lets see your welders

[2manytoyz]

Lincoln Weld Pak 100. Nothing fancy, but great for home projects.

 

[aaron h]

Century 170GS and Craftsman 230amp stick welder

 

[emeraldcoupe]

lincoln weld pak 100 w/ gas conversion. good little machine.

 

[1971gsfan]

Is this a good welder? I just picked it up and added my bottle to it. I want to try and weld in some panels on my car. It is Snap On labeled Century model 117-002 I can't get my pics to load

 

[Luci Fur]

Miller 211, great little welder.

 

[JerryC]

Another Miller 211

 

[sberry]

I personally don't have much use for dual v, for body shops and others it could be an asset but this 200a compact class machine is near revolutionary, as the Chinese get in on the act its going to get more feature packed and cheaper.

I bought my first machine in this class 20 yrs ago from a dealer, paid same dollars. They really keep the lid on this machine for the consumable trade and welding companies in this country have been some of the few to keep an eye on the ball, there isn't much better you can do as a big company than those guys do, there is some marketing opportunity but as for product/price/ quality a 211 is a good deal, works good, last long time. You can still get a bare bones Hobart, maybe 700, don't recall but 20 yrs ago the cost was near that, only reason they can raise some is new features.

 

[Monte]

Elektra Beckum stick welder:



Merkle mig welder:

 

[camjeep3]

I have 3. first is a lincoln weld pack 100. great little machine for some small and artsy kinda jobs, good tool to keep around as well for portability!
I also have a maxstar 140 I can stick weld or scratch start tig, I love the 100% duty cycle of it.

My newest machine is a vantage 400 I picked up at auction. I have 100' of lead for it, and I can use my scratch start tig on it as well.

 

[Hpozzuoli]

Here's mine. HF. Works really well. I have run over 10 spools of wire thru it so far. I use Lincoln tips on it.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

Here's mine. I was really looking for a Millermatic 200, but they are rare as unicorns in my area. This popped up on CL about a year ago and I grabbed it. The PO was the original owner and he only used it on the low setting to restore cars. It was a creampuff.

These units were apparently the elite of the three (Lincoln SP200, Millermatic 200, Airco Dip Pak 200) at the time. He said it was about $150 more than the MM 200. Problem is if something major goes bad (transformer/circuit board) it's a 300# paperweight.

Also, here's my Millermatic 130 for thinner stuff I use at home. Also own a Lincoln SP100 which is probably my favorite sheet metal welder I've ever owned, but it's at my pop's bodyshop. I can't even imagine how many pounds of solid wire has gone through that little guy.

 

[evintho]

Here's mine. Bought it 3 years ago off of CL for $700 with everything you see here. It was a welding store demo that was basically new. I've been through several rolls of wire and a couple of tanks of 75/25 with no problems at all. I love this thing!

 

[bts]

My two large ones,
350 amp mig and 250 amp ac/dc, tig/stick.



Mobil units,
175 amp mig
175 tig/stick
oxy welding
and 60 amp plasma (for cutting up the mistakes).

 

[sberry]

Nice setup above, I like that.

I have a couple portables and a truck. I don't use it a lot but when you got to go and absolutely positively heat and beat it comes in handy.

 

[pepi]

Welders do tend to multiply it is amazing the way that happens.

 

[Trey T]

I'm assuming it doesn't work well or get the job done?

Let's face it. Somebody had to show one...

 

[Askme42]

Here's my hobart got it on Black Friday. Used flux core. Few time got to get A Tank still.

 

[Ohmthis]

Here are mine. Mig is a 180hd and the other is a precision tig 225. Ive had them both for a few years now, but just finished the cart. Im going to be making a cover for it.

 

[cbacres]

Here is my Miller 330 A B/P, over 300 amps of rod melting brute force. It's set up for to tig aluminum and stainless. The other is a Millermatic 251 with a 30A spool gun.
Victor torches off to the right.

Getting my welding area better organized.

 

[bobemmerich]

I have a Century 80 wire-feed. Can't see it well inside the bottom of the cart, but right now it's the only pic I have. I also have a Campbell Hausfeld stick welder,(both 120v machines) but don't have a pic of it. Don't use them much, but I will be 'cause it's time to start the resto on the 65 Mustang. That C-Man box it's in now contains both welders, and all my supplies. I'll get pics and post 'em up tomorrow.

 

[KMScott]

Here is my Miller 330 A B/P, over 300 amps of rod melting brute force. It's set up for to tig aluminum and stainless. The other is a Millermatic 251 with a 30A spool gun.
Victor torches off to the right.

Getting my welding area better organized.

I love them old Millers. Wish I had one. Change to the gas lenses and you will like it.

 

[gayler]

Let's face it. Somebody had to show one...

What size is that one? Is it working OK for you? I got one a while back and haven't tried it yet.

 

[bts]

I think I see some low hydrogen electrodes that should be an oven...

Na, a bit of time sitting on a warm engine exhaust manifold does the trick.

 

[bts]

Nice setup above, I like that.

I have a couple portables and a truck. I don't use it a lot but when you got to go and absolutely positively heat and beat it comes in handy.

Nice truck. Spent about 10 years working off the back of a truck. Sometimes wish I was still doing it.

