Would you buy a welder without testing it?

[yz-dwg]

Hi all,

local craigslist offer: Craftsman 230-140 AC/DC Infinate amp welder with cart, mask, some rod for sale $160

fellow says his dad bought it new in 1997 and it works great but hasent run it since he moved due to lack of 220v. He says its in good shape and by the pictures it looks so. Sorry I dont know how to post a link..

I did a little research on line and it appears to be made by Century but didnt see many reviews or comments other than Century is more a budget brand and thier quality control is suspect.

I have a bit of welding many years ago and im looking to get s cheap used one to play around with. I can get a used tombtone AC unit for around the same it seems but Ive read that AC/DC is the better choice.

My gut tells me to to offer him $100 and take a chance that its no good.

What do you think? Would you risk it? Is this machine any good? Is DC that much better than AC only?

Thanks in advance for any insight you can lend me.

 

[454ragtop]

Know anybody with a generator?

 

[nine4gmc]

I not only bought one without testing it, I kept it for a year or two without using it and traded it for another one I have not tested and have had for a year or two. I paid $300 at a garage sale for the first one and traded it for $1,000 craigslist one. I need to learn to tig one day.

 

[yz-dwg]

Good idea! Now i feel dumb for not thinking of that

 

[L.Cheapo]

Nope. But I wouldn't buy a car or marry a woman without test driving them either.

 

[Logante]

Personally I would not buy one without testing it. What if it was in a situation that it could have fried it. I have two Three MIG welders, a Lincoln a Hobart and one my uncle bought from harbor freight. I know two work but the one from HF I don't want to hook up as I know it was wired wrong and fried.

 

[BDT/NWMN]

Do You have a place ready to plug it in and immediately try it out? This, with the understanding that you can return it in the event of a failure; should be fair enough?

 

[vettex2]

I did but I knew the guy.
I also sold a stick welder w/o ever having testing it , neither did the buyer , he paid me cash , on CL

 

[Fordman7795]

I bought a mig welder for $100 without testing it only because it came with a tank. Still havent even tried it.

 

[LXCam]

Normally never but those older stick units are pretty hard to kill. And normally you can find just about any of them in working order for a hundy.

 

[padroo]

I would only buy new with a warranty.

 

[pescados666]

For $100 I'd risk it. You could probably make most of the money back selling the working parts and the broken welder if it doesn't work, but that really depends on how much time you have to be worth it I suppose.
But then again, they're not particularly hard to come by for $100-200 either if you keep an eye out for them. I wouldn't lose any sleep over not getting it.

 

[CNGsaves]

+1 that gamble for OP is pretty low risk. I'd go for it.

Today just about pulled trigger to buy Lincoln Square Wave 175 that sold for $430 at an auction. Everything was there except regulator. I'd guess that it'd be worth $800 to $1,000 if all working well. So missed out on chance to get decent tig and stick AC/DC welder. Pretty sure someone got a good deal.

 

[sberry]

I would grab it before someone else did. It's different than a HF wire feeder. The risk is low and I can't remember seeing one didn't work.

 

[lilredex]

Is it the same as this one?

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?187971-Sears-welder-is-it-worth-it


I'd risk $100, not too much can go wrong with them.


(You can show the link by, highlighting the (C-L) address, copy it, then paste it into your reply.)

 

[zendriver]

Look at the schematics for most welders, they probably have 5 components, most of which are pretty beefy.

Pretty hard to kill one.

 

[byoungblood]

I bought a Miller CST 280 back in November without testing it, but I only paid $65 for it (lady was asking $85, probably had no idea what it was) since I couldn't test it. Worse come to worse, I could part it out and get my money back.

After putting the appropriate plug on it (it was configured for 3 phase) I plugged it in at home and it worked. I've burned some 3/16" rod running max amps for single phase without a problem. I was taking a bigger risk with it being an inverter welder, but with a transformer welder like what you're looking at, there's not much that can go wrong.

 

[ihateminimumwage]

Another one that's bought without testing. Picked up a $70 Miller Thunderbolt 4 years ago, and still haven't run it. Moved across the state, where it spent 1-1/2 years in storage, and our current place has a dead 240 outlet in the garage, since the dryer was relocated in the basement.

Not too worried though, unless they've fallen off the back of a truck, there isn't much to go wrong. Pop the cover off, blow all the dust and dirt off, and polish the contacts if they need it. Gone through a couple of the welder/generators at work.

 

[brownbagg]

why do people always want to low ball someone, if the guy wants $160, give him $160, if that too much, dont waste his time. I know everybody cheap but its really an insult, he might really need the money and know he can get anything cheaper so he will take the $100 but its an insult, he might really need the $160

 

[byoungblood]

why do people always want to low ball someone, if the guy wants $160, give him $160, if that too much, dont waste his time. I know everybody cheap but its really an insult, he might really need the money and know he can get anything cheaper so he will take the $100 but its an insult, he might really need the $160

If the seller doesn't have the means to let you see it work and it has been a while since anyone saw it work, I don't consider a low(er) offer lowballing. I would agree $100 is probably a bit low, but unless you're inclined to tackle fixing it yourself should it not work, $160 isn't a trivial amount of money for many folks. I work on electronics all the time, so I wouldn't mind opening something up and figuring out what is broken. But I'm not the norm.

