Help with welding machine

[Ffphil]

I am new to welding and looking to get the most bang for my buck. I was looking at a Lincoln Mig 210 MP $1400. Then I saw this online review of an Alpha Mig250 $1100. Then saw the Eastwood Mig250i $1100. The Alpa and Eastwood look identical accept for color and length/tips. I like the 15' length/tips of the Eastwood. However I don't need the Tig capability. Really just want a Mig/Stick unit at a decent price. If any of you have first hand use of these machines will you give me your opinion? Or if you know of another I should look at? Thanks all.

 

[Raspy]

Take a look at the Everlast sticky at the top of the welding page. Very nice welders. I have two of them.

 

[Hiptfarms]

I'd check into the Miller 215 Multiprocess. For 1600 you can get a machine that is very versatile- does stick, mig and later you can add dc tig functions if you want. Or, a Miller 211 mig can be had for 1300 or so. You can get a free Miller helmet with either at most places. I recently bought the 215 and am very satisfied. Just me 2 cents.

 

[Raspy]

Here's the one I recently bought. The Everlast 211si. About $1,100. or less if ordered through this site (Send Mark@ Everlast a PM and ask about it). It does DC tig, stick and mig. All with very high quality equipment. All equipment, mig gun, tig torch, regulator and stick stinger are included and very well made. Nothing to add except tungsten and shield gas.

It will get you welding with automatic adjustments, and memory functions. Runs on 120 or 240 volts.

PowerMTS 211Si With TIG Package | Everlast Generators

 

[rangerfredbob]

I have the Titanium Unlimited 200 from Harbor Freight, runs off of 110V or 220V and does MIG, TIG and stick and has had a coupon for $650 since it came out in November. Comes with a regulator, a spool of both solid wire and flux core so it can be used out of the box and comes with the MIG gun, TIG torch (minus tungsten), ground clamp and ARC lead.

Haven't used it much and don't have a bottle yet but have done some playing with flux core, welds pretty good and the settings are pretty easy to deal with.

 

[Ffphil]

I have the Titanium Unlimited 200 from Harbor Freight, runs off of 110V or 220V and does MIG, TIG and stick and has had a coupon for $650 since it came out in November. Comes with a regulator, a spool of both solid wire and flux core so it can be used out of the box and comes with the MIG gun, TIG torch (minus tungsten), ground clamp and ARC lead.

Haven't used it much and don't have a bottle yet but have done some playing with flux core, welds pretty good and the settings are pretty easy to deal with.

So are the welding leads the same? Can you buy any Mig/Tig/stick lead and plug it into any machine or are they proprietary?

 

[rangerfredbob]

I haven't played with anything else but apparently they are some type of standard... The ground and power lead to switch polarity on the front are twist lock, the electrical connector for the gun and spool gun are different than the Vulcan line of welders even at HFT for some reason... If you were determined I'm sure you could make anything work. The lead for the MIG gun is pretty flexible so is the ground clamp wire, power cord is around 10' long I think and comes with a ~3' cord that plugs into it to convert to 110V.

 

[pgk]

I would stick with the Lincoln Mig 210 MP hands down, it may cost a little more but it has a excellent track record. It will handily run dual shield flux core if needed, and has what the others don't, is local service if ever needed. I have a few friends that bought the Lincoln 210 MP and they love that machine. If I didn't have a old Miller Passport setting in my garage I would spring for the 210 MP no questions asked. Not saying that the other machines mentioned aren't good machines they just don't have the local support that Lincolns offers. I bought a off brand tig machine to have up at our cabin for odd jobs and it works ok, but I know when it fails it will more than likely be thrown in the dumpster..

Pete

 

[CPTKILLER]

Lincoln is hard to beat. They have some of the best technical support in the business.

I was a manufacturing engineering manager in several welding heavy businesses. I would suggest that you take a moment and seriously review your requirements. Then pick a welder. For most farm and ranch repair work or typical small fabrication jobs a AC/DC Stick Welder is adequate.

I'd call the regional Lincoln office in your area and talk with them before buying a welder.

The Lincoln Welding Guides are generally great.

I personally would buy a Lincoln Welder.

 

[john reeder]

I bought both a Lincoln 210 MP and a Square Wave 200 tig about a year and a half ago and really like both of them. This after using cheap Sears crackerbox and mig welders for thirty years or so. I really considered the Harbor Freight Vulcan equivalent machines at, then, about half the price but went with the red machines instead. There is a fellow on the welding wed forums who owns a welding business in Ventura, Ca. and he beta tested the HF Vulcan machines for a year before they were introduced on the market. He says they are good machines and are basically knock offs of the two Lincoln machines I bought.

