I would look at Hobart, Lincoln or Miller. Stay with old fashion type and avoid the inverter type.

Dave

 

Thank you ! I never would trust an inverter
J

 

Are you looking for new only? New the only transformer machines I can think of are the Lincoln tombstone AC/DC and Harbor Freight's Vulcan Commander.

Used I'd say find a clean Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC, Thunderbolt XL AC/DC...pretty much the same machine, just slight changes over time. They weld nicely, have plenty of power for what you're doing and don't take up too much space. They're also very simple to fix if anything does go wrong.

Other options used are Lincoln IdealArc or Miller Dialarc but they're both fairly large machines that are big and heavy. They would run on your 50A circuit just fine unless you decided to go way up in electrode size and really cranked up the amps. I had a Dialarc and tested it with 3/16" electrodes at something like 180A and it was fine on my 50A circuit.

 

Whyt would you want an antique pig, He wants something to run 5/32 on 50A,,, the Hobart SAtickmate would be ideal, the new inverter does 200A on 43 in.

 

It is simple the antique is 98% effective and it will last for 50 years. Try that with any electronic like your cell phone or TV.
Here today in trash tomorrow 🙃.

I had welder that used everyday from 1970 to 2000 and sold them working with no repairs.
Now a antique because still working not a new one in the land fill.

Dave

 

I would go with the esab rouge 180. It runs 5)32" 7018 great and any other electrode including 6010. 35-40 amps will run it wide open as opposed to way more than that for an archaic transformer machine that draws twice the amps and takes a trailer to move.

 

I like the old machines but they spin the meter a lot faster than an inverter there are plenty of Miller, Lincoln and Chinese inverters that will easily do what you want. If you don't weld a lot power consumption might not be an issue for you and an old transformer would be great my my Dialarc HF calls for a 90-amp breaker while a Lincoln 225 AC/DC tombstone runs on a 50-amp breaker will do the job but welding 1/2-inch plate you will run into the duty cycle pretty quickly. If you weld for a living then get a new machine with a 100-percent duty cycle @180 amps which is about as hot as you can weld with 5/33 - a machine that is fully supported.

 

The old transformer type is about 98% efficiency. Any welder running 250 amps will use power. Even the inverter type can only be almost 99% it probably less more like 98% to 95%. But need to put it a meter to find out. The manufacturers are aloud a 20% error on there ads.

Dave

 

I agree I have my Dialarc HF on a 50-amp and it's fine for stick with 5/32.

 

+1 on the ESAB Rogue It will run 6010 on 120v house current (a tough feat for most inverters). Its a decent little DC only TIG welder (and you can add an optional foot pedal for that unlike most lunch box size inverters), has fully adjustable hot start and arc force, which is hard to get on a transformer welder. Plus lots of folks on these boards have them or the predecessor machine (the 161) and they have a super reputation for durability and reliability. 180 amps ought to be enough for 5/32 7018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5MwWlXkgoLk

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U0wGBpUk0Yc

 

And if that doesn't work for you, come buy the Lincoln Idealarc welder that I am getting rid of. Works perfectly, just needs new paint

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/1004886250142669

 

It would help to know what the service requirements are. Run 7018 5/32 with a machine on a 50-amp breaker is simple but you need to explain the expected duty cycle. If you are breaking up the welding with fitting I reduces welding time but a fillet weld on 1/2-inch plate with 7018 is a 3-pass weld and if the weld joints are long you will hit the duty cycle on a smaller machine pretty quickly. The minimum for a production application new would something in the class of a Miller XMT 304 inverter which will run on a single phase 50-amp breaker.

 

These two can do more than what they are used for. They are hard to beat. The Lincoln is AC/DC you can find them for about $300 maybe a little more

View attachment 1F9F9A75-8ACC-4A80-95F9-E0AC87BC9C4C.jpeg

 

Thanks to everyone !
I only weld as a hobby, so electric draw is not a big deal. I do not trust an inverter, since it will be sitting in my shed most of the time.
Weight is not an issue, I weld just outside my shed where it will be kept.
J

 

I kept my inverter TIG/stick welder outdoors underneath a carport (with a cover on) in the Texas climate (freakin hot), all year long from 2013 to 2018. Still works. A quality machine is just that. Just saying.

 

Forney also makes a good AC/DC buzz box.

 

Not everything welded to 1/2 needs 1/2 weld. The Rouge impresses me.

 

One mention of 1/2 and 5/32 and we jump to the conclusion he is gonna start a shipyard. Lots of people built lots of log splitters with a buzzer and 1/8 rod. The fact that an inverter will burn the same rod with 1/2 the input should make something about effeciency obvious.

 

I have run my Dialarc HF on a 50-amp fuse although it calls for a 90 and it snap the breaker Tig welding aluminum, I could weld the same aluminum on my inverter all day without snapping the breaker. I don't know what I'm missing but it seems to me I am using a lot less power with the inverter.

