I-Mig 200: This is a good welder!!!

[boatwelder]

Some years ago, I had a Powcon 200 that I really liked, but it didn't have a built in wire feeder. I promised myself that if anyone ever came out with an affordable inverter based welder with a feeder built in, I would buy it.

The I-Mig 200 has not disappointed. It has a nice arc, easy to set up and use, light enough to carry aboard boats I work on, and best of all, it has one of the greatest advantages of an inverter welder - it requires less primary current for a given weld output. I have a Tig outfit also, but Mig is faster and perfectly adequate for many tasks.

I held off buying a Chinese manufactured welder because of the reputed failure rate of some of these units. However, Everlast claims to have addressed this problem with their IGBT technology. Time will tell, I guess. But so far, I'm loving it!!!

If this unit is any example of what's coming out of China these days, then Miller, Lincoln, Esab and Hobart had better watch their backs. They don't make anything in this price range that can compete directly with this welder.

If this welder or any in their line fills the bill for what you need, you should try it. With their return policy, Everlast make it easy. That's what cinched the deal for me.

[everlastsupport]

Would you be with Blue Water Marine?

Welcome aboard. Thanks for the compliments as well.

[performance]

I don't think that Lincoln or Miller make anything in that range regardless of price that can compete with its arc and wire feed system.

[boatwelder]

Hi Mike. Yes, I am. I forgot to mention in my post that the workmanship of the unit is great - certainly better than some other units I've seen. I bought a new Millermatic before the end of the year. I was disappointed with the quality and was able to return it. I really appreciated that.

The Mig-200 and SM-200 spool gun from Everlast replaced the Miller for a fraction of the cost, and for my purposes I'm much happier with the result.

[boatwelder]

As I understand the specs, the I-Mig 200 requires a 30 amp, 240 volt power supply for full output. Since I didn't really have time to rewire a receptacle in the shop, I've been using a 20 amp outlet and haven't popped a breaker yet while running .035 hard wire with C-25 gas (short arc). I've not tried .045 yet as I haven't done anything that needs it. I really like flux cored (dual shield) wire, but I am still waiting for Everlast to get the flux core drive rolls to me. Dual shield wire (use with gas) really makes beautiful welds and makes me look a lot more competent than I really am. The material has to be fairly clean to use this though.

I put an adapter on the gas inlet to convert to the standard AGA weld gas fitting. Makes things a bit easier when changing bottles or breaking down and reassembling when moving this unit around. Thinking about putting weld gas QD's (quick disconnects) on. They're similar to air line fittings but don't leak at all. Also got a Smith regulator so I could read CFH directly. None of this was necessary but I like to trick out my machines a little.

The Binzel gun was a surprise. I was expecting something super cheap, but the Binzel is very comfortable, sort of like the Bernard guns. The 11 series Tweco contact,tips fit perfectly, so it's easy to get those. The gun is only 10 feet long, but it has never been too short for me. Actually, for a rig with this kind of portability, the shorter gun makes for less to coil up when moving around. It seems like a lot of thought went into designing this machine.

The wire drive is easy to adjust, and the drive rolls not that difficult to change. I particularly like the spring loaded idler roll bracket, because it stays out of the way while feeding wire through. I would prefer gear driven drive rolls where the powered and idler rolls are geared together for a more positive wire feed, but so far the wire feed has been consistent and posed no problems.

Nits? Sure, but nothing much worth mentioning. No machine is ever perfect, and "perfect" is different for everyone. But I can't really think of any machine on the market that would give me more of what I want than this one, especially at the price it's selling for.

[performance]

Thanks,

I too believe in the Power I MIG because I too have used all different brands of MIGs. There are none that I can find that will compare. They are truly one of our best products.
After talking with Alex, he said that the flux rolls are on the way from the factory. I am not sure how they are coming, maybe a slow boat from China? I will try to keep up on that issue. We have a bulk qty coming in so, there should be more than one set.

[everlastsupport]

I've been using the IMIG series (IMIG 205) with a non Binzel from day one and they are great units. When I received the IMIG 250P for testing with a Binzel late last year, I was also very impressed with it, I really like the Team Binzel.

I have an IMIG 200 due here Monday with the smaller Benzel. I like the smaller footprint of the IMIG 200 unit as well.

We are always improving, but I find it hard for us to top this combination for a 200amp MIG unit.

[boatwelder]

Thanks Mike and Mark. I couldn't agree more.

While I'm new to this forum, I have read others and get the feeling a lot of people try to learn to weld on a Tig machine. That seems like learning to fly in a supersonic jet fighter. Yikes!! Were they to back down a notch and try Mig first, they would have an easier time learning and get some worthwhile work done in the process. As they say, "Nothing succeeds like success." Mig gives you the opportunity to build your confidence and skill at an easier pace, IMHO.

