Why Are MIG Guns So Expensive?

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Why are MIG guns so expensive?  I don't see any new ones for less than $100 and many are $150-200.   Meanwhile, I can buy a whole MIG welder for $200 new or refurbished all day long.  I can even get a low-end refurb'd Lincoln for $205 to my door on eBay... with a gun and a shield and a hammer and a spool!  That's like getting a free welder for buying a bunch of odds and ends.  Doesn't make any sense.     I'm seriously considering buying one of those Lincolns, keeping the gun, and selling the welder.
Reply:Why did I not even have to look up to see that you have 2 posts?Syncro 250 DX Dynasty 200 DXMM 251 w/30A SG XMT 304 w/714 Feeder & Optima PulserHH187Dialarc 250 AC/DCHypertherm PM 1250Smith, Harris, Victor O/ASmith and Thermco Gas MixersAccess to a full fab shop with CNC Plasma, Water Jet, etc.
Reply:Apparently because you have really good timing, since had you posted that 30 minutes ago, your guess would've been 100% high.   Doesn't really answer the question though.  I searched, and found nothing to explain why, AFAICT, you can't buy a cheap MIG gun by itself, only with a welder.  Or if you can, where you can.
Reply:Originally Posted by David HillmanWhy are MIG guns so expensive?  I don't see any new ones for less than $100 and many are $150-200.
Reply:Look at a nice push-pull gun, you ain't seen nuttin yet..want to buy my old (still working) stock lincoln one? $50.00 It's crappy, but cheap!They are expensive so that we remember not to abuse them.Buy American, or don't whine when you end up on the bread line.
Reply:Hello neighbor. What size gun are you looking for? This place, http://www.weldingdepot.com/, has 180A for around $100.00+/-. Keep in mind they're copies of name brand guns."Where's Stick man????????" - 7A749"SHHHHHH!! I sent him over to snag that MIC-4 while tbone wasn't looking!" - duaneb55"I have bought a few of Tbone's things unlike Stick-Man who helps himself" - TozziWelding"Stick-man"
Reply:Why is a good car so expensive?You can get a cheap one with a $205 welder, but its going to be exactly that.  Cheap and flimsy.A good MIG gun makes all the difference in the world and is worth every penny.  Those who disagree have never used a Bernard q-gun with centerfire tips.  $150 easy, but worth it.Have we all gone mad?
Reply:HTP sells replacement guns for not much...usually around $100. A little more (around $150) gets you a gun with a flexible neck...kind of cool.www.usaweld.comHobart Handler 140Everlast PowerMTS 200SHypertherm Powermax30
Reply:They are so expensive because they give you the ability to weld aluminum while using your plain ol mig welder and you DON'T have to learn how to tig weld to use it. What other machine can do that? You can stick aluminum, but I have not heard great things on that.If you look at some of the first attempts at TIG welding aluminum on this site, you will quickly see that it is not to be taken lightly. It takes time to learn. Mig welding aluminum is a LOT easier than TIG aluminum. You can burn through a lot of **** when mig welding aluminum. When TIG welding aluminum, your metal has to be pretty clean. That is why they are so expensive. They make aluminum welding easy and fast. It is convenient.
Reply:If you know a way to build it cheaper, do so.
Reply:Originally Posted by DiabolicZThey are so expensive because they give you the ability to weld aluminum while using your plain ol mig welder and you DON'T have to learn how to tig weld to use it. What other machine can do that? You can stick aluminum, but I have not heard great things on that.If you look at some of the first attempts at TIG welding aluminum on this site, you will quickly see that it is not to be taken lightly. It takes time to learn. Mig welding aluminum is a LOT easier than TIG aluminum. You can burn through a lot of **** when mig welding aluminum. When TIG welding aluminum, your metal has to be pretty clean. That is why they are so expensive. They make aluminum welding easy and fast. It is convenient.
Reply:Originally Posted by Thumper99Wait...I thought this topic was about regular MIG guns....not MIG Spool guns....
Reply:Because welding is not cheap. No aspect of it is. Steel is expensive as hell, plus you'll need a welder. A decent ac/dc stick machine is $500~ and then grab some clamps ($50), a few pairs of vise grips ($70), a good non-auto darkening helmet ($50), a pair of gloves ($10), it all adds up. Mig costs way more....I'd say aluminum tig welding is the most expensive kind that Ive ever seen...[Account Abandoned 8/8/16 Please Do Not Attempt Contact Or Expect A Reply]. See you on YouTube! -ChuckE2009
Reply:okey...I'll bite.  I'm going to assume this thread is relating to standard MIG guns and not spool guns because the latter is just far to insane to ponder.They're expensive because they are very specific pieces of equipment which are designed to work in extreme environments while at the same time maintaining a level of consistency and quality which keeps you from getting killed (say due to stray current) or from killing other people (say due to poor welds which fail catastrophically).Now that I'm past that part...$200 for a good MIG Gun isn't expensive at all.  As said previously, welding is expensive overall.  A good MIG welder will run a grand or higher easily (not talking about little 110v boxes here, but a good name brand 230v machine with high quality components, a long support lifecycle and good customer service to back it up).  If you think $200 for a MIG gun is expensive, you obviously need to step back away from welding and pick up a different hobby (or at least stick to SMAW instead of GMAW).  If you've already decided $200 is expensive, then definitely stay away from TIG, Plasma, OA, etc... as otherwise, you'll have apoplexy and end up in an institution.--Wintermute"No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:Hmmm... I just realized my second post never made it to this thread.   To answer some of your concerns, yes, I was talking about regular ol' MIG guns.  I didn't go into any specifics, because I really wasn't looking for anything specific.  At the time, I was shopping for a welder, and I wanted the flexibility to do steel and aluminum.  I thought maybe it'd make sense to buy a MIG and two (regular) guns, so I didn't have to deal with switching liners, since I understand you aren't supposed to use your teflon liner for anything but AL.  Turns out, you really wouldn't save anything by doing that.   I guess the reason why you can buy a very cheap gun with a welder, but not without a welder is that very few people would buy one... but everyone and their brother seems to have a cheap MIG setup ( not on this board, obviously ).   Anyway, I mooted the whole point and bought a Miller TIG instead.  Thanks for the help.