ESAB welders - yeah or nay?

[JStieger]

Are ESAB welders good quality? Or should one stick with Miller, Lincoln, etc. ?



Website: ESAB North America | Plasma Cutting, Filler Metals & Welding Equipment

 

[GHarman]

I'd check out Indiana Oxygen Co. deals on Ebay. They got some really good prices on Lincoln and Miller. Dont know what your needs are. I am a Miller/Lincoln fan personally. Have used ESAB power Supply and It worked fine. GregH

 

[MA2LA]

ESAB are generaly a very high quality product. I have A ESAB Plasma cutter that is great but consumables for some of thier stuff cost more than miller and such. If you can get a compareable deal on on to a miller it will be a good deal.

 

[CJ Johansson]

I've been using an ESAB Migmaster 250 for about 10 years. Works great, never had any problems. The place I bought it from (Oxarc) sold Lincoln equipment as well. They recommended the ESAB saying it was a better machine. I can't verify that since I've never used a Lincoln or Miller MIG machine. But, I like it a lot and it works just fine for me. I'm sure all 3 are up there in the same sort of quality range.

-cj

 

[DJW]

I bought an ESAB worked well, but after all, that's just what one expects these days. When in Britain I visited a welding supply house to see if I could find tips better than the Tweco for my migs, they told me one every ESAB welding machine they sold they removed the gun and cable (can't think of the proper name for it) and fitted a Tweco so as to avoid call backs. Incidentally, since they have gone metric, they did not understand the . 030, . 035 and other sizes, and used the numbers I have no idea of marked in the tips. If it's a quality anything and made in the USA I will buy before foreign, sadly many Americans are dazzled by anything if it's foreign. (Crap send your neighbor out to work)

 

[DJW]

MA2LA I was not aware that compressed could be used when Plasma cutting, as I had always used, (is it Nitrogen?) gas on the jobs, it was only when watching a demonstration of Plasmas and welding supplies at a show that air was being used and that was a European model. I bought one soon after an American one, the price very reasonable compared to the use regarding rust, paint, stainless etc.

 

[Dl5treez]

ESAB is a very high quality welding product.



They aren't seen much out & about as they tend to cater towards heavy industrial, in-shop applications, but they're out there in the field also.



Good stuff, if you have a dealer local they're a great machine. Better than a Miller IMHO.

 

[DJW]

Dl5treez, I could never understand of Lincoln, in Britain a popular welding machine, some I remember in particular were about 30 inches long by 9 inches square and were AC, as all I ever used were, portable engine run as well. The one I described had no running, turning, wearing parts. At one end there was a handle, to adjust one turned a locking handle and either pushed or pulled the handle, there was a brass graduated scale with a pointer, when set turned locking handle, no fans just static. All the industrial I saw in 1955 and on were huge things, electric motor driven, after all Lincoln was primary an electric motor manufacturer, so the welder gave them two in one machine. The British Lincoln doing the same work weighed around 120 lbs, somewhat lighter than the American mammoth, and no wearing parts.

 

[DJW]

Ooops, made a mistake, should have read. All the industrial welders I saw in the USA in 1955.