looking to buy one-has anyone had any problems with this machine. How do they perform,weld,ect:. Thanks for the input.(how will they stand up to a redface w/arkforce)
I have one and love it. Kubota powered; I have only seen the Deutz powered one never really run it. About to buy another and keep my high hour one as a spare. I know Cactus has one and will likely chime in. Guy I know up in SD now has two and likes them a lot. For the money and features................and weld quality; they are damn near unbeatable.
By TRC 
Date 08-14-2008 21:19
Edited 08-17-2008 19:17
I have a 400 and just yesterday I was doing tie in's on 16" .250 wall and ended up with a 1/4" gap (on the bottom of course). My brother-in-law has a 300D and I started using it to close up the bottom , well in my opionion it sucked. He had it in 3rd gear and was down around 10 or 20, the arc kept poping out. So I got my 400 with finger tip control ( the only one in the world) and with the arc force set -8 I ran a few stringers and had it closed up in no time. My 400 has just less than 400 hr but I have discovered that the arc force control is very different than the arc control that is on that fine Miller TrailBlazer. Call ya back really bad T storms now-Ted
Back again, the differance between the Lincoln and the Miller is when the Miller goes soft arc it has a tendencency to pop out. When then Lincoln is set on (-) the arc force is still strong but it has a heavy deposition rate- if that makes any sense. When set on the + side it seems to have a less deposition rate. For now I perfer the Lincoln over the Miller.
I have had a vantage 300 for over a year, Best machine I have ever run. I just bought a vantage 400 and I like it even more. I have about 16 welders working for me that have them. None of them would trade for anything else.
Are you going with the Duetz or Kobota?
I agree with these guys, I've got one I've had for about a year and half now, love it, I've welded with sa-200s, sae-400s, sa-250s, 300ds, and one miller big20, not to count the bobcats and so on but I don't put those in the same class as these machines at all. The Vantage 300 is a hard to beat machine, for a number of reasons, I've got the Kubota in mine.
I've had mine for 2 1/2 years. It's the best I ever had!!
I have the Kubota in both of mine. They are about as quiet and smooth as it gets. Cheap on fuel, start great in the cold, and don't overheat when it's hot and humid. Of course, up here 98 is considered hot....
I have the 500 with the cummins 3.3... I love it
It's 14 months old no problems and gets about 45 hours to a 22 gal tank diesel approx.
I have passed two weld tests with it on site to.
dam the 500 is HUGE nice setup there dude
Ya, She's big but she runs sweet and I have not had her over 385 amp for anything yet... can't wait to get her up to do something over 400 amps...
