Multi-Process Welders

[kiwi]

Hello,
This is my first post on this forum so here goes. As an aside this message board was highly recommended by fun4now. My question is a simple one. What do you think about Multi-Process Welders? I have outgrown my 120v MIG and I am looking to upgrade. These welders seem too good to be true! What are the pros and cons? Any advice would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

[admweld]

I have a Dimension 652 in my shop and for smaw,fcaw,gmaw or air-arcing this machine kick a#$ it has more power than most anyone would ever need and does not need a break no matter how hard i have pushed it.hope this little info helps also welcome aboard glad to see more people logging on this is agreat forum with some real good people with some real good exspertise advice.

[Scott V]

The main problem with mutiprocess machines are they are not that portable
unless you spend $3,000 on up for the base machine without a feeder or even
stick leads. You can buy a MM-210 and a Maxstar 150H 120/240 volt unit for a cost of a mutiprocess machine like a Esab 260 mutimaster. You still have to outfit the Multimaster for tig and stick. A MM- 210 and a Thermal prowave 185
ac/dc will give you more bang for your buck then about any combo out now.
If you wanted a nice Mig/stick for the shop then a mutimaster 260 is not a bad
way to go. The tig is excellent but it does not have lift-arc/ hi-freq. It's stable
down to 1 amp so that tell me something but a Maxstar/prowave type adds more features. I really like my Mutimaster but two separate machines make
more sense. I bought mine for other reasons then the muti process.
Synergic pulse/(spoolgun too) and the inductance control/ arc quality/ single
phase power input.

[Tailshaft56]

One other thing most multi's like Millers XMT are DC only in the tig mode. Go with a Miller 210 or 251 and Thermal TA-185.

[burninbriar]

I have found with most things, when you get sometthing that does it all, it usually wont do it all well. in other words. The mutiprocess machines I looked at all seemed to lack functions or capacity in at least one of the processes. I also don't like the idea of haveing a machine break down and loose every thing.

[zmotorsports]

Multiprocess

Kiwi, welcome to the forum. I used to have a Shopmaster 300 which was a multiprocess and like burninbriar stated "when you get something that does it all it usually won't do it all well". It welded Mig fantastic and Tig DC pretty well but on Tig AC it really needed some help. I had long extension cables made up so I could leave the power source in the corner of the shop and made carts for the wire feeder and the tig HF and cooler but then there were cables all across and twisted if you had both machines being used. Then other problem was switching the leads around for the different processes was kind of a pain in the butt. I recently sold it and purchased a Dynasty 300 and MM251 to do everything I need. I like having the two seperate machines much better. Each machine is specialized in its own process and the welds from each are awesome, plus there is less congestion in the shop and if both machines are out it is not that much to have to move around. Another thing to consider is that if you ever have a problem with one machine you are not down and out, you can still make money until the other is back up. Just a few thoughts, hope this info helps.

[fatfrank]

I agree with Scott and zmotorsports, the main reason I wouldn't want one welder to do it all is because if it takes a dump, no more welding. If you spent the same amount of money on a stickmate, mm210, and nice tig and one took a dump you would still have 2 welders and only have to replace the one that broke.