Why are SA200's so valued and expensive.

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Probably not the best place on this forum to ask this question but many of these SA200's are projects in themselves for restoration.I've noticed that the price of the SA200's have gone through the roof. A year or two you could pick up one of the grey ones for a couple hundred bucks and lately I saw one on a trailer and the guy was asking $3300.00 for it. Seems a tad expensive to me for a 40 to 50 year old welder.So, my questions are why are these in such demand? What's so good about them?Sign on East Texas payphone: Calls to God 40 cents......it's a local call...
Reply:I have one that I recently bought at a steal.  But I wouldn't sell mine for 10x's that much...Weld with one...then you will know...You can explain it, but once you "do" it, it all becomes clear...Its an OPRAH  Ahaaa! moment.. There are some machines that come close, maybe even equal a few of them, but none exceed them in weld quality and arc qualities.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:It is the same thing that you see with old cars and trucks, tractors, and farm machinery. Nostalgia, I guess. I love old machinery. Cars, trucks, tractors, steam trains, piston engine (especially radial engine) airplanes, and SA 200 Lincolns. Just something about them. The SA 200 was always the standard of the industry for DC engine drive welders. There were some pretenders, Hobart, Miller, and P&H come to mind. I've run 'em all and the P&H was the only one that came close. All the above were state-of-the-art in their day but science and engineering have eclisped them all including the SA 200. But I'm glad that people will spend the time and money to preserve mechanical history.
Reply:The demand is up because of the main line construction boom, they are still the preferred machine in that field.They are expensive (both new and used) because it costs more to byuild a dc generator than it does a alternator/rectifier machine. Plus they have true industrial duty engines that can be overhauled/rebuilt for generations.JTMcC.
Reply:I would humbly and respectfully  disagree with some of Old Timer's assertion that technology has passed the SA 200 by.While it is true that we have progressed technologically from the era of SA 200,  with the advent of inverters and their chopper cousins, there is more at stake than progress.Sometimes, the original "inventors" get the design right the first time. This is the case of the SA200. We tend to forget that in our modern day of technology, while they may have the technology to do more, they release the original version with a few bugs to release 2.0 later, only to leave a few unresolved issues to make room for 3.0 and so on.  So is the case with modern welders that are full of tempermental circuit boards, expensive to repair engines, and cheaply made controls. But Lincoln unleashed both barrels when they built the SA 200.  They did the "job" right to start.  I would like to have sat in the "conference" room when they decided to "go" with the design...(insert daydream here).   The evidence is overwhelming that they did.  Evidence:1) Little or no changes were ever made in the basic design for 20+ years.  Short hood, Black face, Red face etc, but they were all built off the same blueprint.2)  When Lincoln did try to "improve" the design, they were beset by tons of complaints.  They made the mistake of switching to Aluminum components instead of copper.  Some "improvement".  They had to make changes to "fix" their improvement.3) You can still buy basically the same welder in the classic and pipeliner series.4) You can't hardly ever find any one to complain that the SA 200 was a sorry built machine.5)  There are still so many parts available today.  Bad products quickly are obsoleted completely and the product disappears...The SA 200 was simple yet efficient.  Easy to work on.  Cheap to repair.  Compact and portable.  It had inifinite range control. Yet not a single PC board to be found, unless on the later models with electronic idle up.  It ran at low speeds, reduced noise levels, and reduced engine wear.  Remarkable fuel efficient given the size of the engine.  Parts were heavy duty made, not subject to UV rays or snapping off on a cold day.  So? A lot of older machines were designed this way.  Well, to answer I go back to my first post.  If you weld with an SA 200, you will know.  Not to be mysterious or anything, but the arc is highly stable and can be adjusted to give about any charachteristic desired.7018's that are known for sticking, "magically" light up with little effort.  I noticed this as a younger welder who always had problems with the 7018, the first time I laid a bead with a 7018 on a SA200, I noticed the arc seemed to 'jump" from the end of the rod.  I wasn't even sure at the time, but it didn't seem like I had made contact with weld surface.  Of course, I had, but it was so effortless.  I sat there just watching that steady stream of arc coming off the rod and I knew someday I had to own one.I bid on a couple in some auctions even 10 years ago or more.  Never saw one go for less than 1200 dollars.  Several of them were beat up but ran and welded perfectly.  Then,  when I wasn't looking, I found my baby. Had to wait a year to get it, but it was worth it just to have the priviledge of owning one...Last edited by lugweld; 02-16-2009 at 12:28 PM.Esab Migmaster 250Lincoln SA 200Lincoln Ranger 8Smith Oxy Fuel setupEverlast PowerPlasma 80Everlast Power iMIG 160Everlast Power iMIG 205 Everlast Power iMIG 140EEverlast PowerARC 300Everlast PowerARC 140STEverlast PowerTIG 255EXT
Reply:they are expensive because the owners won't let them go until you pry their cold dead hands off the electrode holder.  Speaking about myself, my welding ability isn't good enough to be worthy of this machine or most any for that matter.  I have a lot to learn before becoming even a proficient dirt dobber.   I just happen to luck onto the machine and am now learning as a hobbyist.
Reply:None better.  Hated to see my 3 go when I retired from rig welding.
Reply:Stampeder, I am not a pro, but I lucked out and got a SA200 for less than a grand 8 yrs ago.Ol'Timer next door had it, mounted on a trailer, no doors, outside was in fair condition, but all you do is push the on switch, fires right up and good to go. I replaced the idler boot is all I've done mechinacally wise. The doors were missing and where I worked at the maintenance crew was dismantling an old generator, throwing the stuff in the trash, I looked at the doors off the generator and thought they would be a close fit and sure nuf with the exception of the cotter pins they fit ok, I just put a couple of hinges on em and now I have the interior protected. I can fire that thing up and do all the corral,pen and barn building I need or can handle. I am going to update the doors and labeling sometime in the near future but for right now everything is good to go. If you come across one you wont be sorry. Reliable and Dependable and since I am not a mechanic (or speller) I dont have to worry about too much as long as I maintain it correctly. Again Good machine for Pro or Newbe.Last edited by JayRay; 02-16-2009 at 04:47 PM.
Reply:made a double entry on the postLast edited by JayRay; 02-16-2009 at 04:51 PM.Reason: double entry