welder/generator or welder and generator?

[SouthernThunder]

I need a portable stick welder with its own power supply. I want to be able to use 1/8 rod and as usual, don't want to spend a lot of cash. I was wondering if it would be cheaper to buy a generator and then come up with a welder or to just buy the whole welder/generator outfit? What specifications should i look for as far as watts amp etc? Thanks for the info... Clarke welders suck!

[luckypabst]

Probably cheaper to go with seperate units. A new Lincoln AC welder can be had for a few hundred bucks. Used for much less (I have an old Montgomery-Ward AC you can have for free!) I can't comment on generator cost however.

The common engine driven welders generally seem to be aimed at commercial use and professional grade, powered by high quality engines. I wanna say the lower priced ones come in around 3K+ for a basic stick welder.

Chris

[Cosmic]

All depends on what you can get your hands on. Example if you have a tractor with PTO and a fair shot at a generator that can handle a welder, separate is probably the way to go.

Only way a generator / welder combo probably will make sense is a widow selling one used for money to buy new curtains........ He used to use this, but I never understood why. Took up the entire back of the truck.

I still have to get my new house wired and get the 50 amp receptable installed for my Lincoln welder. No widows around here selling generator / welder combos that I am aware of yet. Going to have to ask around at the local churches if any welders have died recently.

You just don't find good engine / generators / welder combo's for cheap money without luck or somebody having to die. Assuming the widow can't weld and always was annoyed when he did.

[tyusclan]

I think you'd be better off to go with a welder/generator. Like Cosmic pointed out the small Lincolns require a 50 amp circuit so you're gonna need at least an 8000 watt generator. From what I've seen once you get that size the combos are about as cheap as the generator alone.

If you're in the Southeast, the Sunbelt Ag Expo in Moultrie in October always has a Lincoln and Miller rep there. They have show specials on all the units and you can save quite a bit. They had a Ranger 10 there last year that was a thousand dollars cheaper than the local welding shop had one for.

[stonefly71]

A friend of mine has a Honda stick welder / gen he's had it about 15 yrs and paid around 700 for it back then. You might want to check Harbor Freight or try and find a reconditioned one or check at auctions for one as I saw one last summer go for 125.00 just the welder it was stick and brand new used one time.Just depends on how big of one you want. Later Matt

[CWebster]

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...e_star_series/ MILLER Bluestar's go for about $1700 new. They are a generator/welder with 6000 watts for power and 55 - 185A for stick welding. I have one and it gets used constantly...from welding jobs, to powering a camper, to running tools on a jobsite, etc. It welds like a dream and is very reliable. Like others have said they are very difficult to find used, and if you do they tend to go pretty high ($800 +). I think that it would be a better setup than having 2 seperate units.

Chris

[emke]

Five years ago my husband bought me a Lincoln Ranger 8 to help him on his jobs. It is a quick starting little thing. Since I got pregnant 4 months after starting to help him he switched over to using that one instead of his big Lincoln welder. We have never had any problems with it and now that he is working for other people we use it for a generator. I don't know how much "power" output if gives, but we have run our refrigerator, TV, and chest freezer off of it when the power was out. I would recommend getting a welder/generator combined. Less machinery to worry about moving around.

If you are thinking about getting a used one, go to a welding supply or farm and rach store and make inquireries. They would know if anyone is selling a used one.