3 in 1 welder Q

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SE18

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later today I'm going to pick up a stick/tig/plasma for $485 I found on craigslist, new, not opened. Asked owner why he didn't return it and he said he bought it for a project that didn't come about and it was past return a year or so later. It looks like this one:

http://www.amazon.com/LTPDC2000-Lotos-Plasma-weekend-special/dp/B004ZZRM5W/ref=pd_rhf_dp_s_cp_1_MJHY

I just wanted to get a sanity check before I go out there in a couple hours.

I'm aware that it's better to buy each machine separately (similar to not getting a mill-lathe-drill combo to use an analogy).

However, I'm cash strapped and about to get furloughed but need this to fix some steel furniture I have and weld some parts on my pickup truck (brackets holding exhaust, nothing safety wise should it fail)

and of course, I'll use this for a hobby welder as well. Maybe rig a kayak holder using bed frame and so on

iow, it won't be used continuously like a professional would be using.

looking forward to hearing from anyone with advice

thanks!

dave



(I had a previous thread on oxyacy, but the people who service the tanks in my area left bad taste in my mouth like they just want to assist contractors)
 
I have a friend that has one of these. He does sculptures. He uses it in spurts. He went through 3 of them (all under warranty) They were good about sending new units. Finally got one that kept working has had that one for about 2 years, I think, and still going well. I do think he was trying to use it very hard while under warranty so it may be fine for what you need it for. It could also be their quality control is not the best. But that is guessing.

Jeff
 
thanks, Jeff. That doesn't sound too good about breaking down.
 
just located a bunch of reviews on this and I realize I'd be taking a gamble without a warranty. Sorry for this short thread, but back to looking. I've signed up for estate sales in my area using:

http://www.estatesales.net/
 
I have a 3:1 TIG/MMA/Plasma for about a year now. It gets heavy use at times (i.e. 6 hours runtime a day for 3-4 days) and is working well. With all welders, you get what you pay for. At the low end, unit-to-unit dependability is dicey. The really cheap units are notorious for breaking down and not working right out of the box.

3:1 is a space savings which is why I went with one -but a good one costing upward of 1500 bucks. Mine is an Everlast Power-Pro 205. If I had more shop floorspace, individual units would be the way to go.

In all honesty, I'm not that crazy about anything out there in terms of brand. There are three among the second-tier (Everlast, Longevity and Eastwood) that people migrate toward. The 1st two have full features and controls and the Eastwood's tend to be general-shop-use machines. The name brands that have the minimum features I use a lot are so expensive, it's not even a consideration. -And guess what? If you read their online forums, the brand name units break down their fair share too...

If you're looking to do Aluminum TIG, you must have variable frequency AC output. Some folks say they can TIG aluminum with a fixed frequency unit... I guess that works -but I don't see how.

Power: Get the most power you can afford and still carry around.

Ray
 
Dave,
Be extremely carefull. The major reason that you see these do cheap in unopened boxes is because the curremt owner is frustrated after exchanging the machine a couple f times. They usually list the machines for cheap just to recover their losses. Those machines have a terrible reputation about quality and longevity, they just dont hold up. For that much you can get a name brand Hobart or Lincoln and di a much better job at mig. Tig is a completely different critter and does require much more specialized equipment to be able to fo it well and properly. I'm a retired welder and I bleed Miller blue, but there are alternatives that are just as good on the market. Avoid the bargain basement multi process machines like they have VD from the school "virgin". If you need additional info or help I am always available to help you sort out equipment and process questions based on approved industry literature and experience.

Bob
 
thanks, Ray.

I think Jeff's friend had the best idea. Get a bunch of projects ready, buy the welder and use the heck out of it and put it thru its paces while still under warranty. If it holds up, good. If not, use the warranty.

Hopefully a warranty without an extension would last a year, but recently I've been seeing warranties that are only 90 days on products. An extended warranty is in itself a sizeable chunk of money. For those who have the money, an extended warranty is no big deal.

I have a feeling there are actuaries who do statistical studies on products and know a tool's mean time to failure (one of the company secrets) and calculate that so the odds are stacked in their favor, similar to what a casino would do.

I always like it when salesmen tell you their product is robust and will last forever and then try to push an extended warranty on you. Kind of irony there.
 
Bob, I appreciate your advise and offer to assist. I tried a MIG once and within about a minute I got slag blowback that solidified on the tip. The messy slag and that experience kind of turned me away from MIG. Plus, the fact that I have some really thick steel (1") that needs to be welded up and the MIG is better at the thinner stuff unless the mig is one of the pricey units.

Anyway, due to the sequester, my furlough starts next month so I won't have a lot of spending money. But I have a little for my birthday and might either go for a 225A stick welder. The AC is a lot less costly but I've noticed a lot of welders will tell you the DC is much smoother. So I'm kind of thinking about something like that.
 
Please read what Bob mentioned... I have a 3:1 not because I wanted one but because I don't have the space for individual units AND because the name brands are much more expensive. I was sweating bullets about the decision to get a high-end (2nd-tier) unit. The only reason I did was the 5 year warranty that comes as part of the price. If it were in my space/money budget, I'd be on the phone with Bob asking him which specific models of Miller he would recommend for the work I do (basic stick and all kinds of AL. 1-2 times per week and usually 4-5 hours at a time).


If you're serious about this, take him up on his offer and get individual units of the best quality you can afford. Then again, a low end unit like this is a way to get into things and learn your way around.



Ray

SE18 said:
thanks, Ray.

I think Jeff's friend had the best idea. Get a bunch of projects ready, buy the welder and use the heck out of it and put it thru its paces while still under warranty. If it holds up, good. If not, use the warranty.

Hopefully a warranty without an extension would last a year, but recently I've been seeing warranties that are only 90 days on products. An extended warranty is in itself a sizeable chunk of money. For those who have the money, an extended warranty is no big deal.

I have a feeling there are actuaries who do statistical studies on products and know a tool's mean time to failure (one of the company secrets) and calculate that so the odds are stacked in their favor, similar to what a casino would do.

I always like it when salesmen tell you their product is robust and will last forever and then try to push an extended warranty on you. Kind of irony there.
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