Just bought a PrimeWeld Mig 180!

[seagiant]

Hi,
Well after a Month of chasing my tail finally bought a new Mig Welder.

I'm just a hobbyist and my 30 year old 175 Mig was giving me a lot of problems.

Did not want to put any money in it.

Searched FB Market for weeks everyone has gone crazy with what they want for a trashed out Mig Machine.

Finally after a LOT of research bought a PrimeWeld 180 Mig. (BF Sale!)

I have a 1980's Miller Dialarc 250 for bigger stuff, which is a very nice stick welder.

Wondering if any Primeweld Owners here?

MIG180 180-Amp MIG Welder With Spool Gun

The MIG180 mig welder includes upgraded Tweco 100 Style torch and American style connection. Order online today from PrimeWeld to get free shipping.

primeweld.com

 

[turner66]

Yep, I doubt you will be disappointed.
Order delivery times, warranty, and customer support are second to none other.
Machine performance is also exceptional. I have 3 of their machines now plus the cooler and both of their spool guns. I was a committed Miller guy up until about 2 years ago when i started finding out more about PW and gave it a try. Been satisfied ever since. fyi - There is a Primeweld Equipment Users group on Facebook that can be helpful in case you're not aware of it yet.
By the way, packaging has been outstanding since the beginning. I have never had either a store bought or online ordered machine packed so well and cushioned to their extent. You can tell they understand the business impact of getting damaged shipped machines back over time and in my opinion they do everything reasonably possible to eliminate that factor.
For context, I still have the following machines but my Primewelds get most run time now:

Miller Synchrowave 250
Miller Dynasty 200DX
Miller Coolmate
Miller Bobcat 250
PrimeWeld TIG325x, MaxCool3000
PrimeWeld MIG285 / PW2500 Spoolgun
PrimeWeld CUT60, TD Cutmaster 38
Hobart 210 Mig / Spoolrunner 100
Hobart Stickmate LX 235 AC/DC
30 yr old Century mig

 

[Reata210]

I have a 225x Tig and a cut50 DP plasma cutter. My Mig is a 180 Lincoln. Enjoy, can’t go wrong with Primeweld. Awesome customer service and solid machines.

 

[seagiant]

Yep, I doubt you will be disappointed.
Order delivery times, warranty, and customer support are second to none other.
Machine performance is also exceptional. I have 3 of their machines now plus the cooler and both of their spool guns. I was a committed Miller guy up until about 2 years ago when i started finding out more about PW and gave it a try. Been satisfied ever since. fyi - There is a Primeweld Equipment Users group on Facebook that can be helpful in case you're not aware of it yet.

For context, I still have the following machines but my Primewelds get most run time now:

Miller Synchrowave 250
Miller Dynasty 200DX
Miller Coolmate
Miller Bobcat 250
PrimeWeld TIG325x, MaxCool3000
PrimeWeld MIG285 / PW2500 Spoolgun
PrimeWeld CUT60, TD Cutmaster 38
Hobart 210 Mig / Spoolrunner 100
Hobart Stickmate LX 235 AC/DC
30 yr old Century mig

Hi,
Wow, that's impressive but pretty much what I have heard online from other Owners.

The PW 180, will be quite a step up for me in a lot of ways, never owned an Inverter Machine before.

Dial in digital settings, 120V operation even though I have 220V and what I will use but nice for outside jobs if needed!

Three year warranty is nice and comes with a spool gun.

Went ahead and bought the protective cover to keep the dust and dirt off of it.

Will be interesting to see how it stacks up to the 30 year old Cebora!

 

[dnschmidt]

^^^^^^ What he said.

 

[finn]

I’ve got a Primeweld Tig 225x. To go along with a couple of HTP machines and a Miller Multimatic 220.

No issues with the Primeweld, other than it pisses people off every time I recommend it over an overpriced Miller or Lincoln.

 

[seagiant]

I’ve got a Primeweld Tig 225x. To go along with a couple of HTP machines and a Miller Multimatic 220.

