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Buying for business and future proof. I put those 2 thoughts there to remind me where this thread started and wanted to not sound like I was pizzing on a parade when it wasnt the intent. Ok,,, I am still kicking myself a littyle, its not a big deal and we may recover it anyway but,,, I spend 200 the other day, all I saved that morning to find out 5 minutes later I didnt need it. Someone is talking about tools preparing for future biz,,, while its good to be prepared a guy ends up with a lot of stuff he doesnt use,,, big and small. I am getting better but I still miss one once in a while. It took a while,,, I found out that everything I saw or used at work didnt apply or didnt utilize in every situation. While that Dial is the best you ever used its not so good from a dryer circuit. You will never prepare for it all and if you try will have so much you never use. Technology changes not everything but some, it becomes obsolete. New has become so much cheaper that there is more incentive to simply upgrade, comes with new features, new models, more competition. I find myself more general as time goes, less precision, more service type, less fab in some sense as was more economical to buy a lot of the time. Once I got my own stuff built the demand fell some. I understand the difference with the full timer,,, same here, will buy anything at any time if I think ity will pay but,,,,,,,,,,, more willing to sacrifice a little speed for the less frequent and it doesnt make so much real difference with design in build where most of the real time is jerking off anyway. I got a couple neighbors wanna build a tool for everything and I say,, oh no,,, 2 clamps and a floor jack,,, then we put the pieces away, we hadnt needed it till then and havnt since and I aint gonna build a tool so we can do it. I aint spending 10 (intentionally) to make 5. Totally different if a guy has real work for it. We had a guy want to make a waste oil burner cause he has 11 quarts or 11 gallons he just cant part with. Different than the guy has a fast oil change and 20k more building to burn it in. I wish I could simply buy a tool and make more money but there is a ceiling to that. Got another bud live hand to mouth in the welding biz always making one more thing to add to the "capability",,,, actually got more than one bud with this who got whole garage full of stuff used once. 500$ to make 50 worth of stuff,,, got one aint gonna replace a couple brake drums when he can buy another lathe to save the ones he has. This is a bit different than a hobby, its like the hoarders.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:A couple different times I should have pipelined, its something I had intended on doing early on, bought the machine,,, never did it. Always a sideline at last minute or last time I considered it thought, crap, gonna have to work and bust azz for a year to pay for a truck. I hate mud and in and out of ditches and not all nuts about continuous welding so it wasnt a hard swerve. I am making some changes and what we did this time is some shopping,,, we didnt buy but we have a good idea where the stuff is, we have sorted some of it out, we are gonna use knockoff first, going to HF some stuff, if I need I am going to buy and not wait for some good old deal I can reman, I am tired of that crap. I got a couple regulators I have to fix now, I didnt do it whe3n I should have annd got to start the curve over, not something I do daily, find right parts etc and the only reason to do is I have 3 the same now I can do and own a couple more, can order 3 kits,,, and seems I look some the other day, did those take a hike?www.urkafarms.com
Reply:A few pieces I still havnt got,, I cant believe I never got a mag drill, missed one and simply never came to the point of running over and get one, but had etc. A portoband is another and in large tools should have got an Ironworker. I should have bought 3 post lift sooner, should have wire welded sooner, bought a shop DC before A 200, should have bought small DC welder before 200. m I got a couple and wouldnt miss them at all, one I should have sold in the right market. If it comes again I will.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:The things I would buy today would be different than years ago. With minor exceptions,,, not that it hasnt been good but would buy most everything cheaper with the goal of getting the most for the least so to speak, the generic one just before they brand it, the 9.995 grinder isnt any good but at 30 it is etc. It can be as good as ones sold at 100 today.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:I agree. I have a Magnum PRO 250LX GT Spool Gun I spent $2500 on it a few years back. I've used it to make money twice since then. I don't even keep it on the truck anymore. A lot of people will chime in on how much money you can making welding aluminum.....well not in my world. I've had at least 50 calls to weld aluminum rims. I wont touch rims especially for strangers. Rant all you want but I'm not desperate for work. I can work half a year working heavy steel and be set for the year. Shiit I don't even carry a 4' level in my truck. The amount of crap people buy astounds me. In my 45+ years welding I can look at new crap and honestly say that in all my years I never needed this or that. And I always can complete any job I take on.Lincoln 330MPXLincoln Power Mig 256Lincoln LN-25X Wire FeederMagnum PRO 250LX GT Spool GunModified Lincoln 225¼ Ton of Torches OFC-A OFG-AAir Carbon Arc GougingEverlast 62i Plasma CutterIngersoll Rand Type 30 14hpInstagram: #Freebird Welds
