Wire welder what are you using

[rkevins]

My Century wire welder has ran it's last bead, I am looking at multi process welders (mig, tig, stick) what are you using
I have been looking at eastwood #20569

 

[steel 35]

Hobart 210 mig/spool .
Downsizing from Lincoln 200 mig with spool gun
& Lincoln Square wave 175

 

[BillK]

Millermatic 135 has done everything I have ever needed.

 

[ATC]

Miller 180. Love it!

 

[Spud McGee]

Am I the first harbor freighter in here?
I have the neon green multiprocess one from there. So far it hasn't shat the bed.

 

[ZRX61]

MM210.

 

[bb29510]

my miller 140 is a POS, i got a hobart 235 now, the hobart 210 is nice

 

[Casey66]

I struggled with an old millermatic 130 for years. Four years ago I sold it and bought a Hobart Ironman 230. What a dream !! Huge difference.

 

[blazemaster83]

Airco Dip-Cor 300, big beast but it welds great.

 

[American Locomotive]

Define a budget and purpose (what you want to do with the machine), and we can probably find you a better match!

It would help to have a "What you planned to spend" number and a "What is the absolute most you would pay" number.

 

[chinboys]

I am a "blue color" branded user of their MIG and TIG systems but last year, I went HTP Pro Pulse 220.
I am very happy with is all in one device

 

[Jackfre]

I run a non-inverter 211. I understand the desire for a multi but think, better to master one, than to chase a bit of all of them.

 

[scooby074]

MM130xp , MM252. Both are excellent.

Other than cost, I would buy either again in a heartbeat.

 

[Magnum440d100]

I have a Hobart handler 210MVP.

It’s a far more capable machine than I am a competent welder.

But it has done everything I’ve asked of it. No complaints.

 

[whateg01]

You ask about wire feed but list a multi process. Are you after a wire feed? Or are you wanting an all in one?

 

[finn]

Craftsman single stage Oxy Acetyline set from around 1980

HTP (Sten) 120v transformer Mig From about 1981. No model number. It was a prototype from when they were evaluating entering the market with a 120v machine. Solid machine.

Millermatic 175 Mig. Year unknown, but really should be replaced with something more up to date.

HTP Invertig 200 from about 2008.

Primeweld 225x tig from 2022. Good value for the price.

Miller Spectrum 375 plasma cutter from about 2005.

 

[bb29510]

we bougth a multi process at work, cant think of the name,(Esab) its a yellow one, about a 200, it does all three flux, mig, tig arc, aluminum. its nice but it doesnt do all of them great, it has some limits. like the mig, only six feet hose, I like 12-18 feet

its ok but mainly just a dc inverter with attachments, the control panel complicated

 

[cherokee]

Personally I have always thought that even if a machine is a one trick pony, does one job. It will do that one job better then something trying to be all things to all people.

If you lack the space for different machines is the only way I would look to one. I have three from three different brands, including a horrid freight. The stick welder is a 1000 year old Lincoln.

 

[oldmachinenut]

MM130, MM200, Syncrowave350LX, DialarcHF/P and a Snap-on YA5550 plasma cutter.

 

[Adk Mike]

Hobart 140 with a gas bottle. I always wanted a 220 machine. Never could justify it.
This 140 does most of what I need. Once in a blue moon I get out the stick. But not very often.

 

[My Old Tools]

Non-inverter MM211 plus a spool gun

 

[pancholasvegas]

Eastwood MIG 180. So far I'm extremely happy with the machine and it definitely has more to give than I have skill. No complaints.

 

[zmotorsports]

I bleed blue when it comes to welders. I've had several brands over the years but about 15 years ago I settled down with Millers. I have had good luck with their customer service over the years. I liked my Lincolns when I had them but one difference I noted early on between the two was that if you need a part for a Lincoln, you must get if from one of their suppliers and their suppliers like to have the machine in their shop to look at it before ordering the parts whereas Miller will deal right with the end user and send parts to residential addresses without issue.

Here's my lineup. Miller Passport hidden under ESAB plasma cutter, Miller MM210 (newest addition purchesed 2019), MM251 and Dynasty DX300 TIG both purchased back in around 2006.


