I have the chance to buy

[muddstopper]

I have a friend that wants to sell his 1996 model Lincoln 250/250 stick tig welder. He bought the machine new but it hasnt hardly ever been used. Set in the corner of the shop covered for years. Machine looks like new. It comes with 50ft of welding lead, tig leads and air hose, foot pedal, some consumables, but no gas bottle. He is asking $1200 and has the reciepts where he paid almost $2400 in 1996. I havent tried tig welding, dont know if I can, but I could use a heavier amp stick wleder. I am just wondering if the price is right for this machine. I have always wanted a tig, and I guess if I buy the machine I could learn how to use it. Not sure what I would use it for, but heck, I like new toys.

Some how this post ended up in the oil and lube section when I first posted. I dont know how to remove it from there and apoligise for the multiple posting.

 

[Shield Arc]

I certainly don't know what the machine is worth, the question is, what is it worth to you?
Does that machine have AC? And does it come with a flow meter? Comes with an air hose? You must mean gas hose!

Having a Tig machine is a really big asset! You can weld gauge material easy with Tig! If the machine has AC, then that open up another world with aluminum welding.

 

[muddstopper]

The machine does have ac and was used once to build up boat props, Aluminum and Stainless.

To me, I dont do professional welding, just my own projects. So this isnt a money making machine. I have a ac/dc tombstone lincoln and a 175 miller mig I do most of my welding with. The ideal of welding aluminum has always held an interest to me, but I have never had enough of a need to justify buying a spool gun for my mig machine or to purchase a tig. On the other hand, my tombstone has served me well since I bought it back in 1979, but it limits me to small rods and thinner metal or multiple passes on heavier metal. I guess mostly I would be buying the machine for the bigger stick capacity than I would be for the tig capability. Of course if I had the tig, I would eventually get around to trying it out. I can think of multiple past projects I have done with my mig on thin metal that would have been better done with the tig, or at least those are the times I actually considered buying or wanting a tig.

I am most likely going to purchase this machine, I guess i am mostly asking is this machine worth the $1200 he is asking, and can I get my money back if I decide to sell it a couple of years down the road.

 

[Gary Fowler]

I have no idea what the machine is "worth" but you said that it is half price of new and looks new so I would say that is a bargain if you need a good ac/dc machine. Is is also CC/CV which means you can run a spool gun off it also.

 

[muddstopper]

I need to go take another look at the machine, it has more knobs and dials than I can figure out, but he does have the books to go with it. I have looked online and the newr machines with all the bells and whistles seem to be more in the 3-4000 dollar range (and up). I'll try to get the exact model number so maybe those that know more than I do can give me better adivse. My "wants" have a habit of being bigger than I really need when it comes to buying new toys.

 

[Shield Arc]

Get some pictures too:thumbsup:! Model number don't mean a whole lot to me. I went to Lincoln's site, but this must be a discontinued model.

 

[muddstopper]

I went by his shop yesterday and he wasnt there. I could see the welder thru the window. It is the Idealarc 250/250. Leads where rolled up in floor in front of it. They looked new, tig looked new. Machine looks like it just had the plastic wrap took off. I did some looking on ebay and seen the similar machine, all bent up, no leads or accesseries for $795, another used one complete was asking $2200.
I couldnt get any pic thru the window, but it looks very similar to this one on ebay, LINCOLN WELDER IDEALARC TIG 250/250 AC/DC ARC WELDER / SINGLE PHASE with CART | eBay

I will be going back to his shop a little later and taking my truck. If he hasnt sold it, I'll be bringing it home.

 

[Shield Arc]

I know I've used those machines before, but it has been so long, and so many machines I can't remember how they weld. They sure are very popular!

 

[muddstopper]

I bought the machine. We tested the stick and it welded beautifully. We didnt have any gas to try the tig, but I see no reason why it shouldnt work. He had a tube each of aluminum, stainless and mild steel rods, 2 packs of tungsten, one for aluminum and one for mild steel. Also had 2 more of the smaller tig tugsten holder ends that are still in the box. I left the machine at his shop because he said he would show me how to use the tig when he got a new bottle of gas, freebie welding lessons on top of a really neat machine I think makes this a bargain. One question we both had about the machine is will it take a spool gun, we think the answer is yes, but he's never had one so he isnt 100% sure.

I thought for a mintue or two he was going to back out of the deal, he really hesitated when I reached him the money. Almost like he was having second thoughts about selling it. Kept talking about how people where always wanting him to weld things and such. We've been friends for 40 years, he's 67yo and aint able to do what he used to do. Of course if he finds he needs to weld something special, he knows I'll let him use the machine, so I guess thats why he didnt back out of the deal.

 

[Shield Arc]

One question we both had about the machine is will it take a spool gun, we think the answer is yes, but he's never had one so he isnt 100% sure.

That would be a question for Lincoln. I went to Lincoln's site, but there just isn't enough information there for me to say. Everything I found is for a power source with CV. I'm sure you will need the K488 Magnum SG control module, and most likely the K487-25 Magnum SG Spool gun. But I can't find an add on CV box!

Here is a picture of my Spool gun and control module.