Blessed with 3 welders, which to keep? Why?

[h2onut]

Due to my uncle's recent passing I now have 3 welders, a Lincoln stick 225 ac, a miller 135 mig with large gas bottle and cart and I already had a Hobart handler 120 mig with small gas bottle. I will be putting electric in the barn next month. I don't do a lot of welding but in the short time I have owned the farm there have been some tractor mods I would have liked to do along with things around the farm. I use a 5000watt generator for power right now. I thought I would sell one of the welders and keep one at home and one at the farm. Your suggestions/opinions are valued. I am in Northern Kentucky if anyone is looking for a like new welder after I get a consensus here on TBN. I am looking for a big anvil for the barn too and forging equipment. Projects I want to build include a swing arm post hole digger holder when not in use and beefy strap hinges for the barn doors.

 

[philbuilt]

I would not part with the stick welder. It will do the heavy stuff. Keep them all, a MIG at the house and the other 2 at the barn. That would be a thing of convenience or sell 1 of the MIGs.
Phil

 

[Kernopelli]

I would keep the Lincoln and the Miller. The 135 will do anything plus a little more than the Hobart (and it's probably worth almost twice as much), plus you get to keep the convenience of a portable 110V unit for home use. The 225 stick can handle the heavy stuff and they are bullet proof.This is the same set up I have and wouldn't do without either one.

 

[AlanB]

I would keep them all, one mig would be spooled with innershield, and the other as MIG.

Stick would do your heavier stuff.

You just cannot have too many welders.

 

[EddieWalker]

I agree with those that say to keep them. Welders will last your lifetime and are always something that will come in handy. Mine might sit for years, but then I'll need it for something really quick, or weeks worth of work.

Something to consider is what they will sell for. Not what they are worth, or what was paid for them, but what will they sell for if you put an ad in the paper? Usually it's not very much, and hardly worth parting with them.

Eddie

 

[JoeinTX]

We've got a Lincoln electric that stays around the shop and a Miller Bobcat that goes out for the pasture jobs........neither could completely replace the other. The little electrics are so quick and convenient for little jobs.


Needless to say, the minute you get rid of one of them something will happen and you'll wish you still had it.

To this, but totally OT, the GF won a contest at work and as the prize she was offered the choice of either a 37" TV or a digital video cam. Well, seeing as we already had a large TV, she took the vid cam. It wasn't a month later before our big TV, which had worked flawlessly for years, spit the bit.

Now we've got a very nice vid cam (that we use sparingly) and we're watching DTV on a 17" flat panel that we were given a couple of years ago after a move. :{

 

[CATMAN]

I can tell you how my Dad's Iowa farm is set up and it works good. Old, Old Forney AC stick welder(180 amp) , 210 amp Lindweld MIG w/0.35 wire with gas shielding and big tank(inside machinery shed), and a little 110 MAC w/ .024 wire with gas shielding and small tank on cart (this really helps on sheet metal projects or exhaust repairs). He has a 25 KW portable PTO generator, and the AC stick works like a dream with it hooked to it for outside field projects(like fenceline bunk's cable post reinforcing job).

This variety just seems to handle everything quite nicely. I can't even count the times that Dad, my brother or myself have put that little 110 unit in the tractor's loader and welded up feed conveyors, augers, auger tubing, safety shields and covers,etc.​

My brother owns the migs (that he purchased used) and just leaves them on the farm, and does his projects in Dad's shed. From my experience, these three types fit the bill.

Out here in Washington state, I have two MIGs; 250 Amp Hobart w/ .035 wire and gas and little 110 Hobart handler w/.024 wire and gas. Note: My projects can fit in the garage, so this works for me.​

 

[h2onut]

Thank you all for your responses which I know are honest here since there is nothing to gain otherwise. So far everyone says keep the stick welder which makes sense to keep at the farm. I hadn't really thought through a reason to keep all of them. It just seemed redundant to keep two similar migs but after reading the posts, and doing some resell value checks the miller is worth twice as much and will do a little more. So if I sell the hobart and I get $250 to $350 depending on how someone values the gas setup and cart. For that little It would be handy to keep it at the house which is 45 miles from farm. Now if I sell the miller which is practically new and I could get $650 to $800 with the setup and extras, would I be better to put that money to better use on the farm and keep the hobart? The barn is just a basic barn and I guess whatever is out there will rust. Thank you for your knowledge guys.

 

[EddieWalker]

... Now if I sell the miller which is practically new and I could get $650 to $800 with the setup and extras, would I be better to put that money to better use on the farm and keep the hobart?

I didn't realize that you could get that much for it. Knowing this, I'd list it for top price or even a little more and see what happens. Maybe ask $900 for it and let them work you down to $850 or $800.

