Welding Tips and Tricks

I am buying a new multi-process welder for my home shop. I’m an under-experienced hobbyist, but plan on a lot of practice to be proficient. I would like your opinion of the two machines that I’m thinking about.
I’m looking at the Lincoln PowerMIG 210 MP, and the Everlast Power MTS211Si.
The Everlast has a little better duty cycle, and comes with a TIG gun, but the Lincoln is American made, and service would be more readily available. Plus, I know the Lincoln name.

What’s your thoughts?

First question-what are your plans- do you need tig and if so only steel and maybe stainless? Next if you can wait a little while you can see if lincoln has another rebate on their 210mp and buy it then. If you can't wait buy the Lincoln I don't think the everlast is worth it for the little less money. Lincoln has great reviews from everywhere I know.

If you like the Lincoln's features, and the $1700 price range fits your budget, then buy the Miller Multi-Matic 215. Its $11 more expensive than the Lincoln, and has every feature of the Lincoln, but a stronger reputation. You can add their Spool Gun and MIG aluminum too. I have their 200 model, and for the money, its darn surprising at how well the thing Stick welds, TIG welds (DC only, Lift Arc) and MIG welds. I've used it in all 4 modes on both 240/120 power and it really impresses me.

If you want versatility and ease, these types of boxes for Hobbyists or DIY'ers and Beginning welders make a great purchase.

https://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/ ... kit-951674

Also, with a multiprocess machine like these, you don't want a tig kit. You are better off getting a separate tig machine to run AC and DC with a foot pedal. Without the tig kit, you have the power mig 210mp at like $1200 without any rebate or the multimatic 215 from Miller for like $1350-$1400. Both are good machines just depends on what you want to spend.

Farmwelding wrote:Also, with a multiprocess machine like these, you don't want a tig kit. You are better off getting a separate tig machine to run AC and DC with a foot pedal. Without the tig kit, you have the power mig 210mp at like $1200 without any rebate or the multimatic 215 from Miller for like $1350-$1400. Both are good machines just depends on what you want to spend.

I could not disagree with you more. If you need an AC TIG, absolutely, a separate machine is required. But these units will DC TIG all day at 120A @100% duty cycle. TIG at 190A at 20% duty. That's pretty well full time for a installation welder, or job site welder.

Whether you require HF and AC TIG is the only shortcoming on these boxes. But, I ran my machine on a job welding stainless pipe, Scratch start, static amps for just over 3 months on a contract job. This is very common instead of dragging a foot pedal around especially when the welding is "repetitive" thickness joints. I swapped the stock work cable for a 25' SuperFlex for less than $100, put the 12.5' in the drawer. And that included a flexible head WP17.

I have the Lincoln 210 and I'm very happy with it. I do like the digital display screen. I think the auto set up feature is nice. It gets you into the range of where you need to be especially if you have no experience to set by. It runs good on 120volt if you need to but with out 220v you won't have full access to its power. I use mine mostly for mig. I have tig and stick welded off of it too. It performed both well enough. You can run 6010 with it but you need lots of practice to make that rod run good. 7018 and 6013 both run nice and easy for lots of stick practice. I've tig welded SS and steel with my scratch start rig off of this machine. One thing I will say is that all multi processes machines will seam to excel in one area more than the other two. I think the Lincoln is designed to be beter at mig than the other processes.

I have the Lincoln too and it's been great. I dont think I could ask more of it. Everlast has good reviews though. If the price isn't much different and much of a factor I can vouch for Lincoln. Nothing against the Everlast though. Actually thought about getting an Everlast tig machine myself for AC welding.

cj737 wrote:

Farmwelding wrote:Also, with a multiprocess machine like these, you don't want a tig kit. You are better off getting a separate tig machine to run AC and DC with a foot pedal. Without the tig kit, you have the power mig 210mp at like $1200 without any rebate or the multimatic 215 from Miller for like $1350-$1400. Both are good machines just depends on what you want to spend.

I could not disagree with you more. If you need an AC TIG, absolutely, a separate machine is required. But these units will DC TIG all day at 120A @100% duty cycle. TIG at 190A at 20% duty. That's pretty well full time for a installation welder, or job site welder.

Whether you require HF and AC TIG is the only shortcoming on these boxes. But, I ran my machine on a job welding stainless pipe, Scratch start, static amps for just over 3 months on a contract job. This is very common instead of dragging a foot pedal around especially when the welding is "repetitive" thickness joints. I swapped the stock work cable for a 25' SuperFlex for less than $100, put the 12.5' in the drawer. And that included a flexible head WP17.

I guess it also depends on what you want to work on for tig. If you are doing delicate small work you will want a machine with a foot pedal. If you are doing some thicker material-I would say.100" and up then no foot pedal would be fine. It all depends on your work and material. I also just looked at the machine again and I see you can get a foot pedal for the 210mp and I assume that it can be done with the multimatic from Miller as well. Again just depends on your work you are doing.

Farmwelding wrote:

cj737 wrote: Whether you require HF and AC TIG is the only shortcoming on these boxes. But, I ran my machine on a job welding stainless pipe, Scratch start, static amps for just over 3 months on a contract job. This is very common instead of dragging a foot pedal around especially when the welding is "repetitive" thickness joints

I guess it also depends on what you want to work on for tig. If you are doing delicate small work you will want a machine with a foot pedal. If you are doing some thicker material-I would say.100" and up then no foot pedal would be fine. It all depends on your work and material. I also just looked at the machine again and I see you can get a foot pedal for the 210mp and I assume that it can be done with the multimatic from Miller as well. Again just depends on your work you are doing.

Of course both machines support a foot pedal. Yeah, a foot pedal is needed for delicate work. But that has virtually nothing to do with whether these machines are capable of supporting Multi Processes well. I've welded 0.045 with no foot pedal too. Its all in what you know and how well you can do it.