Small mig welder

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i picked up an eastwood welder on craigslist a while ago, and i love it


as far as learning, i started with a 220 miller unit with gas at my place of employment
they had put in a mezzanine without pulling a permit and as a result someeone had to weld trusses in to make properly load bearing
i got volunteered to weld that up, and though i wouldnt stand under the north east corner of it, by the time the project was done i was pretty decent welder

as far as the eastwood is concerned, i havent found a cheap bottle yet so im using "shielded wire" also knows as flux core, and i like it

as others have mentioned, when you weld with gas you need to put in a little more prep time to get a good weld, but it will be a nicer looking weld when you are done

flux core, you clean the ground and the very first spot and then weld through paint rust bondo, whatever is on there...all while there is a lever 4 hurricane blowing
Not to knock you but a inexperienced worker welding load bearing truss with a mig welder doing short circuit mig is about as irresponsible as a contractor could ever get
This is my biggest concern today ever since mig welders became more compact and showed up for sale literally everywhere
While welding in field conditions often had less than desirable conditions but doing a structural weld through paint or trying to weld through heavier rust is dead on wrong
Body filler? No
I’ve had to correct more crap weak dangerous welds done by guys with Mig welders than I care to recall
No qualified welder I’ve ever known over the last 40 years would weld anything load bearing or anything were strength is the primary factor with short circuit mig
Flux cored is something else but again there there is no shortcuts for experience
 
For thin auto sheetmetal , you really will be better off with gas and .023 ( some brands are .022 or .021), Smallest flux with is .030. I use that welding out side. I can do it, but I have welded for 50 years. Some are quicker learners! The gas does not work outside in the breeze!
I just recently welded in a patch panel in my friend's Chevy truck in the floor where someone mangled it all to hell puttin a floor shifter in it. Welded in just perfect, neat as glass and the welds were great. When I got done, I realized I never turned the gas on. LOL
 
Not to knock you but a inexperienced worker welding load bearing truss with a mig welder doing short circuit mig is about as irresponsible as a contractor could ever get
This is my biggest concern today ever since mig welders became more compact and showed up for sale literally everywhere
While welding in field conditions often had less than desirable conditions but doing a structural weld through paint or trying to weld through heavier rust is dead on wrong
Body filler? No
I’ve had to correct more crap weak dangerous welds done by guys with Mig welders than I care to recall
No qualified welder I’ve ever known over the last 40 years would weld anything load bearing or anything were strength is the primary factor with short circuit mig
Flux cored is something else but again there there is no shortcuts for experience
It wouldn't have been an issue if they had pulled a permit and let a contractor do the work...what I did was basically a Mop up job

I agree it didn't get done the way it should, but the only reason I told the story was to explain where I got my experience...welding in yards of stock to existing trusses to make em stronger


Or, the OP could do what I do with my boy, find a junk piece of metal, and weld it to another junk piece of metal and see how many whacks with a sledge it takes to "disassemble" it

Then try again
 
I just recently welded in a patch panel in my friend's Chevy truck in the floor where someone mangled it all to hell puttin a floor shifter in it. Welded in just perfect, neat as glass and the welds were great. When I got done, I realized I never turned the gas on. LOL

dam , I really notice when mine is left off , the welds do too --
 
dam , I really notice when mine is left off , the welds do too --
...and you know, I normally do. I didn't even notice it. Maybe it was the sheet metal, I don't know. I do have the .023 wire in it. Maybe that helped. Crapped if I know, but it welded on pretty as you please.
 
Get a good welder,try to avoid the lowest end of stuff and yes you will want to get one with gas.
My personal welder is a small ESAB Caddy mig C160i Welds nicely and is very easy to use, dont know about availability in the US but im sure there are similar machines from most reputable brands.
And you will want a good autodarkening mask, when i welded at work i always liked Speedglas,at home i got a ESAB warrior mask,it was included in a good deal when i bought the Welder and its nice.
 
I've got a Hobart 140 and I like it a lot with gas. I used to have a flux-only machine. I could sometimes make a decent weld with it, but my son (who has better eyes and hands than I do) could do a real nice weld with flux and he didn't weld very often. He just had a touch. My welds look much better with gas, but there are still times my hands don't quite do what I tell them to and the weld looks like crap...That's why my buddy, Ed, welded the patch panels on the Barracuda...Don't mind his "safety equipment"...I was wearing long pants...
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after burning up 2 old cheap 110v welders I wised up and bought a brand new Millermatic 185 back around '97 or 98. Wish Id have bought that welder 1st// I would never have had to waste the $$$ on the 1st 2. I see that they have improved on 110v welders since I had my 2. My miller is 220, but I won't be going back. I think my 185 is what has since turned into the 211 over the years. I know many pro welders and most say "what kind of welding? Stick.... Go Lincoln. Mig? Buy Miller".
and for what its worth, Miller and Hobart are the same company, related like Dodge is to Plymouth. "Illinois Tool Works" or ITW, owns both now a days. Been like that for at least 15-20 years now.
 
I have a Millermatic 211 that I bought when I needed a 220V to do the T56 swap, I previously had a Clarke MIG130EN, which also was fine for sheet metal. The Millermatic 211 is so easy to get going with, a lot less guessing to make a good weld. The autoset is pretty good, you'll be pretty close just on that. Lots of power in a small package, just get a gas bottle.
 
I've got a Hobart 140 and I like it a lot with gas. I used to have a flux-only machine. I could sometimes make a decent weld with it, but my son (who has better eyes and hands than I do) could do a real nice weld with flux and he didn't weld very often. He just had a touch. My welds look much better with gas, but there are still times my hands don't quite do what I tell them to and the weld looks like crap...That's why my buddy, Ed, welded the patch panels on the Barracuda...Don't mind his "safety equipment"...I was wearing long pants...
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Holbert 140 is a great little welder for the money.
The day I bought mine, I also bought the gas bottle $135 from the local welding shop.
And put on the larger diameter spool of ER70 .030" wire, the larger spool will not jump like the small spools do.
 
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