I have been looking at welders for a few months and am seriously considering a Millermatic. The snap on guy that comes to my complex is a tempting bastard and for as expensive at it seems this welder is righteous. When it comes to welders every name in the industry comes up except Snap On I've noticed in regular conversation. Anyone have anything bad to say? My neighbor at work has a Snap On Mig and he could give a damn less about it, to him its just another welder so he's not much help. Any input is appreciated. Viva la HAMB. http://buy1.snapon.com/catalog/item.asp?store=snapon-store&item_ID=12618&group_ID=1736
Find out if someone made it for snap off,don't be suprised if it's made in China.Stick to known brands because you will have to repair it some day.
I tend to like the lincoln for price and reliability, but if I had cash to spend, I would get an esab. A guy I worked with a while back had one and it was sweet. You could go from plate steel to 20g sheet metal without the adjustability problems you find with most migs. They are pricy though. I just got a lincoln 180 for half of what he paid for the esab. As far as chinese, I don't think snap-on would go that route. That's what their blue point series is for. From what my snap-on guy says, it hase to be made in the us for it to get the expenive snap-on sticker!
Snap on is too damn much for what you get ! There are many high quality welders out there that are a lot less costly and probably as good if not better ! Lincoln & Miller are the ones to go with ! RetroJim
id stick with miller. snap on consumables are really expensive, unless you can match some other brand up to it.
How many welding shops have snap-on welders? Probably not too many. Most have Miller and Lincoln for a reason.
I have had a Snap-on mig for about 10 years with no complaints. I have also used miller and esab when i worked for other shops. they are also good. the only reason i bought a Snap-on is because i already had a weekly tool payment and couldnt aford to buy one outright at the time.
I would have a hard time droping the bucks on that welder, for me the Miller is the best for the money.
I'm sure Snap-On doesn't manufacture their own welders. I'd stick with the Miller/Lincoln/Hobart/ESAB brands.
These guys make most if not all Snap On welders. http://www.800abcweld.com/ I have an Systematics MP 175 that must be about twelve years old. It's been bullet proof. Cost about 60% of what a buddy gave for an identical machine branded Snap On. I have a good dealer, the company kinda sucks to talk to on the the phone.
I've used them and they are OK... but you will pay dearly for that name... I have a Miller 175 that's been great... but most of my welders Miller/Lincoln/ESAB have been OK.
thats right, systematics has traditionaly made the snap on welders i have had one for well over 20 years. couple minor problems. they got a # in minn that you call, and repair dealers in most areas. also its got a tweeko (sp) gun, so all the shops have the consumables. it is true though, you are gonna pay more from snap on, but i dont think its gonna be from china, but these days you better look close. i just bought a new mig as i wanted to have various wire set ups without the jive of changing on the fly. went with a miller 212, and its bitchen , and was much cheaper than the snap on. the only good reason to buy the snap on is if its on the nothing down program, as its got nothing on the miller. skull
I'd be most concearned w/the warrenty since you are buying it new, and the availablilty of replacement parts(not expenables). We have a Lincoln and some other old ungodly heap in my paps shop that have been there and in regular use since the late 60's or early 70's. They still do what they were ment for. You don't want something that will become obsolete in 10 years.
Bought a mm140 for 2/3 of new and was used less than dozen times has worked great for what i have needed it for and is 115v I am thinking about getting Tig attachment gun
I bought a Mac. Guys said it was a miller with a red paint job. Got a deal i think. Works great. Problem is.... i paid up front and when i get the thing it has a 6 ft lead. Freakin short. Gotta strap it to my back practicly. But my garage is tight and works out not to bad in the end.
...Love my Millermatic 350... Buy more welder than you think you will need, because you will need it. .
SnapOn farms out their welders as they do alotta stuff, but they have the consumables made juat a little different so you gotta buy "snapon" stuff. My buddy hada SnapOn mig and couldn't get consumables (like tips) for months on end. He got rid of it because of that - and says good riddence to this day. However it DID weld good, but as been said you're paying an AWFUL LOT EXTRA for the name and privelidge of paying more for consumables as well. Personally I'd avoid it unless it was a KILLER DEAL and even then I'd think twice. IMHO you'd be better off with one of the Welding Industry Standard machines - Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, etc.
