welding farm equipment

[dale560]

1 hour ago, CRVB91 said:

So cool I'd love to have one of these! 

Dad had two of them first on was AC only I think he paid 59 or 99 for it at a farm store years ago. The one setting like at 125 quit working so he bought a new one ac/dc for 199 at a tsc and a wheel kit. We then got a miller .

[Matt Kirsch]

Dad bought 6011 rod by the bucket back in the day. Before his eyesight went downhill, he could lay down a mean bead. I have never been able to get the "whip and pause" bit terribly consistent. Plus I'm usually welding clean metal so I use 7018.

[whweldit]

Started with a used buzz box.    Got where I was nearly melting it because of the duty cycle.  Bought this one new. 250 ac/dc ideal arc.   Still in great shape.  Not used much since I bought my MiG outfit in 2007.   Decided the other day to put it on marketplace.   Figure somebody would like to own it.   As for farm welds, it is hard to beat a 7018.  But the biggest mistake I have seen in farm welds is the lack of preparation before welding.  

[ray54]

Why weld rusty metal?  Cheap Harbor Freight 4.5 inch angle grinders and all manor of wire brushes and grinding wheels. A grinder for every job never change wheels until worn out. For heavy grinding I try to use a better grinder.

Mostly 6010 and 7018 with an old Lincoln SA 200. But could not resist an Ideal arc for $200 for quick jobs in the shop. 😢But it is only AC. The 7018 AC works but still not the same as 7018 on DC.

[New Englander]

I was going to drag the old buzz box out to fix my trailer but can just back it far enough into the shop to MIG it - lift gets in the way. Rods I have are all too old to use anyway.I was going to look for a fresh 1lb of 7014 based on the conversations here. 

[just Dave]

22 hours ago, whweldit said:

Started with a used buzz box.    Got where I was nearly melting it because of the duty cycle.  Bought this one new. 250 ac/dc ideal arc.   Still in great shape.  Not used much since I bought my MiG outfit in 2007.   Decided the other day to put it on marketplace.   Figure somebody would like to own it.   As for farm welds, it is hard to beat a 7018.  But the biggest mistake I have seen in farm welds is the lack of preparation before welding.  

That is an old look Idealarc, very stylish.  What year is it?

[whweldit]

1 hour ago, just Dave said:

That is an old look Idealarc, very stylish.  What year is it?

Think I bought it around 1984.  I think it was on the sales floor left over when they went to the square design unit. 

[lotsaIHCs]

On 10/22/2026 at 10:20 AM, acem said:

Buzz Box is typically an old Lincoln AC225 Tombstone welder.  It has been a rock solid reliable old school welder for over half a century.  Good for welding thicker steels like we typically have around the farm.  I have rarely burned a rod with anything else.  But I'm a farmer not a welder.

When you turn it on the switch makes a loud clunk.  Then the buzzing sound starts...

I know people who have never welded with anything but a Lincoln AC225 and 6011 rods.

 

 

Your welder is way too fancy for a simple man like me...

 

That's the welder I've always used. My dad and I each have one of those Lincoln welders. Between the two of us we've burned up a lot of 6011 and 6013 rods. TSC was selling rods at a big discount, like 75%off a few months ago during a remodel so I bought some 7014 and 7018 to try out. Might have been some 7024 in there too. I don't have a rod oven so not sure what I'll do with the 7018 once I open them up. Maybe just sell them instead of opening the package.

[Dirt_Floor_Poor]

22 hours ago, ray54 said:

an old Lincoln SA 200

We have one of those as well. It’s a fantastic welder. 

[acem]

The SA 200 is a classic.  We always called them a pipeline welder.  All the old welders round here ran them.

[PJW360]

Here’s a older mobile unit I acquired hope to restore and maybe burn some rods one day when time allows

[CRVB91]

7 hours ago, acem said:

The SA 200 is a classic.  We always called them a pipeline welder.  All the old welders round here ran them.

I'm assuming the part that sticks out is part of the onboard generator? They must have been easier to fix once an issue was identified than their more modern, electric powered ancestors? 🤔 a lot of the more modern welders look like they belong on a spaceship 🤣

[iowaboy1965]

9 hours ago, lotsaIHCs said:

That's the welder I've always used. My dad and I each have one of those Lincoln welders. Between the two of us we've burned up a lot of 6011 and 6013 rods. TSC was selling rods at a big discount, like 75%off a few months ago during a remodel so I bought some 7014 and 7018 to try out. Might have been some 7024 in there too. I don't have a rod oven so not sure what I'll do with the 7018 once I open them up. Maybe just sell them instead of opening the package.

