ArcCaptain MIG 200 Review - All you need to know & more about the ArcCaptain 6 in 1 Mig 200 Welder

[@RenegadesGarage]

Challenge The Build.. I have the TIG200 and the MIG200 and I agree they are awesome machines. I still want to get the Cut50 plasma cutter. I expect it to be awesome as well. Arccaptain does have some great products and the best price around for the quality that you get. Thanks for sharing this video.

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Appreciate the feedback... The cut 50 is smoooooth! I love my TIG200 the high frequency start is the cats meow over a lift arc/scratch start...

[@JimTyler-p7l]

I would like to give you a big thank you for your time spent on analyzing and the presentation of the computer control system on the Arccaptain Mig200. I have to say the manual they provide is certainly one of the better ones I have read. Here is a couple of tid bits you can add if you already don't know. 1. When you change the parameters in its memory it seems like if the unit is turned off for several days they resort back to the factory settings. I haven't been able to track down the time span yet that this occurs. 2. When operating on 120volts you get 10 more memories to work with. When you switch back to 220volts your memories there are still intact. I found that most interesting! Thanks again for your time put into learning the ins and outs of the Mig200 and have a great 2024

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Thanks for the additional input, hopefully more people will read the comments and learn as well. As for the video you are welcome, I love getting feedback (good & bad). Glad this helped you. Thanks for watching and commenting. 👍

[@WV591]

Dang, just about every welding channel has gotten a freebee Arccaptain welder and other gadgets.

[@wilsonwilson9074]

Got my Mig 200 for Christmas can't wait try it out.

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

It's a solid machine. I actually just cleaned my garage and never thought I'd put my lincoln 210 on a shelf... But I did... 🤷‍♂️. Good luck with it.. 👍👍

[@BClauss-vy8xi]

What a great video! I am still learning and starting with flux, but you have talked me into 200 MIG when my skills improve. Thanks for the detail in explaining the setups and various test settings. Really helped me learn how to "tune" the welder to the project I am working on. Thanks for taking the time to do this, excellent resource!

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

My reviews are not for everyone as I follow my own drum beat when making these reviews😂, so I appreciate the positive feedback. Comments like this let me know I am doing it right. 👍

[@richardbartlett4075]

Thank you for all the info! My ArcCaptain is being delivered tomorrow and you have given me the instruction I needed. I'm new to welding and at age 69 I need all the help I can get! Great job and I could tell you were very happy with the results - I know I made the correct choice. Subscribed & looking forward to more of your videos. I build high performance motorcycles & repair, I need to build a drag wheelie bar so I can keep the front wheel on the ground of a 1976 Yamaha RD400 - 2 stroke. It hurts too much crashing at this age. Haha

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

I'm glad it helped, I also appreciate your comment. Feedback like this lets me know I am doing my job well. Thanks again and good luck with welding, be safe..👍

[@squidusn71]

For those who don't like reading instructions like myself, thank you!

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

😂😂 Right on! I did my job well! Thanks for watching and commenting...👍

[@AXNJXN1]

Unfortunately, he completely welded incorrectly with FC wire. You don’t ’push’ FC wire, you pull. ‘If it has slag, you drag’…

[@nrxhavoc]

I have the Mig 200 as well and I've noticed a few discrepancies between my machine and what youtube reviewers have. My machine does not have the same 2lb spool capability. Mine has an m10x1.50 socket head cap screw with a big spring and two plastic aligning plugs for the end of the spring that goes inside the ID of the big spool holder. It doesn't have the big metal stud which supports the 2lb spools. While I was able to get a response from Arccaptain, it didn't provide much information and wasn't helpful. At first they told me the machine just wasn't capable of using 2lb spools.... 2nd email after pressing them, they tell me it was an assembly line misstake in the factory. I asked if they could ship me the correct parts to fix it, and once again they skirted the issue. They offered to send me two 10lb spools of wire to make up for the misstake. I tell them I want 0.35 flux core wire which is one of the replacments they offered. They sent 0.30 solid mig wire. I cold just be nitpicking as I think the machine is relatively good. But the customer service just wasn't up to par. They just offered a bandaid instead of surgery. As well as a lot of reviewers having a 110 plug right out of the back, mine has a 220 plug with the included adaptor to go down to 110. Seems like there are some QC and CS issues that need to be addressed.

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Interesting. I was happy and surprised to see a 220v plug on this machine considering the other machines I have were wired at 110v (cut50 & tig 200) also I never even thought to look into whether or not a 2lb spool would fit, when I did the review I just figured a 2lb spool would fit guess I got lucky. I'm curious as to how long you've had your machine🤔. I'm wondering if it was a first run machine and since then they worked out the bugs and now started promoting the newer equipment...🤷‍♂️ not sure, I noticed a lot of the reviews are relatively new (within this year)....

