Welding rig question

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65LoveAffair

65LoveAffair

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First off, let me tell you I have absolutely no welding experience. I am a welding :newb:. I have soldered, but that is like comparing riding a bicycle to riding a motorcycle. When I get my car later this year I have decided that I am going to attempt to do any welding work myself. As someone on here stated previously, "I've got a welding rig and a fire extinguisher! I'm good!" Or something to that effect. Anyway, I have a buddy who was a welding supervisor for seven years, and I have another friend who is a welding instructor at a local college, so I think I can get some good pointers. Here's my question: What type of welding rig should I buy? I'm assuming I'll need a good spot welder to hold the parts in place, and possibly a MIG welder for final work. I think... Are the rigs at Harbor Freight any good? Or is that like buying something from Big Lots? You get what you pay for. What rigs do you guys use? Thanks in advance for the info!
 
Well I am in the same boat as you although I might have a little more welding experience, I have a Hobart stick welder but I need a Mig welder, to weld up my new exhaust, I have looked at the HF welders and talked to a few people, supposedly they are junk, BUT there is a fabo person on here can't remember who and he said he likes his HF welder, One thing i do know that to do alot of continous welding people reccomend a 220 volt welder, Millers, Hobarts etc. are over $500.00 for a 220 volt anyone else have any suggestions or input??
 
I have a century that is made by Lincoln. Welding is not cheap! You have to get a cart, hood, extension cord, cover, bottle, gloves, welding jacket, wire, tips, etc. etc. etc....

I got my century which is a 220 welder for $550. It included a gun, cart and regulator. Then I had to install a plug and breaker which was only about $30. But, once you are set up it is pretty fun!
 
Ever heard that high voltage will knock you off your feet while our 110 volt household current will grab and hold you ?Seems like the same applies to welding arc. I have a 110 wire feed welder from Harbor Freight.
Voltage drop to my outlet reduces supply. That's on a 20 amp breaker too. Anything else on that circuit further reduces the supply.
I can weld with it but striking an arc takes a Midas touch.
Flux core wire without gas makes a splatter mess too.
220 volts with gas is what I recommend and what I want for myself.
Name brands like Miller, Lincoln, Hobart, will have resale value too.
 
Miller, Lincoln. Hobart. Thermalarc, just get the best you can afford. 110 volt with gas is all you will need for sheet metal.
 
You might want to look at the 135a one from Eastwood. It is currently $339, but if you use code HR0511 which is from the latest Hot Rod Magazine ad, it is only $299.99 and free shipping. That is about a $80 savings. I have a HF flux core I bought for $90 and did one quarter panel on my Aspen with it. Welds were messy and I easily burned through the metal. Had to fill a lot of holes. It only has a Min and Max heat setting. I think for thicker metal it would be OK.
The eastwood has good reviews and looks like a nice machine. I will be ordering it as I heard it is easier to weld with gas than with the flux core as you are Less likely to burn through. I am a welding newbie also. I have a lot more weldin to do, so I hope this will save me some time, as I won't have to fix all the burn throughs. It runs on 110.

I am hoping to sell the HF one to a co-worker for $60.



Kevin
 
I use a Lincoln 180C, 220V MIG. It's not cheap, but neither are the welds it makes. I have a 30" extension cord that plugs into an electric dryer outlet so I can take it to friends houses when I need to. Done sheet metal and roll cage on our race car, and 3/8" on my cherry picker. No problem. I've used a cheaper Home Depot model flux core, and it got the job done, but lots of splatter. It was on thicker metal. Don't know how they perform on thin sheet.
 
I have a Millermatic 130XP, 120v 20 amp,with gas I can do sheet metal with it set on haet range #1, and 1/4" with it set to #3.
Andrew
 
with welders the bigger the better, go with a name brand (miller, lincoln, hobart, century) if you only have a 115 volt line, a 130-140 amp mig welder will work fine, even with flux core wire, adding a bottle or gas will allow you to do cleaner welds but it isnt necessary to start, if you have or can have a 220 volt line installed you can get a bigger 175+ amp mig welder, this will allow you to weld thicker metal and will have a longer duty cycle (duty cycle is the amount of time you can weld verses the amount of time the welder needs to cool off in a 10 minute period)
 
I have a Lincoln 175 HD 220 volt mig. Like you I didn't have any experience with it when I bought it. I just researched the basics of how to do it and got my welding gas, helmet and jacket and etc. and started playing around some scrap metal until I was comfortable enough to weld on my car. I'm not perfect but I've had plenty of compliments on my work though.
 
let me start by saying that YES you can weld with a cheap welder like a harbor freight or a cabell hausfeld from walmart or something.

BUT if you have a serious project.....then get yourself a serious welder.

if you just need one for tinkering and hobbies then go ahead and snag a cheap one.

but if you want to do work on your car than I suggest upgrading.

I had a cambell hausfeld 110 mig welder...it was OK for some stuff but controlability was minimal (not much for dialing in heat settings and what not) and when working on sheet metal like on a car...you really need to be able to adjust the heat.

on top of that,the flux core makes a mess with spatter and I didnt want to mess with it when it comes to body panel work.

SO I took about $600.00 and went and got myself a new craftsman mig welder (works with flux or gas shield),fan cooled, (basically the same thing as a lincoln and in all the reviews it stood right next to the comparable miller 110 mig model) came with a cart,then I picked up a 80lb tank filled with 75%/25%,then I picked up a 10lb spool of .23 carbon wire,a new gas regulator and an autotint weld helmet......all of that combined was around $1,000.00 . And even the flux core welds it lays are WAY nicer than the welder I was using before.

I know cash might be an issue as it was with me, but its worth it to save up for a nice unit if you plan on doing serious work with it
 
Get a 110 volt Miller matic. Great for a beginer. If you can't weld with that . You won't be able to weld with anything. I bought a new Miller. I also had a Hobart 120. Duty cycle is less but it works good on 5/16 and smaller. 110 volt welders are great for auto body work. You can lift them in the car if your leads don't reach. Don't buy a off brand. I used a snap-on wasn't happy. Harbor freight! Just get Elmers glue. Remember Don't buy cheap wire . Your weld is only as strong as the material your using.
 
I vote for the Miller 135 110V migwire welder. It makes great lite guage welds with .023 wire and has capability to weld 1/4 metal w .030 wire. Duty cycle is good for heavier metal as you can weld pretty steady then the time to brush or grind will give time to cool. A good brand besides Miller will be ok, but be sure there is adjustable voltage and wire speed.
 
When welding sheet metal you need a backing plate made of copper or aluminum. This will prevent the "blow Thu" holes common when welding thin metals.

As for what brand of welder to get. Buy the brand that has the best support in your area. Welder are expensive, but you get what you pay for. I use ESAB welders, a brand that many people never heard of. Also you can buy a used unit. Just try it out before you load it up.
 
I've been through several welders. 110 volts are good; if you are just in your garage, a 220 mig can be plugged into dryer plug (with correct plug, $45).
With my 220v , 180 amp Hobart, gas, I can weld from 24 gauge to 3/8" (it says thicker, but I drag out the stick welder for that).
A bud has 2 Hobarts; Flux with infinity controls (I hate it, in fact, I gave him all my flux core wire, nasty). Hobart with gas, good; you just have to learn it, with sheetmetal; lower heat, stick, lower wire feed, raise wire feed, turn up heat, etc. Sheetmetal, .023, bigger metal, .030 or .035.
His infinity with gas would be perfect. And with a mig; it won't blow through trash, like a stick, the work needs to be ground down to clean metal.
 
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