Is it the Holy Grail welder, or just my dream come true?

[BadDriver4x4]

So, I was looking at the Lincoln Electric AC 225 welders at Lowe's and Home Depot and I ask the people at Lowe's if they price match with Home Depot, which in Littleton, New Hampshire, is right next door. There was a $10.00 difference, but it's the art of the deal that's involved. Well the people at Lowe's said as long as the item was in stock at Home Depot they could price match. Well, as with so many things, when you get a rather disappointing answer you look in a different direction. I hit the Internet looking for the current lowest price for the Lincoln Electric AC 225.

The first page showed little real savings and I could just imagine shipping charges for the "tombstone" as it made it's way to me from whichever dealer anywhere in the U.S. had a good price, and then I saw it. The second search page showed up with the Lincoln Electric AC / DC 225 / 125 welder in the search list and I just had to find out what crazy prices they were going for these days. Wow, almost double the price of the AC 225. So, I searched for just the AC / DC welder. A list of prices showed up on the right side of the search results and one stood out. It was really the lowest by far, and then I went to check on shipping. $1.00. You read that right. 1 little greenback for a very limited time. I went to another website because my brilliant son said the shipping was covered in the price of the welder. WRONG! $180.00 plus for shipping on the next closest priced unit.

I don't know that I will share the price until I can take a picture of the Lincoln AC / DC 225 / 125 welder as it sits in my possession. That way we'll both know if we need to pinch ourselves.

Now, I don't mind hearing your opinion on this welder, I don't mind you saying how Hobart or Miller make such a great modern alternative, but I learned how to weld on one of these beautiful little Arc-welders. It gave me confidence to use my hands working with metal. So instead of tearing me down, why don't you talk up the welder you think is the greatest in your "shop" and tell us all why. The only hesitation I had in buying this unit was to keep peace in the family, and you will respect that when you find out what it cost. (I also just made a pricey buy of my own for my wife's St. Valentine's Day present.) 

Pictures to follow. 

[Moses Ludel]

I wholly respect your choice and reasoning, BadDriver4x4!  Congratulations on a great welder for a great price...

My welders are a mid-'nineties era Hobart Beta-MIG 170 gas bottle wire feed and an HTP America 221 liquid cooled TIG with D.C. welding capability.  Here's the scoop on that machine:

http://www.4wdmechanix.com/moses-ludels-4wd-mechanix-magazine-htp-america-invertig-221-stick-tig-welder/

The Hobart Beta-MIG 170 was built when the company was still on its own footing, it uses the Piecemaker feed gun and nozzles, which is actually a crossover to Miller.  To this point, the interchange has made nozzles and accessories much easier to find.  The machine has held up very well and done many projects.  Here are two at the magazine:

http://www.4wdmechanix.com/Moses-Ludel-How-to-Installing-a-Jeep-XJ-Cherokee-Long-Arm-Suspension-Lift?r=1

http://www.4wdmechanix.com/MIG-Welding?r=1

Also do not rule out oxygen-acetylene.  I use my two-stage gas welding equipment quite a bit for light gauge metal work and repairs...plus brazing!

Can't wait to see your pics of the Lincoln AC/DC 225 set up.  What a great machine, you'll value the D.C. capability for reversed polarity and all-position welding.  I'm happy with your choice and looking forward to updates and your project pics...

Moses

 

[BadDriver4x4]

Wow!! I got my welder today and I had to show it off! I'm a little concerned though that it seems a little used. I will send an email to the company and ask if the low price was due to the machine being reconditioned.

Here are some so-so pictures I took when it arrived. I'm amazed it was so small it looked so much bigger in the pictures.

Sorry this second picture is so blurry I was just so excited!!

Can anyone tell me where you switch it to DC? The manual is missing. I guess I will have to get it from online.

