Passport plus for main machine?

[AZguy]

I have a millermatic 140 that is my main machine right now, it’s been an awesome little machine, I bought it new about 10 years ago and it hasn’t skipped a beat. I have a home based fab shop building as assortment of stuff, I do a lot of projects out of 1/4 in now since I cut it a lot on my plasma table. The 140 just doesn’t have enough power to weld the 1/4” well, it’s rated for multiple passes just got 3/16”. I have a passport plus I bought a few years ago that I use for mobile jobs. It’s a great machine too and I somehow just realized it actually has a higher rating than my 140 and I can can just run it on 220.

my questions is, is there any reason I can’t use the passport as my main machine for now? I know it’s sold as a “mobile” or “portable” machine but it seems to have better duty cycle at the same amperage than my little 140 anyway. I’d love to get a bigger Mig machine but I just don’t have the money for that right now and I already have the passport.

[walker]

No reason you can’t. Just out of curiosity, and not trying to be critical but rather help you out, are you a licensed business and have you been since January 2020 or before?

[MAC702]

I used a Passport (original) as a main shop machine for the year when I was between my MM175 and HH210 machines. It might look funny on a cart in the shop but there's nothing wrong with it.

[AZguy]

No reason you can’t. Just out of curiosity, and not trying to be critical but rather help you out, are you a licensed business and have you been since January 2020 or before?

I have an LLC for my business for the last 4 years or so, why?

[AZguy]

I used a Passport (original) as a main shop machine for the year when I was between my MM175 and HH210 machines. It might look funny on a cart in the shop but there's nothing wrong with it.

good to hear. I couldn’t think of an reason why it shouldn’t work full time for a while till I get get a bigger MiG machine but I was worried I was missing something and being a mobile/ portable machine would cause issues running it longer days

[walker]

Have you received a PPP loan? These are super easy to get for the 1st gen loans, which are still available. You basically just use it to pay yourself and any employees, then the lian is forgivable. That frees up your company money for some new toys. Chat with your banker and apply. 2nd gen loans are apparently a little harder to get.

[AZguy]

Have you received a PPP loan? These are super easy to get for the 1st gen loans, which are still available. You basically just use it to pay yourself and any employees, then the lian is forgivable. That frees up your company money for some new toys. Chat with your banker and apply. 2nd gen loans are apparently a little harder to get.

I hadn’t really looked much into that. From what I saw it is used mainly to support paying employees. It’s just me doing everything, so I have no employees. I’ll look into it more thought, thanks for the suggestion.

[walker]

Im doing business alone as well, we still get paid.

[ryanjones2150]

I’ve stayed out of that because I don’t want Uncle Sam any more into my business. But I can see how it can be helpful. A guy I know running a CNC shop got a big chunk and split it up between his employees. While he was able to keep them working, some of their spouses were out of work, so it helped them.

[MAC702]

I'd have to hire an employee just to start keeping track of the paperwork.

[ryanjones2150]

Paperwork....that’s my favorite. I like it almost as much as I like to paint.