What should be my 1st welder?

[cuemaker]

I will have some extra money and would like to purchase a welder. I want only suggestions for quality products as I like to spend my money once on a item.

I am thinking my price range is $500, but welders seem awfully expensive by the few I have seen.

It would be for everyday stuff in my garage. Angle iron to make a bracket, square/round tube to make a stand etc type stuff... NOT restoring a car or stainless etc etc...

If I had to guess a thickness of material .125 seems awfully thick for the kinds of things I am thinking about...

Stick? Mig?? AO???

Thanks for your experianced suggestions and advice

[rode2rouen]

I would recommend either an O/A set up, or a MIG in the 175/180 range.
Myself, I'm partial to Lincoln, but Miller, Hobart and ESAB also make good quality MIG machines.

The 175 range gives you the ability to use both flux core wire or solid with shielding gas.

Check Craig's List or Ebay.....there are deals to be had.

Good luck with your search!


Rex

[Ohio Mike]

MIG is a nice and you could use it with flux core or with shield gas. I recommend the Hobart Handler 140. It's the one of if not the best 110 volt welder.

[bhjones]

I'd second the 175/180 amp machine (220v). You can always turn down a more powerful welder, making due with something under powered is a pain or simply not possible.

[cuemaker]

Thanks for the replies...

I have been looking for used since I asked the question and I have found a lincoln pro mig 135 for around $300.. havent started haggling yet.. Anybody have experiance with it... I cant find specs on Lincolns webstie to do a comparrison with..


The Hobart handler appears to be in my price range... thank you for the suggestion

[Willy]

I realize 220V migs are more than $500, but good barely used ones do show up now and then for well under your $500 limit if you aren't in a hurry. These machines are not needed for .125 material but like anything else in the shop there will come a time when you will be glad you have the extra capacity.
On the other hand depending on how much welding you'll be doing, an oxy/acetylene set sure comes in handy around the shop.
Welding, brazing, heating, and cutting always seem to be required activities in the shop.
Another bonus is that you'll learn the fundamentals of puddle control at a pace that is easy to follow.
This last "extra" is the key to learning any welding process and will stay with you for life, and in the process will eliminate a lot of frustration in learning your welding skills.

[cuemaker]

I have just been reading up on AO welding.. watching videos of the Henrob set up....

AO seems like a very versatile setup..maybe a bit bulky and more time consuming to use?

Also found a Miller Dial Arc 250 AC/DC 480 volt for $350..

[Tinkerer]

Go to TSC and pick up a Hobart 187 I see them for under $600.00.
Nice machine and will more work then the 120V machine.

[Berniep]

Go to TSC and pick up a Hobart 187 I see them for under $600.00.
Nice machine and will more work then the 120V machine.
I agree on the 187. It rarely gets a bad review (I have never seen one)
I have the older 180 and am very happy with it. I think the O/A puts a lot of heat into a piece being welded and I have a very hard time maneuvering it around obstacles and getting into tight places with it. But when ya gotta get something hot there is no substitute.

[Seastar]

Get an O/A rig first!!!!!!!!!!!!
Even if only a small tank portable system. You can find them for under $300 new and under $200 used complete with small tanks.
A set of gauges and a torch can be purchased for $200-300 for use with large rental tanks.

O/A will teach you the basic welding skills and can be used for many things other than welding.
Brazing, heat treating, forging, cutting are just some of the extras.
I have three shops in different places and an O/A rig was the second tool after a drill press in all of them.

At one of my shops I bought an HF mig welder and one of their plasma cutters.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=93793
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=95136
They work very well for light work.
I also have one of these that works well.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=91811

I also have a Miller 251 and an ESAB plasma cutter at one shop but I paid about $3000 for them. They are both excellent, heavy duty machines.

Buy an O/A torch first!!!
Bill

[chrisfournier]

I asked this question a few years ago myself. I wanted to perform similar tasks as you as well as work with aluminum.

My budget was more than yours but well under the TIG option. I bought a Henrob/Cobra torch and really enjoyed learning the process. For steel it's just fine but it/I wasn't up to the finer aluminum tube work I wanted to do. In the end I blew the Jackpot Wad and got a Miller Dynasty TIG set up. Brilliant but expensive.

