PowerARC 200ST 200amp TIG Stick IGBT Welder 110/220 Dual Voltage

This review could be summed up with one word - smooth. I only weld as a hobby, and I have only ever used an old Miller Thunderbolt AC and an even older Lincoln red tombstone, but this Everlast welder is a totally different experience. Striking an arc is smooth, even at very low amps. Running a bead is smooth and quiet. My very old Lincoln AC welder lets you know it is "on" and it lets you know when you are welding. The Everlast welder is so quiet, especially while welding. One thing I will mention is the fan is loud, for a fan. Though the decibel level with the "loud" fan is still much less than my Lincoln tombstone (some call "buzzbox")(both the everlast and Lincoln are quieter than the old Miller I use).Pros:-Price/value-Smooth welding (especially at this price range)-Quiet, especially while welding. (fan is kind of loud, but not as obtrusive as the buzzing and zapping sound my Lincoln makes.)-Simple/clear controls. (the digital readout is better at a glance than the Lincoln's notches or the crank of the Miller)-Absolutely useable on 110v. (before making a pigtail for my 220v outlet I tried this welder on some 1/8 inch plate. It did very well. I used some 1/16" and some 3/32" rods. The 3/32" rods ran fine through a large range of amp settings. I could strike and maintain an arc at very low amps with 3/32")(I will keep the 110v adapter handy, instead of just throwing it in a box in the corner)-Light weight/portable. (I would have to check, but this is less than half of the weight of the Lincoln tombstone or Miller Thunder bolt. The Everlast welder comes with a shoulder strap type handle and it is EASILY carried on your shoulder).-Not a bad ground clamp. ( I was expecting such a cheap ground clamp that I ordered a replacement before the welder arrived, but the clamp it comes with appears to have copper teeth and a copper band connecting the two halves and the clamp. I don't think I will replace it)Cons - (these are trivial, but I wanted to mention them)-Shipping from the west coast caused delays, I wish there was an east coast distributer (I almost gave it four stars because of this. The company does have control over were they ship from so you cant just say it is UPS's fault. The package took 2 days to leave California. Then there were 5 days with no updates. Finally UPS reported weather delays and it was delivered 2 days after that. In the future I might just pay for faster shipping)-Cheap/overpowering "made in China" plastic smell (the rubber/plastic leads and power cord smelled so bad I was unboxing inside but had to take it to the garage pretty quickly. But lets face it, I wasn't going to weld inside my house anyways)-Only a shoulder strap for carrying, no hard handle (I knew from the pictures it didn't have a handle but I miss it more than I would have thought. The should strap it comes with is totally usable, and I do use it on my shoulder. Also the strap sometimes hangs down in front of the display, it seems to catch me at the worst moments).-Unknown life span (Hey it is made in China and I really don't think the Everlast welder will last as long as my Lincoln tombstone that is built like a tank. I think my grandfather bought the Lincoln in the 1970's and it still runs fine. I wasn't buying the Everlast to replace my Lincoln, I just wanted to try DC power and I wanted something more portable).If this welder works out, I might have to get a plasma cutter to go with it ...

Let me first start by saying I have welded with a lot of machines through the years (been welding for 9 years now), now at one time I did it professionally....but this little machine is amazing. I rarely review products, but I felt the need to write this review.Since joining the military, I wanted a welder that was portable and reliable so I could still do the odd jobs and practice. I searched long and hard for a good stick welder with tig capabilities that didn't weigh 150lbs like a transformer machine. I have had the powerarc 200st for about 2 years now (2014 model) and it has never let me down.So here is my reviewPACKAGING:The welding machine came in the mail very fast and packaged very well....heavy duty cardboard and stapled/taped together. It arrived in perfect condition.POWERING UP:The unit runs on 110/220v. It comes with a 220 plug hard wired in, and a 110v adapter. The unit started right up without a hitch. The unit was quiet with a low hum to it.OPERATION:The real reason I bought the powerarc was due in large part to the dedicated 6010 port. On a lot of these little inverter welders, the cellulose rods do NOT run well. Needless to say, I was hesitant to buy this product at first....Well I can tell you, having owned it for a while now, it runs 6010/11's. and every other rod amazingly.I have used this little machine to weld up all sorts of things. I do hobby welding, but am not a hobby welder. I have welded up diesel and DEF tanks for oil field and construction use (mostly double wall tanks, and pans for single wall tanks....all the way up to 8000 gallon tanks) and this welding machine has never once let me down.I have repaired forklift back rests, truck suspensions, built DEF tank stands, welding tables, resurfaced up anvils, truck and car exhausts, and built a plethora of things with it. I guess I should say...this machine rocks.WELDING ROD USE:This little guy burns rods like nothing, I have used all the common rods like 6010, 6011, 6013, 7014, 7018, and more uncommon ones such as 11018 and hardfacing electrodes. The only rods I have had trouble burning with this unit have been cheap Chinese grade 6010 rods (they run for a few seconds, then go out).QUALITY:The only thing I would say this unit needs is longer leads. I replaced my welding cables with higher quality 25 foot leads. The ground clamp isn't the best, but it works fine (I actually still have the stock ground clamp on mine...works fine), the stinger is good, but you'll end up replacing it eventually anyways. The machine itself is well made and sturdy. The paint is strong and doesn't scratch easily.GRIPES:Like I said before, the welding leads could be longer and the ground clamp beefier...but you can easily replace these. My unit started making a high pitch sound after about a year during start up on cold days, but the sound goes away after a minute or so and doesn't return unless it's been shut off for a while. Other than that I love this machine.WRAP UP:This machine is amazing for the price point, it welds like larger transformer machines I have used in the past. It runs all types of rods amazingly, and reliably. This machine goes up to 200 amps on 220v. It has lift TIG capabilities (have not used the TIG setting yet, but plan to soon) and will handle most anything you can throw at it. If you are looking for a good machine for hobby or professional welding, this is a great choice. Now if you have 800 to a grand to spend on a miller then go for it...I would...but if you are like me and don't want to spend that much on a welding machine, then this one might be the one for youIf you have any questions about this machine, leave a question and I will answer it.I have attached a couple pics, one of a 6010, and the other of a 11018 bead with some restarts (not the best retsarts).Regards-Jack

6010/6011 port great. Cant use a pedal for tig, but a great deal for the price. Smooth arcs

For the price a good dual voltage welder.

I purchased the 2014 version a while back and haven't used it for a real project until recently. I couldn't be more disappointed. On the plus side the machine works with 6010's and 7018's, and really puts out the power. The problem is that, at least in stick mode, you can't control it. I read a review that said that you had to set the current 10A to 20A lower then normal but that is not the real problem. The problem is that it is not consistent. At one point the machine was working well while set at 75A. I started another rod a few minutes later and by the time I had put down and inch of weld the rod was glowing red, the flux was on fire and there was a hole in my 3/16 plate. This was with a 1/8 6010 at 75A! The one thing that keeps the machine from being a doorstop is TIG mode. It is fairly difficult to strike an arc with a stick in TIG mode (it REALLY wants to stick) but once you do, you get a smooth consistent arc and a good weld. I hate to use this type of work around but at least it makes the machine usable.All in all, I would have to say that I do not recommend this machine to anyone.

It's a nice little machine for the price the only problem I have with it is that the amperage seems to be wrong at 120 amp using 1/8 7018 should be perfect but with this machine it's way to hot 90 to 95 amps is perfect have yet to use it on an open root with 6010 hope it weld good