Thread: Welder Reccomendations?

Tweet

I am not a welder. Would not make a bump on a good welders asre. BUT, I am going to welding school and I'm learning. I do quite a bit in the pole barn here and am trying to get better, thats why I'm going to school. I can share what I know with ya. You can pick up a good AC/DC welder for about $400-500 new that are decent. Hobart makes one that sells at Tractor Supply. I have an old Miller Thunderbolt AC, and its fine but DC will produce a slicker looking weld, and you wont see blowby with those. 220 is much preferable to 110. I have a small mig. I have a Clarke 135. I have found this to be ok for medium steel 1/16-1/8th. You get into 3/8", you better have at least 180 amps, and be able to make multiple passes.For very thin metal this is not the best setup beacause it has very few settings for amps and wire feed. You need alot of settings like with a potentiometer, not a 4 position switch. So Im gonna say at least a settable 180 amp mig and a ac/dc welder, and your good to go. Just remember to practice alot. An ugly weld is an accident waiting to happen. Hope this helps.

Even if you have to save another month or so, get something that will be big enough to weld everything you think you ever will as far as thickness, then double it. I was on a very strict budget when I bought my little Lincoln because I also needed a bigger compressor at the same time. While I still use the heck out of my little "baby", it's another "I shoulda.......". Maybe someday I'll move up to a biggie

I'll go against some of the grain here and say that you should buy a known name brand. While the Northern might be a rebadged Lincoln, they do make other "adjustments" to keep the price down. It might be a lower duty cycle transformer or a 2 foot shorter lead, it's this kind of mod that can end up biting you where you sit for parts as these outfits like Northern move on. Stick with the Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, etc kind of welder and in a 220 volt application and you'll never be sorry.

Could not agree more, this is one of those times that, it is better to save some more and get a good welding machine. You will be happier in the long run.

Originally Posted by IC2

Even if you have to save another month or so, get something that will be big enough to weld everything you think you ever will as far as thickness, then double it. I was on a very strict budget when I bought my little Lincoln because I also needed a bigger compressor at the same time. While I still use the heck out of my little "baby", it's another "I shoulda.......". Maybe someday I'll move up to a biggie

I'll go against some of the grain here and say that you should buy a known name brand. While the Northern might be a rebadged Lincoln, they do make other "adjustments" to keep the price down. It might be a lower duty cycle transformer or a 2 foot shorter lead, it's this kind of mod that can end up biting you where you sit for parts as these outfits like Northern move on. Stick with the Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, etc kind of welder and in a 220 volt application and you'll never be sorry.

lots of useful advice! I am also a welder novice, so here's another question. Arc welder vs MIG vs TIG. Does one need to take welding classes to proceed, or find an old welder to teach?Also 110 volt is preferable in my case as no 220 where it would be used!

I myself run an airliqiud 130 basiclly a miller with a good mixed argon gas it welds almost eveything i throw at it . i got a steal of a deal it was worth $1300 at the time but my neighbour needed cash in a hurry so i wont disclose what i paid but there are good welders out there if you have the time to look.. and yes it runs off of 115volt electricity does what i need to do and is wire fed and doesnt seem to mind lots of work and i mean work..

I shelled out the big bucks for a Smith acetelyne set up; could have paid about half for a victor. Complaints? I got none. never had the first problem with it.

I went to Lowes and picked up a Campfield Housend flux core 110 V welder. Complaints? you bet. it overheats on a big job. Splatters to hell and back on ALL jobs. And it really ain't worth a cup of spit for anything over 1/8". Luckilly I don't use it much. For small jobs it does fine, and it makes the parts stick together, which is what I need.

I forsee a 220 V MIG in my future.

i see it..

Oh ya dont forget about the oaw welding. A lot to be said for the non electric mode. Works really well on light stuff too, AND... you can braze with it.

My vote would go for installing 220 volt service and get a good MIG with a bottle.....

A good experienced welder can have you putting down some nice beads with a couple hours of training time.... After that it's just experience to make you better...

Don't settle for a little flux core 110v welder, you'll out grow it's usefulness and wind up buying a big welder anyway... Just save your money and get the good stuff the first time....

