Welder Recommendations

[caver]

My parents got me this welder as a kid.

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

Interesting and false comment about the Vulcan wheeled welder cabinet. Not the cheap Chinese one in your picture either. I have 2 actually, they both carry 3 120 cubic foot bottles and numerois machines and are very well built. One has my Pro-Tig on it plus an everlast water cooler and one plasma cutter, the other has a pair of Hobart MIGS in it and a second plasma cutter. Drawers all lock, operate smoothly and have plenty of room inside even enough room for 2 hoods. I really don't believe you know what you are talking about as the Vulcan cabs are top shelf. My employees are very happy with them as well.

You bought large Vulcan cabinets, and I made it clear I was talking about a small Vulcan similar to the Miller. I will attach a photo.

The big Vulcan looks very nice for a person who wants three machines on one cart, assuming the air space is adequate for ventilation, but I chose shopmade carts because it was completely wrong for me. It takes up a vast amount of room, the drawer storage is lacking, and it sets the machines down too low.

Most people will not want to put three machines on a cart or have to deal with a monster 4 feet long. I wanted a cart that held two machines and two large bottles, and I wanted TIG rod storage. With a total of 4 machines, I would have to buy two large Vulcan carts to get all that. I wouldn't want to push and store one of those boxcars, let alone two.

I now have two carts just as I want them. One is set up perfectly for a welder and a plasma cutter. The other was made for two welders. They are extremely strong. The thick tubing in the bases runs all the way across them. The casters are much stronger than they have to be. They roll easily with one hand. The machines are right at eye level. I have hundreds of pounds of stuff in the drawers, kept clean and neat where flying crud can't get at it. The carts are very easy to maneuver and store. As you can see, I put a trapezoidal base on the cart in the picture, making it very resistant to rocking and tipping.

Incidentally, I got the idea for my carts by looking at products from a company called All-A-Cart. They make kits to turn factory-made boxes into welding carts. The name is ZTFab. They cost a great deal of money for what you get, and they send you steel parts you have to weld together, and paint, yourself.

I couldn't understand why anyone would buy these things; especially a fabricator. Their original kits cantilevered their tank platforms from existing caster screw holes. No additional wheels. That meant the heavy tank on a ZTFab cart was unsupported from the far end. Really bad. My design runs from one end of a cart to the other, supporting it the entire way. Current ZTFab kits, which cost $260 without the tool cart, have added wheels under the tanks. They still don't sell frames that run from end to end, so their kits put a lot of stress on those Chinese holes.

At the same time they were selling these, Youtube was full of videos of people making better carts from tool chests. And it was also full of people who got free ZTFab carts and claimed they were fantastic. They made videos of themselves putting the carts together. Free ads for All-A-Cart, which says something about Youtube creators and how easy they are to buy off.

My first cart: $230 for the tool cart (2020), around $100 for steel, paint, and parts, indestructible frame running the length of the court, two huge bottles supported firmly: $330 plus incidentals. And it was exactly what I wanted, so no compromises.

ZTFab: $260 plus paint plus welding and grinding, plus shipping, plus $240 for the cart (at the time): ~$550. No real support. All work done by me. What???

I also fabbed up some stuff so I could use a US General cart for my belt grinders. It's a huge blessing.

 

[5030]

I prefer to buy them aleady made. One, it'a already made and two, they are a business expense. Even loaded up neither are hard to motor around either and I like leaving my welders in the front of the shop away from dirt. Of course they are all 'fan on demand' but they will still ingest dirt and need the application of an air gun regularly, especially IGBT machines. I run 25 foot leads on the TIG plus the fluid hoses and 25 foot leads on the MIG's as well. All one has to do is increase the wire gage accordingly. I don't motor them around much, if any. I'd say with 3 120Cubic foot bottles on each cart plus the welder and all the 'stuff' in the drawers, I'd say each cart is grossing around 800 pounds no issue as you get what you pay for like everything in life today. Only lighter cart is the OA cart with 2 bottles and the torch set.

