Welding Questions - What Engine Drive Is Best For You?

[@masonsydow9546]

Man I bought my Miller Trailblazer 325 in ‘18 because it offered 12/24V battery charge and 300amp jump start. I paid $6600 for it then. They’re over $11,000 now but my God it welds so good. I only weld up to 5/32 7018’s but I gouge with 1/4” rods with out hesitation too.

[@joshc606]

Same, also does good with Miller Suitcase welder, .045 or 1/16 wire. I have 800hrs on mine, gasser, with no issues.

[@BRENT3143945]

I have a miller trailblazer 325 also very capable for its size

[@riley6723]

1. Depends on your main style of welding? Under 200amps and mainly stick/Tig. Smaller carbureted engines are fine. Low price as long as hours are under 3,000. 2. Running stick and wire feed. The bigger amp machines gas machines carbureted or EFI do “okay”. Efi gets about 16-19 hours per tank (give or take on usage). Carbureted will get 9-12 hours on a tank. 3. More expensive machines have copper windings. The smaller ones have aluminum. Yes it makes a difference!! 4. Diesel machines are bigger and heavier. They handle arc gouging better/big wire/big rod. Takes bigger trucks to haul. 5. Old school machines are big and heavy, but are “cheaper” to repair and work in. Newer stuff lets you tweak settings ( that’s a whole other convo), but prices are higher when it’s repair time. Basically these convos are like ford/Chevy/dodge. It’s all about what you prefer,can afford, can fit in your truck, and can afford to fix. What machine welds for you? May not weld good for the next guy. And vise versa.

[@mikeyball5637]

I totally agree with this video and nice piece of information for you you can totally put a Lincoln 225 ranger in the bed of a Tacoma. I also have to say your best point is don’t put yourself in debt just to look cool

[@stevewarner8880]

I have a 1966 SA200 Redface that was a barn find that I restored. I’m not really a welder for hire but I have picked up a few bucks with it. Newer machines are more versatile with auxiliary power. I love to hear that little flathead through the straight pipe. Much nicer that lawnmower engine drives.

[@bartfart2123]

ran a vantage 300 for years and it was a BEAST! picked up a 250 gxt used and ran 3/16 rods for a week long job wide open. never missed a beat.

[@WizardMars]

I got 2 setups. A 7.5kva generator with an inverter for smaller work, and a Hobart Mega-arc 4030d for the big stuff. The generator is a silent inverter and perfect for work where i need to be quieter. The Hobart is what i weld buckets, tracks and heavy plate as well as air arc gouge.

[@keithjurena9319]

Traditional generator welders are just like their classic wired units, large and heavy. The US Army learned this the hard way, trying to shove a 200 amp Hobart in Dodge 200 with a Dana 44 front axle. The next version of this welding truck was a Chevy K30, using a PTO powered 12.5 kW 3 phase generator to power a Miller XMT350. It saved 400+ pounds on this vehicle with a 7 CFM air compressor.

[@Bodie2020]

I found an sa250 with less than 1k hours that came from an old guy who bought it new and then became foreman and welds like a dream. It’s over 40 years old and has only worked a few weeks a year in average. I love it. Just traded for a tig rig as well and I’m less than 500$ in the welder leads and tig now because I traded labor on working on his truck for the welder and leads

[@gezgin335]

Hello Austin, although I can't listen to their speech in Turkish, I would appreciate it if you could at least add it to the subtitle in Turkish, because I think I can learn something from you, thank you, good work.

[@ericcrockett6396]

Dont forget the old hobart engine drives that had the 6cyl ford engines or the SA200 competition the miller big 20 and bigger brother the big 40. They ran the same flathead 4cyl continental gas engines as the Lincolns and were great machines too and super simple and reliable

[@austinhargett5792]

Hey thanks for that! I didn’t know!

[@welderprincess133]

Thanks Austin!! Appreciate the content. Love the app! You guys have been so helpful!!

[@austinhargett5792]

Thank you for being apart of the community!

[@baeronwheels3922]

I love my 305d it's been very nice for my work and Preparation

[@garthland]

got a '48 short hood SA200,a '46 shieldarc junior,Bobcat 250 for my house genset and a 250gxt on my rig.

