[ldbtx]

It'll be two years ago come June that I was sitting at the house sippin' coffee on a Saturday morning when a friend of mine called and said, "Come down to the new metal shop on 377 to have a chance to win a welder". It was a grand opening for a new metal and welding supply store, so I dumped the coffee in a travel cup and drove the three miles to the store. My first question to my friend, a 5'3" blonde horse trainer was, "Kate, what the hell are you doing here trying to win a welder?". Turns out a gal who'd attended one of Kate's clinics had her critter at the large animal vet next door that morning and had seen the activity, found out what was happening and called Kate saying, "They're giving away a Bobcat down here". Kate, thinking there was a chance to win a skid-steer loader jumped in her pickup and drove 30 miles to get in on the drawing. When she found out it was a welder, she called me.

Well, long story short, when the winning ticket was drawn, Kate was the proud owner of a brand new Miller Bobcat 225. Which, truthfully, excited her not at all. When I asked her what she was going to do with the welder -- and if she wanted me to come out to the ranch and give her welding lessons -- she said, "What I really want is a new saddle. I will sell you the damn welder for the price of the saddle I want". And that, my rod-burning friends, is how I ended up with a $3600 welder for $2500.

In the intervening nearly two years, I haven't gotten to put in nearly as much arc time on the Bobcat as I'd like to. But I've got enough time on it to be able to share some insights about it.

First, the 23 HP Kohler engine is a great choice. It starts with just a bit of choke first time every time, warms up quickly and the arc response off of idle is instant, resulting in a clean arc start and no stutter. It seems, subjectively, that the fuel burn may be a tiny bit higher than advertised, but it's marginal. Could be that the carb is set for sea level and I live at 1300 feet. It's that small an increment.

Maintenance access is good and the controls are adequately sized, clearly labeled and easy to operate. The manual is well written and easy to understand. It contains more information than required to simply operate the welder; discussing lead size, electrode selection, troubleshooting, mounting, and cooling clearances in addition to basic instructions.

I particularly like the hinged covers over all the weld terminals and the AC receps from the 11 KVA peak, 9 KVA continuous generator. I put Lenco QD adapters on the output studs and connectors on my leads so that I could easily disconnect the leads and store them in the toolboxes on the truck.

Initially, I mounted the rig on my 5' X 10' utility trailer, but being deprived of the trailer for general hauling got old real quick and I was considering buying another utility trailer. Then I decided to get a trailer specifically for the Bobcat. I looked at the Miller HWY-1000 trailer made for the unit, but $1430 seemed a bit high. Actually, it seemed quite a bit high. After I'd priced out materials and parts to build my own, and figured what my time was worth, it seemed more reasonable. And when I considered that I don't have a shop with a decent floor to build on here at the house, it was becoming a good deal. By the time the local Airgas house quoted me a killer price, it was irresistable. So the welder now sits on a Miller trailer and the leads are wrapped around the optional cable tree. The trailer is nice. I'm not a fan of the small 12" tires, but they work, it tows well (tested to 80+) and does its job. The cable tree is freakin' worthless. If you install it like the manual shows, you'll break your knuckles. If you turn it 90°, it's merely a PITA.

I'm going to fab a support for my gas bottles, modify the cable tree to mount the upper brackets for the bottles and leave the cable hooks on just one side to wrap the hoses around. I'll also fab some cable spools at the back of the trailer to hold the leads to the sides of the welder. Then I'll have a "full-service" welding trailer.

Since I'm an amateur radio operator and a member of our county Emergency Management team, there's a good chance that the unit will be called into service some day as an AC power generator. I'm going to build a distribution panel that'll plug into the 240 VAC recep on the Bobcat and feed a breaker panel (trailer mounted) which, in turn, feeds a row of both 240 and 120 VAC receps. A 9 KVA continuous output will definitely keep an Emergency Operations Center (EOC) on the air.

But, how is it to weld with? It's nice. Real nice. Seems to run a bit hotter than you'd think when you look at the range switch, say 50-150, and then divide that by the 1-10 calibrations on the variable control. That's actually the problem I was having when I first joined this forum. I was having trouble with 7018 slag being miserable to clean off. Once I figured out that I was running way too hot, I realized that the simple division of 50-150 by the numbers on the dial just doesn't cut it. Either the control pot isn't linear, or the rig just runs hot. I think it's the latter. Once I got the heat right, she welds like a dream on both AC (6011) and DC (7018 & 6010).

The arc is smooth and stable. Subjectively, the arc seems smoother than I remember the arc on the old SA-200 that I burned hundreds of pounds of rod on building fence with Kenny Camp (RIP) right after I moved to Texas 20 years ago. But, that was a long time ago, and most of what Kenny and I welded was used oil field pipe. Either way, it's a sweet arc and the rig is a pure pleasure to use.

So, would I buy it again? Hell, yes! I pretty much stole mine, but if I needed another one, I'd pay retail. It's worth it.

Oh, forgot to mention -- Kate keeps the winning ticket stuck in the rawhide wrapping around the horn on her new saddle.

[Otto Nobedder]

Fabulous review!

I've welded with many Bobcats, rental (poor maintenance) and company-owned (possibly NO maintenance), and agree completely with almost everything you said. I prefer the diesel version for reliability, but have never had a serious problem with the gas one. Even used the LP conversion with the only complaint being a relatively slow shift from idle.