 

 

[Moses Ludel]

Glad you're happy, BadDriver4x4...Curiosity question:  Reads 14 ga. maximum.  Here are gauge thicknesses for sheet:

Gauge size standard:

	Thickness
Gauge	in	mm
14	0.0747	1.897
15	0.0673	1.709
16	0.0598	1.519

 

Is this machine for body shop work?  0.0747" is just over 1/16" (0.0625" is 1/16" and between 15-gauge and 16-gauge).  

Isn't this supposed to be a Lincoln 225/125 AC/DC machine?  Is there a 220V (single phase) circuit for the 225 amp AC/DC use?  Please look this machine over...I'm puzzled and want to make sure you got what you expected...and paid for.  I looked up the Lincoln "Hobby-Weld" and here's a link to the instruction and spec sheet PDF directly from Lincoln:  http://www.lincolnelectric.com/assets/servicenavigator-public/lincoln3/imt681.pdf.  Looks like a 115V body shop (sheet metal) welder, 50 Amp maximum at 20% duty cycle.  Was that how your machine was represented?

Watching your back...

Moses

 

Edited February 13, 2016 by Moses Ludel

[BadDriver4x4]

I'm just pulling your leg Moses. I got the AC / DC 225 / 125 as I said, and I have pictures to prove it. I picked up that Hobby welder at a yard sale a couple of years ago for $15.00 I think. I just couldn't resist it. Now to spill the beans. I bought the AC / DC 225 / 125 for $500.00 TOTAL. I got it on Sale for $499.00 with $1.00 shipping. I wonder if they thought they would have someone ordering something like this, but hey, they made up the Sale so they had to be thinking ahead. I got it from Blain's Farm and Fleet.  http://www.farmandfleet.com/

I didn't take it out of the box because I don't have a shop or a dedicated outlet for it yet. I'm planning something for this summer, but we'll see how far I can get with that project as I have plenty to do otherwise. This is going to come in handy when I get some of my other goodies out of storage. Oh, I'll have a little montage of all my other welding equipment when I can get it all together.

[Moses Ludel]

BadDriver4x4...Nice machine, the real deal, you'll have a great time with the D.C. option for all position (particularly overhead) welding...You will want to wire this outfit properly, there's some major amperage involved in resistance/arc welding at this level...Congratulations, I'm very pleased you have a sense of humor and like to use it!

Enjoy this find...This is the machine that many of us teethed on.  Very reliable and predictable, likely with modern upgrades and fail-safes.  I studied welding for two years at high school under the postwar/industrial and ag/vocational/tech training methodology.  We used Lincoln "buzz boxes" and learned AC and DC mode welding...Of everything I studied in high school, those two years of welding ultimately proved most useful.  (Great foundation skills from a terrific teacher.  None of us confirmed that until later.)  You've got a capable and proven SMAW machine there!  Glad you stepped up for the AC/DC option.

Moses

Edited February 13, 2016 by Moses Ludel

[BadDriver4x4]

I'm glad you weren't offended by my joke. It was the only other Lincoln Electric welder I had. I started my welding experience on the same Lincoln AC /DC machine when I was 14 in Ag class, that was 37 years ago and I have been welding on and off ever since, not really having a fully equipt shop of my own. My first personally owned welder will be in the montage when I get it together. It is an 80 AMP Schumacher SMAW. Since everything is all over the place right now I figure posting them one at a time is kinda worthless, so the montage will be more useful as a peek into my welding capabilities.

Now I just have to set up a work space and practice my skills.

[Moses Ludel]

BadDriver4x4...Not offended in the least.  I have a clue now about your sense of humor...all in fun!

Wow, we've gone down similar paths!  Mr. Gray at Douglas High School, my welding mentor (took me a few years to get his gift into perspective) was also our Ag teacher.  He dragged me into FFA for the parliamentary procedure team competition.  I also had to judge livestock, and the annual trip to U.C. Davis was a hoot—at least for the judges who listened to my explanations of why I picked one cow or pig over another!  I'm sure they had a difficult time keeping a straight face, I was a "textbook" cowboy without ranch experience like my fellow students in the Ag class...Some of this did rub off, at least I could ride and work a horse.  Now when it came to welding and vehicle mechanics, I had the edge...

