New guy here...

[Zoomie]

Howdy all,
Not a welder, don't pretend to be. I do some hobby type machining in my garage for fun and can run my Miller 140 MIG reasonably well (took a summer class). I really want to learn TIG though, and will probably take another class to learn. It seems like it'll just add another capability that I can use down the road in my hobby endeavors. I would probably be making this post on the Miller website but the prices for a Miller machine capable of the functions I think I want are prohibitively expensive. This isn't a slam towards the big blue or the other American names. On the contrary, I just cant justify 3-4K for a hobby tool and I don't suffer brand snobs too well in any venue.
Initially, I don't think I'll have much to contribute from a welding perspective, but I do have experience in a diverse group of other topics. I hope to use this forum to determine if Everlast has a machine That'll suit my skill, price point and use. I also hope to get some insight once I've purchased something in it's use care and feeding. So please bear with me and all my stupid questions.

Merry CHRISTmas, Zoom

[Rugar]

Howdy all,
Not a welder, don't pretend to be. I do some hobby type machining in my garage for fun and can run my Miller 140 MIG reasonably well (took a summer class). I really want to learn TIG though, and will probably take another class to learn. It seems like it'll just add another capability that I can use down the road in my hobby endeavors. I would probably be making this post on the Miller website but the prices for a Miller machine capable of the functions I think I want are prohibitively expensive. This isn't a slam toward the big blue or the other American names. On the contrary, I just cant justify 3-4K for a hobby tool and I don't suffer brand snobs too well in any venue.
Initially, I don't think I'll have much to contribute from a welding perspective, but I do have experience in a diverse group of other topics. I hope to use this forum to determine if Everlast has a machine That'll suit my skill, price point and use. I also hope to get some insight once I've purchased something in it's use care and feeding. So please bear with me and all my stupid questions.

Merry CHRISTmas, Zoom

Welcome Zoom,
In the past Ive owned Lincoln (AC buzz box), Airco (MIG), and currently have a Miller Plasma, a Miller 251 MIG, and recently a Everlast 250EX TIG, all bought brand new. That was when the economy was good, and I always had extra money to play with. Thats just not the case now a days. When I started to get the TIG bug I naturally started looking for Lincoln and Miller machines. Quickly I found out they were just not in the budget for the machine capability's I was looking for. I found out about Everlast after doing lots of research.

What thickness and kind of materials are you planning on working with? Do you need a AC capable machine for aluminum? What kind of budget are you working with for a new machine? Answers to these questions first will make it easier for the members here to help you find a machine thats right for you and your budget.

[sschefer]

First off - Welcome to the board.

I've been down the road you're on. Rugar has given you a few good questions to ask yourself and it's hard to think of anything else to add.

My suggestion is simply this, get as much as you can afford. If a 250EX is in your budget, buy it. It has an undaunting number of knobs on it but you don't need to learn what they all do to get started learning.

As your skills progress and you start looking into other possibilites, the 250EX won't let you down and I think that's important.

The one thing that you need to remember about the Everlast product line is that they are not mainstream products yet and if you don't like it you might have a hard time reselling it in the general market. Still, saving as much as 7000.00 when you're starting out, offsets that little trouble point very nicely.

[Zoomie]

I'm considering the 225LX. It just barely fits into my budget when I count my christmas money and the cost of consumables, argon tank, 220 wiring etc.
I do some amateur gunsmithing for myself and I also "make some stuff" so I'm not in need of something to weld really heavy metal (hey I've been getting by on a 110v MIG for heavens sake). I do think I'll need some capability in aluminum though. I actually considered a spool gun for the mig but don't see it as expanding my capabilities that much for the cost. I'd love to get the 250EX but it's going to take me too far out of my budget. I don't really plan on selling the unit I buy (unless it isn't capable or unreliable). I have a saying about firearms " I buy firearms, I don't sell them". It's pretty much the same with tools.

[everlastsupport]

Zoomie,

Welcome.

Call Oleg at ext 201, he will work you a holiday deal and try to get you in budget. The LX is one of my favorite units. I use one myself.

Just add argon, power plug and tungsten and you should be good to go.

[Zoomie]

Well, I ordered the 225LX today after talking to Oleg and some hand wringing. He gave may a CHRISTmas deal I couldn't pass up. Katja sent me a tracking number this afternoon, so now I wait. I'll try to keep everyone informed of my experience with Everlast's customer service, the condition upon arrival and the machine itself. So far I'm well pleased with the customer service. Hopefully, I'll also feel the same about the equipment in the months to follow.

[everlastsupport]

Merry Christmas Zoomie.

The LX will not let you down. Call tech support if you have any questions on the hookup or use.

It's nice to have the EX and all the videos you see on the internet tend to drive a lot of people that way. They're basically the same welder.

The LX is missing the 4T start/end amps. Many, including me, don't use 4T (it's a nice feature OR use the foot pedal).

Barring the 25 extra amps based on your budget, you made a great choice. You can always run more passes on the weld if needed.

Glad everything worked out for you.