While I use the TIG for finer aluminum work and projects in steel it cannot cut, heat to aid bending, braze or solder unlike the OA set up.

Long and short - get a OA set up first. Easy and inexpensive to maintain which will fit your budget anytime. The Henrob torch is by no means required and you can find great USA mfgd torches for very little money.

[cuemaker]

I asked this question a few years ago myself. I wanted to perform similar tasks as you as well as work with aluminum.

My budget was more than yours but well under the TIG option. I bought a Henrob/Cobra torch and really enjoyed learning the process. For steel it's just fine but it/I wasn't up to the finer aluminum tube work I wanted to do. In the end I blew the Jackpot Wad and got a Miller Dynasty TIG set up. Brilliant but expensive.

While I use the TIG for finer aluminum work and projects in steel it cannot cut, heat to aid bending, braze or solder unlike the OA set up.

Long and short - get a OA set up first. Easy and inexpensive to maintain which will fit your budget anytime. The Henrob torch is by no means required and you can find great USA mfgd torches for very little money.


What Chris has suggested is exactly what I am gonna do. I have been thinking about it all this time and realize that I can get a lot more use out of an OA setup that will help me perform many other tasks.. In fact I am seriously considering the Henrob set up.. Looks right and feels right (no havent felt it yet) but you know what I mean...

So, as I understand things... I need for an OA setup, torch(s), regulators, rods and the 2 tanks for O and A....

Anything else?? Suggestions on where to purchase the Henrob? Ebay to save money?

Thanks

[Tinkerer]

Thanks for the replies...

I have been looking for used since I asked the question and I have found a lincoln pro mig 135 for around $300.. havent started haggling yet.. Anybody have experiance with it... I cant find specs on Lincolns webstie to do a comparrison with..


The Hobart handler appears to be in my price range... thank you for the suggestion
If the Lincoln is the 135 SP I'd say get it. I purchased a early SP100 which was re tagged the 135 SP some time later on and they lightened the transformer up for the new sp100 bean counters at work. But it's a fine machine for light steel and aluminum. I also have a A/O rig and it is the least used piece of equipment I have.... would I give it up.... NO. But would it be my first choice for a welding rig.... again NO. For sticking two pieces of metal together be it steel/alum a mig rig is quick and quick to get good welds with. Now if you want to spend 20 min puddlin' a weld then A/O is it or tig. Also a auto darkening helmet is nice to have... I have two... the one I use I got on ebay from a seller called oregontool or some such for $29.00 shipped and it's just as good as the Jackson I tested that was 5 times the money. Been using it for 6-7 years when it dies I pull the Hobart out that came with the 180 package and use it.

Also check into the cost of tank rent in your area... lease/purchase or however it is now days. And the cost of filling cause bending thick steel bar burns thru the gas quick. Much better to get a few fire bricks and a weed burner for your propane BBQ tank and make a bending oven. When not in use for bending you can still get some use out of them weeding and eating. But if your set on the A/O don't waste our money on a rosebud tip ($40-$60) just buy the largest cutting tip you can ($5-$9) will heat 1" round to cherry red in under a minute. ;)

[dang]

My 2nd welder was a 110V Lincoln SP Series MIG. It was awesome compared to the Harbor Freight MIG I previously owned. I highly recommend it.

[hardtail]

I have just been reading up on AO welding.. watching videos of the Henrob set up....

AO seems like a very versatile setup..maybe a bit bulky and more time consuming to use?

Also found a Miller Dial Arc 250 AC/DC 480 volt for $350..

I'm inclined to agree with Tinkerer, I've got O/A, stick, mig and tig all on different machines, I rarely use O/A and if I had a plasma it would almost be never that said if you can master welding with O/A it would put you in good sted for your future skills. I primarly use stick but I'm inherently too lazy to turn bottles on and adjust flowmeters.........LOL they all have their place and if your working on light stuff I would go mig or tig, if you go mig I would go for a 220V machine.

I don't know how it is down there but bottle rental sometimes costs a bit if your not using/justifying it and filling your own can be a pain if they have to be sent out

What kind of options did that Dial Arc have? Some of those were setup pretty well for tig........

[cuemaker]

This is the ad for the Dialarc

Miller Welder Dialarc 250 AC/DC Welding Range Selector High Low 480 Volt with 75 foot leads.. Must sell.. I don't weld, so its just taking up space in the garage. Asking $350

I assume that it can be rewired for 220....

