Everlast Cyclone 200es vs PrimeWeld MIG 180

[freudianfloyd]

I am struggling to decide between these two welders.

I currently have a Tweco Fabricator 141i, which will MIG, TIG, and Stick weld, but I only ever use it for MIG welding. I also have a Thermal Arc 300GTS TIG welder that works great. I rarely stick weld and want to upgrade my MIG to a 220v setup. I am trying to decide between the PrimeWeld MIG 180 or the Everlast Cyclone 200es.

There are things I like about both machines, the Everlast has a bit more power and seems easier to set up and get running. The Mig180 comes with a better gun, longer leads, and a spool gun.

Anybody on here with experience in both of these machines, or can anybody offer some insight into which would be the better option?

My uses are various farm/homeowner/hobbyist needs. Obviously I would prefer to weld thicker than my 141i will weld, and the extra amperage of the Everlast has me intrigued, but if it isn't a quality machine, I would rather get something else.

Thanks

 

[dnschmidt]

Probably both are good. Everlast has been around at least 20 years. On the other hand I have the Primeweld 180 and not only is it a good to very good machine the customer service from Primeweld is off the charts good. Primeweld really goes the extra mile to keep their customers happy. So, I have nothing bad to say about Everlast but I have personal experience with Primeweld.

 

[loganb]

Primeweld has the higher duty cycle which may not matter as much on hobbyist work but I personally use it as a gauge of the quality of components.

 

[freudianfloyd]

I decided to go with the PrimeWeld machine. I couldn't find any bad reviews about the machine, it has the better ground lead, better torch, higher duty cycle, and better customer service from what I can tell. Hopefully I'm not giving up too much going with a 180 amp machine rather than a 200 amp machine.

 

[1redTA]

Only thing I have had to replace on my 180 was the grounding clamp, fixed it up with a harbor freight clamp. Everything else has been great and got a tig torch from weldmonger for the 180

 

[theoldwizard1]

Get a machine that can use 120V or 240V.