I've had rod of various numbers sit around for years after opening and still used it, including 7018. If your worried about it some guys would stick it to the work piece for a few seconds and let the welder cook it a little to dry out any moisture. Then break it lose and go to welding. I always try to keep as much as I can in the container or package it came in and closed up, until I need it.

[Rawleigh99]

The old SA-200's had a reputation for being a very smooth welder.  The old guys swore by them.

[766 Man]

On 10/21/2026 at 3:27 PM, Dirt_Floor_Poor said:

I used to use 7018AC rods with an old buzz box. They worked ok. 

  Dad used 7018 AC rods with a buzz box depending on the job at hand.  

[sandhiller]

On 10/22/2026 at 1:56 PM, CRVB91 said:

So cool I'd love to have one of these! 

If you cover shipping 🤑  I will send you mine on the good neighbor discount (free), old but still cleans up and welds like new

Sadly just takes up room in the shop since my go to are Miller 200 wire, Hobart Ironman 250 wire and MIller Bobcat 225 whick is seeing a lot of duty on the new corrals we are putting in, it is pretty quiet and idle down feature is nice

 

[CRVB91]

4 minutes ago, sandhiller said:

If you cover shipping 🤑  I will send you mine on the good neighbor discount (free), old but still cleans up and welds like new

Sadly just takes up room in the shop since my go to are Miller 200 wire, Hobart Ironman 250 wire and MIller Bobcat 225 whick is seeing a lot of duty on the new corrals we are putting in, it is pretty quiet and idle down feature is nice

 

I'd love it! No idea how much shipping would be, though. 

[sandhiller]

Just now, CRVB91 said:

I'd love it! No idea how much shipping would be, though. 

Not that big and would crate up easy 

But very heavy

 

[CRVB91]

2 minutes ago, sandhiller said:

Not that big and would crate up easy 

But very heavy

 

Yes, around 50kg from my research....

[sandhiller]

1 minute ago, CRVB91 said:

Yes, around 50kg from my research....

Not fluent in kg's but guessing that would be about two bags of cattle mineral 😉

Which reminds me of this joke

[CRVB91]

11 minutes ago, sandhiller said:

Not fluent in kg's but guessing that would be about two bags of cattle mineral 😉

Which reminds me of this joke

🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Around 100lbs! 

[naedlaen]

Rough conversion is 2.2 pounds per kilogram so about 110 pounds.  Then add in the crate.

Neal

[sandhiller]

3 hours ago, CRVB91 said:

🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

Around 100lbs! 

Or 2 bags of cattle mineral

See, the American system of weights and measures is perfect🤠

[acem]

It's easy to remember the metric system.

454 grams in a pound.

454 is a big block Chevy.

Or you can memorize this chart. I find it very useful!

It's in an old Chilton's manual.

 

 

[ray54]

16 hours ago, iowaboy1965 said:

I've had rod of various numbers sit around for years after opening and still used it, including 7018. If your worried about it some guys would stick it to the work piece for a few seconds and let the welder cook it a little to dry out any moisture. Then break it lose and go to welding. I always try to keep as much as I can in the container or package it came in and closed up, until I need it.

My uncle was that way, just leave rod sitting around in his old barn, with part of the roof flapping around. Claimed McKay brand 7018 didn't care if it had been wet. I cannot say I ever used any of his, to know.

I store all rod in a old refrigerator, no  light in it keep warm, but my wife crammed a bunch of kids books in it mostly full. I do know 7018 I have had around will work better if I set it out in the hot sun as prep the pieces to be welded.

Have friend not far away with rod oven. So will buy 50 pound box and fill 2 of the plastic rod tubes, and put the rest in his oven. We trade labor and lots of equipment back and forth, nobody keeps real track of things. But town is 20 mile over 1/2 hour if you run out of things.

I have welded mostly with 2 of the SA 200's, but the friend has never got the 200 he has always wanted. But has SA 300, and has learned make it work on thin stuff fairly well.