Welding generator machine

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Hey everyone I’m looking to buy a used diesel  96 Lincoln sae 400 with 2500 hours on it. I’m starting a new mobile welding business and figured if I have a big enough machine that i should be able to take on most jobs. Plus the price seems fair. Are these good machines like everyone says? Any information would be useful. Thanks in advance
Reply:Very heavy and heavy duty too. They've been made for decades. Being a 400 amp machine they will use a lot more fuel than a 200 or even 300 amp welder. You don't see a lot of them on welding rigs because the high amps (350-500+) they put out are rarely needed. Mines or quarries would buy them and use them for 1/4" rods and for air arcing. They might be a good choice if you were doing a lot of heavy equipment repair but then again you could get a smaller CC/CV machine and run flux-core if you had big thick sections to weld. I haven't looked at the specs. of newer machines but older SAE 400's only go down as low as 80 amps. This would be a problem if you had some thin gauge metal to weld. If you plan to do air arcing it would be a good machine but you'd also need about a 25 CFM compressor. Good machine but probably way overkill for general welding and repair. May also limit how much other tools and supplies you can carry on your truck since they are big and weigh around 2000lbs. You'd need at least a dual wheeled 1 ton.Last edited by Welder Dave; 1 Day Ago at 03:20 PM.
Reply:Not sure what you're considering "most jobs" but I'd say a 400A machine is probably twice the capacity required even if you plan on doing a fair amount off air-arc cutting.Keep in mind the extra size and weight of the SAE400 over an SA-200 or SA-250 (just under 1000# more) or even an SAE-300 (+600 to 800#).Biggest issue with the SA-200 and earlier SA-250s is DC auxiliary power vs. AC of the other machines.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110

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Reply:I see Welder Dave beat me to similar bullet points.MM200 w/Spoolmatic 1Syncrowave 180SDBobcat 225G Plus - LP/NGMUTT Suitcase WirefeederWC-1S/Spoolmatic 1HF-251D-1PakMaster 100XL '68 Red Face Code #6633 projectStar Jet 21-110

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Reply:

Originally Posted by Welder Dave

Very heavy and heavy duty too. They've been made for decades. Being a 400 amp machine they will use a lot more fuel than a 200 or even 300 amp welder. You don't see a lot of them on welding rigs because the high amps (350-500+) they put out are rarely needed. Mines or quarries would buy them and use them for 1/4" rods and for air arcing. They might be a good choice if you were doing a lot of heavy equipment repair but then again you could get a smaller CC/CV machine and run flux-core if you had big thick sections to weld. I haven't looked at the specs. of newer machines but older SAE 400's only go down as low as 80 amps. This would be a problem if you had some thin gauge metal to weld. If you plan to do air arcing it would be a good machine but you'd also need about a 25 CFM compressor. Good machine but probably way overkill for general welding and repair. May also limit how much other tools and supplies you can carry on your truck since they are big and weigh around 2000lbs. You'd need at least a dual wheeled 1 ton.
Reply:It comes down to how the welder cost and type work.I have friend he purchased a Miller 400 witch the size and purchased for carbon arc work. Work great but it was very costly and he was in business at this point for 20 years.The first few years is worst time to have payments.  It is a great welder.Dave

Originally Posted by Caveman313

Hey everyone I’m looking to buy a used diesel  96 Lincoln sae 400 with 2500 hours on it. I’m starting a new mobile welding business and figured if I have a big enough machine that i should be able to take on most jobs. Plus the price seems fair. Are these good machines like everyone says? Any information would be useful. Thanks in advance
Reply:I agree. Guy wants 3000. I’m sure once things get flowing I might come across a carbon arc job and or other heavy jobs. I just wanted to be ready for whatever. Plus the price seems cool.
Reply:The price is good 👍. Dave

Originally Posted by Caveman313

I agree. Guy wants 3000. I’m sure once things get flowing I might come across a carbon arc job and or other heavy jobs. I just wanted to be ready for whatever. Plus the price seems cool.
Reply:

Originally Posted by Caveman313

I’ve definitely taken in consideration the fuel and size of this machine. As for thin gauge I was just gong to flux plug in and stick everything else. I figured for the price I’d just have a lot of welder. It come on the trailer already so I was just going to tow it for now. Guy wants 3000 I think I might just do it. It seems as if it’s plenty of aftermarket parts..
Reply:Reason II would buy something like that is if I really had work,,, different scenario and would run the shate out of it on wire and air arc till it couldnt take it any more.  Mfg dont recommend but homeboy air arcing is different than a crazed Cuban in a shipyard wants a green card and a toot after work.www.urkafarms.com
Reply:Use that for advertising and do the work with a HF inverter,,, hawww.urkafarms.com
Reply:

Originally Posted by Welder Dave

What do you mean flux plug in and what parts are aftermarket? There might be a reason the price seems low. You do realize you'd need a huge compressor for gouging? Unless you have a lot of big jobs lined up requiring over 300 amps, an SAE 400 is for a niche market. Being on a trailer would make it quite awkward on some jobs. Curious how long you've been welding for and what type of work have you done? If it were me I'd look for a smaller machine for general welding. I did have a big Miller Trailblazer 55D but it was CC/CV and I could run any type of Mig, flux-core and stick from about 40 amps to over 500 amps. It never came up but I wouldn't gouge with it. Gouging is hard on a machine despite what the manufacturers say.
Reply:Negative… so I guess one process welds it all huh