Your most recent welding pics

[Gamble97]

A dimple die kit is on my list of stuff to get sooner or later. yes you cut holes, but after you dimple them it makes it stronger.
Makes it look like this

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So I just got a new MTS machine and another plasma cutter. Like I need another , but it's fun to play with.

So this company brought these plasma cutters from china on over and i got one to test. It's a 110v/220v machine and 40amp as well. Here is a quick run down.

Pros:
Small, light, 4t mode. Never used a 4t mode on a plasma, but it in very nice. Hit the trigger and cut and hit the trigger when done. Digital display. And it's really QUIET. And of course the price. 1 year warranty

Cons:
Yes it's 110/220, but only has 110v plug. comes with barb fittings, I dislike. Minimal cutting current is 20 amps. High frequency instead of blow back. ceramic cups. I dislike the torch and trigger, as they aren't standard, but they work. The electrode is double sided so it can be reversed which is a plus. No post flow. Ground clamp and cable is SHORT. My cable wasn't crimped and so I just tossed it and bought a long one for $30 on ebay.

Other thoughts:
110v is all i've tested. 110v and 32amps cuts 1/8" aluminum ok, but I need more practice with this guy to get a clean cut. Yes it will go 40amps on 110v, but I haven't pushed it that far. 3/16" steel is a rough cut on 110v and 30 amps, but I'm sure at 40amps and 220v it will cut nice. Since they are VERY new to the market the price is VERY VERY aggressive. However after a few sales they price WILL go up. I can tell you that for certain.

So all that being said I suggest you guys look into this plasma if you want something that isn't very expensive at all!
Delixi 40 Amp Plasma Cutter Dual Voltage 110V 220V 60Hz LGK 40ID | eBay


And as far a the MTS machine I got....plus the option spoolgun. Well you will have to wait on that one because it's been in the box for a few days. I still need to find time to open it.

In other news:
HTP is selling their mig 130 (115v) unit at a crazy discount with flowmeter and 2 rolls of wire.
http://www.usaweld.com/ProductDetails.asp?ProductCode=60130&CartID=1

Tractor supply has a hobart 140 on sale for $449 with free helmet

Amazon is selling the hobart auto arc for $329 shipped (refurb i think), but i wouldn't buy one personally.

And I had some welding issues on aluminum. Thought I was having a bad welding week. Took off my old crappy regulator and installed my dual flowmeter
http://www.usaweld.com/Dual-Flowmeter-with-Backpurge-p/dualflowmeter.htm
And guess what!?!? Figured out I had a gas restriction. Fixed that issue and welding 10000times better now. A regulator will NEVER tell you what you are actually flowing at. Therefore I won't use them anymore. Flowmeter or nothing for me.

And if anyone hasn't seen ToxiFab's new work with his new welder, it's pretty damn impressive.
https://www.facebook.com/ToxicFab


Well that's enough for one post, off to bed!

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Ahhhhh good idea. I'll probably re do it some day but 7lbs isnt the end of the world. Theres more weight to be removed from the fire wall/wiring harness

 

[Bo0sTdTsI]

ok. I was able to chip a little off. Here's better lighting too.
What should I change? Am I going to slow?

Are you using a chipping hammer? Looks like you're running flux core dual shield by he look of your bead, we do a lot of structural and open root pipe with that, take a pic of your machine, on the machines I use at work I usually run mine at 28-31 amps on a miller and my wire speed around 23-26, just have to play with it. You run it straight or a very small side to side motion as you move along, different than mig.

 

[Gamble97]

29 to 34 amps. I changed it. Standard cup #6 and 1/8" tungsten. 1/16 4043 filler wire.

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Did 3 catch cans

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and a coolant overflow

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[Archer Fabrications]

Wish i had a break to make boxes

 

[91-GS]

Gamble97, good job on not making a hole while welding the coke cans together. What welder did you use for that?

 

[Gamble97]

Gamble97, good job on not making a hole while welding the coke cans together. What welder did you use for that?

Actually I did make a few . And I filled them in too!
HTP 221.

I was also able to do it the first time on my longevity 160sx but could never do it on my miller diversion 180.

 

[91-GS]

"Longevity" almost sounds like a cheap brand from walmart, but they seem to be quite popular and produce very good results.

Speaking of welding aluminum. Is it possible with a stick welder? And if so, what is the minimum thickness of pieces that can be welded?