 

[shaeff]

I’ve had great luck with my Hobart 210. I bought mine a year before they came out with the 210MVP. Doesn’t bother me, I only ever run on 220v anyway.

I’ve burned a lot of wire, both solid and flux core with zero issues. I replaced the crap ground clamp it came with right out of the box just for peace of mind.

If I were buying a welder today, I’d get one of Everlast’s multi-process units. They look sweet, and the thought of a mig/tig/plasma in one unit is pretty awesome.

I’ll eventually get one anyway, even though I’ve got a decent mig and a great Hypertherm Powermax 45 plasma. Though, I may focus more on the stick/tig functions than the others.

 

[Ffphil]

Thanks for your input. I have almost bought a few units and am looking at the Everlast multi products pretty hard.

 

[john reeder]

Go to this site and you can read all you want about almost any brand including everlast.

WeldingWeb™ - Welding forum for pros and enthusiasts

 

[rangerfredbob]

When I was looking into plasma cutters I was looking strongly at the Everlast unit as a past coworker bought one when they were cheaper than they are now and liked it and would have probably gone with the stand alone unit but when I was looking it was $600+ I think. All the reading I did on the cheaper import units said great things about the Everlast stand alone, but almost everyone said they wouldn't mix a plasma cutter into an all in one unit. Thinking about it it makes sense unless you can get all of your cutting done then switch to welding mode... I ended up getting a Ramsond plasma cutter from the Home Depot website for $400 I think, the thing is tiny and beats the heck out of an angle grinder and cutoff wheels! and was easier to get set up than getting my torch set out...

 

[shaeff]

^ I adore my plasma, so many cool projects, cuts conductible metal like a knife, and doesn’t introduce nearly as much heat as a my torches do.

My brother was super anti-plasma cutter. Real old school kinda guy. He was trying to fabricate a new transmission cover plate out of 1/8” steel by cutting it with a torch.

I took some measurements, cut it, and drilled the holes in less time than he could believe. And it fit perfect with just a touch-up of the edge with a flap wheel to remove the dross. (Which basically just fell off)

I’ve made reinforcement plates for my M3 rear subframe, for my old Supra, my old Toyota Pickup, lots of projects both functional and art.

 

[Ffphil]

I am struggling between the Lincoln 210MP or the Everlast 211si. I am just trying to figure out which one will be easier for the beginner to operate and learn with. A plasma cutter will be my next tool.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Personally I like to have manual setups that don't take a minute to go through to tweak things... sure it's more custom but holy buttons batman! Lincoln makes nice stuff and I like the standard guide on the side cover and two dials on the front personally, that's one of the things that sold me on the Titanium Unlimited over the Vulcan Omnipro... sure it might know what's best but I'm not one to conform to the man...

It's kinda a tossup, I'm sure both would be awesome. I've been stick welding on and off for years, MIG welding at work here and there enough to dabble, and have one of the older blue 90A 110V flux welders from HFT and have done decent with that, the Unlimited is much nicer than the 90A even on flux core... man I need a bottle or two... and to get my shop going...

 

[john reeder]

I am struggling between the Lincoln 210MP or the Everlast 211si. I am just trying to figure out which one will be easier for the beginner to operate and learn with. A plasma cutter will be my next tool.

I've never used an Everlast but with the Lincoln you select the process (mig,tig,stick,flux core), push the botton, select the gas, push the button, select the wire diameter, rod, etc, push the botton, then select metal thickness you are welding on, push the button, and then weld away the machine has set the amps, wire speed, whatever. You can modify the settings if you wish by turning knobs but trust me it welds fine with the machine settings. I left our some other stuff such as pulse if using tig and if you are trying to go wrong by using electrode positive rather than electrode negative, etc. it will warn you.

 

[john reeder]

I may have been thinking about the SquareWave tig with my comment about pulse, I don't think the 210MP has it.

 

[pgk]

I bought both a Lincoln 210 MP and a Square Wave 200 tig about a year and a half ago and really like both of them. This after using cheap Sears crackerbox and mig welders for thirty years or so. I really considered the Harbor Freight Vulcan equivalent machines at, then, about half the price but went with the red machines instead. There is a fellow on the welding wed forums who owns a welding business in Ventura, Ca. and he beta tested the HF Vulcan machines for a year before they were introduced on the market. He says they are good machines and are basically knock offs of the two Lincoln machines I bought.

+1 Good Call, Both very nice machines