Looking forward to seeing your welding equipment set up.  You're in store for some good times ahead!  I need to do a major spring cleaning and organize my shop, the welding area will be used for filming instructional videos again, my goal beginning this fall...

Moses

[BadDriver4x4]

For everyone, the montage is finished.

These are in order of purchase Left to Right and Top to Bottom over 20 plus years. My first welder, stored in a storage unit at the current time, a Schumacher 80 Amp Arc welder. Second, A light duty Oxy Acetylene set by Merriam Graves with a small cart. Third, a Craftsman MIG wire feed welder. Not on a proper cart. I just got one that I will set it up on with it's proper shielding gas tank. (Had to sneak that one past the wife with the purchase of a set of electric sheet metal shears.) Forth, the above Lincoln Electric Hobby Weld AC Arc welder. Fifth, the Lincoln Electric Porta Tote Oxy Acetylene set. Sixth, the Harbor Freight - Chicago Electric 90 Amp Wire Feed flux core welder, (On cart with some tools and expendables.) Seventh, and last but not least, My Lincoln Electric AC / DC 225 / 125 Arc Welder (Stick welder (SMAW)) still in the box. Not shown is my portable welding bench, and a set of full size Oxy Acetylene torches with gauges and hose. Maybe I'll get the large tanks when I have the shop space I desperately need. Also many Vise Grips and fun stuff.

Next I will try to find a good Plasma Cutter, but I'm not sure if I should go with a self contained unit, or get that big compressor I need and really cut steel. To be determined at a later date.

Edited February 17, 2016 by BadDriver4x4
Added information and corrections for clarity.

[Moses Ludel]

Works for me, BadDriver4x4!   You're well covered...What's the amperage on the Craftsman MIG?

I stumbled onto a real bargain in a Harbor Freight Plasma Cutter years ago.  When opened up, the internals were Panasonic!  Paid around $400 and got a $1200 equivalent machine.  (This model was "passing through", and it no longer appears in the catalog.)  More than happy with it, and the consumables are common replacement pieces.  The current Chicago Electric Inverter 240V unit looks good, though I haven't seen its internals: http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/plasma-cutters/240-volt-inverter-plasma-cutter-with-digital-display-62204.html.  Price is around $650.

I do Harbor Freight on a select basis.  They have "lines" that also indicate quality.  Pittsburgh Pro is reliable quality, I beat the living daylights out of the impact sockets and save hundreds over Snap-On or even NAPA.  Chicago Electric is my limited use bench sander and line choice for electrical stuff.  I own HF jack stands (go overkill, for a 4-ton stand capacity, I get a 6-ton rated), floor jacks (for 2-ton capacity, I get a 4-ton rated) and the hydraulic motorcycle lift ($299 when on sale, this is the best buy on the planet, it's rated much higher than my dual-sport converted Honda XR650R, which weighs only 320 pounds wet, so I'm well covered here).  As for Drill Master and U.S. General compressors, well, I'll just say, "Pass..."  Others may have different experiences.  I'd like to see your comments and feedback.

Time permitting, we'll get you into TIG, either air-cooled or liquid cooled.  If you like oxy-acetylene welding and can handle SMAW (stick) and GMAW (MIG) as well, you can master TIG.

I like it!

Moses

Edited February 17, 2016 by Moses Ludel

[Moses Ludel]

BadDriver4x4...Want that plasma cutter now, are you considering a new one?  Stumbled onto this offer at Newegg.com, one of my sources for computer equipment.  Looks good on paper, you may want to look into the reviews.  This is the 2016 "Upgraded" version.  Price ($399!) is stellar through 2/27/16.  Worth doing some investigating as to quality and brand integrity:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Product.aspx?Item=04V-006Y-00002

Make sure consumable parts are available, replacement parts, too...

