How many welders does a man need?

[MattF]

Not sure about that - my dear friend.

If you can meet your "needs" - and "don't want too much"...

Is that not "contentment"...

Fair point. However, it's like when people say: "Do I need...". Want is enough, if one feels the urge to appropriate.

I like being surrounded by stuff.

 

[GRW]

I'm not too far gone by the looks of it then.
1 of Oxford MigMaker 180-1
1of Parkside 80A Inverter Stick (bought just to play with as I'd never really used arc stick & fancied a go, plus it's been portable & handy for a bit of "farm gate" type jobs)
1 of Parkside 30A Plasma (wasted on me really & I should have resisted).

I'm a pretty rubbish occasional welder who needs a lot more torch time that I don't get.

 

[Nomad]

I was behaving for nearly 20 years ( bought a new Clarke Pro90 a looong time after selling off my oxy-acet set), "one is all you need" etc ... until it died

After trying to get a working MIG set I now have several ( a Clarke 90-100 "Frankenstein" 100 with the Pro90 transformer, the original Pro90 with no transformer and faulty PCB (but there's a Clarke 100 transformer on its way), a sort-of-usable Snap-On 160 (Cerbora 838) with faulty power switch / transformer, and a Kempii that "sort-of" works).

Easy answer is N+1 (or more)

 

[RWD3M]

This thread is really making me feel inadequate, I only have a Cebora 130 Turbo. That said, I've had for probably the best part of 30 years and it is a great little machine.

I am expecting a TiG for Christmas but really can't include that yet.

 

[Seadog]

Come on, man-up.
Even I've got four welders

 

[zzr1200]

Would you be interested in selling the mighty midget that hasn’t run in years

I acquired a replacement engine for a few months ago, hopefully a winter project to get going again......sorry.

 

[Windy Miller]

Not sure if I've alreadt bragged about replied to this post, but I'm the proud owner of a little ESAB Compact 125, An ESAB Caddy C200i, a Lorch 252 Control Pro, an ancient Cebora buzz box, a little 160A handbag inverter stick welder (lovely thing, but I forget the make), a Lincoln AD/DC Tig, and a small set of OA bottles.

 

[zzr1200]

And my welder/cutter list has expanded as well.............

Welder list:-
Oxford 330 i Mig 1ph
Oxford 300 amp Oil Cooled Stick Welder 3ph
Miller Maxstar 350 Tig/mma 3ph
Castolin Eutectic 140amp (shoe box inverter) 1ph
Lorch T 220 Pro ac/dc 1ph
Mighty Midget JLO

Plasma Cutters:-
R Tech 50HF 1ph
Stamos 125 amp 3ph unit ordered today for my CNC plasma table project

Machinery:-
Harrison L6 Lathe 1ph inverter
Warco Mill 3ph
Meddings M7 Floor Pedestal Drill 1ph inverter
Small Manual Surface Grinder 1ph
Union 16" Pedestal Grinder 3ph

4 of 3ph electric hoists for the workshop and gantry unit.

Pressure washer
Steam cleaner

Plus loads of other stuff on the shelves and in boxes...

Plus several other projects in the process all at various stages....

And I still need more tools, a 4 post wheel free lift would be helpful but the boss is putting her foot down.....

Chainsaw collection has now grown to about 12 Husqvarna, 1 Top Handle Dolmar and the big Echo.
And this makes easy work of chipping, way better than the dead electric Ryobi....

 

[zzr1200]

I'd hate to think what Bo8 has stashed away on the estate......

 

[Erie Fred]

Presently at 11, scrapped a few.

 

[Arc Tourist]

Only have an R Tech AC/DC Tig 161 and a plasma cutter. I use the stick feature mostly, but will probably get a Mig when I have room for one.
I have too way too many tools for my needs, with duplicates and more acquired over the years. Just a few are now used, as they are only for
personal and hobby use since I retired.

 

[Barking Mat]

Hmmm....

Oxford oil cooled arc welder 180 amps 1 or 3 phase.

Mig, Migatronic 3 phase, can't remember model.
Some little crap thing with a spool gun, alu / inox, never managed a useable weld.

Tig, Miller stupid huge heavy AC/DC tig / arc welder, ancient.

Oxy Acetylene set.

Oxy Propane cutting gear too.

That's enough for me.

 

[premmington]

I'd hate to think what Bo8 has stashed away on the estate......

I had the same thought as well

 

[addjunkie]

I must be the poor relative only having 3.
Oxford 270-1
Thermal arcmaster 200 ACDC tig
Thermal arc little inverter thing….very handy.

If I tidied up I could have far more room.

 

[Arc Tourist]

.................................... If I tidied up I could have far more room.

A common ailment of many shops.

 

[arther dailey]

I must be the poor relative only having 3.
Oxford 270-1
Thermal arcmaster 200 ACDC tig
Thermal arc little inverter thing….very handy.

If I tidied up I could have far more room.

quality rather than quantity, I like it.

 

[Erie Fred]

Tig, Miller stupid huge heavy AC/DC tig / arc welder, ancient.

330 AB/P ?

 

[addjunkie]

quality rather than quantity, I like it.

Thats why I didnt mention the old cut 40 plasma thats just a balance weight on the bottom of my tig trolley….never cut anything properly, not used it in years. Hateful thing!

 

[Barking Mat]

330 AB/P ?

Yep, pretty sure that's the one.

 

[Ed.]

As many as required to suit the type of welding work that you do. For myself I have a big 3 phase inverter Miller that does most of the metal welding I do from thin to thick plate, a 180A inverter MMA welder which I can pick up with one hand, take anywhere and also can run on a 10A plug (but a 15A GPO is preferable as it will trip on higher amp settings whilst connected to a 10A GPO). A 3 phase 4 in 1 TIG welder for doing stainless and Ally ( the plasma cutter on it doesn't work anymore). and lastly a home made spot welder.
That pretty much sums it up, I did have a OXY-ACET set but got rid of it as I wasn't using it anymore.