Dave, I wish I could agree with that but , not today.I have been in welding school since the 10th of December and I still can't lay the greatest bead with consistansy. I've burnt 100's of rods. Sure you can get a 7018 or a 7024 to lay nice for ya. Try a 6010 with its whip and pause or the 6013 without getting holes in the weld. I'm not trying to be a wet blanket but its not gonna come overnight., or in a few hours. just IMHO,

Jimmyjeep, I have to agree with Dave, There was a time before 7018 and when you only had 5p or 6010 rod, and the welds look as good as 7018.

With that said, I agree with Dave that a good 220 Volt mig welder with the bottle is the way to go. Like anything else, keep spending time in the booth and it will come.

Last year on vacation I went up to Seattle Washington to visit some friends. I also visit Art Morrison shop. Real nice people gave my son and me a tour and some T-Shirts and other cool stuff. D

Did you guys know that all the chassis's and clips are mig welded, and look like rolls of dimes. Yea those guys do it every day but man all mig no tig, wow!

Originally Posted by TedIII

Jimmyjeep, I have to agree with Dave, There was a time before 7018 and when you only had 5p or 6010 rod, and the welds look as good as 7018.

With that said, I agree with Dave that a good 220 Volt mig welder with the bottle is the way to go. Like anything else, keep spending time in the booth and it will come.

Last year on vacation I went up to Seattle Washington to visit some friends. I also visit Art Morrison shop. Real nice people gave my son and me a tour and some T-Shirts and other cool stuff.
Did you guys know that all the chassis's and clips are mig welded, and look like rolls of dimes. Yea those guys do it every day but man all mig no tig, wow!

Oh I wasn't trying to be ornery. I was just saying it may take a little while to get use to the mechanics. Like trying to put a 3 pass weld on a 'Tee". It took longer to understand what the weld pool looks like at different temps and attitudes than I would have thought when I began. I look back at the welds I was doing before and I get scared! Anyway good luck to any new welder, its an art worth learning regardless.

Hers a quick story for ya, I told my teacher that since I started w-school, I really notice a lot of the welds around me that I never took the time to notice before. He said, Then don't go to the County Fair" . I have had my last ride on a ferris wheel after that remark.

one point to make...

the 'save your money and get something better' comment cannot be disputed.

HOWEVER... a 110V flux core is a DAM handy thing to have around.

For instance: when my stepson called up and told me his blower bracket broke again ( home A/C unit ) I threw the C.H. 110V flux core welder in the trunk along with some scrap 16 GA and headed over to his house. Job done, cost 0$.

Good point, they are plug and play.

Originally Posted by firebird77clone

one point to make...

the 'save your money and get something better' comment cannot be disputed.

HOWEVER... a 110V flux core is a DAM handy thing to have around.

For instance: when my stepson called up and told me his blower bracket broke again ( home A/C unit ) I threw the C.H. 110V flux core welder in the trunk along with some scrap 16 GA and headed over to his house. Job done, cost 0$.

started out with a tiny 110 v century. when it died of triple pass welding from surpassing its duty cycle years lated I replaced it with a bigger amped hobart 110v that would run circles around the former. when i run out of flux core i wire i might get a bottle too for it.

I didnt plan on having to weld anything thicker than 3/16. I don't weld semi
frames. But I did have to weld an extension on a 20 ton jack for jacking my house out of 1/4" and it is presently holding up one side of my house just fine.
i could tell it was straining the jack when i jacked it up, too!
thats 20 tons load PLUS the 6" of LEVERAGE(reach) on the welds.

think it was only $450~ ish at FArm and Fleet with cart?

Coming from a guy who purchased a 110 unit then went to a miller 210. I was also that type of guy who said that he would never build a frame or anything radical like that. well I was wrong, once i began to fabricate my own parts i was hooked. i sold the 110 unit bought a miller 210, and recently bought a miller plasma cutter. it is nice to be able to fabricate any part that I want, axle mounts, engine mounts, frames. believe me it will save you money in the long run. all of those parts and brackets on speedway, you can make them yourslef for the price of the steel. also putting a 220 outlet in your garage is really simple, i have done it to my past two houses.

as far as Miller vs Lincoln, I spoke to a sales rep who sold both and when I asked him the difference, he said " well that one is red, and that one is blue."

good luck

Pablo