kevincnc

That would be nice, but still well out of the $2000 range. It looks like a Synchrowave 200 would about equivalent to the Lincoln but after talking to tech sales at both companies, I think I'll go with the Diversion 165, and I can add a foot pedal for $140. The Lincoln sales rep seemed to think the Miler 165 would be pretty comparable with an air-cooled torch anyway. The Diversion is also thermally protected. Since the duty cycle is based on 10 minute intervals, that means it should be able to weld at 150A for 2 minutes straight, which seems pretty long to me. It sound like I wouldn't be able to any serious Aluminum welding without spending $4-5K anyway. The ability to do I/C pipes or other small stuff will have to do for now. Thanks for the help guys.

Chris White

Use a foot pedal for 10 minutes - you will be sold on it. Way easier than the torch control and much finer adjustment as you are welding.
You can also look for a good used machine - the 'real' tig welders made by Miller or Lincon are made to last andcan be a good value as used equipment.

CPR

Kevin,
I am going by the warehouse today & check on the PC...

Also I asked the guys yesterday about the foot pedal, it is not that they do not like it....they just seldom are in a situation where they can use it. They are usually under or upside down what they are welding, evidentally a foot pedal is not practical in these scenarios.

kevincnc

Okay thanks guys. I have sent a few questions out to sellers of "real " machies listed on Phoenix Craigslist. I maybe I just have to keep the ants in my pants under control for now.

kevincnc

So after talking to a few more people, I decided that the Diversion 165 is probably best for me to start with considering how much power the big old machines draw, and how expensive the newer good size inverter machines are.

I found this ad on Craigslist in Phoenix:

Miller Diversion 165 Tig Inverter !!!!!!WOW!!!!!! - $1000 (North Phoenix)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Reply to: sale-912405341@craigslist.org [?]
Date: 2008-11-09, 5:21PM MST

Hello, I am selling my Diversion 165 Tig welder. It has about 30 minutes on it, so it might as well be new. Have manual and all accessories. I am asking $1000 for it but somewhat negotiable. Thanks for looking.

Great I thought, I can re-sell it and not lose much money if I need a bigger one. I e-mailed the guy and he called me right back. Since the price was "somewhat negotiable" I asked about a tank and he agreed to include a 36" tank of Argon. I asked why he was selling and he said he only bought it to weld up a pontoon boat at home, and didn't need it anymore since he could do whatever else he needed to at work. Done deal. After a few more phone calls and e-mails, he sent me his work address. I called him Tuesday night to confirm that I'm be driving down from Flagstaff to get it. No problem, he said he'd bring it to work and I could even try it out first. Any time between 5:00 AM and 2:00PM, he's there every day, just call in the morning and let him know when I'd be there. After all of our correspondence especially with his e-mail address being Exile Manufacturing [exilemfg@gmail.com], I assumed he was the owner but never asked.

So yesterday morning at 7:00 AM I headed down in my 951 (that's why this is on the 951 board instead of OT if you were wondering.) I stopped at my house on the north end of town that I'm trying to rent to check out the water leak that a neighbor told me about. Looking at the leak, I noticed that someone had already stolen the new hose and sprayer I bought for the potential new renters. Well, it's Phoenix, you can't expect to leave anything outside without it being stolen, so no big deal. Next I checked my e-mail and found this message from Exile Manufacturing, or "Vincent" (that's what he said his name was on the phone.)

"welder has been sold. Thanks."

So after driving for two hours I was pretty pissed that didn't even have the courtesy (or *****) to call me and tell me he sold it to someone else despite our verbal agreement. I tried calling him several times but he wouldn't answer, and his voice mailbox was full so I couldn't even leave him a message to tell him what a POS he is. I e-mailed him and told him that I was already there, and asked him to call me so we could discuss what happened.

To make sure the trip wouldn't be a total loss, I went to Lowe's to buy a new vacuum relief valve (source of the leak), copper pipe, fittings, solder, flux, and a cheap little torch so that I could play plumber while waiting for his call. Plumbing is my least favorite thing to do, so by the time I got done, and still had not received a call, I was mad enough to drive the additional 45 miles to his shop in Mesa to tell him in person what a POS he was.

I walked into the little office and there was this bowling pin shaped, typical swindler looking dude sitting behind a desk. "Are you Vincent," I asked?
After recovering quickly from the "deer in the headlights" look, he sat back in his chair and a sort of smug look on his face said "Oh you mean Vinny, no he's not here."
I said "Oh, do you know when he'll be back?
"No he didn't even show up today"
"Oh, is he the owner?"
"No, he's just one of my welders, he called this morning and said something about his kid or something"

Being 95% sure that this was the dick-head who screwed me, my mission was to get him to admit to it.

I told him the big story about how we communicated all week about me coming down to get it, and I got an e-mail from him this morning saying it was sold. "Do you usually hire unreliable a..-holes like that?
"I don't know man, he just works here, that's between you and him"
"Yeah well don't you think that's a pretty ****ty thing to do considering I drove all the way from Flagstaff to come and he couldn't even call me and tell me not to come? He just e-mailed me this morning and said it was sold. He won't even answer my calls now, do you know how to get a hold of him?"

