Buying a Lincoln

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Hey everybody, I just sold my oxy-acetilene equipment and I´m looking forward to buy a MIG welder.I´ve look at the Lincoln PRO MIG 175 selling at Lowe´s. I know that is lower quality than the actual Lincoln MIG but its price (599.99 bucks) its pretty tentative.Since I live in Mexico farther I can go is Mcallen, Texas, probably Laredo too, which is pretty close to the border. All I can spend is about 700 bucks.I would like to run CO2 only cause of the cheap and for the greater penetration than the mixtures. Here at university we use only CO2 for MIGin. I had all the welds on my go kart made out at 18.5 Volts and 140 FPM, however a guy came today wanting a little weld and I thought machine was in that settings. It was a little square tube which had around 2 mm wall. I welded and got very NICE penetration, but when I looked at the settings machine was set at 23 volts and 250 FPS and I knew I was in a bad situation. Today I grinded and rewelded all my go kart at 25.5 volts and about 225 FPS, Now I feel more confortable with it.(the machine is a Lincoln Electric Invertec 300 or 350 multi-process machine, I like it a lot, but haven´t tried out any miller tough, are there any stores selling millers cheap near the border?) Has anybody tried out this welder? any information or better choice? Any advice? Thanks all
Reply:elvergon,Don't let anyone tell you that the Pro Mig 175 is lower quality! It is the SP175T with a different name plate. Lincoln makes a retail version for several chains. There is no difference in the internals.
Reply:I hope you got good resale value for your torch kit, because you're going to want another one sooner or later!As mentioned, Lowe's and HD sell the same Lincolns you can buy at a welding supply.  The just carry the tapped versions.  The welding supplier sells the tapped versions and the variable-voltage versions.I like CO2 for general-purpose GMAW.  Argon mixes shine when you get below 16-gauge, but CO2 can weld as thin as 22-ga.
Reply:I got 400 bucks for a Deluxe Victor equipment plus the 2 tanks, I paid almost 600 for them but I had them filled by that time and acetilene is expensive. Everybody tells me that I´m going to regret for doing that! lol! but that was the only way I could afford a MIG welder and here I am! SOOOOOOO......thanks RC for the support, and MAC 2....Do you guys know any place in which I could get a better deal for the MIG welder?? maybe online store (I got a friend in Texas so they could ship it to them). (I would like a 250 amp machine but thats out of my budget, all I would be welding will be 1/8 tubes so 175 will work, maybe duty cycle won´t be eternal but that´s the only way to go)thanks all
Reply:Originally Posted by elvergonDo you guys know any place in which I could get a better deal for the MIG welder?? maybe online store (I got a friend in Texas so they could ship it to them).
Reply:took a look at it. They don´t have any hobarts right now =( and I didn´t like the only 4 taps for voltage, I like more the 5 setting of the Lincoln. A guy on other thread told he got one with a millet helmet and stand for 649 soemthing like that, I WANT ONE OF THOSE KILLER DEALS! (gotta look better)
Reply:Originally Posted by elvergontook a look at it. They don´t have any hobarts right now =( and I didn´t like the only 4 taps for voltage, I like more the 5 setting of the Lincoln. A guy on other thread told he got one with a millet helmet and stand for 649 soemthing like that, I WANT ONE OF THOSE KILLER DEALS! (gotta look better)
Reply:I knO =(Last time I went to Mcallen LOWES was giving away a bosch 4.5" angle grinder with the purchase of a Pro MIG 175. There are people selling in ebay for about 520 delivered (599.99 at lowes). I´ll see if I can get that deal again cause I don´t trust UPS for shipping a welder and not looking at it while buying it.
Reply:i learned something new today.the welders from lowes and home depot are made over seas.
Reply:Originally Posted by 99blackzr2i learned something new today.the welders from lowes and home depot are made over seas.
Reply:Originally Posted by RC-RacerAnd where did you learn that? Where are they made?Please state facts not hearsay. They are the exact same welder as the SP175T. The only difference is the name plate and the accessories that they are packaged with.
Reply:i heard this from lincoln call them ask where each model is made only certain model are made and assembled here.mainly the compacts are from over seas.look in the 2006 catalog it shows the made in usa models ond non usa models.
Reply:i am not insulting lincoln.i just bought a lincoln pro mig 215
Reply:The reason I responded to your post is that many have said or implied that the retail version are somehow different than the welding supplier versions ( SP135T and SP175T ), which they are not. However, it is true that some lincoln products are not manufactured in this country. They do make some of their welders in their manufacturing facility in Mexico. This is a fact of life with many manufacturers. I just wanted to make clear, for those considering purchasing a retail version of Lincoln compact welders, that they are no different than the supply store versions. Their quality is equal and they are great little welders. Yes, I do own a Pro Mig 175 but I am not partial to Lincoln. I own a Thermal Arc 185TSW TIG welder and will probably own a "blue" machine in the future. I just feel that it is important to be factual when posting information about a product so that people are not misled when making a substantial investment.
Reply:Originally Posted by RC-Racer I just wanted to make clear, for those considering purchasing a retail version of Lincoln compact welders, that they are no different than the supply store versions. Their quality is equal and they are great little welders.
Reply:We just purchased a severe duty sae 400 and its made in Canada.
Reply:Originally Posted by gnm109... My old 250/250 TIG Stick Idealrc, that was built in 1985 in Cleveland Ohio, ...
Reply:Originally Posted by BobCSmall world.  I used to work on Lincoln's assembly lines.  In 1985 I was switching between the TIG line, the TM line and the AC-225 line.  You may have one I had a hand in building.
Reply:Originally Posted by BobCSmall world.  I used to work on Lincoln's assembly lines.  In 1985 I was switching between the TIG line, the TM line and the AC-225 line.  You may have one I had a hand in building.
Reply:Originally Posted by spuddownWere you working piece meal. I remember a program on 60 minutes about lincoln paying by the piece. For the most part the employees loved it, the unions hated it. They had to lock people out to keep them from working all night.
Reply:Originally Posted by gnm109Well you did a great job if you built mine...