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

And yes seems they need to attend to some QC & CS issues. That is sometimes the downside of purchasing budget brand equipment... Appreciate you commenting and adding to the conversation..👍

[@rjd8434]

I ordered that machine a couple weeks ago from Amazon. When I unboxed it I was very disappointed to find that the electrical cord on the welder had the 110 volt plug and a adapter to plug into 220 volt outlet. So a emailed Arccaptain to see if they could explain why this happened. Well 2-3 days passed and they hadn’t responded to my email. So I packed it up and sent it back to Amazon. It’s now been about two weeks and I still haven’t received a response from Arccaptain. I will not purchase any of their products. I ended up buying a Yeswelder MiG 205ds It’s over $100 cheaper and will work just fine for me.

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

This is a bummer, sorry to hear that you didn't have a positive experience. I talk with a rep every once in a while and mentioned something about the 110v cord issue, I was surprised to see my machine with a 220v plug honestly. The tig welder and plasma cutter I have are wired to 110v but I personally dont have a major issue with the adapter going from 110v to 220v. Its just my own personal preference having it wired to 220v because that's how I use my equipment. As far as customer service can't really speak on that because I have had my issues with many different companies. Again sorry to hear it didn't work out for you... Curious as to how you like the yeswelder...🤝

[@rjd8434]

@@ChallengeTheBuild I haven’t done a lot of welding with it yet just a little bit of flux core. Just like you said about the Arccaptain it’s going to take some getting used to since everything is metric. I need to get a gas bottle soon and try out the gas process. I just feel that having that 220 adapter could potentially be hazardous. Had they responded to my email and offered some sort of solution I may have kept it. I will say that the mig whip on the Yeswelder is more robust and the electrical cord is a heavier gauge. But of course only time will tell how durable it is. But for a diy hobbyist like me I’m hopeful it will last. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Wish you the best with it... Happy welding...👍

[@pparedes1111]

Man I got my welder last week and I was upset because of the opposite scenario. My welder has the 220v out of the machine with the adapter to 110v. All the videos I watched had the 110 out the machine and that's what I wanted...I'm still keeping the welder, but I actually wanted the 110v as that allows more versatility for me. I have a big 220v welder and this was supposed to be mainly 110v now I gotta use the adapter...

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

@pparedes1111 I talked with an ArcCaptain rep and I was told all the equipment now comes wired for 220v and then has the adapter for 110v.

[@dandahermitseals5582]

Im 80 n been welding since 10 yrs old and all this computer business is a brain load for me. Ive never ram flux core. Dandahrrmit

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Appreciate you watching. 👍

[@kenjackson-f5u]

Great video , super informative! Thank you! I just ordered one after returning a Yeswelder 205ds-B. I noticed in some videos the welder has a built in light inside the cabinet. Does anyone no if this is standard now?

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Thanks for the positive feedback, as for the light inside the cabinet? Not sure... I'd be curious to hear what you think of the ArcCaptain compared to the Yeswelder when you get it... 👍

[@kenjackson-f5u]

I had a few things I didn't like about the 205DS-b. Right off the bat, when I took it out of the box the clear plastic cover makes the welder look cheap, almost like a toy. Then there was the constant very loud fan, it never goes off. My next observation was the poor visibility of the digital display. I don't know if it was the shroud over the top or the angle of the panel and how tight the display was up under the shroud, but in order to view it clearly you had to bend over or place the welder on a higher than normal angle to read the display. Up next was the green LED's. They are way, way to bright. So bright in fact, I had to put my finger over it to read the number next to it. Another thing was that it didn't have a spot weld mode. I'm completely new to this and I'm looking for every advantage I can get. Also, I wasn't super happy about the 120v to 240v adapter cord either. That just seems to be a bad idea for safety reasons. It seems like all these inexpensive welders in this price range use them, so I was willing to get past that. I can't speak to performance because I never even tested it. I know that my complaints don't matter as far as performance and capabilities go, and I'm sure it would have worked very well, but to me this stuff mattered. I wanted something that I would really love, not a compromise. Ultimately, after I took it out of the box and powered it up I just found one thing after another that I wasn't really in love with. So, before I went any further with this I just kind of left it sitting and went back to investigating other similar multi-process welders because I was already thinking about returning it. The Arccaptain MIG 200 kept coming up on KZbin videos and after looking on amazon it also had very good reviews. I couldn't help but notice the features and prices were almost exactly in line with the 205DS-b. By all accounts they are both very highly rated and seem to perform very well, so investigated the Arccaptain further. I really liked the layout of the display and the way the machine looked aesthetically, not like a toy. I liked that it had a spot weld feature and I also thought the light in the cabinet was a great idea. I noticed that in this video! The other thing that I started noticing was that it seemed like in the newer reviews that it was also coming with a 240v cable adapted down to 120v, much better and safer. Now, on the not so good side the torch was definitely inferior to the one that came with the Yeswelder, but that was really all I could find and I was willing to overlook that, I could always replace it. Ultimately, I did return the Yeswelder and ordered the Arccaptain. As it turns out it arrived defective, but Amazon sent out a replacement quickly. Since then I have used it on both 120 and 240v and it works well on both. I've only had a chance to play around with some 1/8th coupons and some 18 gauge sheets to try out the spot weld feature, but so far I'm very happy with it. I love that the fan doesn't come on until the welder is in use, that's a BIG plus. Since I've purchased the MIG 200 I have discovered that every cable on the 205DS is heavier gauge. Both the power cable and the ground straps are better on the 205DS, and as mentioned earlier also the torch and cable. I've had the Arcaptain for almost a week and I'm happy with my decision. I really like how it looks. The features and functions are great and it seems to work very well. I have no doubt that the 205DS also works very well, but I just couldn't get past the little things. I hope my experience's can help one of your viewers make a decision that works best for them! @@ChallengeTheBuild