 

[Gamble97]

"Longevity" almost sounds like a cheap brand from walmart, but they seem to be quite popular and produce very good results.

Speaking of welding aluminum. Is it possible with a stick welder? And if so, what is the minimum thickness of pieces that can be welded?

Longevity has been around for about 8 ish years. They were ok but now they are pretty damn good. Their tig is made in the same place as eastwood. Same with their plasma cutter, but it seems more refined. I have 4 of their machines. All work really well. I like them a lot. Their MTS is made in the same place as the thermal arc MTS.
Their 200ex is 99% the same as the thermal arc 186. Good product, good price.

Yes you can stick weld aluminum. You need aluminum rods that are flux coated. I have tried it a once or twice and failed miserably. Very miserably. I have yet to see someone do it with decent results. However you can MIG weld aluminum.

check out this
MIG 130 Welding Package, Metal Working, Welder Supplies, Welding Accessories | USAWeld.com

and this
[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gG4s_0uczoo]Aluminum MIG Welding With Basic Equipment (Under $500) and NO Spoolgun - YouTube[/ame]

 

[ed1380]

I'm very happy with my 200sx. i know a welder with a longevity plasma cutter and he has nothing but good things to say about it

 

[91-GS]

Thanks for the links. If only i had $350 laying around...

 

[spoonman]

I am very skeptical about "other" brand welders and equipment. I love Miller welders and plasma cutters. And I am nuts about old engine drive Lincoln's.

I guess Thermal Arc is ok, I have used a few in my life.

But Everlast,Htp, Longevity, I just don't trust what I have heard


I really would only get behind them if I used one hard core for years without problems

 

[Gamble97]

I am very skeptical about "other" brand welders and equipment. I love Miller welders and plasma cutters. And I am nuts about old engine drive Lincoln's.

I guess Thermal Arc is ok, I have used a few in my life.

But Everlast,Htp, Longevity, I just don't trust what I have heard


I really would only get behind them if I used one hard core for years without problems

I would love to see a bad review about HTP or their customer service. Welders made in Italy. Place has been around for over 30 years.
Longevity has gotten much better over the years. And I don't care for the service or rep of everlast but the machines weld nice.
Edit: Thermal arc made a quality product and were mainly made in japan. Some models made in italy (like their fire power welders and such)
Everlast has been around since 2004. The owner has a bad rep, but it's not my business to discuss. They have been getting better. I still dislike them from what I have seen first hand. However their welder is pretty good. The interface on the one I used was a little cumbersome, but it welds really nice.

Longevity has been around for 9 years. They had a rough start, but now are very popular. Some of their equipment is made in the same places as some of the larger branded companies that are listed. I'm sure you can figure it out. I've had 5 or 6 of their machines and all work well. Yes these and everlast are made in china, but china has stepped up their game a lot. I bet if you used it you would change your tune a little bit.

HTP has been around for over 30 years. tig welders made in italy. If they were so bad I'm pretty sure almost every dsm shop wouldn't own one. Such as toxic fab, fathouse fab, TRE, AMS, (place that used to be dvdtfab) and more. So if it was a crap product I'm sure they wouldn't own them.


Miller. Eh what can I say, they have a good name, but that's about it. the diversion series is ok, but overpriced. They are also no longer made in usa. They are "assembled in usa" with domestic and foreign parts. I can't tell you how many dynastys shit the bed. Every time I look on a welding forum another 200dx shits out. I'm sure they work good, but for an overpriced machine that breaks all the time. i can guarantee there are parts in there made from china.

Lincoln is made in mexico. Good but over priced and nothing crazy special about them.

I dislike people that are so closed minded and think that miller or lincoln is the only way to go.

And yes I've used them all. I have an everlast, longevity, thermal arc, htp in my garage currently and sold my miller. And used a lincoln at school. And I've used eastwood and other brands. Only one I haven't touched is an esab.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

I lnow why you have such a hard on for HTP miller is awesome. Hands down by the way. Synchrowave, excellent machine. My dynasty when ever i get it will be awesome also,
Gamble, habe you tried any other miller then the diversion? I agree the diversion is a little lacking in settings, but its ment to be easy. Its an intro/weld out of the box kind of machine.

 

[spoonman]

Lol the Lincoln's I like were made in the U.S. in the 40's and 50's.



Next time I am home (travel) I need to find some one with a different brand to try out.

On a side note, I knew HTP had been around for longer than the "other" brands but not that long, That sounds reassuring. And I do follow Toxic and was surprised by his machine switch.