Moses

Edited February 21, 2016 by Moses Ludel

[BadDriver4x4]

Moses,

I checked out the plasma cutter, and if I had my shop ready to go I would snap it up. Right now I am thinking about an Air Compressor to run my air tools, a media blaster, and for that future plasma cutter. I am seriously considering a project right now besides the Cherokee, and good air will be essential.

Here is the label for my Craftsman Professional MIG welder. It is a 105 ADC welder that was made by Century for Craftsman.

I've found a couple of compressors on Craig's List, but one is an unconfirmed Champion 60 gallon vertical tank with a two cylinder head in a V configuration ($750.00) that I haven't been able to find online. The other looks like a single stage Campbell Hausfeld home compressor that has a second tank included for the price. ($600.00) I re-read your article about buying a compressor last night and it has me thinking about my needs. I don't think I can go "cheap" and get the performance that I need for everything. I need to do air tools, media blasting, and painting. Even on a small scale I think I need a hefty output. Then there's the plasma cutter, the media blaster box, and a scissor lift? I can go on and on. Once I get a garage \ shop of some kind the sky's the limit. My money will run out long before my imagination, but if I can make some money with this stuff, then it will pay for itself. Did I mention that I have a load of tools in storage and a mini-lathe and mini-mill here at home? Hold on.......

OK, I added one thing in this montage that has to do with welding to keep it on track.

From Top to Bottom, Left to Right. A Craftsman 109.20630 Lathe (1943 +\-). Cummins 7" x 12" Mini-lathe. Cummins Mini-Mill. Mini Mill Stand, (Found it on Craig's List for a song.) Tool Box that is full of tooling for Mini-lathe and Mini-mill. My Harbor Freight portable welding table.

This is all in my basement at the moment. Plus a lot of other tools for various uses. 

So, if I could get the proper space I would have to have a 72 hour day just to use it all. I wouldn't mind using a few of those days every week just to do welding. Yes, I am a super recycler in the real sense of the word. I have a metal pile to prove it.

[Moses Ludel]

You're well set up!  I like the 1/4" single pass on the MIG welder, that should handle most chores, and there's always room for multiple passes.  

I have the TP Tools 360 cabinet blaster with my monster compressor.  The compressor is the key for blasting, you can never have too much air volume!

Moses

[BadDriver4x4]

In order to get a dedicated space for my welding tools and consumables I decided I needed a place to put my more common automotive tools together. I have several small tool boxes and tool bags with many different tools in them. I have some diagnostic tools that should be on a wall or in a dedicated cabinet, but I don't have that space, so I decided to purchase a new tool chest. The great thing is as well as getting a very good quality product I got it at 50% off the normal price.

This will now be my dedicated automotive tool center and a rolling storage cart will become my welding tools and consumables container. This should save me hours if not days of trying to find this tool or that test set, while freeing up a dedicated welding storage solution for a limited space work area. Now the gathering begins. If I find something I think is welding related that I didn't know I had I'll check in for a guess this tool segment.

[Moses Ludel]

BadDriver4x4...Fun to watch you set up your shop for efficiency and easier tool access!  Much cheaper at my end to watch this accumulation vicariously!  

I'll do a how-to video, maybe by fall, on setting up a light truck/4x4 automotive shop at the home garage level.  I'd like to walk viewers through the tools, equipment and shop needs that work for me, breaking this down as "must have" versus "nice to have" stuff.  My tool and equipment collection began over half a century ago.  (No foot in the grave yet, I'm only 66 and began acquiring tools around age 14.)

I believe we're doing members and guests a service by sharing these insights.  There's a distinct line between what we need and what we often wind up accumulating...I like your approach and prudence, especially the mix of used versus new tools and equipment...

Moses