Welding Tips and Tricks

Hi All,
I have been using Harbor Frights 120 welders for about 7 years and they are so cheap when a new model comes out I sell off the old to get new. I have been holding out thinking that they would put out something on par with other generic manufacturers. It looks like it is not going to happen fast enough for me. But enough of my rambling.

I am looking for a small upgrade for my small operation. The ability to work with more materials is what I am after. I would love to have a multi-voltage multi-process unit that fits in the same cabinet at the HF unit that cost under $1k. As it stands There are 3ish units on my radar: Klutch MIS/Stick 220Si (china), Eastwood MP200i (china), Tweco/Firepowers/Victor/ThermalArc/ESAB Fabricator 181i (USA?).
All of the units are very close is spec and options in being running on 240V and can handle 1/4"-3/8" steel on a single pass MIG 1/4" Stainless in TIG burn 1/8" rods in ARC and still 1/4 Aluminum via spool gun. The MP200i is the most powerful of the bunch and price around $900 with a 3-year warranty. The 220Si is the cheapest at about $800 also with a 3-year plan. The 181i at around $1000 with the same time on the clock.

So who do I Give $1000 of my hard-earned money to???

None of the above. You stretch a little bit with your finances and buy this:
https://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/ ... der-907693

It will do all you ask, plus more. I have its predecessor and aside from TIG being "Lift Arc" only, its a great little unit. It TIG welds very smoothly, it MIG welds like a dream, and the spool gun for Aluminum MIG is unusually good. It runs Stick welds as well as my Dynasty (almost )Coupled with my Dynasty for AC TIG, its a pair thats hard to beat for what I need.

Or you can stretch them a little bit less and go with a Lincoln 210mp. Customer service and parts availability will probably be better.

Well,

The latest Everlast MTS models are the only ones that I know of which have high frequency DC TIG arc starts, which is kind of BIG for an MTS. They're priced well, come with the pedal and TIG torch, are dual-voltage, include memory functions, and have a 5-year warrantee too.
Of course, I'm not a shill for Everlast, just a keen market observer and a satisfied retail customer. Otherwise, it seems compact enough, but the top handle could probably be replaced with a recessed one or just removed if you want to shoehorn it into some certain spot.

cj737 C. Livingstone and Farmwelding Thanks for the input. I reviewed the suggested rigs and it seems I need to sale my wife and one or two of the kids, don't worry I have a lot of them. Those rigs are SEXY as all get out but the $1000 ceiling is carbon reinforce ultra high strength cement that currently is out of reach for my diamond tipped core drill. The silver liner of this is I think I have found a tasty pacifier, the EVERLAST POWER I-Mig 200 ($800).

I will hold off on my current want to MIG aluminum and TIG out dimes. The I-MIG 200 will keep me mobile with its ability to run on 120V. Looking at its features it can take care of my MIG and ARC welding. From the listed specs I can run as thin as 24 gauge steel and burn up to 5/16" on a single pass. With diligence and perseverance I will move on to a proper HF start AC/DC stand alone TIG like the POWERTIG 185 ($900) in time. The spool gun ($200) as well can come along just a bit later. All said and done the cost will be around the same as one of the big name rigs with a few more bows and sparkles in the end.

If anyone has coupon codes send them over asap.

Yeah,

It makes economical sense, if you want to do AC and DC TIG welding later, to just get an NON-MTS MIG welder now, then get the AC/DC TIG unit separately, rather than spend more for the extra features of a MTS, which only allows DC TIG.

Another option is: buy one of the more capable units now without the TIG and Spool gun packages, lowering your initial purchase price. Add the options later. This saves you money in the long run.

We all face financial constraints (unless we are named Zuckerberg) so buying economically is (cost vs price vs value) should always be the method used to make buying decisions.

For my part, I bought a "lower end" unit first. Quickly outgrew its capabilities, then regretted spending the 60% I should have for something that no longer serves my needs. Selling a used welder gets dicey too. It seems to me that you lose more than you gain because in the end, why buy used when you can buy new? Because the "used" price is so attractive (which means you as the Seller have taken the loss) that a Buyer gets the benefit.

So do a bit more investigation to see if you can reduce the package options and fit your budget, and maybe still meet your current needs without limiting your future usage.