He though about it a little and said, "No, he must have e-mailed you from home. Flagstaff, that's a couple hours away, huh?

By this point I was furious and my new goal was to insult him enough to make him stand up so I could beat him to a pulp. Anyone who knows me can tell you that I'm as easy to get along with as they come, I haven't even been in a real fight for 20 years, but all I could picture in my head was jumping across the desk and choking him out. I went on ranting for a couple minutes about what an inconsiderate moron "the guy" (obviously him, he know who he was, and knew that I did too) , and said lots of other things I can't repeat here.

He calmly said "Look, I'm not him so if if you're going to have an attitude you should just leave" as he sat back a little further in his chair.

So I calmed down a little, propped myself up against his wall, and tried to give "Vinny" a call, hoping that a phone would ring on the moron's desk. As I did he scrambled for his mouse and clicked on something I couldn't see. I assume that his cell phone can go through his computer somehow, who knows. Not much more I could do at that point so I asked him to have the dirt-bag give me call when comes in.
"OK, I tell him some guy from Flagstaff came by"
After that comment I very nearly lost control. Figuring I didn't need to go to jail any time soon, I just got in his face and screamed "He knows exactly who I am. You can tell him that he is a ***** and if he were here I'd be kicking his *** right now."
He said "OK, well sorry about that" and I left.

In case anyone's interested, it's

Exile Manufacturing
43 W 6th Ave, Mesa, AZ, 85210
"Vincent's" cell # is 520-603-0987

It's not listed in the phone book, but I saw some stainless exhausts in the office, so I assume that's what he does and he's a one-man shop. I never got to see the back shop.

Since he won't return my calls or e-mails, maybe one of you guys in Phoenix could call, e-mail, or better yet stop by to inquire about some stainless exhaust work. I'm sure if you tell him something like "I heard you do good work" he'll open right up and tell you his name, and that he's the owner.

It's really not the $500 I would have saved, it's the principle. You just don't screw people. If I'm wrong, I owe him an apology, and I still want to have face-to-face with "Vincent" or "Vinny" whoever it is.

Wow, you guys are better than talking to a shrink, thaks for listening.

kevincnc

Since his Craigslist ad is still up and I know he'll get this, I sent a message to the seller-

Dude, all I want to know is why you screwed me. After driving down to Phoenix and getting your e-mail, I went to your work and bitched at a guy who said he was your boss. I assumed that you were the owner with your exile e-mail address and also based on our conversations.

If that was really you, then you know how I feel already, you are a sack and I won't expect a call or return e-mail from you. If that wasn't you, then I owe him an apology and would like to hear back from you as to why you screwed me.

Here are the only scenarios I can think of.

1) Someone called you and offered to send the $1000 immediately through Paypal or bring the cash right then. This would have have had to happen sometime between 7:00 PM and the next morning. If that's the case, all you had to do was call me and say someone else wants it and will pay right now. I would have said fine, I'll send you paypal right now, or be there in the morning with the cash.

2) Someone wanted it and didn't ask for the bottle. In that case, you could have called me, and I would have said, OK, I'll take it without the bottle.

3) Your brother, some other relative, or close friend wanted it. In that case you could have called me, and I would have said, I understand, I'd probably do the same thing.

In any case, you could have called me and saved me the the gas money, and waste of my day. If I don't hear from you, I'll stop by again next time I'm down so we can discuss it in person. Maybe a phone call would be better for your sake.

Karma is a bitch dude, good luck with the rest of your life if this is how you treat people.

Kevin


Maybe I need anger management...

Jeremy Himsel

LOL, that's too funny. I could see you getting bitch slapped by a bowling pin named Vinny. I'll call him every so often to abuse him.......

kevincnc

I think I detected a little bit of a Jersey accent, you two might just become buddies. As far as getting bitch slapped, you know the difference between a hockey mom and and a pit bu..oh never mind. Lets just say that I have spent enough time drunk "play fighting" with friends over the past years (not gay if that's what you're thinking) until someone has to tap out, and it's rarely been me. I have learned a couple of things fron this. 1) When I drink too much I tend to want to wrestle until someone is almost dead. 2) I shouldn't keep drinking to the point where I want to wrestle.

Jeremy Himsel

Especilly when your drinking with me. Jersey boy? It figures......

kevincnc

Yeah, I can't drink enough Bud Light to get to that point. Usually takes Jager bombs...but I'm supposed to be old and more mature than that now. Maybe Jager and Geritol.

azbanks

Would you two take the foreplay and gay wrestling to PM's so the rest of use can stay on the topic of welders.

kevincnc

This about violence now, not welding. I don't even want a welder anymore, I just want to kick someone's ***.

Jeremy Himsel

Eric's an easy target.....especially if you don't want to get hit back. Like the kid you used to push in the urinal in junior high.

azbanks

I only hit back if I get hit hard enough that it hurts. Jeremy's limp-wristed slaps don't have enough power to hurt Alyssa let alone a grown up.

Jeremy Himsel

LOL....Kevin vs Eric......