Current owner says its about 10yrs old.. He isnt sure as purchased it an auction 5yrs ago but coulnt figure how to wire it to get it off the 480 volt.

[rode2rouen]

Check out Miller's web site for the Owner's Manual.


Rex

[hardtail]

I got a great deal on an older Idealarc that was dual voltage but the ad had it listed as 460V and I think most shoppers assumed it was 3 ph, got it home and switched the leads and presto.

We have a Dialarc at work that has all the bells and whistles for tig, I'm not overly impressed with our machine but lots of guys like them.

[chrisfournier]

You won't regret buying a Henrob torch; they work very well. Having bought one myself I would say that they are too heavy and on longer jobs this gets tiring.

The pistol shape is right about half of the time, the other half of the time I'd prefer a standard torch.

Don't get bogged down with the two stage regulator debate and expense; just get their one stage Cobras. They work very well at all settings.

In my area I can buy OA bottles 40 cubes A and 55 cubes O. They were $225 CDN. I felt that this was the most economical choice for me. The downside is that I have to bring these bottles in for filling.

I believe that you won't have lower operating costs than using OA on the projects that you describe.

[featherhead]

I once bought a Henrob from a guy who wanted to make aluminum tree stands. He sold it to me right after he bought his new wire welder. It's ok if you like warping everything you weld. And it won't do Aluminum, I don't care what the guy on the video can do, YOU won't be able to do it. It's like those carney tricks .... they make em look easy ..... then you can't do it for the life of you. Welding is all about capability. Eventually you'll need a Mig and a Tig. So save your money and go for the power of "BLUE"

[Rookie machinist]

I think the best bet would be a MIG set-up first. I have a 210A MIG, Miller syncrowave, plasma and an O/A rig. The only time I knock the dust off the O/A is when I need to heat something. O/A takes too long for simple repairs, it's much faster to plug in the mig and weld away. Learning O/A will be a big help if you ever decide to learn TIG.

[madman]

Well a stick welder. handy and good way to learn i think.

[Robo]

I will have some extra money and would like to purchase a welder. I want only suggestions for quality products as I like to spend my money once on a item.

I am thinking my price range is $500, but welders seem awfully expensive by the few I have seen.

It would be for everyday stuff in my garage. Angle iron to make a bracket, square/round tube to make a stand etc type stuff... NOT restoring a car or stainless etc etc...

If I had to guess a thickness of material .125 seems awfully thick for the kinds of things I am thinking about...

Stick? Mig?? AO???

Thanks for your experianced suggestions and advice

Buy a hobart handler 187 or 210 mig welder. You will not be dissapointed IMO they are best welder in there class and better than most in the classes just above them.

[hardtail]

My only concern with a mig for a starter machine is the birdsh!t cold welds that make someone think they're capable of doing something when really your not.........

[featherhead]

The Miller 212 will set you back $1500 without the tank. $2400 for the spoolgun kit and dual tanks. I remember when I had MY $500 and shopped sears and northern tool for a small 110 mig setup. I'm glad I passed and kept saving up because the Miller will lay down the bead. Wait til you try to do your first fillet weld with the Henrob. Please post some pics and tell us all about the experience. I remember spending about 15 minutes OA welding three little sample beads about 3" long on small 1/8" x 1 x 3, a butt, lap and tee to take in to show the teacher. He asked me if it was tig. The entire pieces were cherry red but I did it. Tig or mig would take about a minute or less.

[cuemaker]

I am still not sure what I am going to do guys...I completely understand why OA should be 1st... and its seems to me the entry cost is low, but maybe not all that much lower considering tanks, cart etc...

I dont get the money till Friday, maybe Monday.

The Hobart Handler 140 seems to be drawing me in... I realize that its underpowered for a welder, but the specs says it can do 1/4" and that seems like a lot for what I want to do...

Then for $100 more I can get the 187 which is recommended by some of you...

So still thinking about it.. Thanks for all the info... anymore is welcomed and I appreciate what has been offered already.

[hardtail]

Go with the 187, you'll never regret it and it will appeal to more buyers if you ever sell it later.........