Reply:Except for a couple professional instances I could have done about all my portable work with one of these new inverter genset welders. I bet if a guy could manage to wear it out it would have,, well earned its keep and run cheaper and pay for itself compared to buying a real engine drive welder of old. It would be interesting to see how long one lasts, ScottV might know, but a real pipe fence builder would be a fair test where the hours would add up fast enough to be meaningful. It wouldnt work for Freebird or maybe it would for some small electrode, not sure but last portable I take is 3/32 about 10 rods. Its not worth it in a straight sense other than it was for a reliable customer. I dont remember are those on the shelf, would be an option for event or even break down of primary equipment, just not have to be a gut wrenching deal for a guy to have a small engine drive welder. If I was in the biz wouldnt hesitate to buy any machine it took but for home/hobby utility I love all the new cheaper options and even the next jump up come with some nice features and the price and value is really good in this sub 1000 dollar range and even can now find working welder in the 200$ spot that would have been a joke 10 years ago. The LWS has a multi 400$ machine on the floor and the guy says they got 10 or so out for a while and they aint come back and they went to real welding outfits.Last edited by Sberry; 04-12-2022 at 12:51 PM.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:
Originally Posted by Freebirdwelds
I agree. I have a Magnum PRO 250LX GT Spool Gun I spent $2500 on it a few years back. I've used it to make money twice since then. I don't even keep it on the truck anymore. A lot of people will chime in on how much money you can making welding aluminum.....well not in my world. I've had at least 50 calls to weld aluminum rims. I wont touch rims especially for strangers. Rant all you want but I'm not desperate for work. I can work half a year working heavy steel and be set for the year. Shiit I don't even carry a 4' level in my truck. The amount of crap people buy astounds me. In my 45+ years welding I can look at new crap and honestly say that in all my years I never needed this or that. And I always can complete any job I take on.
Reply:If I wanted to hang a shingle out for tig I would but its not on my short list of must have when crashing in the door to a new place. Number 1 greatest welding machine ever of all time is the 200 wire feed with 030 solid wire. That would be followed by the DC buzzer if I couldnt help myself.Last edited by Sberry; 04-12-2022 at 02:18 PM.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:I even paid guys to tig some early on, I used my buds, he did it so cheap it didnt matter and I finally ran out of deals and got it super cheap. I used it till I was done with the job I got it for, a couple repairs and now it makes a great cart for 2 other machines. I should throw a stick to it and see how well it welds compared to the DCbuzz sits next to it?www.urkafarms.com
Reply:I dont have portable wire feed unless I borrow a 140 and dont have portable plasma. Not that I couldnt but I aint handling dinky service calls for the public and I can get by at this point. I carry a torch I dont use, a Maxstar I use some and do have a portable I can trailer/lift/ in/on etc. Ifg I get really jambed up gonna go to the store and get something that will run the max. Something 2 people could hand load.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:I bet it would be nice to build on a 2000 buck welding table with all the clamping/fixturing tools available, I doubt I would buy one for myself. Laser levels are nice and take up less space than a 4 ft level and are quite versatile. Had 3 ironworkers (currently I have 2, sold one for 2.5 time what I bought it four). Wonderful for increasing production if necessary accessories are available. They beat drilling. A mag drill is quite versitile, if you had one you would find use for it. I have sold 3 engine drives, and discovered my 5k watt generator is enough for my work. I have sold many welders, for not earning their keep or were more than I needed. (With stick you can always weld big stuff).I usually sale things that don’t get used, though it is tougher than it used to be because of availability of new cheaper stuff.
