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  1. #31
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    133

    Default

    I am pretty sure that if you had to contact Token or Bob, they may be willing to let you go out and try their units. I am sure they have demo/evaluation machines. I think at one stage Everlast also had eval machines, but not sure of their price bracket.

    Good luck
    Al

  2. #32
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    429

    Default

    If its an inverter welder and thus a switchmode power supply, the frequency should not matter a cracker and the fans will probaly be 12V DC run off the logic board anyway.

    But I would not bring one in from the US, for the above reasons.

    Pluss no matter how ya get it here it will cost you in freight and exchange rates and GST at the customs barrier......so lets say AU$1400

    When it gets here, dealer supported it will probably be a $2000 machine once the Australia Tax is paid.


    When I baught mine a couple of years ago for $700 ish, I looked at a lincon...it was still a small spool machine with a similar current...but it was like $1200....AND mig only.....and the torch was not as good, probably required lincon only consumables too.
    At the time I could have baught a higher rated, better , MIG only machine for $500

    Like so many things, it simply does not pay to buy low end, name brand, US, product in Australia.

    It may still be worth buying US name brand items in the mid to upper end of the market, but all the low end product is designed to compete (only just) in the US with imported chineese product.
    AND still support high name brand margins.

    By the time it gets here it will be poor value for money.

    If ya want MIG only..look at this..https://www.tradetools.com/products/MIG180GG

    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  3. #33
    Join Date
    Oct 2011
    Location
    Norwood-ish, Adelaide
    Age
    59
    Posts
    6,540

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    Quote Originally Posted by Karl Robbers View Post
    As much as I love Lincoln gear, I probably wouldn't bring one back from the states. I would be very surprised if the three year warranty was honoured in Australia and your local Lincoln repair agent will most probably not be of a mind to be too helpful.
    I bought my Miller helmet out of the US some years ago now and at the time had big discussions with the local agent and Miller about warranty - they were saying that warranty only applied in the country of purchase so if I imported they would not support the product. My rejoiner was that if I was a US welder and took my helmet with me O/S to do a job, did that mean that I wouldn't be supported? Things went quiet for a while. I can understand their point of view but for me it was an issue of global parity pricing as much as anything. I believe that global brands should have global warranty.

    As for local servicing - that should be investigated too. WESS are a big supplier in SA but have signs up all over the place that unless you buy from them (and the proof is an enormous sticker they put on the side of a unit) they will not repair. They don't repair some brands anyway but this is in addition to that, although I've never put them to the test. As I have a secondhand Lincoln plasma, I hope not to need to...

    Michael

  4. #34
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    429

    Default

    If I come across any supplier that will not repair an item unless it was purchased from them......guess what...it won't be purchased from them...not by me....regardless.

    You can bet your boots their equipment and the servicing is over priced too.


    particularly in the lower end of the market.....brands mean bugger all these days.....except may be higher price for a generic manufacturerd item.

    Its not like welding is a market full of technical inovation


    This whole overpricing of US made brands in this country is rediculous and there is absolutly no justification for it.

    It is profiteering pure and simple.

    cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  5. #35
    Join Date
    Sep 2010
    Location
    Lebrina
    Posts
    1,910

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by soundman View Post
    If I come across any supplier that will not repair an item unless it was purchased from them......guess what...it won't be purchased from them...not by me....regardless.

    You can bet your boots their equipment and the servicing is over priced too.


    particularly in the lower end of the market.....brands mean bugger all these days.....except may be higher price for a generic manufacturerd item.

    Its not like welding is a market full of technical inovation


    This whole overpricing of US made brands in this country is rediculous and there is absolutly no justification for it.

    It is profiteering pure and simple.

    cheers
    I understand your perspective and agree that we certainly do get held to ransom by some of the big boys. Not welding related, but I just bought a genuine ignition module for a brush cutter from the US for $40 incl postage, the same module here was $160.
    You are correct regarding the technology, or lack thereof embodied in many welding machines. If we look at some commonly used processes, we need to remember that the hard yards were done many years ago and now the Chinese and Eastern Europeans are cashing in by copying technologies that they had no investment in. There is still development work going on at the upper ends of the field with Lincoln STT and the Miller equivalent making inroads into the pipeline welding field, but down where us mere mortals tread we are still pretty much beating our washing on the same rock we have for years.
    How many are aware that some cutting edge technology in Aluminium welding was developed in Australia? WIA in conjunction with the CSIRO developed the CDT machines, which stands for Controlled Droplet Transfer. Similar to pulse mig, but not quite the same and brilliant for Aluminium work.
    I do sympathise with the local dealers to a degree, (this varies with dealer attitude too) and I don't believe the problem is at their level in many cases. I too would be miffed if you didn't support my business, or at least give me a chance to quote on a machine, but then wanted me to go out of my way to help you when you needed service and advice at a local level.
    I have seen the pricing at my local Lincoln dealer. On a handyman level machine, they would be lucky to make $50 on a new machine in many cases. That $50 is rapidly eaten up by the time spent to sell said machine, explain its use and correcting the inevitable newbie mistakes. Salt is then rubbed in the wound when the owner then buys consumables online or elsewhere in order to save 50 cents.
    I don't know the total answer, but I do know that if we don't support our locals, then they will cease to exist. I also believe that we have never had it so good as far as the machines available to the home user and the prices paid overall.

