What is the best welding machine to get??

admin

I recently moved to West Texas and I've been building tanks for a local company and I've decided to get my own truck and Welding Machine, I heard the Lincolns are better than Millers and easier to work on if they break any feedback would help before I spend all this money getting started.
Reply:For stick welding, I really like the XMT 304 by Miller.  For TIG and stick, the Synchrowaves are the best.  I don't really care for MIG, so I have no favorite machine.  I've never used an inverter Lincoln which is why I have no favorite Lincoln.  Inverter welders are definately the way to go.
Reply:I think he is talking about gas drive welders.I know there are people who swear by both. I have used Miller Trailblazers a lot, and really like them, but I have not been running lots of stick welding tanks- I usually use em to run a tig torch, or power a XR push pull mig system. We had one around the shop for 5 years or so, belonged to one of my employees, and it never needed work, always started, and did everything we asked it too.I am sure you will find some diehard Lincoln fans who will tell you they are the only machine to buy-But really, I think its kinda like Ford vs Chevy- at this point in technology, they are both good.
Reply:Thanks for your help, it's a welding boom out in West Texas right now and I just can't wait to get my new truck and welding machine.
Reply:Howdy Howdy!  Looking to get into industrial welding?  SWEET!  I bought my lincoln used for a great deal through a shop in texas who sells lease returned machines on  E-bay.  The sellers name is Netsply.  Good folks, sent me the machine in fine shape as requested with all paperwork, and even down loaded the most up to date waveforms into it for me.  I got an Invertec V-350 Pro Advanced process model.  It's an 80 lb inverter that will run off nearly any voltage, great off of a generator too.  It has 425 amps max, and will go down to 8 amps.  It's a multi-process DC machine with CC/CV capibilities.  This is very similar to millers XMT 350 machine, except the Lincoln advanced process has all sorts of advanced waveforms for pulse, pulse on pulse, touch start tig, hot start stick, arc control blah blah blah too much to list, but man it's such a sweet arc!  I paid 2,200 for a 1 year old machine.  Still has 2 years of factory warrunty left on it.  You do have to get a seperate wire feeder if you want to mig, but most industrial MIG machines are that way anyway!  It'll accept most of the lincoln feeders, and has several ports on it for tig pedals/ wire feeders/external pendants/amp controllers blah blah.  The guy Netsply works at Profax in Texas.  Good folks.  Great deal.  For 3,000 you can get a brand new LF-72 feeder, with gun, cables and a 1 yr old 425 amp machine weighing less then 100 lbs total with a super smooth arc.  The only drawback, is that it won't do AC.  But you only nead that if you plan on tigging alluminum.  Much of that in your part of texas?  You wanted the best, and I feel this is the best bang for the buck, without sacrificing performance.  Brian Lee  Sparkeee27  P.S.  the XMT's are just as good, it's just that I KNOW this supplier, and he done me good.
Reply:Two names you need to know1st  MILLER2nd KUBOTASo get a miller welder with a kubota power plant.  The best of the best of both worlds.  You just can't kill a miller welder and you can't kill a kubota diesel.   Plus the diesel is cheaper to run.  But does have a higher up front cost.Lincoln 300 Vantage 2008300 Commander 1999SA250 1999SA200 1968Miller Syncrowave 200XMT350MPA/S-52E/xr-15Xtreme 12vs Millermatic 251 w/30A  Millermatic 251 Dialarc 250 Hypertherm 1250 GEKA & Bantom Ironwokers
Reply:Do the math.  It takes a lot arc time in a year to make up the difference in cost between a new diesel drive and a new gasoline drive welder.  I make this statement in spite of my bias towards diesels.-Heath
Reply:I've been thinking about getting a straight generator instead of gen-welder.Two or three reasons, but the main one is I could run more than one welder off it on three phase as well as other plant.  The boss likes it for that very reason.StephenP.S. But if I go for a weld-gen then it will be a Miller pipe pro, I've heard a lot of good stuff about how well there going. And it'll be desiel
Reply:Or scare up a used classic Hobart Pipeliner unit. As reliable as an anvil.
Reply:Howdy Howdy!!  I don't know how reliable an anvil can be, when they just seem to fall out of the sky for no reason at the strangest of times!  Brian Lee  Sparkeee27
Reply:I agree with itsgottobegreen, we have 12 TrailBlasers in our fleet now. 10-302G,s and 2-350D,s. In todays market you have to have a multipurpose machine to compete. We still have 2 SA200,s which do strictly pipeline work, but we will be replacing them soon with 350D,s. We have 1 old Big Blue Air Pack and it is a great welder but it takes a 2 ton truck to haul it. It is left over from the golden days of strip mining coal when we were replacing cutting edges,wear plates and teeth shanks on drag line and loader buckets. We ran 12hrs a day 6 days a week. We ran 3/16" 110/18 rods and I think 5/64" wire. The only part I did not like was air arcing all the worn pieces off. You had to wear a full set of leathers and you would still get burned.