The OP had mentioned a multi-process machine and I know that is much the rave these days with space limitations but one thing to consider, if that one machine has a problem you're dead in the water. I had a Miller Shopmaster 300 for a few years which powered both a wire feed unit and a TIG setup. I was not that impressed how it did "all" functions. It did some things better than others but it got me worrying about if I lost something in that power source I would be unable to weld and I was doing a lot of welding in my shop at that time so it would be a show-stopper for me. That's when I sold it and bought stand alone machines that did specific functions and have been much happier. I do understand the newer multi-process machines are better but if you plan on doing a lot of welding the same thought of having that one machine go down would be a worry.

 

[racecougar]

Hobart 190 set up to MIG and a Lincoln 140 set up for flux core.

 

[imagineer]

A very old Lincoln Weld-Pak 155 (w/ gas kit, set up for steel) and a slightly less old Lincoln Pro-Mig 175 with a SG-100 spool gun (set up for aluminum). With the exception of the spool gun, everything has worked fine for the past 15 or so years. The SG-100 spool gun required a lot of small adjustments and shims to make it work properly.

 

[DeeDubz]

Lincoln 180 with gas. Its been a game changer.

 

[oldwino]

Hobart. 210 in the shop. A little Lincoln 125 for flex doing outside work.

 

[Blk88GT]

Miller 215 here. Love it.

 

[threewood]

Miller Multimatic 215. Replaced a Lincoln 135. No regrets at all.

 

[ycgoat]

I have an old Snap-On 125, I bought used and it works for what I need, but as 120v welder it runs out of heat on larger metals.

 

[Yellerdog]

I am a "blue color" branded user of their MIG and TIG systems but last year, I went HTP Pro Pulse 220.
I am very happy with is all in one device

Bought this same welder, far exceeds my capabilities. The fact that it will do steel aluminum and stainless, plus galvanized all with a regular mig gun is impressive.

 

[rkevins]

Define a budget and purpose (what you want to do with the machine), and we can probably find you a better match!

It would help to have a "What you planned to spend" number and a "What is the absolute most you would pay" number.

budget Less than $1000 We have a Hobart stick welder. Was looking to learn TIG needing to run flux core and mig with gas ( I don't have a bottle but have one borrowed) and being able to run off stick off a portable generator and not be as hard to move around as the Hobart I would like to find something that will last.

 

[whateg01]

..., plus galvanized all with a regular mig gun is impressive.

Please explain that. You can burn through zinc with any welder.

 

[American Locomotive]

$1000 is pretty low budget for a MIG-TIG-Stick machine.

What are you trying to weld?

 

[03ranger]

I bleed red, Lincoln 210 MP (MIG, TIG & Stick). It a 120/240 machine. If I had it to do over again I'd go Fronius.

 

[kaymccampbell]

I have a big Systematics 220v that does 200+amps at 100% duty cycle. I've run it on 12 for a week of 16 hour days.
Also have a happy little green HF Titanium 200, that works well. I bought it to be a suitcase welder on a set of stairs. I use it for MIG for steel and spoolgun aluminum. It runs on 220 and 110. I was welding 1/2" bolts with flux core, running on a 100' extension cord, on 110v, and it did fine. In the shop it gets 220v.

 

[Yellerdog]

Please explain that. You can burn through zinc with any welder.

I haven't used the function but supposedly will weld galvanized without melting the zinc coating, quote from the manual below. Above my paygradde if this is snake oil or something really useful if you weld a lot of galvanized.


And for those who weld galvanized steel or sheet metal, we included a silicon bronze program that allows you to weld silicon bronze with a pulsed spray arc. A pulsed spray arc enables you to weld galvinized steel or sheet metal without melting the zinc coating or without distorting the sheet metal.

 

[mikedodge]

Lincoln 180 with gas. Its been a game changer.

Lincoln 180 here too.

 

[whateg01]

I haven't used the function but supposedly will weld galvanized without melting the zinc coating, quote from the manual below. Above my paygradde if this is snake oil or something really useful if you weld a lot of galvanized.


And for those who weld galvanized steel or sheet metal, we included a silicon bronze program that allows you to weld silicon bronze with a pulsed spray arc. A pulsed spray arc enables you to weld galvinized steel or sheet metal without melting the zinc coating or without distorting the sheet metal.

Sounds like a brazing process, but I don't understand the pulsed spray arc bit. Maybe a new thing for me to learn about?

 

[shanker]

211 Autoset (purchased the last year they made them before the switch to inverter based models)

I had to do some welding out in the pasture so loaded up the old Hobart Champion 16 (with 188 hours on it) but as I was setting up I realized that the 220v plug for the Miller does not match the 220V outlet on the Hobart, so I had to use 110v but need to find an adapter.