I still think the SA-200 welds like silk by comparison, but it's a matter of proper maintenance. I'll take an old full-copper wound every time, IF it's been taken care of following the full maintenance schedule.

I'm going to like this new section!

Steve S

[nathan]

Was the "new metal shop on 377" Fulton? I'm in Sanger, where you at? And, do I know you?

Nathan Piatt, welder at Peterbilt.

[ldbtx]

Was the "new metal shop on 377" Fulton? I'm in Sanger, where you at? And, do I know you?

Nathan Piatt, welder at Peterbilt.

No, it's "A Quality Steel" between Stephenville and Dublin. I'm in Dublin but work in Stephenville. We've never met, but since you're at Peterbilt, you might know Jake Rhodes, one of my former student workers. He's working there doing primarily electrical I think.

I'm the Planetarium Manager for Tarleton State University in Stephenville. Plus, I also fix the 32" telescope when required and supervise the shop for the College of Science and Technology. We fix and fab things for all the departments in the College. Get to do a bit of welding in the course of work, but most of it currently is hobby welding. It'll be a big part of the business when I retire from Tarleton next year.

Larry D Barr
LDB

[nathan]

Wow, that's really cool! Early congratulations on retirement and a post-career hobby! How do you like your alpha tig?

[ldbtx]

Thanks for the early congrats, Nathan. Sometimes when I'm fighting the bureaucracy instead of building something, I wish I was retiring this year. Never was much of a hand for paperwork.

I think I like the AlphaTIG. I say, "I think" because since I brought it to the school shop and ran those first few beads (to use the term loosely), I've been so busy I haven't had a chance to get back down there and use it any more. We're remodeling the planetarium, going to full-dome HD video, and I'm so busy working on that project that I don't have time for much else. It's about a million-dollar caper, so I want it done right. As soon as I get a chance to get some more seat time on the AlphaTIG, I'll post some pics and do a review of it...from a total TIG noobs POV. 'Cause right now, that's the only POV I've got

Take care,
LDB

[Otto Nobedder]

...I'm the Planetarium Manager for Tarleton State University in Stephenville. Plus, I also fix the 32" telescope when required and supervise the shop for the College of Science and Technology. We fix and fab things for all the departments in the College....

Larry D Barr
LDB

I envy you, just a bit.

When I was 24, I was a 2nd interview candidate as a staff research assistant at University of Missouri, Rolla, which has a research nuclear reactor. One of the questions I was asked in the first interview, "Would you be willing to obtain your 'Nuclear Reactor Operator's License?' Hell, yes!

I wanted that job so bad, and I made it to the final four (or two, perhaps), so there's that... I have to wonder who beat me out.

Managing the Planetarium, I would think, would be endlessly interesting (and, yes, endlessly boring at times).

Steve S

[ldbtx]

...I'm the Planetarium Manager for Tarleton State University in Stephenville. Plus, I also fix the 32" telescope when required and supervise the shop for the College of Science and Technology. We fix and fab things for all the departments in the College....

Larry D Barr
LDB

I envy you, just a bit.

When I was 24, I was a 2nd interview candidate as a staff research assistant at University of Missouri, Rolla, which has a research nuclear reactor. One of the questions I was asked in the first interview, "Would you be willing to obtain your 'Nuclear Reactor Operator's License?' Hell, yes!

I wanted that job so bad, and I made it to the final four (or two, perhaps), so there's that... I have to wonder who beat me out.

Managing the Planetarium, I would think, would be endlessly interesting (and, yes, endlessly boring at times).

Steve S

Yeah, the planetarium can get a bit boring at times -- try running the same show 7 times in the same day. But, at other times, it's incredibly rewarding. I especially like running shows for the grade school kids. They're sharper than a lot of adults give them credit for, really excited about space, and ask some really insightful questions. Lots of fun to work with them.

We have a linear particle accelerator in the building and I got to babysit it one summer while the nuke prof was out of town. All I had to do was check it every day to make sure the pumps hadn't blown a breaker. Closest I ever got to anything nukey except for a tour of the Diablo Canyon Power Plant in California.

In higher education, don't let 'em know you can do something unless you want it included in your job description. Geology prof friend of mine asked me, "Do you think you can fix the Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM)?" "Hell, Steve, I don't know. I've never seen one before. But I'll promise you I won't make it any worse." I fixed it for a total cost of $100 parts and shipping. Saved 'em about 6 grand for a factory tech to come out. Now my job description includes "Repair SEM and train new users as required".

Of all the jobs I ever applied for, interviewed for, really really wanted and didn't get, Power Plant Operator in Delta, CO has to top the list. This'd be in about '79 I guess, and I had 5 years of making my living as an electrician behind me, plus mechanicing and general maintenance. The power plant in Delta has this beautiful big Fairbanks-Morse diesel driving one of their generators and I wanted to get some time on that engine. I love big diesels and I really wanted to run that one.



So, I go in for the interview, we talk a little bit, cover the job requirements and my experience and the interviewer says, "You're overqualified for the job. I'm not going to hire you".

My response was, "This power plant supplies power to the Delta police department, county Sheriff's department, fire department, schools, hospitals, and the old folks home. How the hell can you be overqualified to maintain operation of those essential services?"

And he said, "You also have a bad attitude. This interview is over".

Sometimes you just can't win.

LDB

[AKweldshop]

IMG_1676.PNG (539.58 KiB) Viewed 4029 times

[ldbtx]

Now that's funny no matter who you are

LDB