprectiated! - Thanks - krule
Reply:What's your budget?  Generally speaking, you'll want to spend as much as you can afford, if not a little more.-Heath
Reply:If it needs to be portable, you might look at the engine driven welders, but they start upwards of $2000.  If they are going to bring the equipment to him, you could get a stick welder (simplest and probably the most versitile for equipment welding) for a lot less or a wire feeder for a little less.180 to 200 amps in an engine-driven is probably the bare minimum you want to shoot for.  200-250 is pretty standard, but...those are more $$$$.  The miller bobcat 225 is a real standard field-ready welder ($2800).http://store.cyberweld.com/milendrivwel.htmlIf he is a stay-at-home welder you can get more welder by trading off portability.  I have a dialarc 250 that makes a fine all-purpose shop welder for medium to heavy equipment.  There are lots of older used ones that work perfectly for much less than new, if that is an option.  The maxstars are also nice and are much smaller than the dialarc, so they are more portable, but they are not engine driven, so in the field they would require a power source (a generator).  The dialarcs are big and REAL heavy.  Aint much moving them once they are set on the floor, less you get or make a wheel kit.http://store.cyberweld.com/milsticwel.htmlIf you think he wants to use a wire feeder, not a stick welder, probably the millermatic 210 is the minumum and the millermatic 251 is probably the optimal, if money is an object......They are not that portable, and are a little limited when it comes to rusty and oily metal, a common problem with heavy equipment, but they can be used effectively with metal cleanup.http://store.cyberweld.com/milmigwel.htmlSo....I started with miller just because of my familarity with their product line but Lincoln has comparable units, so do other manufacturers.  If you talk to a dealer for another manufacturer, you can say "how is that different from a millermatic 251 or a dialarc 250 or whatever, why should I buy yours, and can you beat that or the other guy's price?"  All the manufacturers keep close tabs on what each other is doing and the often publish comparison charts.  Regardless, they know the comparisons.  Some dealers sell many brands and may not really care which you end up buying.  Either way, most dont make money unless they sell, so use that to get the best price you can.By the way, I am not promoting or endorsing the sites above, they are just for information.  You might be able to get a better price somewhere else, so you should shop...ebay, other sites online...locally.  Remember shipping sometimes costs a lot.  Ask if they ship free if you purchase online.  Buying locally might be a good option, just in case you need to return it or swap it.If you narrow it to a couple or three, you might post and get some feedback from users.  Opinions are easy to get here.Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.
Reply:Thanks for the input - I'll check out the portable ones you mentioned because he will need to use in the field on his equipment.  And moneys always an object  . . . you get what you pay for though.  I want to stay under 3K.  Will I need to purchase anything in addition to the welder to get him started?Thanks again - krule
Reply:Getting something used would be difficult without doing a lot of research, but there is the possibility of finding a good deal out there on an engine driven welder.In the $3k range, you're looking at a Miller Bobcat 250, in the Lincoln line, a Ranger 10000 matches up pretty well.  To answer your question whether there's anything else he'd need, then the answer would be yes.  There's probably a lot of stuff that he'd need.  However, what he'll probably need the most is power, given that he'll be working on heavy equipment, so it'd probably be best to get the biggest engine drive you can afford and leave the rest up to him.  Any of these units can be setup for stick welding very easily, which is likely what he'll be doing.Miller Bobcat 250http://store.cyberweld.com/milbob250nto.htmlLincoln Ranger 10000http://www.weldingmart.com/Qstore/p002870.htmAs someone already stated, the links aren't an endorsement.  However, I can say that I have purchased stuff from cyberweld, though not an engine driven welder, and they're good to do business with.  They generally have the cheapest pricing outside of ebay, and I know people that have bought engine drives from them and have had a positive experience.  Shipping is free and the prices are very low which means that a local welding supply place is going to have a really hard time competing.-Heath
Reply:Krule,if any wife of any husband on this site got him a $3000 welder for xmas, starting would NOT be the problem.  But that's another issue altogether.Maybe just cables, clamp and rod holder (if they arent included, but you should ask about this) and a can of gas and something to weld...like a large dozer.  Is this going to be a surprise?  If so, it will be a good one...I bet there are guys all over this site dragging their wives to the screen right now, saying,"look here, honey...she is getting HIM a $3000 welder...what about me.......I've been pretty good."Smithboy...if it ain't broke, you ain't tryin'.