What engine driven wlder

[Believer]

I need to get an engine driven welder to build some steel pipe fence. I'm just wondering what you'd recommend. I don't want to spend a whole lot but I don't want junk.

 

[cowski]

lincoln

 

[yomax4]

Engine Drive options are few. Lincoln, Miller or Hobart. All are good units. I have an old Lincoln Ranger 8 that has served very well but you would get the same with the others. There's no real junk out there in engine drives.

 

[deereman75]

Engine Drive options are few. Lincoln, Miller or Hobart. All are good units. I have an old Lincoln Ranger 8 that has served very well but you would get the same with the others. There's no real junk out there in engine drives.

except possibly the northern industrial amp arc.... I vote lincoln. No experence, just a big lincoln fan.

 

[Sockwell]

This can basically turn into a Ford vs. Chevy, John Deere vs. Kubota type question. Most of my personal welding machines and our company welding machines are blue (Miller). The exception to this is an old Lincoln Idealarc 250that welds really well.

When I was trying to decide on Ranger (Lincoln) versus Bobcat (Miller) for the farm, I watched all the service trucks going up and down the highway. For the smaller (gas engine) models, I noticed there was about a 5-to-1 ration of Miller's over Lincoln's. The mechanical contractors that come into our plant all use Millers in the gas engine models. I don't know how much of a conclusion you can draw from this, but it means something that folks relying on their machines for their living were going Miller in this size range. This goes the other way when you get into the diesel machines. They were almost 100% Lincoln SA's.

Dealer service wasn't an issue since the same guy sells both. I bought a Miller Bobcat 250. I don't use it a lot. But, when it needed, it always starts and welds really well. I plan to welding bucket hooks on this afternoon. I started it yesterday for the first time in 2 or 3 months and it fired right up.

 

[Shield Arc]

I vote lincoln. No experence, just a big lincoln fan.

I guess I' am too. :laughing:

 

[CJONE]

I guess I' am too. :laughing:

+2 For portable machines Lincoln is hard to beat. CJ

 

[yomax4]

I think it's 5 to 1 miller on small machines because the the guys like the color blue better than red. Once you get into the industrial grey lincolns, No more millers.

 

[yomax4]

except possibly the northern industrial amp arc.... I vote lincoln. No experence, just a big lincoln fan.

Industrial Amp Arc ? Never heard of. That would have to be even less heard of than the Thermal Arc Preditor Pro. ( 1st one with Honda Engine )

 

[Shield Arc]

I haven't done any price comparison in quite some time, but years ago generally Millers were cheaper. If you walked onto a construction site and seen all Miller machines, you could bet your bottom dollar some purchasing agent was ordering the machines, not anybody who actually ran them for a living.