Reply:Ignore this post wasn’t important. Go on to the next one.Last edited by William Payne; 04-13-2022 at 06:43 AM.Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch BOC Smootharc 185dc tig Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:My experience with this topic is a tough one. My dad would buy tools just for the sake of buying them or because it was cheap. I try to only buy things that I am actually going to use and have a found a need for. I really don’t want to be surrounded by stuff as I hate hate clutter and disorganisation. If I have to look for something that I know I own I get really annoyed. I should be able to go straight to it.My Esab Mig is a bit of an interesting topic. When I got it I blew the capacitors in it. Fixed that but I never use it. My Syncrowave gets used for everything I do. But I don’t want to not have a Mig around.Last edited by William Payne; 04-13-2022 at 06:29 AM.Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch BOC Smootharc 185dc tig Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:
Originally Posted by William Payne
Sberry you have a cool shop and have found your own cool place in the world with your work. But the world is a huge place. You guys are all talking about all the specialty stuff you guys don’t do. You guys say “not in my world” when people talk about speciality work they are busy doing. Just because you guys don’t do it doesn’t mean there isn’t someone out there who is doing it all day every day. I work in the injection mould industry so for me that’s what I see. I could spend days doing nothing but TIG welding and not turn on the Mig once, but for someone else they could never touch a TIG ever. I met a guy in the industry who laser welds all day every day the guy has probably a million dollars in laser welders alone. It’s a big big world out there. Not everyone works on the same stuff.Can you imagine if we all worked on the same stuff?
Reply:
Originally Posted by Freebirdwelds
We were talking about wasting money on useless crap we'll never need or use. Or buying stuff just so you can say you have it.I've got to add that I've worked in 28 states and 3 other countries, I know how big the would is.
Reply:
Originally Posted by William Payne
Yeah I changed my post. I think I wrote it out of emotion not seriousness. I can relate to this topic, should be fun.
Reply:I agree with buying tools that are needed. . I understand specialty shops and custom work. They are kind of a breed of their own. Where i spin off with it is,,, i wish i would have learned to be more effecient with it early on. I am looking back at what paid,,, even what ideas paid off. I bought some at the expense of things I needed and would have used. A bit different also when time is money and involves production.Last edited by Sberry; 04-13-2022 at 08:51 AM.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Some stuff you know you need early on. i couldn't manage without a pillar drill, mag drill, shop band saw, and a TIG/stick welder.From there I got a MIG set, actually on my 3rd one now, and between the 3 of them I've probably only put around 12-15 hours of arc time on them all combined. In contrast, I've put hundreds of well-paying hours on TIG. Guess which machine I bought brand-new, not second-hand? Obviously the one that makes me money...The guillotine is a nice to have. The press brake still hasn't made back its purchase price after 3 years, but I like having the capability. Same for the pinch rolls.The lathe... I put a lot of money into that and still barely made a penny on it, only used it for my own projects/repairs. It is a long term machine for me, I don't believe I'll ever need to upgrade it, and it's had a reground bed so like new.There comes a point when you have to draw the line between nice-to-have-but don't-need, and a shop investment which you believe will give you better capabilities, or save/make you money one way or another.My intended shop purchase this summer is a CNC bed mill. Do I need it? No. But I want to buy it once, sit it in position, and use it for everything possible, even just drilling hole patterns in structural steel plate, it will save me time and therefore money, but also give some pretty decent milling capability.Last edited by Munkul; 04-13-2022 at 08:52 AM.Murphy's Golden Rule: Whoever has the gold, makes the rules.
