Personal preference is a huge factor in buying anything. If you are not happy or satisfied with a product for some reason your attitude toward that item will continue to degrade, just human nature IMO. I have owned several things over the years that in my eyes were junk and to others they could not understand why I didn't like the item. So what I am saying is one size does not fit all! When it comes to engine driven welding machines most of the people buying them are not just looking for a machine to burn stick rod with. I would say that less than 20% of the work I do is done with stick about 70% of what I currently do is aluminum so a machine like a 200, 300D or SAE 300 is fairly useless to me. I need to be able to power my inverter machines, plasma, lights etc so that’s why I have what I have. IMO the Vantage Compact is a night and day difference over my 500D with its arc control. It is smaller and lighter than my 500D and for those reasons I want one. I have no plans of getting rid of my 500D because I can use it for large wire/stick applications, 20kw 3-phase/12kw 1-phase AC as well as gouging up to 650A and a backup machine is very nice to have, not to mention I really like the machine. My needs are not burning cellulosic/LH rod on pipe every day and will most likely never be and even if they were the Vantage will do just as good IMO as one of my pure DC machines. MOST people have similar needs as I do. Your idea of a real welding machine is your idea just like mine is my idea. So if I took your advice of what you consider to be a real welding machine and buy a generator to power my other equipment my truck would have even less space available because I am hauling around a generator as well as a welder. It WOULD cost me more money for that option. The generator would most likely not burn diesel, because of the high purchase price, so I would have to tote around gas cans. I don't like having gas stored on my truck for obvious reasons. Then I would have two engines to maintain not just one. All this would be heavier to tote around making me spend more money on fuel in my truck so this would all lead to aggravation for me because it is a stupid way to get the job done. So where is the advantage in your reasoning for me? I think most people would also agree that spending more money to get a certain outcome is also bad business logic, I know I sure do.
