Welding Cart - Power Cart 250 - opinions?

[ScottRussell]

Is anyone using the PowerCart 250? If you are, did you opt for the better wheels? and how do you like it so far?

[performance]

Better Wheels? Huh? No such thing.

[Poptm]

ScottRussell -

Ya I got one when I purchased my 250ex. If I had to do it over I wouldn't. I'd build my own. The first thing to go was the top shelf. Shelf split vertically were the two holes for the handle go. Shelf then sagged in front under just the weight of the 250ex. Had to built a replacement shelf out of 1-1/4 x 1-1/4 x 1/8 angle and 16 ga sheet. Never had anything on top shelf but the 250 ex. Top edge distances above the holes was at best 1/16" (not enough in my opinion).

The next thing to go was the bottom shelf where the water cooler goes. Sheet metal is/was too thin for the shelve being configured as it was. The shelf bowed up in the middle and down at the outside edges. Replaced the bottom shelf with one made from 2 x 2 x 3/16 angle 1/4 in thk flat bar and 16 ga sheet metal. It's rigid as all get out now.

Then I got a 300 cf bottle to replace the 80 cf I'd been using. When I put the 300 cf bottle on the cart the rear axle didn't rotate anymore. The wheels had to turn on the axle in order for the cart to move. The weight of everything (cart, 300 cf bottle, machine, water cooler (full of water), and a few consumables I have on the middle shelf) increased the friction to the point where the whole cart just beared down (thru the axle mounts) on the axle and the axle wouldn't rotate in the mount holes. As such, it was difficult to move the cart around with just the wheels rotating. So I purchased some 3/4" axle bearings from Mcmaster-Carr, some 1-1/2 OD by .156" wall pipe and replaced the rear axle mounts with mounts made from 1-1/2 x 1/4 flat bar and pieces of the pipe. Slipped the bearings in the pipe and tack tabs on the end of the pipe to hold the bearings in place. Reassembled everything and now the cart moves around very easily.

As modified the cart is quite functional, works, and moves around good. In hind site it wasn't worth the $125 I paid for it. I didn't bother talking to the guys at Everlast cause I just figured "no biggy" I'll just fix it, when the first problem arose. When the second problem poped up, I just thought the same thing. When I put the heavier bottle on it I figured well, I'm into it this far so it's just best to keep going with the mods instead of starting over from scratch or trying to make a stink about it (although I do think that if I had the guys at Everlast would have done something for me about it). I will say that I do like the layout out of their cart design but that it could be just a bit beefier.

[ScottRussell]

ScottRussell -

Ya I got one when I purchased my 250ex. If I had to do it over I wouldn't. I'd build my own. The first thing to go was the top shelf. Shelf split vertically were the two holes for the handle go. Shelf then sagged in front under just the weight of the 250ex. Had to built a replacement shelf out of 1-1/4 x 1-1/4 x 1/8 angle and 16 ga sheet. Never had anything on top shelf but the 250 ex. Top edge distances above the holes was at best 1/16" (not enough in my opinion).

The next thing to go was the bottom shelf where the water cooler goes. Sheet metal is/was too thin for the shelve being configured as it was. The shelf bowed up in the middle and down at the outside edges. Replaced the bottom shelf with one made from 2 x 2 x 3/16 angle 1/4 in thk flat bar and 16 ga sheet metal. It's rigid as all get out now.

Then I got a 300 cf bottle to replace the 80 cf I'd been using. When I put the 300 cf bottle on the cart the rear axle didn't rotate anymore. The wheels had to turn on the axle in order for the cart to move. The weight of everything (cart, 300 cf bottle, machine, water cooler (full of water), and a few consumables I have on the middle shelf) increased the friction to the point where the whole cart just beared down (thru the axle mounts) on the axle and the axle wouldn't rotate in the mount holes. As such, it was difficult to move the cart around with just the wheels rotating. So I purchased some 3/4" axle bearings from Mcmaster-Carr, some 1-1/2 OD by .156" wall pipe and replaced the rear axle mounts with mounts made from 1-1/2 x 1/4 flat bar and pieces of the pipe. Slipped the bearings in the pipe and tack tabs on the end of the pipe to hold the bearings in place. Reassembled everything and now the cart moves around very easily.

As modified the cart is quite functional, works, and moves around good. In hind site it wasn't worth the $125 I paid for it. I didn't bother talking to the guys at Everlast cause I just figured "no biggy" I'll just fix it, when the first problem arose. When the second problem poped up, I just thought the same thing. When I put the heavier bottle on it I figured well, I'm into it this far so it's just best to keep going with the mods instead of starting over from scratch or trying to make a stink about it (although I do think that if I had the guys at Everlast would have done something for me about it). I will say that I do like the layout out of their cart design but that it could be just a bit beefier.

Thanks for the feedback. I really like the layout of the Everlast cart, but I wondered if it was basically like the Harbor Frieght cart you can buy for $39 (Harbor Frieght part number 69340). The only difference I see between the two is the Harbor Frieght version doesn't have the handle to pull it around with.

I'm going to check the dimensions on one vs the other and if the Harbor Frieght cart is the same, I'll just spend $39 on it and buy it locally and modify it as you described in your post. The modifying part will be a fun project and with only $39 invested on the front end, I'm not too deep into it finacially before I get started on modifying it.

Something I really don't like about any of the carts I'd seen designed like this is how close together the caster wheels are mounted. I was already planning to add a 1/4" plate under the front and move the casters outside the main body of the cart to make it more difficult to tip over. Sounds like I've got a plan. BTW, I'll have a 330 bottle on mine too.