No issues with the Primeweld, other than it pisses people off every time I recommend it over an overpriced Miller or Lincoln.

Hi,
Well, I went the whole circuit, new machines, used machines...

You would be amazed what people want for a 20 year old Miller or Lincoln, and...

The new Miller or Lincolns are $ 2-4K and I don't have that for a Hobby Machine...

With this one I have a decent price, support, and 3 year no BS Warranty, from what I hear from actual Owners!!!

Pretty hard to beat!

 

[dnschmidt]

Hi,
Well, I went the whole circuit, new machines, used machines...

You would be amazed what people want for a 20 year old Miller or Lincoln, and...

The new Miller or Lincolns are $ 2-4K and I don't have that for a Hobby Machine...

With this one I have a decent price, support, and 3 year no BS Warranty, from what I hear from actual Owners!!!

Pretty hard to beat!

No, ACTUALLY IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT.

 

[Jswain]

I’ve got a Primeweld Tig 225x. To go along with a couple of HTP machines and a Miller Multimatic 220.

No issues with the Primeweld, other than it pisses people off every time I recommend it over an overpriced Miller or Lincoln.

Can you give us an example of a 20 year old Primeweld still kickin in a shop environment?

 

[finn]

Can you give us an example of a 20 year old Primeweld still kickin in a shop environment?

They obviously haven’t been around for twenty years.

Furthermore, with them priced at a quarter of a Miller, does it really matter for a home shop?

One could buy a new one every five years and have it be in warranty for 12 years. In the meantime, one could buy a plasma cutter or tig welder with the money not spent on the Miller.

Don’t get me wrong: I like my Miller, but it’s not a good way to spend money if you’re not using it professionally. It’s more of an ego trip for a casual user. No different than SnapOn tools instead of Tekton or Gearwrench, or a miriad of other imports.

These things have become, or are on their way to becoming comoditized.

 

[seagiant]

Hi,

Before we get down on these cheaper Machines which seem to get better and better as time goes by...

We need to be thankful they allow more young people to afford a Machine and get to Welding!

I bought my Cebora Compact Mig 175 thirty years ago and it helped me learn to weld which talent I later used at my job.

That "cheap" Machine owes me nothing and I will not even try to sell it!

Just sayin, new Kids in Town, and Miller and Lincoln, are going to have to decide where they want to fit in with their $4000 Machines, maybe only Commercial Operators?

 

[Jswain]

They obviously haven’t been around for twenty years.

Furthermore, with them priced at a quarter of a Miller, does it really matter for a home shop?

One could buy a new one every five years and have it be in warranty for 12 years. In the meantime, one could buy a plasma cutter or tig welder with the money not spent on the Miller.

Don’t get me wrong: I like my Miller, but it’s not a good way to spend money if you’re not using it professionally. It’s more of an ego trip for a casual user. No different than SnapOn tools instead of Tekton or Gearwrench, or amiriad of other imports.

These things have become, or are on their way to becoming comoditized.

Replacing a cheap(er) welder every 5 years is like leasing a vehicle versus buying. Figure out the cost of ownership/year

 

[KwikFab]

Can you give us an example of a 20 year old Primeweld still kickin in a shop environment?

Plenty of 10+ year old plasma cutters still running which they still support. They've been around for at least That long.

 

[ER70S-2]

They obviously haven’t been around for twenty years.

Furthermore, with them priced at a quarter of a Miller, does it really matter for a home shop?

One could buy a new one every five years and have it be in warranty for 12 years. In the meantime, one could buy a plasma cutter or tig welder with the money not spent on the Miller.

Don’t get me wrong: I like my Miller, but it’s not a good way to spend money if you’re not using it professionally. It’s more of an ego trip for a casual user. No different than SnapOn tools instead of Tekton or Gearwrench, or a miriad of other imports.

These things have become, or are on their way to becoming comoditized.

