SMALL portable welder needed. . .suggestions?

ScottV · May 1, 2005

Ok Bob I have more info on the Maxstar 150S
I am sure some other people will ring in too.

I hope I get info this good when my girlfriend buys her tractor!!
She wants a Koiti DK 40 But I think I have her talked into a DK45S
I also liked the Branson 4220 I looked at. I will ask these questions in the right forum.

http://www.millermotorsports.com/mboard/showthread.php?p=24179#post24179

daedong · May 1, 2005

Bob,
Over the years i have done a lot of welding. Unfortunately things are a little different there. However i have just browsed the miller site and i think this unit web page would suit what you have described you need. It has the added advantage of dual power that widens its use. I would suggest that you run flux wire unless you have a particular job in mind and then run solid wire and gas.

Bob_Skurka · May 1, 2005

For the price difference between the DVI and the PASSPORT, it seems like the small added cost of the PASSPORT would be worth the money to me. But I still consider both of these to be more than I was hoping to spend. And for the most part, I don't consider the DVI (and some of the other welders) to be SMALL or PORTABLE.

To me, small means I can lift it up a ladder. Portable means I can put it in the trunk of one of my convertibles. When I have to carry gas tanks or when the welder is on wheels, then any reasonable definitions of small or portable is being stretched. Early on in the thread is a link to a Century Welder, that is what I have now, I'd like to step up from there, but for the repair tasks it would be used for, many of these other welders are simply too large or heavy for use in my warehouse.

Is there anything else like the Century unit on the market?
Or some alternative to the Miller Passport?

Tevi · May 1, 2005

That is why I reccomended it.I feel that when you buy you will not be dissapointed.There is no match to the Passport.If its for work can't you write it off.

Bob_Skurka · May 2, 2005

Yup, it is for work. And I can write it off. I just don't know that it makes good business sense to pay so much for something that is used to make infrequent emergency repairs. It would be sort of like buying a tow truck along with a car, just in case I broke down on the side of the road. I could do it, but I'd have a real hard time justifying it. I think I need to look over some of our repair bills from the welding service, if they are high enough, and if the repairs could be done in house, then it would be worth it.

Tevi · May 2, 2005

You have said you want this for repair but once you realize at how nice it is may it be considered for modification's or other possible projects.Figure what a welder gets in your area per hour and figure 1 hour minimum charge x repairs per year.For a quick off the top of the head calculations and you'll realize how it will pay off

Jagmandave · May 3, 2005

Can someone explain spray arc welding to me? The bead in that pic is amazing! And I thought I could lay down a nice bead with my Lincoln Mig..............

MadReferee · May 3, 2005

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Can someone explain spray arc welding to me? The bead in that pic is amazing! And I thought I could lay down a nice bead with my Lincoln Mig.............. )</font>

Typically used for thinner materials and using a 98% argon 2% CO2 gas mixture using a machine in the 250+ amp range. You effectively "spray" the wire material onto the base material instead of short circuiting it onto the base material.

To get a full explanation, go to the link below. You can page forward or backwards using the control at the bottom of the page.

How Spray Arc works

ScottV · May 3, 2005

Here is one done with a Maxstar 150 SLH

Pretty depressing really. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

All this talk about welding machines made me upgrade
to another unit. It has more features then a Maxstar does.
They charge for them too. Luckily I Have a friend that
works at a welding store. I traded my 230 volt tig for this
120/230 unit. These units sell for $1650 for the machine only
and he worked a deal for $1,000.00
The advantage this machine has over the passport, rods are much cheaper then wire if you need to weld something special.

http://tinyurl.com/aodzf

Wannafish · May 3, 2005

The company I work for just purchased an ESAB Pulse Spray Arc Welder for welding thin (.125" to .060") aluminum. We are using 99.995% pure argon and so far it is everything they advertise.