Durability / life span of welders?

[Aaron_W]

I'm taking a welding class at the local college (stick welding and plan to go onto MIG in the next semester), and will be wanting to get a welder in the future. I've already done the pick a welder thread and got some good info (always the same answer double your budget and then spend a little more ).

Anyway, I'm wondering about used welding equipment. How sensitive is it. I gather the classic "tombstone" stick arc welders are pretty bullet proof but what about MIG and TIG welders?

Do they go and go if cared for or do they wear out with time and turn to junk? Any tell tale signs to watch out for?

I'm most likely going to go with one of the big 3 name brands, so not talking about HF, Eastwood and other bargain brands. Probably one of their 120/240 machines.


I'm very wary of buying used electronic equipment, so was planning on new, but if used welders are not usually an issue I can get a lot more machine for my money if I can find the right one.

 

[Ign]

The 120V MIGs can be questionable. I had an MM135 that intermittently stopped feeding once it was ~9 years old. It was an electrical issue, not mechanical w the feed mechanism itself. And it was not the notorious M10 triggers (of which I've replaced many)

Most repair places consider all the 120V MIGs disposable; rarely worth repairing once they die.

The scary thing w mine was that it would work fine - until it wouldn't (no, wasn't a duty cycle issue). I could have sold it and the seller wouldn't have known - until he did.

Of course I wouldn't do that and recently gave it my ex-wife with full disclosure of the intermittent issue. So far for the artsy welding she does it's been working.

It was most likely something w a resistor on the board. I once found an obscure thread on it (not here) and the fix was inexpensive if you only had the TIME to tear it apart and do some soldering -- which I NEVER did

 

[sberry]

They are pretty good. Most of them go 1000's of hours. The 120/240 MIG are relatively hard to find. So many are moving up from 120v machines and once they get them keep them.
I have seen some screaming deals on the small ones. My cousing just score a HH140 with 1/2 it's first 2# spool in it, gas bottle, hood, some other **** for 150$. Should feel guilty.

 

[Firebrick43]

Older transformer based welders, weather tig, mig, or stick in the major brands (Miller, Lincoln, ESAb) are pretty damn bullet proof. Newer inverter based welders have their boards go out from time to time. The upside is thir more efficient, smaller/lighter/ and do some amazing things. But they haven't replaced the man behind the hood yet.

Real old Hobart stuff was good to but after miller bought them out some of thier welders were similar but made with cheaper materials in the wire feeders. Ie same transformer as the miller version but plastic parts and aluminum gears in the wire feeder instead of aluminum parts and steel gears.

The newer small (120v) are nothing like the build and quality of the big three industrial machines. They are sold to a different cliental and different performance expectations.

 

[Bretny]

I wouldnt buy a used welder unless it was a very large machine that was well taken care of. Many of the mid sized machines may have been in a shop maxed out alot and used by someone other than the owner.

 

[FSrepair&fabrication]

Depending on your budget, one of the members on here is selling a lincoln invertec with all the stuff for like $1600. I would be more likely to buy from a member on here than joe blow on craigslist. The nicer quality machines are pretty durable, and parts are generally available.

Im a miller fan personally, I have one engine drive welder thats 30 years old with way more hours than I would have expected it to last for and its still going strong. Its been dropped while loading it on a truck and been thru a wreck and besides having to replace the punctured gas tank and smashed panels, it still works. Some of the older stuff is made really tough. Another company that you may not be familiar with is PowCon. They make top of the line stuff meant for construction and are designed to be dragged and abused around a jobsite.

Correction: They made welders, they were bought out by one of the big names a while back but parts are still made by another company that bought all their inventory called arc products? I think it was miller that bought them out for their technology. Its been awhile since ive talked to the guy/competitor who has 2 of them.

 

[FSrepair&fabrication]

The worst thing for a machine is to be left outside or in a damp building and let corrosion eat up the insides. Thats what I would look for in a used machine, if you can try before you buy just make sure it welds and seems consistent- like try 60 amps vs 90 vs 120 to make sure it welds hotter as you turn it up. Other than that if its been semi- taken care of you shouldnt have a problem.

 

[Ole Slewfoot]

Grandpa passed at 81 mostly due to complications from welding fumes, but if you dont go inside a ship to do it, you may have better luck.

 

[PugetDude]

Grandpa passed at 81 mostly due to complications from welding fumes, but if you dont go inside a ship to do it, you may have better luck.

Beat me to it!

 

[Aaron_W]

Thanks, that is what I was looking for. I'm waiting until I've actually taken the class to make any decisions, but I'm planning for around a $1000 budget which is basically a new high end consumer grade machine or used industrial and multi-process type machines.

It sounds like I would probably be ok, buying a well cared for industrial machine from a shop or other knowledgeable welder.

Grandpa passed at 81 mostly due to complications from welding fumes, but if you dont go inside a ship to do it, you may have better luck.

As soon as I typed the title I knew this was coming in some form.

 

[unslow1]

Grandpa passed at 81 mostly due to complications from welding fumes, but if you dont go inside a ship to do it, you may have better luck.

I had two in the family. Both passed this year. One at 53 the other 71. I really thought this was going to be about the life expectancy of the person welding. I've known several and none lived a very long life.

 

[Wamsutta]

I don't like the tombstone welders because the arc is always erratic (not stable) and they always have sticky starts (not enough arc force for a quick start).