Hot dang- I'm so happy, I could dance naked in the street! Fortunately for the general population, I won't.
I had a coworker email me after work yesterday, telling me of a welder on sale at TSC (Tractor Supply). It is a "Century Wire Feed 100". Little research revealed they are owned and built by Lincoln Electric. Sale price? $200!!! Half off- NICE!
The catch? The sale started at 7:00 this morning, the ad said "limited quantities", and my closest TSC is 30 minutes away from here, in the wrong direction of travel for me going to work.
I called the store last night, they informed me they had only 15 units on hand. Crap. So I flew outta bed this morning, and made a beeline for Orangeville. Late for work? Too bad, I ain't missing out on this one!
I got to the store 5 minutes before opening, and there were 25-30 people lined up at the door. CRAP! I did the math, didn't look good...
The doors opened at 7:00 sharp and I grabbed an employee- "Where's the welders???" I ran off to the stack, and I think I got the first one. Beeline for the checkout. I'm sure witnesses wondered what the red blur was.
So here it is. Part for part, spec for spec, identical to my old Weld-Pak 100. The machine is gas convertible, but does not come with the conversion parts. However, I have those parts, and they are a direct, bolt-on fit. NICE!
There's just no way I could have done better than this. A friend of mine just put his lunchbox in for repair, with similar symptoms to my own. Between the repair and a new gun and cable assembly, it cost him $300. For $100 less, I got a brand, spanking new machine with a 3-year warranty! I am a very, very happy camper!
- Let the games begin! (again)