rustybugkiller said:
30amp for the compressor. It has a off switch and only powered up when needed. Separate 30 for the lift. Would I need to run a new 50 amp line from the panel?
I don't think so. It looks like NEC normally requires 50A breaker and conductors where a 50A receptacle is used, but apparently there's an exception for welders. Seems they're given a break on wire size because the actual draw and duty cycle are much lower than the 50A plug would suggest. Talking to a real electrician (I am not one) is never a bad idea, and there's lots of reading here if you're so inclined:
https://www.garagejournal.com/forum/search/788869/?q=wire+size+for+welder&c[title_only]=1&o=relevance
30 amps is plenty for a homeowner or hobbyist running a small welder. Since you already have a 30A circuit serving the lift, and you know you aren't going to operate the lift and the welder at the same time, why not extend the lift's circuit to add a new outlet for the welder? Then you can let the compressor do its thing and weld whenever you want to.
93gsxturbo said:
Just doing some quick shopping, an ESAB EMP-210 is $1500 and is a really nice machine for the money.
- 110V and 220V flexibility- this is huge. 110V machines are too wimpy to do what you want to do. Dedicated 220 machines lack flexibility for a homeowner/hobbyist.
- Multi-process to grow with you. MIG, Flux Core, Stick, and lift-arc TIG in one box.
- Name brand, commercial duty. Will always hold its value, be an easier resell down the road, and much better warranty and parts availability than a Harbor Freight machine.
- Spool gun capability - you can MIG aluminum with these machines.
Wildcard option is the Miller Multimatic 215. It does everything the ESAB does just a little nicer - better interface, better gun, better support, autoset features, better resale. There is a $500 rebate on it right now, knocking it down to $1600 or so.
I feel pretty strongly that a welder is a "get what you pay for" piece of equipment. Sure the Chinese stuff can stick two pieces of metal together, but the satisfaction from using a nice piece of equipment is worth the price of admission.
You're not wrong, and normally I follow the same philosophy, but we're looking at a thousand-plus dollar difference in buy-in for someone who is just getting into welding.
A sub-$200 welder won't have any resale value, but I never see them turn up on the used market, either, which suggests that people generally like them enough to keep them. They may be kind of like Harbor Freight's tool cabinets: ridiculously good value, built better than you'd expect them to be, likely to meet the needs of 98% of buyers, but not something guys brag about owning.
As I said earlier, my own preference is usually for used brand-name stuff, preferably American made, and I'd be hitting yard sales and estate sales like crazy. But frankly, that's a hell of a lot of work. It's like swimming upstream. Sometimes I just want to mash the easy button and wait for Brown Santa to pull up with the goods.
There's really no wrong answer here.