  6. #36
    Join Date
    Apr 2002
    Location
    Brisbane
    Posts
    429

    Default

    The answer is the big US companies selling to the australian market at a reasonable rate.

    As it stands the dealers for many things would be better off buying full retal out of the US than buying thru the local distributer.

    I know of australian licenced distributers of audio equipment who don't even buy direct from the manufacturer...they buy at what we would call "trade" from a US distributer....while the US "dealers" buy direct from the manufacturer at "wholesale".

    I know that some retail stores in the US buy more and pay less than the australian distributer....hell some items sell retail for less in the US than the australian distributer pays.

    I also know that there are wholly owned subsiduaries of the US manufacturers distributing product into the australian market at rediculous margins

    EVEN more rediculous...it is cheaper to buy some australian manufactured 4wd product ( like air lockers) from a major US retailer than from the austrailan campany that makes them.( including freight)


    In many of the products there are just two many hands looking for a far too generous cut.

    In many cases I have seen australian companies like carbatec bypass the whole US greed and go direct to the tiawanese or chinese manufacturer.......and be able to sell a product at a fair price.

    There are however a very few US bassed companies that ship direct from factory world wide and charge a fair price in evry country that supply.

    Moving with the times, there are a few companies that have completely done away with the distributer chain all together and ship direct to the retailer from the factory from wherever.

    I like many others have grown weary of being asked to pay well over the odds for just about everything ...just because we are in Australia.

    As for service....hell...some of the US and Japanese bricks and mortar retailers, can turn around waranty claims faster than the local distributer.....because they have more service staff and hold more spare parts.



    I'VE HAD ENOUGH AND I WON'T TAKE IT ANYMORE


    Cheers
    Any thing with sharp teeth eats meat.
    Most powertools have sharp teeth.
    People are made of meat.
    Abrasives can be just as dangerous as a blade.....and 10 times more painfull.

  7. #37
    Join Date
    Dec 2013
    Location
    San Antonio, Texas, USA
    Posts
    17

    Default

    Soundman,

    Most of the major US tool brands, welders included, are either made in China or are built up from Chinese components. Don't worry though, when the Chinese finally decide to pull the rug out from under the US economy everybody is going to get it bad, not just Australia.

    Remember that movie Bridge on the River Kwai? "Me thinkee you build railroad now...".

    Rob

  8. #38
    Join Date
    Sep 2008
    Location
    N/A
    Posts
    535

    Default

    I've just had an extremely good service experience with Miller. In their case I think the price is justified by the service and support. And the aftermarket accessory range is pretty good.

  9. #39
    Join Date
    Dec 2014
    Location
    NA
    Posts
    2

    Default You do not say power voltage

    Quote Originally Posted by codysheridan1 View Post
    Howdy all,

    I'm looking into getting my first welder. Thinking mig would suit me best. The majority of the work will be on 3mm SHS but would be good to be able to do some heavier stuff too.

    I'd prefer to not spend much more than $1000 but I'm also happy to spend what is needed for a decent machine.

    So what can people recommend as a good value for money machine?

    Thanks in advance
    Cody
    You can choosing Hobart 210 MVP or if you pay a little money you can use Millermatic 211
    You can read review:
    http://pickwelder.com/hobart-handler...r-reviews.html
    http://pickwelder.com/miller-millerm...1-reviews.html

  10. #40
    Join Date
    May 2007
    Location
    South Australia
    Posts
    100

    Default

    not in australia lol

  11. #41
    Join Date
    Sep 2011
    Location
    Sydney, NSW, Australia
    Age
    29
    Posts
    13

    Default

    Figured I'd update, got home a week ago to a welder awaiting from Token tools. Yet to try it out though, need to pick up a 15 amp extension lead!

    https://weldingstore.tokentools.com....s-mig210s.html

  12. #42
    Join Date
    Jul 2009
    Location
    Melbourne
    Posts
    133

    Default

    Quote Originally Posted by codysheridan1 View Post
    Figured I'd update, got home a week ago to a welder awaiting from Token tools. Yet to try it out though, need to pick up a 15 amp extension lead!

    https://weldingstore.tokentools.com....s-mig210s.html
    That's what I have and love it.

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