Need help picking welder

Date 03-24-2015 02:58 Edited 03-25-2015 04:05

From what info you gave, looking at the Lincoln Electric webpage, Looks like your price range is around $3500.00. In my opinion, I would go for the Power MIG 350 MP. It's more expensive, but I think it would be worth getting your garage/shop wired for 230V for this machine. In the long run you wouldn't have to worry about engine maintenance, that could cost $$, and then fuel on top of that, more $$$.

What I don't know is what are you planning on doing with your welder? Are you going to use it primarily in the shop or out in the field?

Here's a link to the welder I would recommend:

http://lincolnelectric.com/en-us/Equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K2403-2(LincolnElectric)

Here's a link to the welder that I think your looking at:

http://lincolnelectric.com/en-us/Equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K2857-1(LincolnElectric)

By KSellon (****)

Date 04-08-2015 20:56

As a repair center for both Miller and Lincoln, I loke them both. However I would suggest the Miller. I say this because:
The small Lincoln welders have a potted (encapsulated) control board. Once the machine is out of warranty that board is currently $1300.00.

Miller machines are still piece by piece, not one board.

By Lewis87 (*)

Date 04-22-2015 04:35

That's good to know.

By Cumminsguy71 (*****)

Date 05-04-2015 21:43

Unless all of your boards go out as I have seen on the Millers, then your in for $1300, lol!!! Or if you take it to a "repair" shop that is not as good as Bill's and they use the shotgun method of troubleshooting at your expense. Some less reputable places throw parts at these machines instead of actual troubleshooting. Knew a guy that had a bunch of Dynasty 200's. Machines all tanked out, all boards replaced for some reason. I think he said they had 7 boards? I may be wrong but I couldn't imagine where they fit them all. Plus that Blue paint is kind of like the Yellow paint on Caterpillars. Once it is put on there is a 100% increase in cost because of the paint color.

All machines with the electronics may have issues, blue, red. I've had a Lincoln 2?? Mig for 3-4 years. Not a days trouble out of it. Since I don't know the numerical model you can tell how often I use it as well. I've had no trouble out of my Lincoln machines other than excessive use and age. I have a friend that uses Millers and swears by them. He had a Miller Bobcat I think that had 4000 hours or more on it and hadn't done a thing to it until one day(while I was onsite) it acted up. He told the guys to come to the shop and pick up the new one he'd bought. Run em' till they dye I think he said and would arc gouge, run big rod, basically abuse them and they held up.

Depending on what you're doing with whatever you buy, light use around the house, weekend warrior stuff, either Lincoln or Miller you can't go wrong. Just depends on what color you like, me, I like red.

Shawn

By Charles1992 Date 05-07-2015 11:46

I have been working as a welder for the past 3 years. I had used several types of welders. But I don't have any experience with Ranger 225. The first welder I had used was the Lincoln electric POWER MIG 350. I bought it from my trainer at Weldtech training college in Toronto. I was not satisfied with that because most of the time it required maintenance. I had spend a lot of dollars on repairing. Then I had used several models by Miller and Lincoln. Currently using Lincoln Aspect 375 welder.