[Willy]

Ultimately you are going to be the best judge of what to buy as you are the only one that knows exactly what your requirements are.
Got a lot of light gage steel to weld...get a mig.
Doing a lot of special welding where a wide selection of filler metal and procedures are required, especially outdoors...go ac/dc stick.
If you are doing just a few short welds and can use the other benefits that a torch can bring to the table...yeah go for the O/A outfit.

Although I have all three, and sometimes wish I had a tig and a plasma cutter as well, I mostly now use the mig for the majority of my work.
But that's not to say that my stick or O/A set are for sale because they still perform functions that a mig will not.

With any luck at all once you get bitten by the welding bug your next question well be...what should be my next welder?:D

[camdigger]

Obviously, if you're considering OA or mig, you've resigned yourself to gas and bottle refills. It's such a PITA for me with bottles, I sold my mig, bought a plasma and use my AC/DC stick almost exclusively. I haven't used my torch set in almost 18 months for anything other than a rack for my leather jacket and helmet.
I use the plasma and stick welder every second weekend on average. I've welded from 0.0625" to 1" mild steel with the stick. Takes some practice, but it can be done. At the moment, I have a selection of 5 rods in my shop, 5/32 hardsurfacing, 3/32 - 6011, 1/8 - 6010, 1/8 - 7024, and 1/8 7018. usually, I have 3/32 7018 too, but I ran out.
Migs are tricky to do out of position welding like vertical and overhead and risky to use out doors in terms of weld quality whereas stick will do all position with the selection of rods above and can be used for Stainless and aluminum in a pinch.

[hardtail]

I was in to the local farm store today and looked at both the 140 and 187, duty cycle is 20% for the 140, 30% for the 187 I would hope thats conservative? Course you said you were going to be working on lighter stuff, I'd go with the 187, way more voltage taps........

[wmgeorge]

Obviously, if you're considering OA or mig, you've resigned yourself to gas and bottle refills. It's such a PITA for me with bottles, I sold my mig, bought a plasma and use my AC/DC stick almost exclusively. I haven't used my torch set in almost 18 months for anything other than a rack for my leather jacket and helmet.
I use the plasma and stick welder every second weekend on average. I've welded from 0.0625" to 1" mild steel with the stick. Takes some practice, but it can be done. At the moment, I have a selection of 5 rods in my shop, 5/32 hardsurfacing, 3/32 - 6011, 1/8 - 6010, 1/8 - 7024, and 1/8 7018. usually, I have 3/32 7018 too, but I ran out.
Migs are tricky to do out of position welding like vertical and overhead and risky to use out doors in terms of weld quality whereas stick will do all position with the selection of rods above and can be used for Stainless and aluminum in a pinch.

I agree with you 100%. The cost to refill tanks has gotten way out of line today with the hazmat charges and whatever else they want to tack on for fun and profit. Not like it was 20 years ago.
A stick welder and plasma cutter. If you've got the extra cash a MIG/Flux core welder for quick and dirty jobs. I also have a TIG along with my stick welder, but I could live without it or the MIG set up. 2 cents worth.

[torker]

I own a lot of good welding equipment. That's how I make a living.
I've got a good 300 amp Tig/Stick machine, a good heavy mig machine that I run dual shield thru all the time, a smaller 135amp mig that I use a lot for all my light guage stuff , a 250 amp portable and of course the O/A unit.
At different times over the years as I've sold and replaced machines etc...I've been stuck with only one machine and have always had the O/A unit.
Overall...if I had to have only one it would be the heavy mig.
I've spent far too many hours O/A welding and know how slow it is and how much warpage control you need to do it. It's silly for even minor repairs if you have to be concerned about painted surfaces etc....you WILL burn off paint for miles around.
The heavy mig will run dual shield...hard wire...SS....and aluminum with a spoolgun. It's quick and easy and will weld HOT!
To have a Tig as your only machine is very pricey...I've been there a few times. The gas costs drove me away everytime as Tig uses about 3 times the gas that mig uses for the same amount of inches welded.
Also...trying to tig weld up under a vehicle or in any really awkward position is stupid.
Try doing body work or any other light guage welding with a stick machine...nuff said..
The heavy mig has this ALL covered.
Russ

[camdigger]

What input voltage and output amps are you calling a heavy MIG?