 

Inverters are more efficient. Personally, I recommend a Lincoln Tombstone, Miller Thunderbolt, or a similar old transformer machine. Try to get an AC/DC machine. They might cost a bit more, but they're a lot more versatile. You're looking at about 125 pounds (little bit more than that) for something like an AC/DC Lincoln Tombstone.

If you do get an inverter machine, get something that'll push at least 200A. Unless you get into the more expensive machines, you're probably stuck with DC only with an inverter.

Now, that said, I almost never switch my stick machine to AC. It's almost always DCEP.

 

If you're willing to buy a Chinese machine, this looks like a screaming deal at $560 (after the 44% off coupon). 250A AC/DC TIG machine. You can stick weld with it just fine and if you decide you want to try TIG, you've got it. You can weld aluminum with this machine, too.
https://yeswelder.com/products/tig250p-acdc?ref=WeldP

 

If only they put out the advertised amperage. When a Yeswelder says 250A, it actually measures out to like 160A, lol. The videos are out there on YouTube.

 

I'm gonna say that 2 of my favorite machines for stick work were the Miller Dialarc 250 or the Hobart TR 250, basically the same machine, but the Hobart is usually cheaper if you find one. My TR250 got thrashed at 185+ most of the time and never popped a 50 amp breaker. And very oddly for a single phase machine it ran 6010 really smooth.

 

This and duty cycle... Whenever someone points to the high duty cycle on some Chinese machines, I refer them to the video of the guy testing Chinese lithium batteries, where batteries advertised at 9,000mAH actually prove out to be less than 1,000mAH

 

And the winner is?

 

If size and power requirements aren't a concern, I'd go on SearchTempest/Craigslist and look for something like a used Idealarc AC/DC. For example: https://worcester.craigslist.org/tls/d/petersham-lincoln-idealarc-250-ac-dc/7493487775.html https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/tls/d/saugerties-lincoln-idealarc-tig-welder/7475573661.html

 

If size and power requirements aren't a concern, I'd go on SearchTempest/Craigslist and look for something like a used Idealarc AC/DC. For example: https://worcester.craigslist.org/tls/d/petersham-lincoln-idealarc-250-ac-dc/7493487775.html https://hudsonvalley.craigslist.org/tls/d/saugerties-lincoln-idealarc-tig-welder/7475573661.html

Check back about 20 posts ago. I am selling an Idealarc 250 for $250. Now the OP is in NY and I am in CT, so that could mean an hours drive or an 8 hour drive depending on where in NY. But the Idealarc I have while cosmetically a mess, welds fine. I am willing to prove it and have welding rods and coupons ready to go for anyone who wants to test it. I don't think you will find a more screaming hot deal right now than an Idealarc 250 (round top version, model year 1969) for $250. An idealarc 250 will run fine on a 50 amp circuit.

 

He has a 50 circuit in his shed,,,, 220...................... why advocate a cobble job when they make a machine will plug in to this?

 

Someone suggests a legal welder circuit less than 6 and everyone blows a gasket, then when a guy suggests a machine to fit the existing circuit and ability of the owner we get a "you go girl" type of encouragement,,, this thread ait got there yet but will I am sure,,, how I wired my Dialarc to a dryer circuit and if I use 1/6 rods with it then its the best. machine they ever invented. I know its somewhat hard to grasp but its simply another welder. Their aint no pixie dust in it.
If a guy said,,, I got a welder any professional weldor worth as pinch of shate would be well pleased to see a DC buzzer and now maybe more a dvi lunchbox really.

 

The Lincoln AC DC Tombstone has only a 20-percent duty cycle over 75-amps. 2 minutes in 10 is not really sufficient to nice along welding 1/2-inch plate with 5/32 7018. I had a Tombstone as my second stick welder and it did the job, it's an 800-dollar welder you can get an inverter with a lot more in the way of duty cycle for that money it will use less power a lot less and be so portable that if you don't want to leave in a shed it will fit on the shelf in a closet.

 

The Lincoln AC DC Tombstone has only a 20-percent duty cycle over 75-amps.

Really? I find that hard to believe. (Not that I'm suggesting you're lying, but maybe misremembering?) Because I've never seen Lincoln misrepresent DC that way.

ETA: According to https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en/products/k1297
AC: 225A/25V/20% Duty Cycle
DC: 125A/25V/20% Duty Cycle

If the duty cycle is 20% @ 125A on DC, then the duty cycle at 75A on DC should be 55%.

 

I can say this for sure,,,, it dont make it right but,,, I have ran whole big ole welders handful with heavy gloves on at a time on a couple of DC buzzers. This is a guy simply mention 1/2 and 5/32 in passing, not sure how accurate is self assesment of real demand is??? Not sayin g its wrong but look at the long list of wants everytime someone asks about a machine.