What to look for in a used electric welder

[Glenn]

What should we look for, or look to avoid, when purchasing a USED electric welder? There is another thread on self powered welders so please keep this discussion to only "plug into the wall" welders.

[HWooldridge]

Usually, an electric welder either works or it doesn't. If it turns on and welds in all modes at both high and low settings, it's probably fine. There's not much to go wrong that won't be wrong while under power at the seller's location.

[Hillbillysmith]

Basically look for any frayed leads, beat up electrical plug or just plain obvious mistreatment (no brainer). This isn't necessarily completely bad, it just says to watch out for anything to go wrong. But usually you can just try it out at the seller's location. And as HWooldridge said, if it doesn't qiut then and there, then it probably won't. Just make sure to go through several rods or several feet of wire before you deem it to be ok. It's if the seller won't let you try it before buying is where you just walk away. For the most part, welders are pretty beefy machines that can take some xxxx.

[LDW]

See if the duty cycle meets your needs. If it has a 40 percent duty cycle then you can only weld for four minutes then let it rest for seven. Fine for small jobs but wouldnt last on bigger ones. If you forget then burn a bunch of rods and you start smelling the varnish burning off the windings its time to sell it and get one with a longer duty cycle.
I'm sure this has happened a lot of times.

[james gonzalez]

The old ones are less efficient and often louder than the new inverter ones that run on software with "fan on demand".
For tig, make sure the High Frequency works and it comes with the pedal, torch and cooler.
I really like my old lincoln 300