Best Machine For Student To Practice SMAW

[harcosparky]

Goal is AWS certification in 1" Vertical but this kid needs to get more stick time to become proficient so we decided to research machines.

Being a Miller fan I am looking at these two ....

Thunderbolt AC/DC
Maxstar 150S

I realize neither is best suited for 1" material, but we are talking about a machine useable for practicing, and multi pass welding as well.

Personally I like the Maxstar for its small footprint and weight .... but I cannot let my desires influence this 'project'.

[Sberry]

Here is my take. I assume you are young,, but in todays world would be going for the Maxstar for a couple of reasons. One, it works great on 120, very portable and light, wish they had these when I was a kid. 2, same power as a tbolt when running on 230, probably not as robust and handle abuse quite as well but I think its got its own thermal but considering the cost of welding lead and primary cord/wire. A bit more up front cost but the secondary cost is so much lower, makes it a wash right out of the box. Mine has almost retired my gas drive units.

3rd, I would add 25 ft of number 4, even as small as 6 just to allow some movement with the stinger on larger projects without having to move machine and 3 cords, working on trailers, small building construction where there is a lot of jumping around. One great feature is that the thing is its own remote, went in to home a while back to fix a couple wood stoves, real pain in the rear stuff, super to have the machine right there to tune.

[harcosparky]

Thanks for the input ....

Me, I am old ... been on this earth well over half a century, and yeah I can enjoy the portability.

The primary purpose for *this* machine over the next 4 months is to allow the student, who is 17, to get at least an hour or more per day 'stick time' to help him maintain some level of proficiency.

After all he's no in school all that long and gets maybe 90 minutes in the weld shop per day and not all of that time is spent welding.

After his schooling the machine would revert back to my ownership.

Not that I really need another machine, I already have full O/A setup as well as my old and trustworthy MM210.

But the Maxstar would make a nice companion for the MM210 during those times it sits all alone in the shop!

[Thrutraffic]

I'm a beginner too. One basic class in local community college but I'm burning rods and wire like a maniac (some good some bad but I'm getting there).

I've got a Miller 211 for MIG and a Stickmate® LX 235 AC / 160 DC which is a Thunderbolt with Hobart written on it. :-)

The Stickmate so far has been a great little machine. I probably push the duty cycle and it just keeps buzzing along. The Maxstar has ~10% more duty cycle.

Maxstar ~$800
Stickmate ~$500

[Sberry]

The AC/DC you have is a very good machine and burning 1/8 I bet a guy would have to deliberately try maybe with a couple taking turns to work it hard enough to burn up. I have a similar red one have burned a whole handful of 1/8 lo-hi at a time in summer weather, did it multiple times, a couple times I had concern let it sit for 20 mins but works as good 30 yrs later as when was new.

The advantage of the max is portable, if a guy has a 210 this is a poster case for a max for away from shop. Did a handrail the other day with mine, no noise, no gas from 120V, its really revolutionary in its own right.

My red one has taps and considering my incoming they are just about perfect, no reason to change. But a Stickmate as well as a Tbolt have fine as does the max. Its been a long time since I use a little tbolt but can assume it works as good as my little linc, as a welder I really give the edge to the tranny, everyone raves about the max but I am probably pretty well qualified to test a machine the tranny is a better welder, slightly, almimperceptibleable but its starts and restarts are a pinch better or hit a speck of slag on occasion etc. The Max is a little fussier, really minor and a guy gets used to it with a little discipline, howewouldn'tldnt trade portable for the difference.

[Sberry]

If I was looking to and end game and was holding the machine when the smoke cleared it would be the max,,, ans again the post above related the purchace price,,, I think the gap quickly narrows considering the cost of copper for cord/cables.