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looking for stick welding machine recommendation

Tim Modine

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
78
Location
Rocky Point NY
Looking to buy a portable stick welder. Ive got a generator to power it to make it portable to bring to equipment. Wanting a stick welder to repair and pad my bucket on a 27 tn excavator for normal wear and tear, adding wear bars and hard facing etc. Or would an engine driven machine be a better choice although they're quite pricey.
Tim
Modine Excavating
 

Zewnten

Senior Member
Joined
Apr 2, 2018
Messages
553
Location
Earth
A tombstone welder takes a 10kw to start the arc so with out knowing the size of your generator I would recommend going engine driven. I bought an older Miller Lightening for $1000 and sold my generator.
 

RZucker

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
4,077
Location
Wherever I end up
Occupation
Mechanic/welder
Unless your generator is in the 15kw class, you will be much better off to go with a GOOD engine drive welder. Stay away from the Bobcats and Lincoln Rangers, and watch for a good MillerTrailblazer or Lincoln 305.
 

Mike L

Senior Member
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Messages
1,901
Location
Texas
Occupation
Self employed field mechanic
What’s wrong with a bobcat?
 

Jonas302

Senior Member
Joined
Jan 4, 2015
Messages
1,197
Location
mn
Engine drive is pretty much the only option for portable can be had for around 1000 used
 

GregsHD

Senior Member
Joined
Sep 26, 2014
Messages
557
Location
Mahood Falls, BC
Occupation
Self Employed HD Mechanic
What’s wrong with a bobcat?

I've never had much for problems with the older Onan powered bobcat or trailblazer ( pretty near the same machine) and they can be had fairly cheap now.

The newer Trailblazers with the EFI engine have let me down, would not start in cold -25c weather. Had to warm it up with a tarp and heater. They are nicer than the older when running but I would prefer less electronic junk, plastic, and fancy lights.
 

Birken Vogt

Charter Member
Joined
Nov 30, 2003
Messages
5,305
Location
Grass Valley, Ca
I repair these units from time to time.

One thing when looking at used, DO NOT BUY the V-twin OHV "Onan" engine. Which is really a Subaru Robin. Subaru exited the US market a couple of years ago and the parts were like hens teeth, I had to get them on ebay from different places.

Plus it was never a very good engine anyway.

(I did discover the valve stem seals were the same as a Subaru car so those were available aftermarket.)

The flat head engine which is a real Onan design was better but still getting long in the tooth. I think they made some with a Kohler v-twin, those are a very robust engine.
 

Tim Modine

Well-Known Member
Joined
Mar 3, 2019
Messages
78
Location
Rocky Point NY
ESAB looks like a nice machine. But no engine drive. I’m looking to buy used as it’s only going to be working a few times a year. Saw a bobcat 300 pro on craigslist for $1500 with a trailer an 3300 hrs. Seems like a good deal
 

RZucker

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 7, 2013
Messages
4,077
Location
Wherever I end up
Occupation
Mechanic/welder
What’s wrong with a bobcat?
Nothing really, the newer ones aren't bad. I used to do a lot of piping work and preferred the Trailblazers because they used rectified 3 phase over the Bobcats single phase. The Trailblazer also uses 2 generators (one to weld and one for aux power) meaning your helper can grind his azz off and not disrupt the arc.
The 3 phase makes for a much smoother arc when you are welding pipe in strange positions.
 

Wytruckwrench

Senior Member
Joined
Jul 22, 2012
Messages
270
Location
Wyoming
I have had all of the small gas lawnmower engine welders. Lincoln, Miller, and a couple of others. Good machines for getting by and they will weld. I used them for years.
I got a Lincoln Vantage 300 a few years ago. It makes me a much better weldor. I would like to try a Trailblazer 325.
I still have a couple of the of the lawnmower engine welders for at home, for the most part they will do anything you need to do. Get real gas and run in them. They don’t like sitting with this modern gas.
 

biggav

Active Member
Joined
Oct 1, 2013
Messages
30
Location
Bathurst, Australia
Occupation
Mechanic
I’m in Australia so I don’t know if they would br available to go but I run a Unimig 180 amp invertor stick welder off a 7.5 kva generator. Works well jobs of about an hour or so. If you are welding for any longer I would go to a dedicated engine driven machine. I really like my Miller 250 for bigger jobs. It’s never let me down but we don’t get as cold as you guys haha.
 

Tugger2

Senior Member
Joined
Mar 22, 2018
Messages
1,366
Location
British Columbia
If you really need welding power. ;);) Caterpillar/Lincoln 600 amp Twin Arc. You can weld with two stingers at once. :eek::eek: Getting a new trailer under it.
View attachment 195927
Thats a beast ! Years ago i had a 400 Lincoln with a 2-71 on my welding truck,trouble was it would vibrate any work you were doing off the deck. It poured 3/32 wire and gouged like a hot dam that 600 would be even better . Seems now when i talk about 3/32 wire no one knows what it is. Especially something like ns3m gasless .
 
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