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

I really appreciate you taking the time to write this, it is extremely well written... Thank you, I hope that many more people read the comments here, this certainly helps. Thanks again. 👍👍

[@Surf_Salt]

Great video. I have a power question; specs on the back say input on 110v is Max 40.7A and 1eff/A 25.7 A. Who the heck has a 50 amp circuit breaker on a 110v circuit? Is this even usable in North America on 110V?

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

I have been waiting for someone to notice 🧐 exactly that👍... On all the budget equipment I have reviewed the amperage usage on 110v is ridiculous! I personally would not feel safe using it running 40 amps on 110v, I think the max I would run would be 30 amps on 110v. You can certainly run this on a 20amp breaker using 110v but then the question becomes efficiency? That's why I always run 220v 💪! Thanks for watching and commenting, I appreciate it..👍👍

[@Surf_Salt]

Thx for the reply. Interesting that they include a 110v.plug. I'm guessing if this was made in the US or Canada it would have to draw less than 20 amps to have a normal plug. That said. Like you say, it will run on a 20amp circuit. I wonder if I can get by running it at low settings for sheet metal like 13-15v

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

@Surf_Salt ... This machine will easily weld 1/8 material on 110v using a 20 amp breaker. Sheetmetal should not be any issue. 👍👍 It is a nice welder with a lot of things to adjust 😂👍👍

[@Surf_Salt]

Thanks, that helps a ton.

[@nenadnenad3433]

I hawe 2 mig 200 arccaptain.and 2 Arc 200 stick welder.❤wery good

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Weld on !💪👍

[@mikedesilets3324]

Anyone tried 1/2" plate? Im searching for a video. My 250a transformer machine died and I'm looking at these inverter machines now.

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

I thought I cut 1/2" plate in this video?

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

ArcCaptain has a new cut i55 machine out too, I am supposed to be getting it to check it out..

[@mikedesilets3324]

@@ChallengeTheBuild Sorry. I wasn't clear. Have you tried welding 1/2"? I'd be curious how each pass would look and if 3 passes would do it?

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

@mikedesilets3324 Sorry I also was confused, I thought this was for the CUT50 plasma cutter.. I think welding 1/2" all comes down to metal preparation, cleaning, beveling, leaving a gap, pre-heating and possibly setting it up with a backing plate depending on what you are welding. Half inch material is pretty serious stuff, I think if it's a one time thing then maybe you can get away with it but if you plan on welding 1/2" as an everyday thing you may want to look at a bigger machine. Just a few of my thoughts.

[@mikedesilets3324]

@ChallengeTheBuild Thank you. My 250a transformer machine died and I'm debating fixing it or going with one of these inverter machines. I'm just a home project welder. 1/2" may never happen but I was curious. I'm also concerned with the lifespan of the inverter machines.

[@ol-man-duffyj688]

Anyone ever tried to get a foot pedal to work on the Mig200? Feel like it should work with the TIG

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

I am not sure but I can take a look.... The MIG200 is advertised as a lift tig so I am doubtful...

[@Wormser_mcfrazzleweiner]

What's up with the 58/59 truck?

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Ugh... Have you ever started a project and have it spiral outta control 😂😂😂... Yeah... I am paying the price for not having a clear vision in the beginning of the project. But I leave it in the garage to keep my dream alive. All projects have a time line, I just hope mine meets the deadline at some point.

[@Wormser_mcfrazzleweiner]

@@ChallengeTheBuild I'm doing a build series on a69 chevelle. I feel ya

[@burksgarage]

🤟🏽🤟🏽

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Thanks brother...👊

[@Joe_1971]

Do you think this welder would have any issues welding the frame on an 05 F150? I would be using it on 110V with flux cored 0.035 wire. I would rather not have to run 220 out to the garage. It is 1/8 inch thick material and so are the patch kits. Also do you think I should replace the 6 gauge ground clamp wire with some 1 gauge? I watched some videos where the cable got really hot and the insulation started to melt? I'm also thinking of replacing the alloy steel bus bars in the machine with copper bus bars. IS that overkill?

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Tough question to answer. I do believe the welder is capable, 1/8" is about the max I would feel comfortable welding on 110v, I highly recommend using 220v especially for welding a frame having the added voltage and heat is always a plus. As far as upgrading the ground cable and buss bar, overkill isn't a thing...😂😂

[@Joe_1971]

I actually opened it up and took a look inside, and started thinking will the copper bus bars really make that much of a difference because ultimately the bus bars connect to a circuit board...and how much current can a circuit board trace actually handle? If anything I will just upgrade the ground cable to a 2 gauge 15 foot.

[@ChallengeTheBuild]

Also it would void any warranty. Upgrading the ground is a safe move in my opinion even if its just the clamp..