Something ON TOPIC

Welding Forums - Welding of materials for manufacture & repair. 

Bookmark this page:   Yahoo!   Google   Windows Live   del.icio.us   digg   Netscape

Subject Author Date Something ON TOPIC DanG 01-05-2008  Re: Something ON TOPIC Grant Erwin 01-05-2008  Re: Something ON TOPIC Snag 01-06-2008
Posted by DanG on January 5, 2008, 12:33 pm Please log in for more thread options I sure am tired of the sporge or whatever on this group so I dreamt up an on topic question. I hate the questions about "which welder is the best?" , but find myself asking it. This all just for background: I have a Century 110V welder at work. It only has 4 heat settings and a variable feed dial. It has been heavily used for over 6 years and has performed quite well on many tasks. We tried gas for a while, but I decided that .030 flux core was just more simple and even better. This Century has the "always hot" tip which had a distinct learning curve. I like the size, the mobility, and being able to use it as 110V on project sites. I have full time access to a Ranger 8, SA200, Lincoln 250 AC/DC, and a 220V Lincoln mig. These are all great welders, but the little 110 is just easier to use for stuff. It still has the original drive rollers and plastic Bowden sleeve in a no-name gun. I know we are probably getting close to needing to replace this unit or at least the gun portion. Our existing accounts tend toward Lincoln products, but Miller and Hobart and Grainger are available, I'm not sure about other brands. Once the purchase is made, I expect it to last another 5-10 years. What units meet my overall requirements? Can I replace just the cable and gun on what I have and would that make any sense? I am looking for actual reasons to favor one choice over another, rather than the subjective preference type answers. -- ______________________________ Keep the whole world singing . . . . DanG (remove the sevens) dgriff237@7cox.net Posted by Grant Erwin on January 5, 2008, 3:14 pm Please log in for more thread options DanG wrote: > I sure am tired of the sporge or whatever on this group so I > dreamt up an on topic question. > > I hate the questions about "which welder is the best?" , but find > myself asking it. > > This all just for background: > I have a Century 110V welder at work. It only has 4 heat settings > and a variable feed dial. It has been heavily used for over 6 > years and has performed quite well on many tasks. We tried gas > for a while, but I decided that .030 flux core was just more > simple and even better. This Century has the "always hot" tip > which had a distinct learning curve. I like the size, the > mobility, and being able to use it as 110V on project sites. I > have full time access to a Ranger 8, SA200, Lincoln 250 AC/DC, > and a 220V Lincoln mig. These are all great welders, but the > little 110 is just easier to use for stuff. It still has the > original drive rollers and plastic Bowden sleeve in a no-name gun. > > I know we are probably getting close to needing to replace this > unit or at least the gun portion. Our existing accounts tend > toward Lincoln products, but Miller and Hobart and Grainger are > available, I'm not sure about other brands. Once the purchase is > made, I expect it to last another 5-10 years. > > What units meet my overall requirements? Can I replace just the > cable and gun on what I have and would that make any sense? I am > looking for actual reasons to favor one choice over another, > rather than the subjective preference type answers. > I think that welder has a Tweco gun on it. Maybe one called "Tweco Mini"? Although to replace the gun would cost more than the whole welder is worth nowadays. Since Century got, um, subsumed by Lincoln their value seems to have plummeted. But you should be able to get liners, tips, nozzles, etc for your gun. I personally favor the small Lincoln MIG welders, notably NOT the "weldpak" or "hd" ones (those are just rebranded Centurys and have about as much resale value as a HF unit). I borrowed an SP-135 and absolutely loved it. Now I own a Hobart Handler 135, and I like that one too, not quite as much as the Lincoln I borrowed, though. I'd stay with Lincoln, Hobart or Miller for the reason of parts and service availability. Grant -- Posted via a free Usenet account from http://www.teranews.com Posted by Snag on January 6, 2008, 9:03 am Please log in for more thread options Grant Erwin wrote: > DanG wrote: >> I sure am tired of the sporge or whatever on this group so I >> dreamt up an on topic question. >> >> I hate the questions about "which welder is the best?" , but find >> myself asking it. >> >> This all just for background: >> I have a Century 110V welder at work. It only has 4 heat settings >> and a variable feed dial. It has been heavily used for over 6 >> years and has performed quite well on many tasks. We tried gas >> for a while, but I decided that .030 flux core was just more >> simple and even better. This Century has the "always hot" tip >> which had a distinct learning curve. I like the size, the >> mobility, and being able to use it as 110V on project sites. I >> have full time access to a Ranger 8, SA200, Lincoln 250 AC/DC, >> and a 220V Lincoln mig. These are all great welders, but the >> little 110 is just easier to use for stuff. It still has the >> original drive rollers and plastic Bowden sleeve in a no-name gun. >> >> I know we are probably getting close to needing to replace this >> unit or at least the gun portion. Our existing accounts tend >> toward Lincoln products, but Miller and Hobart and Grainger are >> available, I'm not sure about other brands. Once the purchase is >> made, I expect it to last another 5-10 years. >> >> What units meet my overall requirements? Can I replace just the >> cable and gun on what I have and would that make any sense? I am >> looking for actual reasons to favor one choice over another, >> rather than the subjective preference type answers. >> > > I think that welder has a Tweco gun on it. Maybe one called "Tweco > Mini"? Although to replace the gun would cost more than the whole > welder is worth nowadays. Since Century got, um, subsumed by Lincoln their > value > seems to have plummeted. But you should be able to get liners, tips, > nozzles, etc for your gun. > > I personally favor the small Lincoln MIG welders, notably NOT the > "weldpak" or "hd" ones (those are just rebranded Centurys and have > about as much resale value as a HF unit). I borrowed an SP-135 and > absolutely loved it. Now I own a Hobart Handler 135, and I like that > one too, not quite as much as the Lincoln I borrowed, though. I'd > stay with Lincoln, Hobart or Miller for the reason of parts and > service availability. > Grant I picked up a used WeldPak 100 at a pawn shop several years ago (and paid too much , but that's my own fault). Added gas because I didn't like the spatter from flux core . Used within it's limitations it's a fine machine . Does great on sheetmetal . For anything over 1/4" I have a tombstone ... -- Snag aka OSG #1 '90 Ultra , "Strider" The road goes on forever ... none to one to reply