I don't know about an ego trip. Depends when it was purchased. When I bought my Miller Dynasty 200DX, there were no affordable hobbiest TIG welders. If I were to buy a TIG welder today, though, it would be a Primeweld. My Dynasty is still going after 17 years of ownership and I bought it used. It's old. I only had to do one rather costly repair on it which was about $600, but I also don't use it every day or every month for that matter. It's very low miles.

 

[Jswain]

Plenty of 10+ year old plasma cutters still running which they still support. They've been around for at least That long.

Yes and in many other threads I highly recommend the $200 cheap plasma cutters. But when you are paying a premium $ for the Chinese equipment comes the bigger gamble.

With miller/Lincoln you pretty much know you're getting a 25 year machine.

Whats the cost/year of owning a Primeweld? Nobody really knows yet so how the hell are they the best bang for the buck? Initial purchase price doesn't = bang for buck.

 

[JeepYJ]

Replacing a cheap(er) welder every 5 years is like leasing a vehicle versus buying. Figure out the cost of ownership/year

You’ll get a new machine with a warranty and the latest upgrades. And who’s to say the cheap one won’t make it longer or that the Miller will go twenty years without needing repair?

 

[KwikFab]

Yes and in many other threads I highly recommend the $200 cheap plasma cutters. But when you are paying a premium $ for the Chinese equipment comes the bigger gamble.

With miller/Lincoln you pretty much know you're getting a 25 year machine.

Whats the cost/year of owning a Primeweld? Nobody really knows yet so how the hell are they the best bang for the buck? Initial purchase price doesn't = bang for buck.

Oh of course not, that I can agree with.

I'm no stranger to the 25+ year old machines as I've used them myself in the trade.

Not many of us can run 3-phase in our garage though for that transformer-based CP series, or have the coin for a 350P (just two machines I have a lot of experience with).

Yet I run PrimeWeld myself at home and have beat the dog **** out of my 180. Sold it way back and it's still being effortlessly used.

Like the OP though, a lot of us hobbyists can't justify the cost of machines you're referring to. I just can't afford one, and I'm not alone when I say that.

 

[finn]

Replacing a cheap(er) welder every 5 years is like leasing a vehicle versus buying. Figure out the cost of ownership/year

Don’t forget to factor in the $1200 to replace the board on your Miller when it does break, or the seven month wait because of parts availability and commercial users having priority to get their machines back on line.

Hobby users **** hind *** sometimes.

Even my local welding supplier suggested looking at the imports when I was looking to upgrade my old Millermatic 175. Actually both the LWS in Mi and the one in Tucson did that. Bottom line is that while they both appreciated my business they both pretty much inferred that their business model is servicing commercial accounts and recognized the foreign invasion of low priced machines was driving the hobby market. Their business model, in no uncertain terms, is servicing commercial accounts, where price really isn’t a factor. One of them actually suggested the Eastwood products have been doing well with his customers. He recognises that supplying gas to me will bring him more money long term than selling me a machine every twenty years.

I really appreciated the openness, and no bs attitude of both the suppliers.

We went through a similar scenario fifty or more years when foreign cars, largely Japanese like Toyota and later Subaru entered the US market. They were ridiculed at the time. Now they dominate the market, and have become commodities.

 

[Jswain]

Don’t forget to factor in the $1200 to replace the board on your Miller when it does break, or the seven month wait because of parts availability and commercial users having priority to get their machines back on line.

Hobby users **** hind *** sometimes.

Even my local welding supplier suggested looking at the imports when I was looking to upgrade my old Millermatic 175. Actually both the LWS in Mi and the one in Tucson did that. Bottom line is that while they both appreciated my business they both pretty much inferred that their business model is servicing commercial accounts and recognized the foreign invasion of low priced machines was driving the hobby market. Their business model, in no uncertain terms, is servicing commercial accounts, where price really isn’t a factor. One of them actually suggested the Eastwood products have been doing well with his customers. He recognises that supplying gas to me will bring him more money long term than selling me a machine every twenty years.

I really appreciated the openness, and no bs attitude of both the suppliers.