220 V in and 200 Amp out or something heavier?

At what point do the MIGs start to have low ranges too high for auto body work?

How do you do reliable out of position welds with a mig? Verticals are tough, but overhead??!?

[camdigger]

Torker
What input voltage and output amps are you calling a heavy MIG?

220 V in and 200 Amp out or something heavier?

At what point do the MIGs start to have low ranges too high for auto body work?

How do you do reliable out of position welds with a mig? Verticals are tough, but overhead??!?

[seattle smitty]

My only concern with a mig for a starter machine is the birdsh!t cold welds that make someone think they're capable of doing something when really your not.........

Hardtail is telling you something important here, Cuemaker. MIG is a great process for many things (all of the processes mentioned are also great for many things), but it has a very real disadvantage: MIG is the easiest and quickest way to make a good-looking bad weld.

Most often this involves penetration. With MIG, unless you know something, it's real easy to lay a pretty bead on the top of a joint, and leave a big, stress-concentrating groove underneath, hidden from any inspection (it's also easy to blow holes, but then the problem is obvious).

The way to avoid making bad welds in something that counts is to make bad welds in test-plates . . . with an instructor looking over your shoulder. Anybody who wants to buy a welder should add the cost in cash and time of two nights a week in a class at the nearest tech-school. You will soon see that this will be the best money you ever spent, the best bargain, too, since you're using up the school's metal and consumables while you learn. Practice won't make you good . . . GOOD practice will make you good. The instructor will demonstrate, in a number of ways and to your temporary embarrassment, how your welds will fail. But this is what you need, you need to know how to make bend-tests, clip-tests, slice-tests, etc., so that you can test your practice-pieces before you weld on something important. If you are like almost all other guys thinking about getting equipment, you are making disclaimers like, "I'm not trying to become a professional, I just need to stick some things together occasionally." But once you've done a bit of it, Cuemaker, eventually you're bound to want to build a trailer or a trailer hitch or something else that has the potential for hurting or killing innocents, or getting you sued.

If you want to get a group of welding instructors into a hilarious "Can you top this one?" conversation, ask them about self-taught, uncle-taught, and high-school taught welders. Welders of this variety are notorious for coming into the classroom on a one-day basis to take state certification tests. The instructors I know say these guys are all very sure they know how to weld . . . and they all fail to pass the tests, and nearly all fail very badly. No instructor says you can't learn to be a good welder on your own or with a few weekends of help from your pal who welds, . . . it's just that they almost never see anyone who has.

Neither have I. I do a lot of repair-welding of earthmoving equipment, and quite a bit of that has involved gouging out repeated failed attempts of the owner or crewmember to make the weld. I often use their equipment, just to make a point when my weld keeps working, so they will call me for the next job. I'm no genius, and there are lots of far more skilled welders than me, but I have the advantage of having received good instruction.

[Michael Moore]

I have a couple of Meco Midget torches from Tinman Tech.

http://tinmantech.com/assets/images/Mecoinhand1.jpg

I've welded 1/8" aluminum plate with them (to make the water tank for my TIG). I had a Henrob and I couldn't tell any difference from a regular O/A torch except that I literally could not come to grips with it. Any way I grabbed it was awkward for me. Lots of people seem to like them, but they are not inexpensive.

If you get a TIG/MIG make sure that the controls work smoothly. It wasn't until I got my new 250 Synchrowave that I realized that the foot control on my 330 Gold Star was seriously worn out and was making it very difficult for me to control the arc with the pedal.

OA is the most versatility for the least amount of money. You'll probably want a TIG down the line but you can do a lot of stuff with OA in the meantime while you are saving up for a nice AC/DC TIG machine.

cheers,
Michael

[ligito]

I have an OA rig (Victor SuperRange) and I just moved up to a new Millermatic 211 MIG AS MVP.
It will weld on 110 volt and 220 volt and has interchageable ends for the power cord.
It will weld sheet metal and up to 5/16.
It is so much better than my old Century 110 volt MIG.

[BTD]

Like Cuemaker, I'm just getting into welding. I just bought a Millermatic 211 w/ "Autoset" a few weeks ago...same machine as Ligito's. I haven't welded anything in 25 years and then only a few trailer repairs. I plugged in the Miller, set the wire size and mat'l thickness, and ran a few 3" beads (1/8" CS, horizontal, butt joint, .035 ER70, 25 cfh 75 ar/25co2). The fourth bead looked like a machine did it...WOW! Cut it in two crosswise and the penetration was perfect.