I have had very little formal education in welding, but fortunately I started out with a Mig machine and learned from that. There are literally thousands of little lessons that can be learned that way which keep adding to your skill and safety level, and when you're ready to upgrade to Tig, it's a much smaller and easier step. Also, again IMHO, it seems to me that a lot of the problems posted on the Tig forums would have been self-resolved had the weldor cut his teeth on a Mig machine first. For those who want Tig and can't afford both, it's been my experience that welding machines sell very rapidly in the classifieds or ebay, if they are in reasonably decent shape.

In my experience, there are not that many jobs that can be done with Tig that couldn't be done adequately with Mig. Yes, Tig is extremely versatile, but for normal, everyday, meat and potatoes welding, Mig has done very well for me (and I have a Tig unit also).

I'd like to see some other experienced Mig weldors jump in here with their comments. We could all benefit from them.

[performance]

Most welding schools teach stick welding first. Some of the BEST schools teach oxy fuel welding first. I can understand either. I learned Gas welding (not brazing, but I learned that second) first, before we moved to Stick. Gas welding teaches puddle recognition, patience, hand eye coordination and most of all the skill sets required to do any type of welding. Yes, its not easy. But the idea is that if it can be mastered first then most all you need to know has been taught and all the skills readily translate into other forms of welding.

In the absence of good Oxy-fuel welding instruction, I do believe that stick welding is a very good way to learn. Stick welding requires technique and puddle recognition skills. It is versatile and can be used to weld almost any type of metal, including stainless, aluminum and cast iron. It can go anywhere, weld in almost any conditions and is an excellent choice for most types of welding scenarios whether fabrication or repair.

Of course its my opinion, but Mig welding teaches very little about technique and puddle recognition. Competent MIG welds can be made with little practice and almost no technique. A lot of people who learn on MIG have to "unlearn" bad welding habits and retrain everything when going to other forms of welding. A lot of MIG welders find it very difficult to translate their skills into other forms of welding, but whether its Oxy, Stick, or Tig, these skill all translate quite easily into MIG.

TIG welding does take time, practice, and patience to do well. But most people can get up and running fairly easily if they are quick on the uptake. I think it is probably the last discipline one should learn, with the others coming before, if one wants to master all disciplines of welding.

[boatwelder]

Mark, I see your point. I guess we come from different backgrounds. I learned O-A welding first and then some years later got my first Mig. I probably underestimated the benefit of the O-A course when I moved on to Mig. Welding for me was a necessity in order to get the work I needed done in a timely, workmanlike and cost effective manner. I really never set out to be an expert welder, just learn enough so that my work wasn't always getting held up by someone else. Many of the welders I dealt with were primadonnas who did the work when they felt like it with no regard for my schedule, and then charged me through the roof to do it. That had happened way too often and cost me a some serious money. Learning Mig welding at that time was a matter of survival for my business, and in looking back, Mig was definitely the best way to go to accomplish this. It would have been nice to progress further but I just didn't have the time or, quite frankly, the interest.

Boat building, even in fiberglass, involves many fittings, tanks, items of rigging, especially for commercial boats, that must be custom fabricated. We're really talking about two different welding goals here - those who learn to weld to get their work done and those who set out to learn to be good welders because that's what they want to be. Nothing wrong with either one, but their goals and the means of getting there can be very different. Hopefully the Everlast community can be aware of the differences, and be prepared to respond to the needs of both.

[performance]

A quality weld is a quality weld, no matter the process. That must be remembered. And whatever process one prefers does not make them a lesser welder because they use or like that process. Of course there are the pipe guys who might beat you up in a dark alley behind a bar for saying that to their face (a little stereotyping perhaps?).
Are some welds stronger? Yes, in some circumstances, but really what we deal with on a day to day basis for 90% of the welders out there, there isn't much difference as long as the welds are made correctly whatever process is used. Some are prettier, some are smoother, but appearance is not the best indicator of strength or durability of a weld.
In reality, whatever draws a person to welding, regardless of process, whether they are closet pyromaniacs, or find it a suitable way of life, a weld is a weld at the end of the day only if it holds.

[yotarover]

when i first started welding (back when my uncle let me play with this cheapo wire feeder when i was about 15) never did it again till recently i got into off roading and wanting custom built stuff. people were wanting to charge me way to much to do simple stuff so i decided to learn.

i started out with stick first i had the hardest time in the world the first 2-3 months but got better and advanced starting with stick made mig easier than making a super thick PB sandwich.
this is the school im attending right now for a degree in welding
http://isothermal.edu/appsci/welding/welding%20home.htm

then i want to go right across to the next building and take machine shop

[Oleg]

Hey yotarover

you got your unit ?

let me know !