Published November 2023.
The Sprinter is now planned to be released to the public in February 2024.
There’s “brand new” and then there’s “just born, still has the umbilical cord, right out of the oven” brand new. Lincoln’s newest machine is definitely the latter. It’s so new, in fact, it won't be available to the public until February 2024. But boy oh boy, this little powerhouse definitely has a lot to talk about.
Red Vs. Yellow
In many ways, the Lincoln Sprinter 180Si is an answer to ESAB’s Miniarc Rogue ES 180i. The Miniarc was deemed our favorite machine to run off a 120-volt plug and has one of the best cost-to-power ratios in the industry.
The new Sprinter 180Si is now giving the Miniarc a run for its money. The Sprinter is capable of outputting up to 180 amps and can Stick weld electrodes up to 5/32 inches, including 7018 and 6010. It’s also a very capable TIG machine (which we talk more about further down in our review). In fact, the Sprinter has high frequency start and pulse TIG, while the Rogue does not.
Big Things Come In Small Packages
You know what weighs 20 pounds? A toaster, a watermelon, a lap dog or a 6-month-old baby. What else weighs 20 pounds? A welding machine capable of Stick and TIG welding up to 180 amps of pure and unadulterated power. If you’ve yet to be impressed by anything the human race has done in the last 30 years, let’s just take a moment to recognize that the Sprinter 180Si packs one heck of a punch for such a light machine.
This means the Sprinter is one of the most versatile Stick/TIG machines you could own. This is perfect for both beginners and experienced welders in a variety of situations; here’s why:
For beginners, the Sprinter is the ideal solution to begin welding. With its small size requirements and light weight, the sprinter can easily be stored almost anywhere—no large shop or workshed needed here. Since Stick doesn’t require any additional gas cylinders, the Sprinter 180Si is almost ready to strike an arc right outta the box (just needs consumables). And if you ever decide to move on from Stick welding, with a few additional accessories, the Sprinter is also a great TIG welder.
You can see how these same benefits could be ideal for even experienced welders. Tired of dragging around a huge machine for every little weld? The Sprinter 180Si is here to the rescue. For off-road enthusiasts going on a road trip, you could throw this little guy and some electrodes in the back of your vehicle and have the perfect solution for making quick repairs. There’s no end to the convenience the Sprinter offers.
Balanced Benefits
At around $900, the Sprinter is one of the most cost-effective Lincoln machines available. Even with that price, you can still expect the top-of-the-line reliability that Lincoln is known for. The Sprinter has consistent Stick performance and High Frequency Start tech, which allows you to strike a precise arc every time while TIG welding.
Lincoln made no compromises when it comes to the Sprinters performance. If you’re big into the new digital displays included with many modern machines, however, we might recommend the Lincoln Power MIG 215 (which currently has a $400 rebate!). While the Sprinter offers plenty of control over your settings, Lincoln designed the machine with a fairly basic display to keep pricing down.
Built For TIG and Stick
A lot of lower-costing Stick machines claim to also be capable of TIG welding, but their actual performance isn’t always that impressive. The Sprinter 180Si, however, was designed with TIG in mind. While it works excellently as a dedicated Stick machine, it also features high-frequency TIG and pulsed TIG modes.
Because TIG welding requires additional equipment, the base model of the Sprinter 180Si isn’t TIG-ready out of the box. If you’re interested in using the Sprinter for TIG welding, Welding Supplies from IOC offers a version that has almost everything you’ll need (minus the cylinders of shielding gas).
The one thing we should note is that the Sprinter is DC TIG only (like all TIG machines in this price range). If you’re looking to TIG weld aluminum, you’ll want to check out the Lincoln Square Wave TIG 200 instead.
The Sprinter 180Si is a welcome addition to Lincoln’s lineup. It offers a cost-effective, powerful-yet-portable option for Stick and TIG welding. This makes it an appealing product for both beginners and experts. If you’re interested in the new Sprinter 180Si, check out its complete specs here.
