1st time welder

-

Ecuadart66

Member
Joined
Mar 15, 2011
Messages
17
Reaction score
0
Location
Portland Or
Hello all, my dad and I are planning on doing a mini tub and spring leaf relocation on my 66 dart however neither one of us knows very much about welding. My dads a carpenter and I am pretty handy so hopefully between the two of us we can figure it out lol.

What welder do you guys recommend for a beginner? Something easy to use and not super expensive would be great!

I will be documenting the project on my restoration thread if anybody wants to see us tackle the project. Thanks in advance.

-Gabe
 
I use a mig from Lincoln electric. Not the most expensive welder out there. You have to watch some of the cheaper ones. They are good , but the transformers inside can take the heat if welding a long time. Just my two cents on welders.
 
Get yourself a brand name MIG WITH GAS like Miller, Lincoln. "Harbor Freight" is not a brand name, nor are the zillions of other Tai/ Chine/ Italian imports that you can't get parts for

Some "big box" stores which sell Lincoln do NOT sell true Lincolns. A Lincoln dealer can not get parts for 'em.

Once again, go GAS not just flux

My first was one of the little Lincoln 120V MIGS, but I soon wished for 240V and did so, now have a Lincoln 180- something.

IF all you ever plan to do is light welding, sheet metal, and low stress stuff up to 1/4" thick or a little more, you can "get by" with the 120V machines.

The 120V machines NEED (must have) a good solid outlet, IE one wired with BIG wire close to the box in order to push their limits. Makes a hell of a difference.
 
Thanks everybody for the quick responses! It sounds like mig with gas is the way to go. Im going to start doing some research on the different mig welders and see what is in my budget
 
there are 4 basic choices and the other guys have it right.

Flux core welders like you'ld see at Harbor Freight are not really worth the money, but they do weld.

Stick welders are good welders for welding out in the field with a generator, and for welding on crappy metal (rusty). But stick requires a lot of cleaning and its not really great for thinner metal unless you are good at it.

MIG with Argon or an Argon mix is the best for welding car stuff together, specifically body panels. its not to hard to learn. a fairly clean process, but there is some splatter. You can only weld materials that you cna get wire for, so its a bit limited from that respect, but steel and Aluminum are all you really need. A good machine is not going to be cheap, but its a great investment. start shopping for one of the three good ones Lincoln (red), Miller (blue) and Hobart. Then start watching craigslist or your local classifieds for a good used machine. there are gplenty of people that buy a machine for one project and then sell it. good deals if you watch for a while. Go see if you can take welding class at the local vocational school. take the gas welding class first, and maybe a stick class if you have too, they teach good lessons too, then move up to MIG.

TIG, the cleanest of the welding processes makes some awesome welds, but the equipment is expensive. Great for welding things together on a bench, but not so good for inverted welding as I recently found out. Can weld all sorts of metals together
 
Miller 110 volt Mig with gas. best starter.
+1

I have been using a millermatic 135 for 7 years without any problems. 240v machines are great with great capabilities, but are much less portable. I don't care for the way some for the way some of the lincolns feel, it might be the whole "true" lincolns already mentioned. Hobart is the cheaper version of miller. They are made in the same factory with less features and a different paint scheme.
 
MIG with Argon or an Argon mix is the best for welding car stuff together, specifically body panels.

I won't argue that point, you are probably right. But I've never used Argon, I use ONLY CO2, it's a lot cheaper, and for most of my welding words just fine.
 
All good advice. You will find that the off shore knock offs are exact copies of the big three. The differences to look for is rather than having a metal drive carriage (roller that pushes the wire) it will be a plastic. This is probably ok for the hobbyist, mine is a Lincoln copy. The most important thing to look at is who handles warranty repairs and parts for the unit you buy. If it breaks and you cant't get parts it stops your project and that sucks large.
 
Another thing to watch for is to get one with BOTH wire speed and heat continuously variable. It is a real pain to be limited to five (or so) clicks when welding the material cars are made of. You definitely want the CO2 or 75/25 shielding gas setup for sheet metal.

Have fun!!!
 
Oh ya, get the largest shielding gas bottle you can live with. ie haul store etc. 120 cu ft is nice. It's a real pain to always be running out of gas plus the gas is cheaper in larger cylinders. Buy the cylinder. Renting gets more expensive quickly.
 
I have a Hobart, been using it for bodywork for about 7-8 years now with no trouble, the parts all say Miller right on em
 
I've been checking out the new mig welders since I'm in the market for one and was convinced that the Millermatic 211 with dual voltage was the one. Then I came across the Thermadyne Themal Arc 181 welder that is 3 welders in one, Mig & Stick & Tig, in one very nice small package for around $900.00 (plus extra for the Tig torch and Spoolgun) but is a 220V input not 110V. I have 220 in my garage so not a big deal but would like to have dual voltage. I was checking out a welders forum and most of them gave it very good reviews. I found out from those guys that they are coming out this summer with a new model that will have dual voltage and I think some more refinements. I'm going to wait for the new version to see what it offers but these seem to be an amazing package to also have Tig for the money. There are some YouTube videos showing the 181 model in action. Encourage you to check it out.
 