We went through a similar scenario fifty or more years when foreign cars, largely Japanese like Toyota and later Subaru entered the US market. They were ridiculed at the time. Now they dominate the market, and have become commodities.

Yes high priced Toyota's that retain their value are a good investment.

How many 20 year old Hyundai's do you see cruising around?

Cost of ownership is more important than purchase price.

 

[JeepYJ]

and have become commodities.

Cars have always been commodities.

Cost of ownership is more important than purchase price.

That really only pencils out if you use it forever. Most people don’t keep the same vehicle for more than 3-5 years.
If someone buys a nice Miller welder at 30 years of age it should last them their entire lifetime. Will they want or need a welder for their entire lifetime if they’re a casual hobbyist?

 

[TxSteve]

I bought the Mig285 earlier this year. So far, it's been excellent for what I do. Replaced a very old WeldPak 155

I also have a cheap Chinese $200 plasma cutter. (Bestarc). So far - it's been flawless, also.

I'm not a production shop nor am I a heavy user. I have a small ranch and use them for maintenance/fabrication around the place.

 

[Steve_P]

I doubt too many people cross shop Miller and Primeweld- they target totally different markets. As said, Miller is for commercial users that don't really care about cost- it's basically irrelevant to them as they're using it to make money and can most likely deduct the cost of the machine off their taxes.

We obviously don't know if a Primeweld will last as long as a Miller at this point. But why shouldn't it? Just because it's made in China? Where nearly everything else is? You can make the same product as Miller 100% in China for ~30% of the cost, then cut out the Miller name markup, the LWS markup, and the Miller price increases since it's part of a publicly held company that needs to increase earnings every year, no matter what. So, it seems that it shouldn't be that difficult for someone like Primeweld to make an equivalent quality product for a fraction of the cost as someone like Miller.

 

[finn]

Yes high priced Toyota's that retain their value are a good investment.

How many 20 year old Hyundai's do you see cruising around?

Cost of ownership is more important than purchase price.

I rarely see twenty years old Toyotas either.

They rust out or get banged up or totaled well before that, just like everything else.

 

[KwikFab]

I'll just refrain from posting in the "What'd you do in the garage thread" or "Show us your welding projects"

Used Chinese stuff for making all that and more

 

[Jswain]

Don’t forget to factor in the $1200 to replace the board on your Miller when it does break, or the seven month wait because of parts availability and commercial users having priority to get their machines back on line.

Hobby users **** hind *** sometimes.

Even my local welding supplier suggested looking at the imports when I was looking to upgrade my old Millermatic 175. Actually both the LWS in Mi and the one in Tucson did that. Bottom line is that while they both appreciated my business they both pretty much inferred that their business model is servicing commercial accounts and recognized the foreign invasion of low priced machines was driving the hobby market. Their business model, in no uncertain terms, is servicing commercial accounts, where price really isn’t a factor. One of them actually suggested the Eastwood products have been doing well with his customers. He recognises that supplying gas to me will bring him more money long term than selling me a machine every twenty years.

I really appreciated the openness, and no bs attitude of both the suppliers.

We went through a similar scenario fifty or more years when foreign cars, largely Japanese like Toyota and later Subaru entered the US market. They were ridiculed at the time. Now they dominate the market, and have become commodities.

Ok, what percentage of boards "break" on a miller bought by someone using it non commercially?

And how much does a replacement Primeweld board cost to replace after your warranty is up?

I really have nothing against Primeweld, just the evidence is slim that they are the "best bang for the buck" other than YouTube & forum shills. What makes them the best bang for the buck??? I want a welder I don't have to replace every 5-10 years, are they the best bang for my buck? Explain

 

[finn]

Ok, what percentage of boards "break" on a miller bought by someone using it non commercially?

And how much does a replacement Primeweld board cost to replace after your warranty is up?

I really have nothing against Primeweld, just the evidence is slim that they are the "best bang for the buck" other than YouTube & forum shills. What makes them the best bang for the buck??? I want a welder I don't have to replace every 5-10 years, are they the best bang for my buck? Explain

Go to the Miller Facebook user group.

