Mini Mig

[performance]

We do have some smaller migs on the way. They will be in this next shipment whenever that is...

[roadymi]

By small I was referring to amperage (<200) with a nice compact gun for getting into tight places for welding on rollcages. I'm not super familiar with the smaller machines but I believe most of them are limited to approximately 2 lb spool. I'm thinking in the $350 neighborhood for a 140-160 amp machine. I'm not sure what arc force is. Any ball park idea when these may arrive. I realize they may be on the slow boat :-)

[performance]

roadymi,

Don't look for them to be too cheap. They will be in the range you are looking for though.

These are inverter machines. Typical transformer machines in the price range you are looking at are poor performers, with lousy duty cycle and unstable arc characteristics. Transormers are cheaper to make and inverters are more technologically advanced...hence the higher price. We do have a cheap transformer welder at our disposal, that should be reliable, but it is not our desire to offer the lowest quality product to our customers just to save them a little money, especially where migs are concerned.

Ours will likely be in the 500-600.00 range. They use Binzel MIG guns, among the finest in the industry. I think they all will accept a 10 lb roll. Depending upon the model, they have an addtional stick weld function. And these are half the weight of the equivalent transformer MIG.

Arc force for a MIG machine affects the arc properties and it helps to fine tune the welding arc to suit your taste and welding style. Some older references call this a "choke" and fine tunes your machine to make it weld exactly how you want it too.

The boat isn't so slow as China is on a two week national holiday...with 4 days of "national 60th birthday" and a traditional 4 day fall break. Look for things to hit high gear after the 9th.

[roadymi]

Thanks for the feedback.....looks like I will need a slightly larger piggybank than I was hoping.......oh well......such is life.

[WAYNESWORLD]

If you are welding roll bars by all means get a good welder as your life or someone else’s may depend on a good strong weld.
Wayne

[roadymi]

If you are welding roll bars by all means get a good welder as your life or someone else’s may depend on a good strong weld.
Wayne

Don't worry Wayne, I value my neck as much as the next guy. It's just that I want a really good welder.......at a really really good price. I just don't need to weld 1/2" steel. I don't need a 200 amp machine to weld the 3/16" and thinner stuff that I will be working on. Typical roll cage tube is .087 to .120. I really really hope that my welding skills on the cage never gets tested. I've been upside down twice....two times too many already.

I have faith these guys can produce what I need.

[everlastsupport]

I think Roadymi is on to something. Maybe a thread asking "what would be the ultimate machine you would want and how much would you pay"?

Detailed specs and price range.

We at Everlast have talked about a portable plasma cutter for over a year and it's still on our list. Not enough demand to justify it based on the cost. I personally want one, but we too have a piggy bank.

We import our machines from our factory after the design phases. Under $300 is not going to happen as, the cost, shipping, US customs/duty, company overhead and so on.

There are a lot of hidden cost but we deliver quality, feature rich, products.

Other companies charge a lot more for their units that do less than ours.

[roadymi]

I think Roadymi is on to something. Maybe a thread asking "what would be the ultimate machine you would want and how much would you pay"?

As long as you asked, why not build the ultimate machine....arc, tig, mig & plasma?. It seems you have 2 or 3 of the above combined in different configurations, why not all 4?

Just a thought.

[performance]

Roadymi,

There are a lot of parts competing with the same "air" space as it is in our current machines...I won't say the technology is tapped out, but it is pushing practicality to the limit. You will see 3 technologies combined into one, but adding the 4 to any possible combination, defeats the portability, and practicality of what we are trying to do. You will see Mig, Tig, and Stick combined in many power sources as inverters are quite able to handle CC and CV issues. But something has to be sacrificed, whether its portability, simplicity, functionality, or reliability, when adding another complete system. A lot of other companies refuse to add plasma to their list of functions just for this reason. A plasma is portable and quite easy to move around, especially for the amperage we are talking about, but when combined, you have extra weight of boards, and need for more space to allow things to cool and operate properly. Switching constantly between processes also is tiring for many. Many of our customers buy separate units for this reason. But anytime you add a mig to a welder, you have a LOT of extra added weight, making the machine not quite portable and not quite big enough to be a stationary either...making it a undesirable product in many home shops and commercial garages.