Vulcan OmniPro 220 Review

While there are numerous outstanding plasma cutters on the market today, there are few that offer the same level of value for money as the Vulcan range.

Vulcan is a new brand that’s entering the welding scene, and it has since intrigued welders out there, especially those who have been using popular brands like Lincoln and Miller. Despite being new and attracting scepticism, Vulcan welders have been getting significant reception. The Vulcan OmniPro 220 is not an exception.

The OmniPro 220 has been compared to MIG welding machines (because it does different types of MIG), but it’s actually a multi-process welder that’s also capable of flux-cored, stick, and TIG welding. That means you don’t need different pieces of equipment for different types of welding. The OmniPro 220 is great for maintenance, repair, light fabrication, and home projects. If you do a lot of DIY work in your garage or ranch, this machine is your best friend.

The user-friendly design lures both professionals and beginners alike. In a nutshell, this is not a plain piece of equipment, so hobbyists will find this machine more than useful.

Let’s talk about the features of this machine that will give other multi-process welders a run for their money.

Flexible Presets

The presets of this machine make it less intimidating for beginners or hobbyists. The home screen shows you the type of welding you can do, which are as follows:

• MIG Steel C25
• MIG Steel C100
• Flux Cored
• MIG Stainless Steel
• MIG Manual
• Spool Gun
• Stick
• TIG

For example, if you’re going to do regular MIG and choose the MIG steel C25, the screen shows you the shielding gases that will be used (Argon and CO2). Then you set the diameter of the wire and the thickness of the base metal. The machine then provides you the wire speed and voltage presets. For MIG and flux-cored welding, the presets are most probably close to what you want, and you can fine-tune them. However, the presets for stick welding are a little over the top. Nonetheless, dialling down the amperage is very easy.

User-friendly

The display screen guides you through the process, making your job easier whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned welder. The 4.3-inch LCD screen allows you to switch between jobs easily. So if you’re doing stick and MIG welding, you can do both using one machine and you can toggle back and forth. The intuitive display makes for faster learning of controls, so you don’t need to learn things from scratch. Moreover, when working with preloaded programs, you don’t need to wonder what the best setting is for the kind of task you have. You just have to do some fine-tuning, as earlier mentioned.

Part of this machine’s user-friendly features is the handy spool guns, so there’s no need to purchase an adapter for MIG welding. You can rely on the industrial grade aluminum drive system to smoothly feed wire to torch.

Arc welding is notorious for producing spatter, which can be a nuisance, if not fairly hazardous. However, Vulcan OmniPro 220 comes with an anti-spatter mechanism, so worry less about molten metal debris shooting from the arc. Less spatter means less cleanup after your task, too.

The memory feature,which saves the settings you last used, is another useful aspect of this device. You don’t have to recall your gas, wire diameter, plate thickness, amperage, and voltage settings when getting back to the same task. 

Lightweight

It’s not the smallest and most portable welder out there, but at 30.2 x 19.2 x 15.5 inches, it certainly is relatively portable. And once you take into account its weight at 50 pounds, it sure is one of the lightest machines. You may need someone to carry it with you if you want to carry it over long distances. Or just save yourself the trouble and put it on a cart. Nevertheless, if you have one of those outdoor shops, this is one of the machines to consider.

Durable

Durability is one of the most important features of any device. Who cares about the best-performing machine on the planet if it has the shortest lifespan. The good thing about Vulcan OmniPro 220 is it’s made of state of the art materials. Its drive system is made of industrial grade aluminum, so it can handle intense operations without breaking down. This ability to handle heavy-duty work is crucial for welding machines.

Superior Performance

The inverter technology bestows this machine some untold power. Capable of wire speeds from 50 to 500 inches per minute, it can make your welding faster. That speed range is one of the best in the market and easily puts OmniPro 220 on the list of best MIG welders.

Part of the versatility of the OmniPro 220 is its ability to use a 120-volt or 240-volt power source. You can plug it into any power source without needing an adapter. However, some users say that running this machine on 120 volts slows down its performance, so you may find hooking it up to your 240-volt outlet optimizes its performance.

Verdict

So the Vulcan OmniPro 220 is a lightweight multi-process welding machine that allows you to do different types of MIG welding, as well as stick and TIG welding. The dual voltage technology is convenient; so are the 132 preloaded programs. Some downsides are the cost and endurance. It’s costlier than other welders in its class, and it’s not exactly the machine you need for long heavy-duty operations. Nonetheless, any welder will agree this piece of equipment is in a league of its own.