It happens.

Go to the Primeweld Facebook user group. More than a few bought a Primeweld to replace their Miller.

Again, I’m not anti Miller. I have one (+ a Miller plasma cutter).

 

[KwikFab]

Ok, what percentage of boards "break" on a miller bought by someone using it non commercially?

And how much does a replacement Primeweld board cost to replace after your warranty is up?

I really have nothing against Primeweld, just the evidence is slim that they are the "best bang for the buck" other than YouTube & forum shills. What makes them the best bang for the buck??? I want a welder I don't have to replace every 5-10 years, are they the best bang for my buck? Explain

One guy got his machine replaced after an accident in the shop where everything burned down from a nasty storm.

The fire was unrelated to the machine(s).

So yeah even in an event where warranty has no place IE act of god, etc, they still took care of people.

As for my comment on the +10 year old plasma cutter? The owner himself asked if I needed anything when I posted about finding an old machine and picking it up for my friend to give to.

 

[Jswain]

Go to the Miller Facebook user group.

It happens.

Go to the Primeweld Facebook user group. More than a few bought a Primeweld to replace their Miller.

Again, I’m not anti Miller. I have one (+ a Miller plasma cutter).

Sure but what is that in %? Like the board on your miller will fail at the same odds as you winning the powerball, or the same odds as getting hit by a car when crossing the street?

More then a few out of...10? 100? 1000? 100,000? 1,000,000?

Saying more then a few people in the world means absolutely nothing.

When you buy a Miller you know you're (very likely, as in very good odds) getting a 25-30 year machine.

 

[Jswain]

Go to the Miller Facebook user group.

It happens.

Go to the Primeweld Facebook user group. More than a few bought a Primeweld to replace their Miller.

Again, I’m not anti Miller. I have one (+ a Miller plasma cutter).

And I'm not anti Primeweld, maybe they are the best bang for the buck. But when there's a new best bang for the buck on Youtube every 3 years it gets harder to believe.

If Primeweld all of a sudden goes away tomorrow and you have no more support/parts etc. will your opinions change?

 

[Tynee]

Girls, you're both pretty...

Why can't OP be thrilled with his purchase, and the devoted Miller users continue to be happy with their purchase? Why do we need to have an argument that doesn't have an ending?

 

[JeepYJ]

If Primeweld all of a sudden goes away tomorrow and you have no more support/parts etc. will your opinions change?

Use it until it breaks or you don’t want it any longer. Buy the next “bang for the buck” tool that’s available?

 

[JeepYJ]

Why do we need to have an argument that doesn't have an ending?

Your first day on the interwebs?

 

[ER70S-2]

Ok, what percentage of boards "break" on a miller bought by someone using it non commercially?

I don't know the percentage, but it happened to me. I bought a used Dynasty from a hobbiest and used it as a hobbiest myself. The main "module" crapped out and cost about $600 to fix. I was told that I didn't use it enough, lol! I have no idea if that's true or not, but it's certainly possible.

 

[Jswain]

Use it until it breaks or you don’t want it any longer. Buy the next “bang for the buck” tool that’s available?

So why pay the premium for Primeweld then? Buy a $200 yeswelder/arc captain/whatevercomesouttachinanextweek..lol

That's what I'm getting at, why are they the best bang for the buck? What makes them better then any of the other Chinese **** on amazon?

If I go to a Chevrolet dealer the Chevy trucks are the best but when I went to the Ford it's the F150....what the hell

 

[Tynee]

Hi,
Well after a Month of chasing my tail finally bought a new Mig Welder.

I'm just a hobbyist and my 30 year old 175 Mig was giving me a lot of problems.

Did not want to put any money in it.

Searched FB Market for weeks everyone has gone crazy with what they want for a trashed out Mig Machine.

Finally after a LOT of research bought a PrimeWeld 180 Mig. (BF Sale!)

I have a 1980's Miller Dialarc 250 for bigger stuff, which is a very nice stick welder.

Wondering if any Primeweld Owners here?