You hit the nail on the head, with the convenience of a weekly payment. I have a snap-on welder, I'm pretty sure they are made by lincoln, then snap-on jacks the price and paints it their way.I've had mine for 8years, not a single thing has gone wrong with it.Mine is the 140amp 100% duty cycle plugs into 120v, which is real nice because I don't have 220v in my garage.Here's the thing a lot of guys/gals don't like, I paid $2100 for my welder when I probably could have gone and bought an equivelent Miller or Hobart for under $850.But going through the ranks of a line tech its so easy to roll a welder into the weekly tool payment, you're going to have regardless.
Your neighbor has an attitude...I like it and you can when you work with the best. IMHO, buy the best you can afford, though I have a Millermatic 185 I use Snap on tools mostly. Best support in the business and the guy comes to your shop reg. so he is going to look after your needs. Your in the driver seat, tell him your going to buy a welder one way or the other,you like the Snap on but can afford the Miller, he may have some room to work the price, At least get a jacket or ....
I have one of those.............It sucks, can't get the tig to work, so A pro welder friend of mine tried it also, mess with that stupid thang for hours he couldn't get it to weld either, don't buy it, get the miller. I have a miller and love it......... but my partner wanted the snap on. did i tell you i hate that damn thing.
ive welded with a snapon welder. looked just like the one in the pic. it was a smooth welding machine. i just bought a miller 180 for smaller jobs and love it. but if i need to do a big job i also have an old dial arc. im a miller fan though so dont let me influence you too bad. just dont buy the snap on for the name, please. brian
I have had my snap-on welder for 20 years.. Never a problem.. Consumables are available at my local welding supply.. The weekly payment made it easier for me to purchase a welder at the time i bought it.. No regrets here,,,
You know Iam a die hard snap on guy and had to seriously think hard when it came to this very desicion.I tried to rationalize the fact that I had the weekly payment already and my snap on guy is way cool and would let me go ahead on truck credit only (no interest)but then i realized something.......I can pull one side job and maybe save a little for a bit and walk into airgas and buy the miller I want with cash and save my self a ton of wasted money for nothing more than the convienence and a name.Im sure they are great units and everyones situation is different so If you can stomache the fact that the extra 400 or so bucks that could have went to the car you are building is ok to sit on your floor in the form of a shiney fancy welder then so be it!
I bought mine used and it does weld OK but a liner for thr gun had to be worked out by my local welding shop. If I had an option and was buying a new one it wouldn't be a Snap On. They are made for them and not by them. Miller, ESAB, Hobart or Lincoln are the way to go.
I have used a buddies snap-on like in the picture. It seemed to weld just fine. I have Miller ,Lincoln,and Hobart in my shop. The lincoln has put down a lot of wire over the past 17 years and still works like it did when new. I cannot say enough about the quality of that machine. The Miller I have not has as long, but it is the finest welding machine I have ever used!! The Hobart is a piece of shit and not worth the space it takes up. I vote you get the Miller.
I have this same Snap-on welder, and it's a kick ass machine. I bought mine as a repo, and I new the guy it was rpo'd from...it had never been turned on. This is a 100% duty cycle machine... comes in handy if you are doing alot of continuous welding. I got the TIG attachment as well, but I am not too fond of the finger trigger on it...it also won't weld aluminum. For steel though, it works ok, just awkward to use (especially if you are used to a foot pedal). I finally ended up buying a Miller TIG. My Snap-on is about 12 years old, and I haven't had any problems with mine. I agree with the others as far as price...I got a bang-up deal on mine, so it was a no brainer. If you are going to buy straight out, I would probably go with a Miller or Lincoln as well (save some cash)... Sam
I own and love Lincoln welders have used Miller, and Hobart, all three about the same. all three made in the USA, and parts are usually only a few miles away
The Jalopy Journal
