new vs old

[Skip]

Technology isn't allways a great thing. I'm fairly new at this trade (welding in general) but I've gotta say that you can do as much with older equipment than you can with new.
Having said that,how about those old motor generator "torpedoes". You'll never get a smoother arc and you can arc air with them all day long with the biggest carbon you can get your hands on.
Worked at a ship yard before I got into pipe and they used AC tapped transformers that were good up to 400 amps. It took some getting use to but in many cases if I had AC or DC machines to choose from I usually took an AC "pot", never ran into arc blow with those things.
At home I have a Lincoln 250-300 ac/dc Ideal arc, a manual tig torch, and an argon bottle with flow meter. I've used this set up to practice pipe welding the only thing I can't do is aluminum (no high freq peddle). I can only touch start the arc, but that's all we do at work any way.
I realize that inverters can do what my machine does and more at less than half the size and weight , but I guess I just like the old stuff that the older welders have used in the past (is something wrong with me ?). I have to say I enjoy that arc force option on the Miller machines we have at the shop though, you can really soften the arc on the cap pass.
Suppose you could get the same results on a torpedo by backing off the arc voltage (I think).
Great forum, lots of knowledge and experience here.
Keep up the good work.
Skip

[ZACHV]

Thanks for joining Skip, all perspectives are welcomed and encouraged here. There are some real old timers here and some relative virgins, like me.
Your knowledge will be very useful.

[cope]

new VS old

Skip, I agree with you. Its funny that weldors have been making sound welds for years using MIG and TIG without all the new inverter technology, etc. I have some of the old and the new and I guess it boils down to what you like. Certainly nothing wrong with the old equipment. Certainly nothing wrong with the new if you buy for quality and forget about the hype surrounding it.

[Hobart Expert Rock]

SKIP.........HEY WELCOME ABOARD..........AH OLD VS. NEW. WELL I HAVE A TERRABLE TIME WITH A SLIDE AMPERAGE TORCH (WELL NOT REALLY) CONTROL VERSUS A FOOT PEDAL.

THE OLD TORPEDO WELDERS YOUR TALKING ABOUT STILL HAVE 250 TO 700 DOLLARS WORTH OF COPPER IN THEM DEPENDING ON THE SCRAP PRICE OF COPPER........

YES I STILL HAVE THREE, DON'T KNOW WHAT I WILL DO WHEN THE BRUSH'S WEAR OUT IN THESE OLD GIRLS. GUESS I WILL TRY AND FIND SOME COMMERCIALLY. MY GOLLY YOU SHOULD SEE THE ELECTRICAL METER FLY WHEN WE STRIKE THESE OLD GIRLS OFF. YES THEIR SMOOTH BUT NOT VERY ENERGY EFFICIENT........

THERE ARE SOME GOOD THINGS TO BE SAID FOR NEW AS WELL AS SOME GOOD THINGS TO BE SAID FOR OLD..............ROCK
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[Scott V]

I would say one thing about new.Inverters welding on ac for aluminum are the best so far.nothing old can get close.Atleast anything an average preson could afford.Dc welding lots of good old stuff.

[Ed Heimbach]

Lots to be said about the old, you will never find a smoother arc than a "torpedoe", but a welder that weighs only 85 pounds is only because of inverter technology.
I learned on the shipyard machines, but I believe that the new technology makes available a very large field for the newer operators to choose from.
A process that was almost regarded as an art form is now available to the mechanically inclined, and I believe that the industry is better for it.