If you can plug it up and run a couple of test beads, then I'd have no problem paying what they ask.

 

[larry_g]

I would and I did, been using it for 20 years.

lg
no neat sig line

 

[ndr1968]

why do people always want to low ball someone, if the guy wants $160, give him $160, if that too much, dont waste his time. I know everybody cheap but its really an insult, he might really need the money and know he can get anything cheaper so he will take the $100 but its an insult, he might really need the $160

Most things (tools especially) I see on Craigslist are priced way high because everybody lowballs! My dad always told me that if my first offer didn't "make 'em mad", then I started too high! If you need to get what you ask, just state your price followed by "firm". Most will get the message. Junks dealers never get the message, so be prepared!

 

[yz-dwg]

Thanks for the replies gents,

I missed it and will keep my eye out for something else

 

[A_Pmech]

why do people always want to low ball someone, if the guy wants $160, give him $160, if that too much, dont waste his time. I know everybody cheap but its really an insult, he might really need the money and know he can get anything cheaper so he will take the $100 but its an insult, he might really need the $160

It's called the free market.

 

[gtabasso]

My company sells used industrial surplus without testing it, including welders. People buy them all the time untested and used. Granted, we have a 30-day return policy but it would be expensive to ship back if not local. Most of the guys who buy them are handy and can repair them if they don't work. Can you get a return guarantee in writing from them if it doesn't work?

 

[dr_clyde]

I bought my Dynasty off ebay used, like, 4 or 5 years ago now. No problems yet.

 

[Maui]

I bought a Snap On MIG welder last year for $250 without testing it. And I still haven't used it.

 

[maxpower_hd]

Since you missed it it doesn't really matter but no. I would not buy it without testing it. I would assume it doesn't work unless they can prove otherwise. And I did have two different Craftsman welders given to me that didn't work worth a ****. So yes. I would want to test it.

 

[johninct]

I bought my Lincoln Tombstone IdealArc in 1988 for $450 untested and it still works great.

 

[sberry]

If 160 is a lot of money and cant afford the risk hey guy cant afford this hobby, biz. This would have been a lot of money in the 60's. They were 300 new in 80.
Someone is gifting it at that price,,, how much are your monthly bills, cell phone? Car payment? Cable TV. A new car depreciates several times that each month,,,, but a small used tool is too risky?
WTF,,,, where do some of you learn about value? This is one of the main problems this country has, basically fukked up logic should be taught in high school?
We had a question on here a while back,,, which adjustable pliers? Should I get a Channelock for 20$ or buy a Cman for 40 so his grandkids may be able to warranty it 30 yrs from now? Whats so sad about that really is that this was probably a college graduate. Its the same with the tool quality,,, oh what a risk, I may have to throw a dollar tool away a decade from now so I don't want to risk it,,, I will buy a 20 or 30$ one?
No logical connection to quality, usability, even sales tax or insurance and no actual experience with the tool either to realize that we have dollar tools still in service after 3 decades, we didn't buy them with the intent they last that long but that's the reality and truth be told they are not knuckle busters and have greatly exceeded expectations,,, by 25 times.

 

[sberry]

I been in the welding biz a long time,,, I am sure it has happened but I cant recall or don't know anyone ever bought a used buzzer that didn't work. I have heard a couple stories of burnt up ones, never done it, never actually seen it, don't actually know anyone that has done it and have used them handful of rod at a time without stopping, 2x their duty for hour at a time.
There is a slight difference in models,,, this is different than a 99$ HF feeders which don't really work right out of the box.

And I did have two different Craftsman welders given to me that didn't work worth a ****.

Someone gives away 2 junk welders don't work,, where is the mystery there? What ones were they?

 

[sberry]

Thanks for the replies gents,

I missed it and will keep my eye out for something else

You missed an easy chance for a good machine. Some people are lucky enough to find a better deal but that was good and should have been snatched without asking and put it to use. This is not the same as an AC buzzer, yes the DC is different and a professional quality arc. Paying 160 for it is better than a free AC unit.

 

[Ign]

why do people always want to low ball someone, if the guy wants $160, give him $160, if that too much, dont waste his time. I know everybody cheap but its really an insult, he might really need the money and know he can get anything cheaper so he will take the $100 but its an insult, he might really need the $160

Then the seller can utter a single syllable: "No", and wait for a better offer.

There's nothing insulting about haggling on used equipment or anything on CL. If anyone feels it is insulting, they shouldn't be selling via classifieds, or they should make it clear from the very start their price is firm.

 

[TK-421]

I would buy it without testing it if I bought it cheap enough that I could sell it as non-working and recoup my money. But I wouldn't pay top, or even middle dollar for it, unless I verified that it worked.

 

[sberry]

It would be different if it was 1600 but these are very reliable and it is 160, about 1/4 of what they are new now. It cost me 10$ to eat lunch in a fast food place, how much risk is there here?