Old stick welder versus that new inverter I borrowed last week

Been running an old Lincoln tombstone for close to 12 years now on pipe work. Last week my buddy let me borrow his Miller inverter to try on a 6-inch schedule 80 job in Gary. Night and day difference on the root pass. The arc was smoother and I didnt have to fight as much spatter. Anyone else made the switch and stuck with it or did you go back to the old machine?

3 comments

3 Comments

mitchell.lee1mo ago

Read somewhere those inverters save a lot on power bills too.

diana_black1mo agoMost Upvoted

@mitchell.lee I keep seeing people say that too but is it really that big of a difference? Like are we talking 10 bucks a month or 50? Because I know some people run their AC all day and that's gotta be a major factor. I guess it depends on your house and what kinda system you're running too. I'd love to see actual numbers from someone who switched instead of just hype.

joel_butler1mo ago

But what about older houses with crap insulation though? I feel like the AC brand and efficiency rating matters way more than just inverter vs non-inverter if your house leaks air like a sieve. Somebody who actually crunched the numbers before and after in a drafty old place would be way more useful than the usual "my electric bill got cut in half" hype.