I was at my local welding shop Saturday and they had a guy demonstrating the Thermadyne three in one machine and I was impressed. Was actually wishing those had been around when I was investing in machines. If you have 220 power, probably worth considering.
 
If you have 220 buy the biggest machine you can afford and power.

If limited to 110, buy a millermatic 135-140 or a Lincoln SP135-140 Plus machine. I'd stay away from the lincoln 135+ machines because of the tapped 5 position voltage settings.
 
Just a quick check on Thermodyne's web site the new model this summer -

"And arriving this summer, the Fabricator® 211i offers maximum versatility, accommodating 4", 8" and industrial size 33 & 44 lb.12" spools, 210 Amps of maximum output, and 115 and 208/230 VAC input power for virtually any welding environment."
 
ATM I have a Hobart 210 which is 220v.It welds nice.I have been useing the flux core but you have to watch the heat build up as gas cools the weld down a little over flux.Having been welding for a few decades (on heavy metals) I can say get the biggest you can afford because you will want to upgrade.My biggest advice for a novice is to start with the flux and learn to weld on that then move to the gas when desired.It's alot cheaper to burn thru a couple rolls of flux than burn thru the wire and the gas as you learn.
 
I have been doing welder repair for 20 years as a Lincoln dealer now and can tell you you are getting some decent advice. Stick with Lincoln or Century (Lincoln owned now) Or Miller or Hobart (Hobart is owned by miller now) Both the Hobart and Century and the big guys entry level welders. The Lincolns sold in the big box stores are Lincolns(maybe Century with a Lincoln nameplate) and are just made cheaper to meet the price range the box stores want to carry but you can get support for them.
 
Again thanks for all of the great information! I am looking at some of the Lincoln and welders and they seem to be a little out of my price range. If I had the funds I would like to invest in a quality welder that would last.

I think it makes sense to buy something cheap because I have never welded and I all I have planned so far is a mini tub and move the springs. With that being said I have 300-400 dollars MAX to spend.

Is there a welder out there that is within my price range and can do the job I need it to?
 
Just a quick check on Thermodyne's web site the new model this summer -

"And arriving this summer, the Fabricator® 211i offers maximum versatility, accommodating 4", 8" and industrial size 33 & 44 lb.12" spools, 210 Amps of maximum output, and 115 and 208/230 VAC input power for virtually any welding environment."
Thats indusrtial stuff right there.
I checked out the 252i which welds 1/2 thick metal.thats a keeper.
Keep in mind that welder has mig,arc and tig,the tig and mig needs different gases so you would need two tanks for optimum performance.With the tig really likeing the straight argon and the mig needing a mixture.You can run straight argon with a mig but it really burns hot.
 
Thats indusrtial stuff right there.
I checked out the 252i which welds 1/2 thick metal.thats a keeper.
Keep in mind that welder has mig,arc and tig,the tig and mig needs different gases so you would need two tanks for optimum performance.With the tig really likeing the straight argon and the mig needing a mixture.You can run straight argon with a mig but it really burns hot.

Good Point.
 
I think it makes sense to buy something cheap because I have never welded and I all I have planned so far is a mini tub and move the springs. With that being said I have 300-400 dollars MAX to spend.

Is there a welder out there that is within my price range and can do the job I need it to?

Scan craigslist for lincoln or miller welders. You'll be surprised what's out there. Stick with the ones I mentioned. Not a fan of the weldpak lincolns. For what you want to do, you won't need a giant machine get at least a 135 amp. It's nice to have but not necessary.

I've seen miller 135's with a bottle for under $400 on occasion. Be patient.
 
Hobart is one of the cheapest "Reliable" welders around imo. I used the 110's at a dealer body shop for 10 years without fail. I also own a Mac brand welder from a tool truck. Still working after 12+ years. It looks like the old Lincoln 110.

After all the welding I have done the MIG is by far the easiest! I set my gauge around 15-18 on the bottle and burn away! Don't waste a nickle on a flux-core. Crap splatters everywhere regardless of wire speed and get really nasty looking welds. Flux-core is really designed for thick metal not sheetmetal to 1/8".

Since you are stepping head in to such a critical modification you need to spend several weeks/months practicing butt welds and overlaps. You will need to bevel certain pieces to get a proper weld and make sure it has proper penetration! The rear spring relocation should be done by a Good welder since it is a safety issue, your call though! There are plenty of how-to videos around to get an idea of how to start welding. But becoming a true welder takes many years! Remember you are cutting into the "Frame" of your car.
Just sayn'
 
I like to switch to flux core wire when welding non-automotive steel. It saves on gas. Just have to grind a little splatter afterward. Of course, I use 75-25 on vehicles.
 
-
Back
Top