[@gabrielniz1116]

I bought a Vulcan outlaw 195 from harbor freight brand new for $800 after waiting a couple months and multiple discounts. I’ve been welding pipe for the past year with it and I have to say it’s held up. I have two grinders on it and mainly weld 6010 and 7018. For anyone out there starting off welding anything I recommend it.

[@Welddotcom]

Thanks for sharing

[@jhitt79]

I’ve been thinking about getting an outlaw 195 as well. I’m not looking to make money with it, just help out friends and family. (I’m the go to mechanic for everyone i know seems.) All the reviews I’ve seen so far have very positive.

[@ignaciofortaneljr8695]

I work a chemical plant I've seen a couple of rig welder using Tacomas with ranger 250s

[@derekbryant6137]

I have one of those Hobart 225 machines they're good machines if all you want to do is stick weld or scratch TIG weld they're awesome and they will run an inverter welder they've got the voltage for that as well 11000 watt speak 9500 continuous they'll run just about anything you want to run off of them I do side work with mine and use it in power outages and it will run a whole house you won't know except for the noise from the generator that you're running off of generator

[@GRich120]

This was a great fireside chat Mr. Austin. #miller #lincoln #hobart #esab #mobilewelder

[@paulkurilecz4209]

Nothing in my mind beats an old Ranger 225 or an SA 200 by Lincoln. Especially with the diesel engine. Just the way that they purr when working.

[@musashiblade8665]

Just wondering what your thoughts are on the Lincoln Maverick 260X ?

[@tumbleweedoutdoors1776]

I gotta say I have experience only on the miller bobcat but I love it and it’s a great machine

[@TrolloTV]

What makes these better than a seperate welder and generator? Never used them

[@welderprincess133]

I think because on a generator you lose power between the generator and the machine. Also let me tell you it sucks hauling a genny and a welder. Plus you have to make sure the gwnny puts out clean power. Especially for the inverter welders. If you can afford an engine drive I say go for it.

[@austinhargett5792]

Should have explained this at the end of the video. It’s got a lot to do with the type of power it generates being clean enough for an inverter machine. If done wrong you can damage your welder or generator

[@rvasquez123415]

what’s a good welder for some pipeline but building fences and car ports?

[@keithjurena9319]

kVA is kilo volt×amps. Like a kilowatt but involves reactive power. Watt is true power. Inverter macinhes can have high reactive power. I run my Miller Dynasty 200 DX off a 15 kVA rated 3 phase generator with no issues. A 5 kW 240 volt single phase generator will only swing 120 amp SMAW work.

[@specialks1953]

You sir, are so hip and cool. You be frontin some good vibes with yoo bad self.

[@clutchshot247]

I see you have some everlast welders in your video? How are they?? Compared to lincoln and miller, seem like they have a lot of features but wondering there reliability and arc

[@davidmanley3780]

Lincoln, or Miller, the top two .

[@austinhargett5792]

Basically! Lol try and look up another there ain’t no one! Haha expect on the small scale

[@migueldayot3762]

Thank you for this video!!

[@deansmith5932]

Both Miller and Hobart are owned by ITW, so not really competition there.

[@4AM_DJ]

Most would like to either start their own business or get to pipelining. If you'd like to start your own, go cheap and get yourself a hobart champion elite 225. Make enough income to buy yourself your dream machine, but do not underestimate the Hobart engine welder. If you going Pipelining, get a used SA200 water cooled engine. Make enough income and buy yourself that expensive ass diesel welder 😲

[@wemcal]

Great video

[@ThinkFab]

How about a solar/battery powered welder? Don’t need to be 300+ amps, but aren’t we due for a welder without needing to burn fossil fuels?

[@TrolloTV]

They exist 👍🏻 Lorch stick welders can be bought with their matching battery, for example

[@ThinkFab]

@@TrolloTV thanks for the heads up, I’ll check them out!

[@downhilldaddy5282]

SA200, the starter machine

[@burn_learnearn_welding7101]

I have a lincoln electric eagle. Cost me $4000 brand new runs creat has 4 120v and a 220 or 240 can't remember. No air but it's good for structural. Even welds pipe great. It is hard to get the settings right on it.

[@jokarpo6723]

How does it run 6010