Reply:Another peave so to speak is mitered tubing. The only other place I have seen so much tubing than internet forum is at a nuke. I understand all the commercial produced factory designed, I understand the repairs but if one was to follow forums a guy might think every other piece in the fab world was from tube and cut at a miter. There seems to be an absolute fascination with it. Heck, I rarely miter anything and even a rare day I bevel something. Its a little like the idea that every 7018 bead must have a root from another rod and is 2 or 3 passes. Some are,,,, but its not a requirement. It would be interesting to go back and count the rods, type, size and number of passes. Even Ironwork,,, so much done with 1/8 and one pass. Half a nuke built with 3/32 rod. This is a bit why I tend to respond to the contrary with some posts when they get strung out, is a dialarc a good machine, yes it is but not really for a guy gonna wire it to a dryer outlet and is he going to benefit ,,, well,,, he cant run it full out,,, well why is it a good machine for him then and supposing he could power it is there really a spot in his 2 car garage where he needs to run a fistful of 5/32 lohy at a time? The guy asking this would benefit from some real perspective. I recall a thread on another forum,,,, this guy manages to find a heavy plate, inch or more and 5x20 ft and has it dropped in front of his suburban garage. It was amazing how many thought it should be made in to a super bench and thats what they would do if it was theirs. This is a guy that had visions of a super fixture bench,,,, was on a forum asking on how to cut it,,, doesnt even own a sawzall, the thing is in the driveway blocking the door, couldnt get it in if he wanted to, gonna have to call a heavy rollback just to lift it off the ground, dope doesnt know he should block it, asking jhow much to cut or where he could rent a torch, he got suggestions about water jet and what holes should be in it. The idea that maybe it could be cut up and sold,,,, with enough juice to buy a decent plate for a table top, have enough left to buy a torch and a grinder and then some. maybe even sold it whole,,, this went over like suggesting that we should give Jesus a swift kick in the balls. Nooooo it would be so cool if he has a 5000# table top the size of a pickup truck, wonder if he can fab it with his solar 125 welder? and 1/4 B&D 1/4 drill.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:
Originally Posted by Sberry
Another peave so to speak is mitered tubing. The only other place I have seen so much tubing than internet forum is at a nuke. I understand all the commercial produced factory designed, I understand the repairs but if one was to follow forums a guy might think every other piece in the fab world was from tube and cut at a miter. There seems to be an absolute fascination with it. Heck, I rarely miter anything and even a rare day I bevel something..
Reply:
Originally Posted by Sberry
The guy asking this would benefit from some real perspective. I recall a thread on another forum,,,, this guy manages to find a heavy plate, inch or more and 5x20 ft and has it dropped in front of his suburban garage. It was amazing how many thought it should be made in to a super bench and thats what they would do if it was theirs. This is a guy that had visions of a super fixture bench,,,, was on a forum asking on how to cut it,,, doesnt even own a sawzall, the thing is in the driveway blocking the door, couldnt get it in if he wanted to, gonna have to call a heavy rollback just to lift it off the ground, dope doesnt know he should block it, asking jhow much to cut or where he could rent a torch, he got suggestions about water jet and what holes should be in it. The idea that maybe it could be cut up and sold,,,, with enough juice to buy a decent plate for a table top, have enough left to buy a torch and a grinder and then some. maybe even sold it whole,,, this went over like suggesting that we should give Jesus a swift kick in the balls. Nooooo it would be so cool if he has a 5000# table top the size of a pickup truck, wonder if he can fab it with his solar 125 welder? and 1/4 B&D 1/4 drill.
Reply:It really wasnt about the guy but a question of the advice he was getting? A bit different for a pro with a swivel head saw, I can understand that and like you said,,, you wouldnt likely do if you didnt have it which kind of brings up my point. But I just splice a tube for a repair and I could have had every other tool they ever made and wouldnt make a difference. I would like to be more like Tapwelder and be better at selling some stuff off.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Tap,,,, I would find some use for a Mag and really should have got one and have it spotted in case it comes up. I lost my DP in a fire about 30 years ago and never replaced it,,,, one day kind of rolled in to the next and I am not currently doing gobs of new fab with lotso holes and I got so proffecient with a battery drill that I am really done on one off before we could get a drill rigged in. If I was doing routine truck equipment installs it would be 5 minutes and I would have it. One thing that saved me from a pile more was I live rural and on rural power. After a w2hile I have enough connections etc that if I need something its a favor away but have found that its easier to rig myself out of the3 one off and special than it is to prepare for every possibility. That doesnt mean dont have stock and parts but I really spend the effort to tailor to the hi vol so to speak more than the precision,,, I know it will be hard to grasp but I said more than,,, not in place of, and didnt say no one needs it,,,, this is obviously some generalization but found it to be quite true. There are parts in a nuke quite precision then the other 95% of it built with a 2$ tape measure and torpedo level.