Date:         Wed, 6 Mar 1996 21:45:36 -0500 
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@vanagon.com>
From:         vwbus@TCPBBS.COM
Subject:      MIG welder advice needed

Well, comes the time I'm looking for my own MIG, had been using a
neighbors
at home but now that I've got a job and am way to far from the parents
house
and neighbors I started looking.  His was a very nice HTP America 160
amp unit.  And I called them first, they sent much nice literature
about why one
should never buy a $300 MIG and nice catalog detailing their product
line.  Their cheapest unit is $550 for a very heavy duty 100 amp 20%
duty cylce model, then they jump to $750 for their 140 amp model (which
oddly for this size
is still 110V).  So I looked at ye old Harbor Freight who only appears
to want
$399 for their 220V 150 amp model, specs seem reasonable but when you
call
them they tell you only gauranteed 90 DAYS!!!, 2 year warranty is
another $80,
hardly confidence inspiring.  Look at Daytona MIG out of HMN, used on
Shade
Tree Mechanic on TV, seems nice enough 140 amp model about $550, similar
for a 140 amp Lincoln from Eastwood Corp.  Now SAM'S club has 90 amp
and 140 amp Century models for $300 and $500 respectively, the 140 amp
is a 220V model and seems quite reasonable built, though HTP sells
replacement guns and makes snide remarks about Century as well.  I'm
sort of leaning toward the Century 140 at the moment anyway as the
lower current draw of a 220V unit impresses me, plus both Century units
carry 2 year warranties, and 5 year transformer warranties.  In fact
due to that I'm almost tempted to go with the 90 amp Century as I'm
problably not realistically going to use this all that much, still the
20% duty cycle at 85 amps would be a constant annoyance as I'd always
be waiting to weld, plus I too always believe in buying a bit more
capacity than you need.  Anyway certainly the prices on the HTP and
Daytona seem out of the
question even though the quality is undoubtedly superior.  If anyone
has experience with any of these and would like to steer my decision,
I'm looking for input.  I do note the HTP catalog is full of great
stuff though and I strongly suggest everyone pick one up at
800-USA-WELD their auto darkening LCD helmets FI are down to $139 for
the base model, plus prices on stuff like cold
galvanizing weld through primer at $4.50 a can is much better than what
I had been paying locally for CRC Zinc-It.

Thanks
John
vwbus@tcpbbs.com