Help me buy a welder/generator.

[thingy]

If you got a dc stick machine you got a tig unit. thingy

 

[George2615]

Soundguy, Here is one place that sells the Ranger 10K welder / generator.
Ranger 10,000 Plus WELDER Kohler : Lincoln Engine Driven Welders, LINK1419-5
I'm sure there are others, this was the first place that popped up on my search.

 

[thingy]

George,how about them tig welders,where do they sell them at? thingy

 

[George2615]

Thingy,
I'm not far from Syracuse, NY (about 22 miles). There are several dealers there that sell Miller, Lincoln, and Hobart equipment. I have an account with one dealer for my torch tanks. I have found that the local HF store carries welding rod. But I usually go to a local store for supplies only 6 miles away which is where I bought my Miller Bobcat.

 

[thingy]

Them millers are the best machines out there,,[the other part was a joke,,],some people don't know you can tig weld with a dc stick machine,just reverse the leads,,get you the required equipment,,etc,,,scratch start,,[people don't even know what that is and they are asking about getting a tig machine,,,amazing],,,,,course they do make more or less dedicated tig machines,,high freg,,peddle control amps,,,pulse,,,etc,,,,but,,,,for most of us ,,,,thingy

 

[crbr]

.......From my personal learning path (which I'm still traversing), stick welding (SMAW) takes more expertise to get good, good-looking welds than does mig (GMAW). Good mig welds (as opposed to "good-looking") still requires some education and practice. It isn't a case where you can walk in off the street and start making good welds.

I take interest in folks that are good welders. Good being spoken with reservation.

In my younger career path, I worked as a Quality Control inspector on numerous nuclear powered electric generating facilities as well as a Weld Engineer, with very strict procedural requirements and little of nothing for tolerances of deviation from the requirements in the final product. I have done visual inspections, MT, PT, UT, and RT as well. Point here is that I have seen some of the finest, near perfect welds that can be. Perfect, pretty stick welds, perfect MIG and TIG, both stainless and carbon. I have inspected welds of some welders (known from their welder IDs stenciled adjacent to the weld area) that never busted out on one weld. Others have had to have their Fitter grind for days and re-weld. I've seen it all in the 8 years I was in QC. A nice weld is indeed a skill as well as an art.

In all light heartedness, I look at the pics of some of the welds here on the board and get a smile from time to time. Now bear in mind, I am not a welder, but I have seen some of the slickest, prettiest welds a man could ask for. Pipe welds, structural welds, all different materials, all different positions, all different walks of life doing the welding. Welders are indeed a unique skill set of folks. Hats of to those that weld nicely and to those that weld (only) sufficiently enough to stick a rod...

I always enjoy these threads, as my credentials through stringent qualifications of certifications for inspection are maxed out. :tiphat:

However when I have a question about welding, I go to the field and ask a welder...

 

[thingy]

Well I see your amusment,,but maybe I am more certified/qualified than you???,,cwi,,level lll mt /pt,,,,,man hate that,,don't you?? plus a certified welder,,,well,,,oh well,just goes to show you don't it??
Come on back now,,lets get a thing going,,won't make fun or nothing,,,thingy

 

[thingy]

Well,looks like another one bit the dust,,man!,,just wanting to make friends here,,,and by the way,,that was asnt certified levelIII,,,and cwi of 25 years,,rest don't matter too much,,certified pipe and plate up and down,,mig and stick,,aws,asme,api,,,been doing q.c work past 20 years,,,how you doing joe or was that jack? can't remember,,tie thing,,,,thingy

 

[crbr]

Well I see your amusment,,but maybe I am more certified/qualified than you???,,cwi,,level lll mt /pt,,,,,man hate that,,don't you?? plus a certified welder,,,well,,,oh well,just goes to show you don't it??
Come on back now,,lets get a thing going,,won't make fun or nothing,,,thingy

DILLIGAF?
You missed the point. I could'nt care less about my certs. It's nothing to brag about at all, shinning pipe for a living. I got out.

Merely complimenting those that can do it well and humouring those that enjoy and appreciate it.