I would love to run stick rods on a few machines. Going from a miller maxstar to a lincon invertec (same day, same rods, same pipe) you can defiently see a different arc characteristic between machines. So Based on experience I prefer miller inverters for 6010 stick open root. But if the "other" welders have to much arc blow, that would make me leery.

And I have literally dropped miller welders from 5', sprayed with water, covered in dust/dirt, hundreds of hours of welding, thousands? Guaranteed. Defiently older transformer machines have been through hell and ran forever. And XMT and dynasty inverters have seen this abuse and came out running smooth.

Short Hood S.A. 200 pipliners with all copper windings! Now that is my favorite machine to weld anything with, but no remote amp control.



I would be interested in testing a HTP. But I give up on Everlast and Longevity or Eastwood.

 

[spoonman]

Bump I have used a Dynasty 350 many times and it is crazy nice!

So many features I will never use. But setting super high freq on aluminum and running super smooth arcs at tiny 10 amps!

 

[99gst_racer]

Lincoln is made in mexico. Good but over priced and nothing crazy special about them.

Some of them may be, but last I checked, the Invertec series comes out of Italy.

 

[Gamble97]

Some of them may be, but last I checked, the Invertec series comes out of Italy.

You are correct, I forgot about those.

 

[spoonman]

One thing I have seen from experience is that most JLG aerial lifts come with Lincoln Invertec 275s welders. Now these machines literally sit outside 24/7/365. Rain, hot sun, and snow for years and still work. They are designed for rugged use though.

I don't think a Miller maxstar or Dynasty would be used in that environment but their XMT models for sure. We leave those out in everything but rain



And no offense to Collin from (not saying the name) but HTP obviously gave him their most decked out Tig machine and a little bonus I assume for marketing. Not saying he is wrong for doing it but he didn't just happen to discover these amazing HTP machines and buy one because it changed his life

 

[Gamble97]

One thing I have seen from experience is that most JLG aerial lifts come with Lincoln Invertec 275s welders. Now these machines literally sit outside 24/7/365. Rain, hot sun, and snow for years and still work. They are designed for rugged use though.

I don't think a Miller maxstar or Dynasty would be used in that environment but their XMT models for sure. We leave those out in everything but rain



And no offense to Collin from (not saying the name) but HTP obviously gave him their most decked out Tig machine and a little bonus I assume for marketing. Not saying he is wrong for doing it but he didn't just happen to discover these amazing HTP machines and buy one because it changed his life

Please don't spread false rumors, because they are far from true.

 

[Archer Fabrications]

Whats the truth?

 

[Gamble97]

Who's on first?

 

[spoonman]

Invertec's?

Or Collin?


I purposely didn't put his company's name but any one who knew him back in the honda days or even now I guess knows who he is.

He even stated that he would be testing HTP equipment. And he is repping it in every face book post. Coincident??? I don't think we are that gullible.


Hands down the best CC/Inverter/GTAW welders out there are the Miller Dynasty series. Miller is the innovator, they do it first. Their craftsmanship is un parallel. (Don't believe me? Pop the covers off an HTP and take a few pics. I will respond with Dynasty) proof

 

[Gamble97]

Ok believe what you want.
I'm not saying the miller isn't a good machine, but it's not the "best". Everyone needs to get off their "miller is the best" bandwagon and realize that other companies have good products and they all offer pros and cons to every other machine out there.

 

[spoonman]

I don't work in tiny fab shops, or home garages fill with tools purchased at Walmart and Menards.

My experience is on commercial and industrial construction sites. Dirty, wet ditches in the middle of nowhere. Machines get dropped, fall out of trucks, don't have cases/covers, get water poured on them, switching leads, switching processes, stolen...found at pawn shop... Brought back and welding. There is no doubt that miller machines can take a lot of abuse.


I have never seen an Everlast, HTP, Longevity, machine at a billion dollar power house. One or two Thermal Arcs, which were replaced by Lincoln's later. And some weird Chinese machines, used by non union asian pipe "weldors"...... Which we had to go back and cut every last join out that they laid in. Yeah x-rays are a bi***


And if I can only buy replacement parts or a machine from one little website.... Not very happy. There are two welding supply stores in my tiny home town, and I can get any thing for my blue welders.

It's not just a preference. Miller has proven themselves to be on top. Contractors and high skilled professionals know not to settle for less.