Aerowave Opinions

[manac]

What’s a clean 1987 Aerowave worth?
It’s got a cooler and torch.
I figure $500, first time it breaks it’s junk. Be fun to learn until it does go tits up.
Don’t want to be a jerk to the seller though.

[Willvis]

I would think more then that. Can you still get parts for them? Does it have all the options? The one I remember from school could do pretty much the same things a dynasty could

[manac]

No parts available that’s the kicker. It works until it doesn’t.
I have an 86 Lincoln SP-150 that’s still kicking. Bought it new and it doesn’t owe me a dime. It’s probably worth $50 but I’d never sell it.

[manac]

Talk me out of doing something stupid.
Still for sale going to look at it next week.

As my techs tell me “if your going to be stupid you got to be tough”

[ryanjones2150]

Still $500? You can figure the water cooler is worth at least half that, you’re not really risking much. I hope it works!

[manac]

Was asking $4,800 2 months ago now at $2800.
His dad bought it new $$$$. Now has a Dynasty 280 and 350DX.
I don’t think I’ll get it for less than a grand.

[MasterKwan]

I see one on Ebay for nearly $4000. There's just no way I'd spend that kind of money on a machine that's one bad FET away from scrap. If you want it to move, I'd probably go back to your original number. Maybe sell the cooler separately. It doesn't really matter how good it was. Once you can't get parts, it's not worth as much as pretty much any other welder with a warranty.

[manac]

Did an fleabay search for complicated sales and there was only one in the last 2 months.
A lot of two parts machines sold for $500. Those 3-4K ones never sell.

[Noel]

So you drove out for a look and no picture to show for it? Hard to judge a good deal from you taking advantage of a guy with out one. I know if it was anything like my Syncrowave, old, looking like new, I'd be inclined to be insulted with a $500 offer. I would say thanks for coming close the gate behind you.
Understandably, sitting and looking pretty doesn't mean it works either. I'm sure you read a few more post about what's newer that has broken down more then those Aerowaves. Roll the dice take a chance.

[MasterKwan]

I'd be inclined to be insulted with a $500 offer. I would say thanks for coming close the gate behind you.

Guy near me is/was selling a broken Lincoln SP-150 for $400. That's a decent price for one that actually works since you can't get parts. I laid out my case to him and offered $50. Basically I said buying it was a crap-shoot and if I couldn't fix it myself, the cost of a new used main board was about what the machine was worth. I would have understood if he got mad but he didn't, he seemed to think he could make more parting it out. People get odd fantasies when they sell stuff. I just asked him to keep me in mind of he gets tired of sitting on it.

I'd be nice, throw out the $500 or $700 offer with the explanation that it's an orphan with one foot in the grave. Even if he doesn't sell it to you right then, he might when he gets tired of waiting.

For $720 you can buy a 200 amp Chinese Tig welder with AC and a 3 year warranty from a company that's been selling these machine for the past 8-10 years. Maybe 200 amps isn't enough but $4000 for an unfixable machine is crazy.

[manac]

Well $500 won’t buy it.
I’ll buy a Neverlast 210 EXP for $1600 before I’d pay more than $500 for the crap shoot.
Just gonna have to suffer with my Syncrowave 200. Poor me

[ryanjones2150]

What are you planning to do that your syncrowave 200 isn’t big enough? Have good mains at least because that machine will heat up your breaker quick.

[Noel]

So this is a similar package to the one you described wanting to buy for $500. We never met with the seller, heard the story or gave it the once over. You did. Was it better or worse?

A power source package arguably worth $4-6k when new. Condition unknown as I don't recall a mention of you actually trying it, or offering much explanation to the condition. If it looked like the picture as I suspect it did, honestly, I can see why he was possibly asking a ridicules number to most @$4800, it isn't new is it? $2800 is still not cheap enough for a 25 year old power source, just because of the reason mentioned regarding new machine warranty even if it is Import.

So what is a fair number if it looked like the picture, had a good story for up keep, never abused, a bill of sale indicating it works as described, $1200-1400k cash most days. That's a very nice package for GTAW.

Report back on the Everlast.
I'm sure 25 years from now it's going to be an item still commanding a following and resale value of some kind.

Just curious, did you go back and review past posts on the Aerowave? I think you let a deal pass you by.

Anyone know what the sales number were for that model?

[manac]

The SW200 is more machine than I need and can weld better than I ever will.
I am/was being stupid about the AW. It has more to play with and is more efficient.

Don’t have 1200-1400 to throw away on something that can’t be serviced. My luck the ride back to the shop kills it. The Aerowave is a cool machine with a lot of capability that is at the end of its useful life. If I was making money welding I wouldn’t hesitate to buy a Dynasty. If I end up needing frequency and pulse faster than 15 pps I’ll go neverlast.

[ryanjones2150]

You just have to have good main power for that syncrowave 200. For its size, it eats some power, but I like those transformer machines. For my shop, the biggest benefit of an inverter is the freq adjustment for aluminum .125 thou and thinner. Plus they use less power than a transformer machine of a similar size and will be hard pressed to heat that breaker up like your syncrowave will. So if your incoming power is iffy, an inverter will be of benefit to you.