 

[thingy]

So,pray tell,what is your point,rookie,,thingy

 

[thingy]

Well you can't argue with logic like toulamaic,[original poster[ put out there,,he doesn't have any electric at his place and he wants a generator plus he wants a welder,,,,perfect he says,,I will get a cheap generator and a buzz box,,,no need combining the two,plus on top of that,he's going to do some tig welding,,,holy,,#$!$,,,second place at least,,,thingy

 

[Tractors4u]

So,pray tell,what is your point,rookie,,thingy

You missed the point. I could'nt care less about my certs. It's nothing to brag about at all, shinning pipe for a living. I got out.

Merely complimenting those that can do it well and humouring those that enjoy and appreciate it.

I think crbr explained his point. Are you just try to pick a fight or what? When I read it, the way I understood it was that he had the credentials and experience to know a good weld or a bad weld when he saw and compimented those on TBN that could weld well. He never claimed to be a welder himself, just the opposite. Lighten up and let's learn something from each other.

 

[cp1969]

DILLIGAF?

Not being able to see you, it's hard to tell. But I would guess probably not.

 

[sandman2234]

I had the same thought about needing a generator and wanting a welder. I came across a very good deal on an almost new Bobcat welder($1497, 3 months old). I used to have to deal with rental property that required cleaning while empty(read no power). I figured 8kw and a welder would do it just fine. It did, but like all compromises, it has it's drawbacks.
One, the combination uses more fuel than a standalone generator, probably due to having all the extra mass that it needs to turn (?). I have never owned a 8KW generator, so I may be wrong on that. I just know that my little 4kw drinks alot less fuel, several times over.
I do know that the 4kw won't weld worth a flip, never has, never will.
If you don't use a standalone generator, it still requires you to start it up and run it or it won't start when you need it to. If you do enough welding to keep the welder in shape, that makes the backup a lot less trouble.
My problem began when I went over the road as a 18 wheeler driver, not being home to do the things I wanted, needing the welder less and the backup generator went with it.
I got an offer to buy it for $2000, so it went (after almost 15 years) and I purchased a generator for my lawnmower as a backup. I already had the buzzbox and an old Miller AC/DC/Tig machine, so that end was covered.
I only miss the Bobcat welder when I need to do something portable elsewhere and that doesn't happen very often, welding things I can't drag home.
All I am pointing out is, most of the options have drawbacks, and only you can determine which you are willing to settle for.
In the case of a power outage, the cost of fuel, hours on a tractor, etc are really trivial, compared to what the alternative is. Being able to get enough fuel might be a problem, but what it costs doesn't matter because you would pay twice that for it if you needed to. Being prepared for it also costs money, such a fuel storage that requires investment and treatment, and changing out to prevent fuel going bad.
I went with a 10kw generator for my lawnmower because it requires almost no upkeep, uses a fuel that I have a supply of (JD tractor tank is backup, 40gals, tractor trailer in driveway also a backup if absolutely required, 200 gals) and I use the buzzbox and Miller welder when I need them.
Just another point of view,
David from jax

 

[patrick_g]

Lowe's has a 13.5KW surge rated electric start genny for $1300. It will actually sustain over 8KW. It runs my Lincoln AC-DC tombstone pretty well. Plugging in the wall does better but I don't ordinarily do much HD stuff in the field so no problem. Even my little Coleman 5KW genny will run my Lincoln wire feed. My next test will be to run a decent air compressor and the 40 amp plasma cutter. If not simultaneously then in rotation.

If you expect a female person to start the genny because you will not be there when the balloon goes up then you want electric start.

I got my 13.5KW genny at Lowe's as a refurbished customer return for $400 and it does just fine.

Pat

 

[MikeD74T]

crbr, Don't let thingy get to you. Despite being extremely fond of his mirror he does put out some good information. He will even argue with compliments sent in his direction. You're just new blood, welcome aboard. MikeD74T

 

[RedRocker]

I guess that ended the conversation.

 

[gunta]

Not unless you want it to end??!!,,I'm now gunta,,,[lovely ain't it],,cookies thing,,deleted,,etc,,,thingy

 

[DieselPower]

Errrrr, Ummmmm??? Do we now have two thingy's?

 

[tuolumne]

Who else has a comma that sticks?