I have a thing for large bottles anyway. The more capacity the less they need refilled, which necessitates a road trip.

.. and I own all the bottles and I never exchange.

 

[5030]

You bought large Vulcan cabinets, and I made it clear I was talking about a small Vulcan similar to the Miller. I will attach a photo.

The big Vulcan looks very nice for a person who wants three machines on one cart, assuming the air space is adequate for ventilation, but I chose shopmade carts because it was completely wrong for me. It takes up a vast amount of room, the drawer storage is lacking, and it sets the machines down too low.

Most people will not want to put three machines on a cart or have to deal with a monster 4 feet long. I wanted a cart that held two machines and two large bottles, and I wanted TIG rod storage. With a total of 4 machines, I would have to buy two large Vulcan carts to get all that. I wouldn't want to push and store one of those boxcars, let alone two.

I now have two carts just as I want them. One is set up perfectly for a welder and a plasma cutter. The other was made for two welders. They are extremely strong. The thick tubing in the bases runs all the way across them. The casters are much stronger than they have to be. They roll easily with one hand. The machines are right at eye level. I have hundreds of pounds of stuff in the drawers, kept clean and neat where flying crud can't get at it. The carts are very easy to maneuver and store. As you can see, I put a trapezoidal base on the cart in the picture, making it very resistant to rocking and tipping.

Incidentally, I got the idea for my carts by looking at products from a company called All-A-Cart. They make kits to turn factory-made boxes into welding carts. The name is ZTFab. They cost a great deal of money for what you get, and they send you steel parts you have to weld together, and paint, yourself.

I couldn't understand why anyone would buy these things; especially a fabricator. Their original kits cantilevered their tank platforms from existing caster screw holes. No additional wheels. That meant the heavy tank on a ZTFab cart was unsupported from the far end. Really bad. My design runs from one end of a cart to the other, supporting it the entire way. Current ZTFab kits, which cost $260 without the tool cart, have added wheels under the tanks. They still don't sell frames that run from end to end, so their kits put a lot of stress on those Chinese holes.

At the same time they were selling these, Youtube was full of videos of people making better carts from tool chests. And it was also full of people who got free ZTFab carts and claimed they were fantastic. They made videos of themselves putting the carts together. Free ads for All-A-Cart, which says something about Youtube creators and how easy they are to buy off.

My first cart: $230 for the tool cart (2020), around $100 for steel, paint, and parts, indestructible frame running the length of the court, two huge bottles supported firmly: $330 plus incidentals. And it was exactly what I wanted, so no compromises.

ZTFab: $260 plus paint plus welding and grinding, plus shipping, plus $240 for the cart (at the time): ~$550. No real support. All work done by me. What???

I also fabbed up some stuff so I could use a US General cart for my belt grinders. It's a huge blessing.

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Not my thing at all. In fact the only dimmunitive cart I own is the obe for the Shop Saber CNC plasma cutter. It carries the plasma torch and consumables. No gas needed, just compresse air at sufficient volume and of course the air has to be dry as well. In fact, besides the refrigerated IR drier on the main compressor feed line and a timed condenaste drain, I run Motorguard 5 micron pass cannister filters on each plasma cutter.

 

[5030]

I have to always err on the side of preventing an issue. Remember, I have employees and employees tend to be lax about things. Overkill is always better than a boogered up machine from damp air.

The finish on the large Vulcan cabinet is superlative as well and went right together, everything lines up perfectly. LIttle bulky to get in the shop but I have a hi-low for that.

 

[tstex]

Thank you for the add'l and applicable replies...appreciate it !!

 

[Suburban Plowboy]

I'm sure I would see things differently if I were running a business.

 

[Texasmark]

I have 4 I think, welders. The one I use the most is the HF 230V Mig with .030 wire and gas. Most of my welding is not welding main frames on tractors and such and the little Mig is right there, easy to start, gas gives me a clean penetration, on a roll around cart.