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I have located a used Miller Bobcat 225 generator/welder being sold by a Miller service tech. The machine has certainly been used (2600hrs and change). The guy selling it says the welder performs perfectly in all functions. The engine uses some oil at this point though he says that it does not smoke when running. He says that it runs through a quart of oil every 8 hours or so. I am looking for a Tig machine that will handle between 200 and 250 amps, and I am also in the market for a generator for emergency backup use and occasional on the site use. I have a pro welder friend of mine who has this model for portable welding and loves it. I have a small 1000lb capacity trailer ready for it and it would be stored inside (in a low moisture enviornment) when not in use to keep it out of the elements. I am in the process of learning how to weld (I'm a wooden boat builder by trade). I will be taking a 12 week course on welding and my professional welding friend has offered to teach me the fine points of tig welding silicone bronze (up to 3/8" or so, mostly 1/4" or under). The welder is being offered for $800 and he mentioned that he would be interested in a partial trade for my extra 220 table saw to bring the price down a few hundred. My welder friend has offered all the accessory items for my machine for free as he replaces his stuff on a regular basis "just because". Most of the used Miller Bobcat machines I have seen are going for $1500 and up. I imagine the reason for the lower price has to do with the amount of hours on the machine since most people who would be interested in buying a machine like that are pro welders that intend to put alot of time on it with regular use. I imagine too many more years of regular use would require an engine overhaul ...not cheap I'm sure. I only intend to use the machine for 75 hrs or less a year total. At that pace, I would doubt that I would wear out the motor much more than its current state. He says besides consuming a bit of oil it runs great, starts right away and has had no problems with it at all. He has offered to fire up the machine and run a few weld beads on various settings and materials to show me how well it performs. I haven't seen it in person as of yet (just pictures, clearly it was stored outside ...the paint still looks great) as it is 200 mile away, but I will be driving right through his town on the way to see relatives this coming Friday. I have no problem bringing my truck instead of her car for a bit of a driving break on the way down! Perhaps it would make a nice christmas present for myself. So for say 500 bucks out of pocket, would it be fair to say that it would be a worthy machine to pick up compared to the risk of the 2600hrs on it? How do these machines perform compared to the newest stuff? Is there much of a difference? Any opinions on the machine in general would be great!Sorry for the long post and thanks in advance,George
Reply:Originally Posted by gschuldI have located a used Miller Bobcat 225 generator/welder being sold by a Miller service tech. The machine has certainly been used (2600hrs and change). The guy selling it says the welder performs perfectly in all functions. The engine uses some oil at this point though he says that it does not smoke when running. He says that it runs through a quart of oil every 8 hours or so.
Reply:Personally, I would spend a little more money on a newer machine with less previous use. You can get a pretty nice lightly-used late model gas-engine Bobcat, Trailblazer or Ranger for $1500-2000.The other thing to think of, is that if you were intending to TIG from that Bobcat, Bobcats don't have a contactor or 14-pin connector or 24v ac output for running external devices, like high freq units, amptrols, spool guns, or remote-control wire feeders. For that, you need a Trailblazer, or a Ranger. If you were intending to hook up a complete TIG machine to the Bobcat and only use the Bobcat for it's generator capabilities, then you need to find out if that model of Bobcat will make enough amps of 240-volt power to run your TIG welder. Mine makes 10,000 watts and 45 amps of 240v, so it can power most of the smaller welding machines I have available to run from it. However, older model Bobcats made anywhere from 4000 to 8000 watts. If that one only makes 4000 watts, don't plan on being able to run much welding equipment from it, especially not a 200 to 250 amp TIG machine. I'm not convinced my machine's 10KW output would be enough to run a TIG with that many amps, possibly a very power-miserly Dynasty 200, but that's probly about it.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:I dont know much about the Bobcats, but I do know a bit about small engines, and a quart of oil every 8 hours of operation is a sure sign that that engine is on its way out. For 500 though, if you're mechanical enough, you may be able to overhaul the engine (Kohler?) yourself for a couple hundred more and have a good unit on your hands.
Reply:Thanks for the thoughts... Just got back from Christmas at my sister's house. Crazy kids! The Miller bobcat 225's generator is an Onan (gas) and puts out 8000 watts continuous. I just talked to my Professional welder friend who said that he has the same machine for his portable work. That is the only machine that he owns that has a considerable amount of hours on (3500+) as he upgrades his in shop equipment fairly regularly. He said that he has seen some of those models go well past 5000 hours. At the price that I beileve that I will be able to get it for, I should be able to get a good bit of practice with it and get a feel for whether I am "into it" or not. Plus my fiance will be taking the welding classes with me. If she really gets into it on the artistic side, perhaps we will get a better idea of what we may want in the future. My welding buddy mentioned that he knows a number of people that would be happy to buy the bobcat off me for what I would be paying for it if I wanted to trade up. It's not going to make or break me either way.Thanks and Merry Christmas,George |
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发表于 2021-8-31 22:54:37