help me pick a welder

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Robert Culbertson

I've used an Alpha TIG a few times, and I was incredibly impressed with it. I would change out the torch to a better one (or add water cooling), and then figure out a way to swap a Miller foot control onto it (as the factory one is terrible, if you know what a better pedal is like).

They've been pushing out updates to these machines. Unless the one you used was a few months old, I think the torch and pedal have been replaced with better stuff now.

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Perry

FE570s course bike
KTM 950 ADV
74 Beetle turbo-efi etc..
72 Beetle stage rally project WRX powered
Attended about 15 rallies, usually a volunteer in a course car.

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fiasco

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NoCoast
I WISH the 25 year old snow blower my in laws gave us was a Craftsman or John Deere or similar and not some knockoff brand. I also wish he hadn't used bolts instead of shear pins the last time they broke as now instead of a few bucks to replace sheer pins I'm looking at a new blower since the gearbox is very NLA and used ones are more than a new blower. I digress.

Ariens, Simplicity, Honda. Most all the rest are either MTD or AYP with a different paint job. You may find you can grab another blower with a blown engine and make one good from two bad ones.

Okay, Ariens it is. Mighta upped my game to 30" throat and jumped way up to 14.5 hp.

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Grant Hughes

Got my Hobart Handler 190 today and spent the afternoon welding random bits of various scrap together. I enjoyed the experience. If the OP is still weighing the welder options, the Handler gets a thumbs up from me.

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Paul Buck
Got my Hobart Handler 190 today and spent the afternoon welding random bits of various scrap together. I enjoyed the experience. If the OP is still weighing the welder options, the Handler gets a thumbs up from me.

Thanks for sharing. I am still just searching for deals. I'm starting to get better at waiting for used good and cheap stuff to show up and snatch it up. In theory anyway, I haven't found the deals yet and just want to buy new shit

A buddy of mine has a Forney 190 welder. Its a 3 in 1, does Mig, Tig and stick. He says its much better than his old Hobart, very nice arc, less spatter etc. I'm thinking of getting one too, you can run it on 110v or 220v, and the fact that you can Tig with it, is awesome. Its an idea for the less than $1000 budget like me.