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:I've seen the other end of the spectrum as well. We had a neighbor that tried to run a farm on a handful of cheap wrenches and a crescent. His equipment was poorly maintained so it cost him more in big repair bills, and he was highly dependent on the generosity of others in being able to borrow things from neighbors. With the demise of small town repair shops, those guys have pretty much disappeared from the countryside. We need to be equipped or drive for miles to get others to fix them... or pay $200/hr service trucks. I've spent a lot on tools.... but I also spent a lot on my wife.... I don't have any regrets on the tools...The harder you fall, the higher you bounce...250 amp Miller DialArc AC/DC StickF-225 amp Forney AC Stick230 amp Sears AC StickLincoln 180C MIGVictor Medalist 350 O/ACut 50 PlasmaLes
Reply:Not exactly welding or tools, but one time way back when, the wife and I hadn't had kids yet so we decided we wanted/needed(?) a 21' sailboat. I was in the service at the time and had to save up for it and buy accessories a little at a time. First purchase was a Danforth anchor and 100' of anchor line. Figgered that would encourage us to forge ahead with the program...She announced she was preg with the first kid. Boat plans delayed. Another announcement 6 years later...second rug rat on the way. Thirty years later, the anchor and line were hanging in the garage...but no boat. (But.......... we had an anchor and line in case we ever needed them
It is the same. You got out of it cheap though,,, well maybe. At least as far as boats go. A neighbor I just meet has a shack and just stuffed with 1000's of dollars new parts boxes open, crap scattered, nothing he owns works. Its not junk. Got another,,, Fed X 2x a day and Ups at least once and no idea about US mail, unreal. Cant pass a convenience store.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Ive always worked in shops and mills , never being self employed but have a bad habit of wanting all the same equipment capabilities at home as Ive had at work.Welders, torch set , lathe and overhead hoist have proven reallyuseful. But I probably didnt really need sheet metal, pipe threading and rigging equipment and some other stuff.Miller a/c-d/c Thunderbolt XLMillermatic 180 Purox O/ASmith Littletorch O/AHobart Champion Elite
Reply:You might have accumulated it efficiently or not costing much to store?? As they say cheaper than hookers and blow. I had another neighbor retired to here just down the road, he had really downsized and knew it was so much easier to get rid of it, have one modest car, small garage and hobby stuff, old mower, wasnt scared to buy but was past having a tool for everything. I still got to sell a couple wallet flushes,,, er fuel injection cleaning to pay for that and case of cleaner I bought.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:It alway depends on the what need.I have had a well tool shop in past. It nice to work from light gauge to plate. But a pickup a welder with a few extra tools would made more money. Dave
Originally Posted by jpump5
Ive always worked in shops and mills , never being self employed but have a bad habit of wanting all the same equipment capabilities at home as Ive had at work.Welders, torch set , lathe and overhead hoist have proven reallyuseful. But I probably didnt really need sheet metal, pipe threading and rigging equipment and some other stuff.
Reply:After a fire I got back more what I needed more than what I had. I collected stock more specific. I waited till the feeling pass with a lot of stuff and didnt need it so bad after all. I wouldnt have if I didnt need and wouldnt really do this as a hobby but can see wanting some stuff to be able to do which is different. The at home thing,,, a torch, a 210 welder and now plasma has got cheap, the rest some battery hand tools and atatchments and modest air comp, one tool chest, could make it. I could shove about everything I needed today in back of a pickup or van if I had to in regards to taking care of property/cars/boat maint etc even hire out a bit with a tool belt. Stuff is different in a suburb world out of the rust belt too, can keep a nice car or 2, wouldnt be past me to have a hoist bay and garage to get a car in if I was dependent on them and cost was a factor, for some of that would pay the oil change to do.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:I got to do this to keep it running,,, ha
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Reply:So, I am pecking away and its nice so I wash up a collection of batteries, 14 so far and I think I have most of it in place. I will get a pic of this fiasco later. I changed some stuff around and before I realize it have some extra in a collection, some probably some good and gonna have a field testing day. I have 2 chargers on them. I am going to put the load tester on them and thin the herd.www.urkafarms.com |
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发表于 2022-5-19 11:02:21