Recommendations on plasma cutter and Mig welder

[vincep]

I'm in the need of a mig welder and plasma cutter looking for 110 or 240 volt units. would like to keep my cost under $1000 for plasma and under $750 for the mig. Any suggestions.

[gonebad2]

You may have a tough time finding a plasma cutter for under $1000 unless you buy a used one on ebay. I have seen some pretty good deals on there. I have a Lincoln that I bought at Summit. You can operate it on 115 or 230 volts. I picked it up last year and if I remember right, it was about $1200.00. I also have a Lincoln Pro 135 Mig that I picked up at the same time. I think it was around $400.00 not including the bottle. Both of those as a package would be in your price range. Summit also offers free shipping. Since you live in Pa, there would be no sales tax either. I'm happy with both of the units. I have used them alot and have'nt had any problems with either of the units. Just stay away from a flux core wire welder. You'll get cleaner welds with a gas shielded unit. Good Luck.....

[grayw0lf]

I LOVE my new Lincoln 135. I got the whole setup for MIG & flux, mask, tips, 1 spool for each, etc. for $390 on ebay (after shipping!). They usually run 440'ish shipped.

It works great. I have no previous experience & I'm doing just fine. Not the prettiest in the world, but it will hold. That & I'm practicing almost eveyday & have only used the flux core to date.

A 220v would have al ittle extra power, but my 135 will weld upto 5/16" & I can take it anywhere.

[bumpster]

Gonebad is right, the gas sheilded units make a far nicer weld when it counts. My welder,(no brand names cause I don't think i'll be buying another Clark{oops!}),will run both gas and flux cored, and I use the cored wire most of the time because most of my welding is done outside and it takes very little wind to blow the gas away and make me say very loud short words. Go with Lincoln or another well known so you can always find tips and wire.

[ChevLoRay]

My nephew went to the Lincoln warehouse in northeast Arkansas, and bought 2 pallets of freight-damaged mig welders. After correcting any of the physical damage that he could (which was minor for the most part), and doing an operational check-out, he salvaged all but 3 of them. He then sold them for $250, each. These were mostly 220V units, with some 110V units, too. I got a 220V unit, with a NAPA number on it, for $200 (for helping to sell three welders). According to my buds at my NAPA store, the list price on my unit was over $900. These were all Marquette units, so were Italian made, but for Lincoln.

He picked up a Plasma cutter, too. Sold it for less than $700. Wish I had bought it, but not enough grocery money to rob from.

[raggedjim]

Bumpster, I was looking at a Clark, what problems have you had?

Thanks, Rg

[shuttermutt]

Originally Posted by raggedjim

Bumpster, I was looking at a Clark, what problems have you had?

The biggest problem with the Clarke that Bumpster has had is finding tips and related consumables. You can throw a rock and hit a guy with Miller or Lincoln tips in his pocket on the head, but finding these things for the Clarke (especially local) is significantly harder.

That being said, I'm waiting for him to get fed up and upgrade so I can trade him out of that Clarke. I don't weld as much and when I do it's generally indoors.