Lincwelder 225 vs Everlast Mig 160

[Scott in IN]

I had a nice talk with Mark over at Everlast today and before I decide what I'm going to do I thought I'd toss it out to the group.

My barn is too far from the road for utility power so I have a 10KW Onan Diesel generator for barn power. I've been looking at adding a welder to my collection and the Everlast inverter technology looks real appealing. I'm leaning towards a Mig 160 but I just ran across a used Lincwelder 225 for $275. I'll be basically putzing around in the barn building brackets and such with the occasional bushhog repair all on steel.

I figure that a Everlast is going to cost around $620 or so, another $100 for the argon tank and another $50 for a HF cart. Basically I'll have $800 into the welding rig that can do Mig and stick. However if my generator power isn't 'clean' (I think it is) I stand the chance of burning up the inverter.

If I go with the engine driven Lincoln I'll have $275 into it but I'll be limited to stick but I'll have high DC amps. No power quality issues to deal with but I'll have problems with sheet metal projects (though I do have a torch).

I keep wavering back and forth on which would be the best way to go.

Thoughts from the group.

 

[Redneck in training]

I thought that it is the other way around. Devices with transformers can burn due to dirty power. UPS or inverters care less what quality power you feed them. But I might be wrong.

 

[gauthier]

The only reason,as far as I'm concerned, to have a mig,is if,you were going to be welding mostly sheet metal,or if you planned on welding aluminum,I can weld down to 1/8 thick[maybe even a little less on occasion] and unlimited thick,steel,with stick.

 

[k0ua]

not braggin, and I am no expert, at all, but I have welded plenty of sheet metal with stick, it is just a PITA, need low current, either 40 or 60 amps and a 1/16 inch rod, and move fast, be prepared to burn a lot of holes at first, but it can be done. I used to keep an old riding lawn mower going that the frame was always developing new cracks. I would weld them up. did not always look pretty but doable.. That said, I am sure a good MIG would have done a lot better:thumbsup: by the way, all of this was done with Lincoln 225 AC stick. Just got the Everlast DC 160 stick tonite, havent tried it yet. Will let you all know.

 

[gauthier]

10-4,mig is made for sheet metal,,but I'm betting most people who want and need a welder,are not planning on getting it for sheet metal,and like you said you can weld a little sheet metal on the needed basis with a stick machine.

 

[yomax4]

You could buy the inexpensive LincWelder and watch for a Voltage Sensing Suitcase Feeder to come up for sale. It would hook to your stick and give you Mig as well. Not to cause controversy. I visit plants every day that build everything from Bob Cat Buckets to Rail Road Tank cars. None of them use Stick. It's all Mig. It would be cool to see a Robot welding with Stick though.:laughing:

 

[Hooked_on_HP]

10-4,mig is made for sheet metal,,but I'm betting most people who want and need a welder,are not planning on getting it for sheet metal,and like you said you can weld a little sheet metal on the needed basis with a stick machine.

If mig is for sheet metal , some one should call Cat,Deer and the rest of the heavy equiptment manufactures and tell them they are building there machines wrong since they are all mig welded. Yes the little 110V migs can't weld any thing verry thick. The large migs can weld anything a stick can.
Bill

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

welder inverters and UPS are different animals. Some UPS will smoke on bad power, but its not just low voltage or frequencies deficiencies that make "dirty" power. Its actually in the sine wave. Square wave generators are good for light bulbs and a few other things, but not for electronics.

Inverter welders are computers of sorts. We have voltage line compensation of 10% and allowance of 50-60 hz, which is pretty much standard across the industry. Spikes and "noise" create the dirty power, when viewed on an oscilloscope.

 

[gauthier]

I knew I could bring out those mig a philes[pretty good huh,just invented that migophiles]...now a mig,is not fuxcore,number 1,,,number two,there are many different mig process,[pulse,spray,gobular,just off top of my head],but most generally when we talk mig on here we are talking short circuiting,I bet,[don't know for sure now],but would bet,cat don't use short circuiting mig for anything other than the thin stuff,real thin stuff.
Some welding codes have what they call prequalified welding procedures[if you do it this way,you don't have to weld a test joint to prove it,its been proven over time,etc],but they will not let you do it that way with short circuiting mig,you have to weld up a joint simular to the job you will be doing and test it before you can weld to that code with it.

 

[EuropaChris]

number two,there are many different mig process,[pulse,spray,gobular,just off top of my head],but most generally when we talk mig on here we are talking short circuiting,I bet,[don't know for sure now],but would bet,cat don't use short circuiting mig for anything other than the thin stuff,real thin stuff.

We're not cat, but do have some equivalent products and we weld up to and past 1/2" thick with MIG all day long, both manual and robot. 0.045 to .052" wire, up to 400 amps. At that level, it sounds like a Star Trek phaser rather than welding.

But, very little to none of the welding is "full penetration". It's all fillet and lap welds - "T" joints and overlapping plate - and I think all single pass. Just like a giant caulk job!