How Many Hours is too Many

[weekendwelders]

I'm wanting to rig up my truck and start a welding business and I'm looking for used engine driven welders. I have no knowledge about the life of a engine welder and what kind of hours I should be looking for, about haw many hours will a good generator welder run?

[Aeronca41]

Welcome to the forum. I would say (one guys opinion) that your question is just about impossible to answer accurately unless you know how the machine was used and maintained. If it's a smaller machine, and was used hard for air arc at the top end of its capability, it obviously has more wear than one that was set up with a wire feeder and used for light-duty mig. How often was the oil changed? What kind of oil? If it's an old Onan engine using low-zinc car oil, there will be lots more wear at lower hours.

[jonahb]

What kind of welder are you looking at? Gas seem to last around 4000 to 5500 hrs (YMMV) and diesel seem to last 10000+.

[FusionKing]

Try to stay under a thousand hrs and you should be good..... if it looks well taken care of.
Listen to it run and weld.
Otherwise you better know something about it IMO
Hour meters can be replaced. I think used welders are generally overpriced on craigslist and other sites.
Which makes new units look like the best deals to ME. I LIKE warranty

[ShieldArc]

I'm more concerned with pc boards as one of them can cost as much as rebuilding an engine.

[FusionKing]

I'm more concerned with pc boards as one of them can cost as much as rebuilding an engine.

That's no kidding

[aaronrodg]

You didn't replied any one here, what do you want to ask? it is very difficult to give you proper answer here.

[MAC702]

You didn't replied any one here, what do you want to ask? it is very difficult to give you proper answer here.

And your first post is to drag up a 6-month old thread from a one-poster solely to mention its lack of follow-through? There is a reason we let it die the first time.

[OscarJr]

Well, he does have a point. I too don't like it when someone is an askhole. Asks away, people type away with valid responses to help out, and the askhole never comes back to at least say "thanks".