 

[sixleaker]

Cheap Eastwood import. Been pretty happy with it so far. Pretty sure heavy fab work would kill it but great for home use and can't beat the price

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bobemmerich]

As promised. Some better pics...Pic Heavy
CH Stick welder
Century Wire Feed
HF 110 spot welder
Misc clamping stuff
Eastwood Spot Weld Gun, attachments and misc tools

 

[cbacres]

Not quite sure...hmmm...upon closer examination this welder may be missing some PPE...

She's missing some NPE.

 

[sberry]

The lo hi has been kicking there a while, if I was to do something fancy would crack a new tin.

 

[gmwelder86]

Looks like a good place for a pancake hood.

More welders...not actually mine...just some guys I inspect.

We'd like to take a minute thank the concrete guys for giving the welders plenty of room to catch the welds on the underside of the bottom leg of this braced frame diagonal to the gusset plate on the column.

This welder is tough...since his head won't fit in the space between the concrete and the frame with his helmet on, he takes the glass shade out of the helmet and holds it with one hand while he welds with the other while he holds his breath in 25-degree (F) weather.

 

[texasfiremedic]

More welders...not actually mine...just some guys I inspect.

We'd like to take a minute thank the concrete guys for giving the welders plenty of room to catch the welds on the underside of the bottom leg of this braced frame diagonal to the gusset plate on the column.

This welder is tough...since his head won't fit in the space between the concrete and the frame with his helmet on, he takes the glass shade out of the helmet and holds it with one hand while he welds with the other while he holds his breath in 25-degree (F) weather.

This tells me safety is not a concern on this job.

 

[John in OH]

More welders...not actually mine...just some guys I inspect.

We'd like to take a minute thank the concrete guys for giving the welders plenty of room to catch the welds on the underside of the bottom leg of this braced frame diagonal to the gusset plate on the column.

This welder is tough...since his head won't fit in the space between the concrete and the frame with his helmet on, he takes the glass shade out of the helmet and holds it with one hand while he welds with the other while he holds his breath in 25-degree (F) weather.

If a welder did something like this on any of the jobs I ever worked on he would be fired immediately and blacklisted from ever working on any of our jobs in the future. And his foreman would probably get sent out the door with him. Zero tolerance for unsafe work practices.

Just because a job is difficult does not excuse unsafe work. In over 35 years of power plant construction and maintenance, I learned there's always a way to do a job safely.

 

[John in OH]

I'm the inspector so I can't control how (means/methods) the job gets done.

I see a lot of this kind of thing on this type of county school job. Fall protection is a serious priority, but smoke-eaters on this kind of out-door job, never seen one. It's a non-union job so these guys are under the gun.

Sorry, radrush, didn't mean to disparage you in any way. Our jobs were all performed by union craft and the unions worked hand-in-hand with us to keep injuries to a minimum. It was a pretty ingrained culture between the craft, their unions, our contractors and us (the client).

But, I don't mean to derail this thread so here's my home-shop welding setup!!

I'm still pretty much an "old school" style welder!! The AC/DC Lincoln Idealarc 250 is a great machine for maintenance and heavy welds and I've used it for many years, but not too good for body work! Sorry about the mess on the welding table.




I've been coveting a basic MIG unit for a long time and maybe it will come to pass someday if I ever find a project where I can justify its purchase. Until then, I'll just keep burn'n rods!

 

[JoeFin]

Miller 330

 

[kyrbz]

My (kind of old) Miller 130XP. I'd really like to upgrade to a new 211, but it's been a good reliable welder over the years.

 

[ADSR]

My (kind of old) Miller 130XP. I'd really like to upgrade to a new 211, but it's been a good reliable welder over the years.

I have the same one. Bought it brand new in 97 and it's been solid!

 

[toolin' around]

I moved to the US 15 months ago from Australia (via a few years in Thailand), and rented for the first year, so I had no space to set up a workshop... Bought a house recently, so time to start getting things in order!

Finally found a project that gave me an excuse to buy a welder (Lincoln 140, since I only have a 120v circuit), so then I needed a welding bench. I had one set up just like this in Australia, and it was so handy.
Finished this little beauty on Sunday afternoon...
3/8 plate on the top and 1/4 plate on the bottom. Solid as a rock, and all the gear is at hand.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

I have the same one. Bought it brand new in 97 and it's been solid!

What was the difference between the 130 and the 130XP? Mine is just a 130.

 

[toomanytoyzz]

Sorry, radrush, didn't mean to disparage you in any way. Our jobs were all performed by union craft and the unions worked hand-in-hand with us to keep injuries to a minimum. It was a pretty ingrained culture between the craft, their unions, our contractors and us (the client).

I'm not trying to start a debate about union v non-union, but I've seen plenty of shoddy union work in my years. I work in a prison and am responsible for the data wiring within the facility. The normal contractor is a non-union company and their work (and professionalism) is probably the best I've seen while in the prison. We currently have a union company running conduit along with fiber throughout the facility for a new kitchen being built, and I will walk around the facility and laugh at the quality of work. It's like night and day compared to the non-union company.

BUT, like I said this is no to say that all unions are like this. Hell, I'm in a union, but at the same time not all unions are the bees knees when it comes to quality.

 

[ADSR]

What was the difference between the 130 and the 130XP? Mine is just a 130.

No idea. I'm sure it doesn't mean ****.

 

[JWILL]

Does anyone have pics of any vintage MIG welders? When were they first sold in say the Craftsman catalogs?