Hi there! I’m Jon McGlothlin, certified welder repair technician & owner of Mountain States Welder Repair LLC, Grand Junction, Colorado.

If you’ve had a welder repaired in Grand Junction over the last several years, I was likely the guy who did the job. I was an employee of Western States Welder Repair for the past five years. When they closed in September 2010, my wife & I choose to buy out their former stock, equipment & phone number. We then found a great location, moved in and opened our doors as Mountain States Welder Repair in early October.

When I was a kid, my dad owned a full service gas station. I started working for him as a mechanics apprentice over the summers when I was just fourteen years old. I’ve been wrenching and later also welding, ever since. Over the past 38 years I’ve fixed (or built) everything from small engines to truck diesels; from truck body fabrication & hydraulics systems to precision German car engines; from hand tools to Harley Davidsons.

There’s a big difference between what I consider to be a ‘real’ mechanic & what I call a ‘parts changer’ - and that difference is knowledge. To be able to truly determine what's wrong with the machine so you can repair the real problem, you have to have a deep understanding of the underlying systems and how they work together to make that machine work. You shouldn’t just ‘throw parts at it’, guessing, until you finally get it right. A skilled mechanic is a sort of ‘machine doctor’ - and skilled diagnostics are the key.

I enjoy welder repair because it’s unique and challenging work. What makes it different is that welding machines are not just engine / mechanical systems; or just electrical systems; or just electronics systems - they are really all three. Therefore they require a somewhat rare kind of person to repair them. Someone who can handle each of these widely differing systems; but even more importantly, someone who can understand how these systems must work together and interact to make that machine function correctly.

Of course, a welder repair technician should also have working experience as a welder! It’s damned important to have a real-world understanding of exactly what the machine is designed to DO in order to get it to work the best that it possibly can. I’ve been a welder. I’ve used a plasma cutter. I know what you need from your machine.

So, whether you're a backyard hobbyist, a full time fabricator, or anything in between - the next time your welder or plasma cutter needs worked on please keep me in mind. I'm here to help you out.