Mig welder bargain?
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,988
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From: Travelers Rest SC
Mig welder bargain?
I went to a school board auction today, and picked up a Lincoln SP200 mig today- for $200! Seemed like a good bargain- supposedly in good working condition, w/ all the cables and options (spot and stitch weld). After cleaning the dust off, it looks like a brand new machine. Are these welders any good? I'll get it powered up tomorrow- wish me luck! Anything I should know about this rig?
Elder User
Joined: Mar 2003
Posts: 788
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From: Hendersonville, TN
Originally Posted by FLgargoyle
I went to a school board auction today, and picked up a Lincoln SP200 mig today- for $200! Seemed like a good bargain- supposedly in good working condition, w/ all the cables and options (spot and stitch weld). After cleaning the dust off, it looks like a brand new machine. Are these welders any good? I'll get it powered up tomorrow- wish me luck! Anything I should know about this rig?
Hotshot
Joined: Oct 2002
Posts: 18,488
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From: The Big, Oregon
Being a Lincoln, parts should still be readily available. Probably has a Tweco torch, they are still around. Make sure to clean it thoroughly, especially blow all the metal dust out of the conduit, or replace the conduit (wire coil inside the torch that the wire slides through).
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,988
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From: Travelers Rest SC
The label inside the door has a printing date of 1986, so it's no older than that. The gun is a big Tweco, although the model number isn't legible. Maybe a welding supplier can ID it for me. I put power to it, and everything seems functional, although I have no gas to try welding yet.
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Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,988
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From: Travelers Rest SC
An update- I bought some flux core wire, and laid down a few beads. It welds real smooth- kind of like my old HTP that I hated to part with (long story). For some reason, the Miller 200 we have at work is very harsh. I have to wire up an outlet now, and get a cylinder of gas. My old HTP 200 only required a 30 amp circuit- this calls for a 50 amp circuit and #6 wire- I wonder why? Probably a much greater duty cycle- it weighs about twice what my HTP did. Now I wish I had bought a few more welders at that auction- they had a number of Miller 300 amp tigs- all in very nice shape, and all single phase. They went for $75 to $200! Those county school board auctions sometimes have great deals. Oddly enough, they had 3 tired 13" metal lathes- nothing special- and they went for $3000 each- to dealers! I have no idea why. All in all, they sold 28 welders- all well below what I see them on ebay for. One guy (dealer) bought almost all of them.