Since then I've used it about 5 times...small stuff...brackets mostly....always great results.

Seattle Smitty is right that there's no substitute for proper instruction but a good machine will get you on the right path quicker. The 211 came with a spool gun. Haven't used it yet so can't report. Otherwise it seems to be a great machine. The cart that came with it is pretty crummy though...looks cheap and flimsy....who cares...if it breaks I'll just weld it back to gether!


Also, I was a little shocked at the prices they get for bottles of gas these days. I paid $200 for a 125 cu ft bottle from AirGas here in Houston plus another $30(?) for the gas. I could swear that back in the '60s my dad paid next to nothing for bottles...just bought the gas from the co that supplied the bottles.

[torker]

Torker
What input voltage and output amps are you calling a heavy MIG?

220 V in and 200 Amp out or something heavier?

At what point do the MIGs start to have low ranges too high for auto body work?

How do you do reliable out of position welds with a mig? Verticals are tough, but overhead??!?
Cam...I'm talking about the 225amp and up machines.
I've never owned one that wouldn't run .023 mickeywire at 16 or 17 volts....then with the dual shield wire they will run 1/16" wire at 28 to 30 volts.
Running hot with dual shield...overheads are never a problem.
Overhead with lil mickeywire can be a problem with some machines but all you generally have to do is bump the wire speed up a bit and really watch the stickout.
Verticles???? No problem with mickeywire....
Verts with dualshield in the .045 and up sizes....running at 26 volts and up are a thing of beauty!
You have to really angle the gun up...really watch the sides fill in and MOVE.
You don't have time to dilldally or you'll burn a big hole in damn near anything.
Out of position welding is all about practice anyway.
A beginner just out of welding school will struggle when he or she gets thrown into a busy fab shop and has to weld something as it sits without being able to roll it over....but they learn...or get sent packing.
Granted...for the most part...production speed and weld quality are enhanced if you can weld most things in the flat or horizontal positions.
Don't forget...an overhead weld is in the flat position....it's just upside down.
Once you figure that out...overheads are easy.
But verts can be a challenge with mig if you can't get the gun angle right to really make it flow. Practice, practice!
Russ

[camdigger]

Torker

Those heavier migs are similar to what I ran years ago in a manufacturing setting as an operator. I wasn't allowed to play with the settings, here's how, now repeat this set of 50 - 100 welds a day for 2 months.... The settings were such that even downhands were tricky (high wire feeds for high deposition rates). Nobody there did any more out of position stuff than absolutely necessary, and then only with stick.

All of my experience since has been with light migs and stick.

Cam

[Carm]

I will have some extra money and would like to purchase a welder. I want only suggestions for quality products as I like to spend my money once on a item.

I am thinking my price range is $500, but welders seem awfully expensive by the few I have seen.

It would be for everyday stuff in my garage. Angle iron to make a bracket, square/round tube to make a stand etc type stuff... NOT restoring a car or stainless etc etc...

If I had to guess a thickness of material .125 seems awfully thick for the kinds of things I am thinking about...

Stick? Mig?? AO???

Thanks for your experianced suggestions and advice

I'm a dinosaur weldor, broke out when MIGs were just starting to show up in the fab shops. All sheet metal was done with stick prior to that, on the 18 ga. and under straight polarity was used. The saying was, "no such thing as too hot, just not moving fast enough". I got good with MIG, too, but found that on jobs that involved rapid warping the stickout changed enough to render continuous beads problematic. Most of the work involved leak testing and starts are good places for them using MIG.
To my mind, stick gets you into sheet metal with a little skill.
Another thing, using specially made cutting rods or even regular 5P (6010) will let you cut up to 1/2" with a Lincoln AC/DC 250 or equivalent. Watch the duty cycle though. Cuts won't be as nice as torch but far quicker.
For the occasional odd stainless or bronze, even aluminum, all it takes is a few filler rods for stick versus having to buy a spool and maybe a different shield gas for MIG.
The learning curve is longer for stick, but there's a reason they call MIG "monkey wire". Too easy to lay a pretty but worthless bead.