Are vintage welding machines becoming like the manual transmission?

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I have watched a few videos on YouTube recently and had a conversation with another welder in my age range that made me think about this. I am 34 years old and have spent my working life around old timers. Up until recently I’ve always been the youngest guy in the shop. I recently brought an older 3 phase Mig welder and I mentioned to another welder my age that I really want to setup for Aluminium Mig as not every job is suited for TIG. None of my migs are pulse and his response was “can you do that without pulse?, you need pulse for that?” I was also telling the same guy about an old timer I know who built an aluminium fishing boat and stick welded the entire thing. His response was semi jokingly “has it sunk yet?” I didn’t think much of it but was watching a couple of videos on YouTube and they were “younger” guys who were encountering big old transformer machines and the look on their faces was like a deer in headlights.They just didn’t know what to do with them. In one video the welder they were used to using had presets for everything. I’m a big history and vintage buff but I’m starting to wonder are older welding machines going the way of the manual transmission? The jobs people weld today 99% of the time are jobs that have been done for decades and were done by people with machines far more basic than what’s available today. Required Welding standards haven’t changed that much. Technology is great but I have often felt that a welder should be able to get an acceptable weld out of whatever machine they are given to operate unless there was something fundamentally wrong. Just surprised me that’s all. What do you all think?Gear: Esab power compact 205 with tbi industries torch         BOC Smootharc 185dc tig         Miller Syncrowave 350LX
Reply:You can find a few old mig welders that came transformer pluss wire feeder.This type did not come with a chart 📊. All my welders was that type until my small welder that have today.  The self contained type always had a chart 📊 so nice just set numbers and weldYou have to make your own chart.Lots of Fun tooDave

Originally Posted by William Payne

I have watched a few videos on YouTube recently and had a conversation with another welder in my age range that made me think about this. I am 34 years old and have spent my working life around old timers. Up until recently I’ve always been the youngest guy in the shop. I recently brought an older 3 phase Mig welder and I mentioned to another welder my age that I really want to setup for Aluminium Mig as not every job is suited for TIG. None of my migs are pulse and his response was “can you do that without pulse?, you need pulse for that?” I was also telling the same guy about an old timer I know who built an aluminium fishing boat and stick welded the entire thing. His response was semi jokingly “has it sunk yet?” I didn’t think much of it but was watching a couple of videos on YouTube and they were “younger” guys who were encountering big old transformer machines and the look on their faces was like a deer in headlights.They just didn’t know what to do with them. In one video the welder they were used to using had presets for everything. I’m a big history and vintage buff but I’m starting to wonder are older welding machines going the way of the manual transmission? The jobs people weld today 99% of the time are jobs that have been done for decades and were done by people with machines far more basic than what’s available today. Required Welding standards haven’t changed that much. Technology is great but I have often felt that a welder should be able to get an acceptable weld out of whatever machine they are given to operate unless there was something fundamentally wrong. Just surprised me that’s all. What do you all think?
Reply:

Originally Posted by William Payne

I have watched a few videos on YouTube recently and had a conversation with another welder in my age range that made me think about this. I am 34 years old and have spent my working life around old timers. Up until recently I’ve always been the youngest guy in the shop. I recently brought an older 3 phase Mig welder and I mentioned to another welder my age that I really want to setup for Aluminium Mig as not every job is suited for TIG. None of my migs are pulse and his response was “can you do that without pulse?, you need pulse for that?” I was also telling the same guy about an old timer I know who built an aluminium fishing boat and stick welded the entire thing. His response was semi jokingly “has it sunk yet?” I didn’t think much of it but was watching a couple of videos on YouTube and they were “younger” guys who were encountering big old transformer machines and the look on their faces was like a deer in headlights.They just didn’t know what to do with them. In one video the welder they were used to using had presets for everything. I’m a big history and vintage buff but I’m starting to wonder are older welding machines going the way of the manual transmission? The jobs people weld today 99% of the time are jobs that have been done for decades and were done by people with machines far more basic than what’s available today. Required Welding standards haven’t changed that much. Technology is great but I have often felt that a welder should be able to get an acceptable weld out of whatever machine they are given to operate unless there was something fundamentally wrong. Just surprised me that’s all. What do you all think?