That $800 is enough to make it worthwhile selling it in my opinion. Especially since you have a arc and another mig welder.

Eddie

 

[h2onut]

yeah $700 or $800 will buy a nice heavy anvil for my future blacksmith area in the barn.

 

[bobfeather]

from some one that has done a ton of welding do not part with the stick machine !! little migs have their place but you can do anything with a stick welder with the right prep
bob

 

[AJ Clark]

Not being a fan of AC arc welders I would suggest selling the AC stick and the hobart to buy a AC/DC arc welder like a Miller thunderbolt XL. I have had one for 3 years with outstanding service. The DC capability will give you a more stable arc which will produce stronger welds.....I great welder is better than 2 "ok" welders any day of the week.
Just my 2 cents......
That Miller 135 is an excellent little mig also..

 

[Soundguy]

Due to my uncle's recent passing I now have 3 welders, a Lincoln stick 225 ac, a miller 135 mig with large gas bottle and cart and I already had a Hobart handler 120 mig with small gas bottle. I will be putting electric in the barn next month. I don't do a lot of welding but in the short time I have owned the farm there have been some tractor mods I would have liked to do along with things around the farm. I use a 5000watt generator for power right now. I thought I would sell one of the welders and keep one at home and one at the farm. Your suggestions/opinions are valued. I am in Northern Kentucky if anyone is looking for a like new welder after I get a consensus here on TBN. I am looking for a big anvil for the barn too and forging equipment. Projects I want to build include a swing arm post hole digger holder when not in use and beefy strap hinges for the barn doors.

Keep all 3 or sell one of the migs that you like the least.. for whatever reason.

The stick ain't as perty'.. but it will weld the bajeebers out of thick metal, when needed..

some experience under your gloves, and a patient hand.. and an ac stick welder will do lots of work.. maybee not as nice as mig.. but it will get 'er done.

I have a hobart 235AC stickmate XL.. it's first job at my farm was to weld a wing hinge back on my 15' batwing.... That welder cost me about 230$... the farm call for the local mobile welder to come out and do the same job was double that... I figure anything else I've done with it has been 'gravy' 2x over now..

soundguy

 

[3RRL]

Due to my uncle's recent passing I now have 3 welders, a Lincoln stick 225 ac, a miller 135 mig with large gas bottle and cart and I already had a Hobart handler 120 mig with small gas bottle. I will be putting electric in the barn next month. I don't do a lot of welding but in the short time I have owned the farm there have been some tractor mods I would have liked to do along with things around the farm. I use a 5000watt generator for power right now. I thought I would sell one of the welders and keep one at home and one at the farm. Your suggestions/opinions are valued. I am in Northern Kentucky if anyone is looking for a like new welder after I get a consensus here on TBN. I am looking for a big anvil for the barn too and forging equipment. Projects I want to build include a swing arm post hole digger holder when not in use and beefy strap hinges for the barn doors.

I would keep all three also.
Take one of the migs home and keep the AC stick and one mig at the farm.
There will be times you don't want to, or don't have time completely clean, strip paint or rust off something that needs fixing right away. An AC stick with 6011 rod will work for stuff like that. Plus, you can keep them set up for different repairs or projects without a lot of switching around.... even moving them from one place to the other.
I have 4 welders at the ranch plus one oxy/acetylene set up and use them all. The oxy/acet is used for cutting and heating mostly. The other 4 are a TIG that can also stick weld AC and DC, two AC buzz boxes and one diesel/generator AC/DC stick combo.
(OK, a little overboard in my case.)

 

[2manyrocks]

Please keep in mind that a welder can throw sparks about 35 feet if I am remembering the safety warnings accurately. I have some concerns about welding around a barn with well seasoned lumber or other stuff that can catch fire. Besides wiring the barn, please think about what you can realistically do to avoid a fire.

If they are good units, I'd hang on to the stick and at least one mig.

 

[Soundguy]

Awe schucks.. if you havn't started a few grease fires.. you havn't welded enough yet!

soundguy

 

[Wheatland KB]

Not being a fan of AC arc welders I would suggest selling the AC stick and the hobart to buy a AC/DC arc welder like a Miller thunderbolt XL. I have had one for 3 years with outstanding service. The DC capability will give you a more stable arc which will produce stronger welds.....I great welder is better than 2 "ok" welders any day of the week.
Just my 2 cents......
That Miller 135 is an excellent little mig also..

This is my feeling as well. A 110V Mig unit is limited to fairly light stuff but will really shine there. If you were to get rid of one of the Migs and the AC stick, You might be able to afford a nice 230Amp AC/DC stick. DC welding is superior im many situations but you would be able to get by most farm applications with an AC machine.
One more thing to consider is that you can use the stick in outdoor settings where the Mig (gas sheilded) is best used out of the breeze.

KB