need welder, trailblazer 302 diesel or bigblue 300 or other?!

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a quick question newer trailerblazer 302 diesel or a used 4k hour bigblue 300?what i weld for now is small time repair / make trailers/bbq pits for now but looking into welding maybe pipeline later on, as rigwelder or go out to fab shops, repair anythinghave all around 3 years all around welding experience (2 years at college) mainly used miller toysanyways what is yalls opinion on a welder i need something that has good generator power cuz planning on using lots of tools simultaneously (grinder, lights, compressor, mig suit case, plasma cutter, etc)looking into miller cuz of good experience ive had but anything else is good im on a 10-7k budget for a welderalso anyone ever buy from united rentals they have many welders with varied priced/hours all over the placealso looking for a diesel welder cuz im a diesel nut and i know they last forever if maintnence is done good
Reply:If I was into the market for a diesel welder, I'd probably spend the extra for a low-RPM diesel, meaning I'd skip the Trailblazer.  One of the PipePro models would be what I'd look at, most likely.However, I've been running Trailblazer 302's since 2006, gas-powered, and have no complaints.  It's not like a 2-cylinder air-cooled gas engine is hard to maintain...and mine have been perfectly reliable.The price difference when I bought mine new between diesel and gas was $3k - $4k.  My machine doesn't run 10 hrs a day every day, as a lot of my job is mechanical.  So for me, the price difference just doesn't add up.Wanting to spend the extra for a diesel is great if you're either: 1) Made of money2) Have a business plan that shows that you will actually save money within the useful life of the machine by using diesel fuel, compared to buying the same model with a gas engine3) Realistically plan to run your welder at high-load (150A and a few grinders isn't high load) regularly, or put solid 10-hr days on it regularly4) Plan to go on jobsites where diesel is allowed but gas engines aren't.  (I've heard of these places but never been to one.  If this is the case you'd actually want to consider propane to either gas or diesel.)
Reply:That is very good advice! Also, I would stay away from anything with over 4000 hours. Also, you can't write off used equipment from your taxes as equipment.
Reply:Honestly i am thinking about a low rpm running diesel engine heard a full tank 12 gallons could go for 30 hours doing a 1/8 7018 allday, and leaning towards a bigblue 300 with a cat engine .. brand new i see them around 12-14k here in my area used with 3-6k hours i can find them anywhere from 4-8k$  Why should i be wary of used when it comes to welders i can deal with engine problems repair rebuild myself but welders theres bushing and selonoids etc im unfamiliar with how much money would it take to repair that? If i need to
Reply:Originally Posted by walkerThat is very good advice! Also, I would stay away from anything with over 4000 hours. Also, you can't write off used equipment from your taxes as equipment.
Reply:Originally Posted by gundog77If you can't write off used equipment from your taxes you need a new accountant!
Reply:Most of the bigger diesels are often CC only units. CV is often an option on these units. Aux power is also often an option, at least if you want any serious power. newer Big Blue 400's are standard as CC only units. To run wire in CV, you need to add the optional CC/CV to the unit when you buy it. Aux power is also only 5500w on the standard units. You have to upgrade to the Big Blue 400Pro or deluxe models to have decent aux output. 5500 watts won't run most decent plasmas.I see a lot of used diesels that are CC only machines. Guys either buy them just for stick, or they only run big FC wire in CC mode. Aux power is next to nonexistent, My little 4500 watt genny makes more power than the last diesel CC only unit I looked at..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:i doubt ill be messing with really thick metal i was looking at Spectrum 375 or might as well go with 625, so on the website it states 12,000 max watts? but im only gonna get 5500 on the aux power?im more then likely gonna get the cc/cv as i need the aux powerat first i doubt ill be cutting grinding while using the welder to stick/tig/mig weld at the same time since ill be solo, but later on whos know once i get myself a helper but by then ill find outi havent messed with a big blue 300 yet but manana ima go to my local miller dealer and (possibly) find out more about it i have been hunting online for more info but not muchthoughts on a vantage 300?? found out they have 3 phase powerLast edited by Jorge50505; 03-14-2014 at 12:03 AM.
Reply:My bad I missed the Big Blue 300DPro earlier when I looked at Millers site. I saw the 400D and it was what I typically expect from larger diesels, CV as an option and heavier aux power as an option. The Big blue 400DPros have CC/CV and higher aux output though.Looks like in the 300Dpro models, the units are CC/CV and have the higher aux power. I can't find any info on straight 300D's though. Just make sure the unit you get has what you want.Some of this stuff on Millers site can be a bit confusing with the way they have stuff listed, and optional equipment isn't always called out as clearly as it might be.Last edited by DSW; 03-14-2014 at 12:22 AM..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
Reply:You can't get the equipment write off, as the IRS states that it must be new, so you lose the depreciation over time. You can write it off as an expense for a single year.
Reply:Jorge, if you aren't going "to be messing with really thick metal", then what do you need a 300-400 amp machine for? I think you need to figure out what type of welding you want to do, and then try to find some work doing it first. Gain some experience doing it with a smaller, more affordable, machine and rent bigger if you need it for a job. A tank full of diesel, or gasoline for that matter  will last a hell of a lot longer if the machine isn't running.
Reply:Its a cat diesel engine one welder to last me for about 6ish years not buy a small gas one that will last less.. "thick metal" to me is anything over 1" ...why diesel cuz i want the same fuel as my truck plus the reliability with them and the generator  aux power i need them watts, yea at first i doubt ill be cranking the amps to high but when i do i dont wanna spend on another welder/ rent one $12k big blue 300 new sounds reasonable price for what id get plus quiet and low revving compared to smaller ones that jump up and down. I know i can get into a fab shop (pressure tanks) as a rigwelder or go with a fellow pipeliner i know or go repair stuff at a oilfields service company i know that need rigwelders currently it all depends
Reply:don't be fooled by the cat diesel hype.   its just a Perkins with yellow paint.   When you buy the company you can do anything you want with its engines, and cat decided to paint the Perkins yellow and call them cats.Vantage 500's LN-25's, VI-400's, cobramatics, Miller migs, synch 350 LX, Powcon inverters, XMT's, 250 Ton Acurrpress 12' brake, 1/4" 10' Atlantic shear,Koikie plasma table W/ esab plasmas. marvel & hyd-mech saws, pirrana & metal muncher punches.