MIG180 180-Amp MIG Welder With Spool Gun

The MIG180 mig welder includes upgraded Tweco 100 Style torch and American style connection. Order online today from PrimeWeld to get free shipping.

primeweld.com

How much was the BF discount, if you don't mind me asking? Just curious how good a deal I missed out on.

 

[Under_Pressure]

Modern inverter machines aren't the transformers of 30 years ago either, from any brand. It's a whole different level of complexity and proprietary electronics that weren't a factor before. So it's hard to say what the practical longevity (i.e. including parts availability and cost) for the name brand machines is now too. Just because a refrigerator-sized Syncrowave has run for 50 years doesn't necessarily mean the Dynasty you spend $10k on today will. Miller certainly doesn't care if it does, and doesn't really have much incentive to help you keep it going after 5, maybe 10 years. Because they are no longer selling individuals on the idea that it is high quality and will last forever, they are selling decision makers on the idea that it has all these bells and whistles that will make guys more productive (mostly BS) and that it will survive getting beat to hell through the depreciation period.

As someone deeply involved in the welding industry, I'd say red and blue better be careful or before you know it they might start seeing erosion in the small professional fab shop market as well. Maybe not from companies like Primeweld that are focused more explicitly on the hobbyist/automotive fab market, but Everlast (for example) has some pretty serious equipment and good support. If I'm a small shop on a budget, I've got to at least give it a serious look at 1/3 the price. And if it does end up working well for me, why would I ever go back? Miller and Lincoln have gone insane with their pricing and taken it as a given that they can charge whatever they want and the customers they really want will always have no choice, but they better hope they don't misjudge that.

 

[Steve_P]

So why pay the premium for Primeweld then? Buy a $200 yeswelder/arc captain/whatevercomesouttachinanextweek..lol

That's what I'm getting at, why are they the best bang for the buck? What makes them better then any of the other Chinese **** on amazon?

If I go to a Chevrolet dealer the Chevy trucks are the best but when I went to the Ford it's the F150....what the hell

We've been thru this on the plasma cutter thread(s)- you're paying for the PrimeWeld tech and product support; and maybe a better product. When your HF or generic Amazon machine fails in a year, you buy a new one. When you have an issue, you're on your own. Yet somehow PW customers rave about their tech support and state that they have parts available. Some people are willing to pay more for this.

Debating this is pointless. PW is a middle price option between a no support no name and a Hobart or Lincoln. If it's not worth it to you, then don't buy one and buy a no name or a Miller.

 

[ER70S-2]

So why pay the premium for Primeweld then? Buy a $200 yeswelder/arc captain/whatevercomesouttachinanextweek..lol

That's what I'm getting at, why are they the best bang for the buck? What makes them better then any of the other Chinese **** on amazon?

If I go to a Chevrolet dealer the Chevy trucks are the best but when I went to the Ford it's the F150....what the hell

Oh come on. A $200 welder has limited features and adjustability, ****** duty cycle, short warranty, poor support, and potentially a lot of mediocre reviews.

 

[KwikFab]

So why pay the premium for Primeweld then? Buy a $200 yeswelder/arc captain/whatevercomesouttachinanextweek..lol

That's what I'm getting at, why are they the best bang for the buck? What makes them better then any of the other Chinese **** on amazon?

If I go to a Chevrolet dealer the Chevy trucks are the best but when I went to the Ford it's the F150....what the hell

What premium?

It's an economically priced machine

 

[KwikFab]

We've been thru this on the plasma cutter thread(s)- you're paying for the PrimeWeld tech and product support; and maybe a better product. When your HF or generic Amazon machine fails in a year, you buy a new one. When you have an issue, you're on your own. Yet somehow PW customers rave about their tech support and state that they have parts available. Some people are willing to pay more for this.

Debating this is pointless. PW is a middle price option between a no support no name and a Hobart or Lincoln. If it's not worth it to you, then don't buy one and buy a no name or a Miller.

Didn't realize there was another thread.

He seems to argue just to argue.