In my experience, Lincoln used to be the top dog in the yard. Some of the old pipe liner machines have taken a lickin and they are still tickin. But it seems that in the last seven years or so, Miller has pored alot of time and money into research and development. If you buy either brand your purchasing piece of mind. ( I believe ESAB is now owned buy Lincoln or Miller.) As to those other companys, You are flying by the seat of your pants. Although HTP does sound tempting, I am not sure how much R & D has been invested into their products. My advice, Wait. You are a hobbiest who is only wanting to purchase once. If nothing else you save more money while you are waiting. Then you buy what you know you really want.

P.S. Chicago Electric is JUNK. I have been burned several times with different products.

Thermal Arc is a name local supplier has great respect for their inverter based machines. Their other MIG machines were tempting. I made my decision based on walking in to various supply houses and seeing what I could get parts for, combined with the opinions of people who use them.

The remark about buying piece of mind is very true and becomes more important as the price of the equipment goes up.

Nobody stocked anything for Thermal Arc, not even parts for the cheapie Tweeco gun model it came with, so I also purchased convenience as well. Every supply house within 50 miles- thats well over a dozen- stocks all the consumables, drive rolls, nozzles, tips, etc. for my Miller, most of the gun parts including liners and switches, and some stock many obscure parts as well... right there on a shelf ready for me to pick up between 9 to 5 every work day.

I believe Miller factory also builds Hobart- if not then it's a Lincoln product. Either way its a sufficiently respected name.

Regards,
D

Both Daytona Mig and HTP are marketed at the hobbyist/auto type welder. I'd steer clear of both of those IMO...they may be cheaper, but you get what you pay for. I'd say your three best choices are Miller, Lincoln and Hobart, in that order. Hobart is likely the most reasonably priced of the group...there also owned by the parent company of Miller.

I never heard of Clarke, so that would not be an option if it were me. Stick with one of the three major brands and work with your local supplier to set you up with the right equipment.

I've owned a Century on the past, in fact I just sold it. It was a nice machine although it was too small (105 amp). That machine even came with a real nice Tweco torch. For the one or two hundred difference between the Century and the Miller/Lincoln/Hobart, I'd choose the latter.

Keep in mind this is a machine you'll own for many years assuming you don't buy one of these junk machines you've been digging up. It's a long term investment and your budget should be treated as such. If you have the machine for say 15 years and the price difference is say $200 more now...that works out to be a measly $13.33 per year more for a much better machine.

Believe me, I tried to say $$$ when ever I could and go the cheap way out...Ya know what??? each time it bit me in the butt because all I wound up with was junk that eventually had to be replaced with the right equipment. I'm done buying junk as it costs more in the long run...buy top quality stuff off the bat and your better off way down the road...the hardest part is the initial higher $$$ hit, but that fades real quick once you find out how well your really good machine works compared to the cheapie/marginal piece.

If you need to save $$$, buy a Lincoln from http://www.welders-direct.com. There holding a sale right now with most machines between $50 and 150 off their regular prices...and free shipping to boot!

I really think you'll be sorry in the long run if you take the cheap way out and buy a substandard machine...but it's your choice.

Century has been around since 1937. They used to make the old AIRCO "cracker boxes". They also made units for Sears and many others. The line is designed more for the hobbiest. My recommendation is MILLER. I currently have 3 Miller units and 1 Lincoln mig machine. The Miller units have a great drive system and are easy to operate. Beware of the lesser units. You need at least 90 amps output to weld .035 wire. This will allow you to weld 3/16 plate in a single pass. Comparing Max. output amps and duty cycle will provide which unit is the best value for the money. Also, make sure that the machine has a contactor and gas valve installed. If you desire a nice finished weld with little clean-up, use 75% argon 25% co2 gas mixture...Good luck.

WeldDoctor