Longevity welder anyone?

[74kay5]

I agree 100%. But I couldn't afford to buy a US tig plama and arc. That's the problem with a garage fabricator like me. I want to weld stuff but I can't afford the equipment that big shops have. The replacement 416D I got has been working well. I tigged my doors with it and plasma cut some stuff the other day. If I get 5 years worth of use out of it and Longevity honors their warranty I'll be happy. My Lincoln SP175t mig was having issues before the warranty was up and they only fixed half of the issues. The technician said Lincoln is fixing less and less under warranty these days.

Well....

I received my Forcecut 50i. The unit cuts well, but the post flow air stays on sometimes, a timing circuit issue. This one needs shipped back too.

I learned a valuable lesson here. Buy American! Even though most of the componets are produced in China, the companies like lincoln, test and assemble each machine. Longevity just ships product that comes straight from china..quality control is not a big concern.

Even though Longevity has good service, I'd never recommend buying any of there products. Run Forest Run!

 

[JK5]

I agree 100%. But I couldn't afford to buy a US tig plama and arc. That's the problem with a garage fabricator like me. I want to weld stuff but I can't afford the equipment that big shops have. The replacement 416D I got has been working well. I tigged my doors with it and plasma cut some stuff the other day. If I get 5 years worth of use out of it and Longevity honors their warranty I'll be happy. My Lincoln SP175t mig was having issues before the warranty was up and they only fixed half of the issues. The technician said Lincoln is fixing less and less under warranty these days.

I hear yah, I'm in the same boat. Tell Lincoln, you're going to the court house! It only costs $38 to start a small claims case around here. Tell them you're putting up with less and less BULL**** these days! Since I'm in the Cleveland area, I'd be in there face! **** That! These companies are making huge profits importing junk...Make them Pay!

 

[74kay5]

just sent my 2nd lc416 back in for service. Made some loud exploding noises and a bunch of smoke came out of the vents. I hand delivered it back to them and asked about the possibility of an upgrade but they said that my unit has depreciated in value and they would only give me a $150 credit toward another unit.

 

[Fordum]

You know, I just fell over this thread. I've just got to wonder......
Welders and plasma cutters could be broken down into two big chunks. The windings, transformer, and what have you, and the control circuitry.

If the transformer is badly done and shorting out or opening up, it can be rewound. I know an outfit that will do it.
But there is a good chance it would not be worth it.

However, if its the control circuit, it might only be one or two substandard parts, or a badly made board.
Leads that are shorting out, or bad solder joints are fixable.

As long as the warranty is good, I would not even take the cover off. But if you get one that you cannot get replaced, it might be worthwhile to look into it.

 

[longbedder]

The bitch of it all is that no company, Chinee or American, will take the time to troubleshoot and repair the root cause (and yes, it usually is jsut a component somewhere on a PCB). Their method of "repair" is to either replace the whole unit (Chinee) or swap out a board (American).