Ok so i am currently enrolled at Modern Welding School here in Schenectady, NY(graduate in june). Ive asked a couple teachers on what machine to get, with multiple different answers. Called the local welding shop (airgas) and they disagreed with the teachers selections. So now im on here to ask you guys! What i plan to use it for:Aluminum/steel IE: Motorcycle frames, Truck frames for airbag suspension (cnotches etc), repairing aluminum quad bumpers, motorcycle ramp fabrication, building trailors etc.My budget:Well id like to stay under 1,000, actually it has to be under 1,000 haShop/Power:Well its got to be semi-mobile(not to heavy, like the machines at school), as id travel for onsite repair. In my garage i only have your basic 110v? which is a 100ft leadcord ran from basement, outside and into garage. So if i end up with a 220 machine ill need a 100ft leadcord. Whats the average price for a 100ft 220 wire?? Just materials, i know an electrician. It'd have to be able to roll up since it will be 'mobile'. I rent, therefore i cant hardwire 220 in the garage, hes already pissed about the 110 leadcord running into the garage.What machines ive been told to look into
incoln SP140, Millermatic 211, Hobart 187, Lincoln 180Thanks guys, i appreciate it big time!!
Reply:I don't think I would ever consider running a welder of an extension cord. Sorry, I can't make any recommendations based on the fact that I don't MIG. BTW, how are Bob and Tim doing these days?Last edited by papabear; 02-27-2010 at 04:44 PM."SOUTHPAW" A wise person learns from another persons mistakes;A smart person learns from their own mistakes;But, a stupid person.............never learns.
Reply:I would wait till you were further along in school because your bugdet you have and your choice of machines shows that you don't understand what you want and need to do the work you want.It seems that you'll have to move somewhere that will be more user friendly to use as a shop and allow you to have multiple 110v and 220v plugs. You will also need to increase your budget 3 times, that way you could buy maybe 2 machine that will grow with you and your developing and last a while.It it were myself I would get a TA185 which will run you $2200 then get the Hobart 187 which would consume the rest of the budget and thats not including any other supplies like tanks or consumables. These machines will only run on 220v so being portable will be limited.
Reply:Originally Posted by Jay OI would wait till you were further along in school because your budget you have and your choice of machines shows that you don't understand what you want and need to do the work you want.It seems that you'll have to move somewhere that will be more user friendly to use as a shop and allow you to have multiple 110v and 220v plugs. You will also need to increase your budget 3 times, that way you could buy maybe 2 machine that will grow with you and your developing and last a while.It it were myself I would get a TA185 which will run you $2200 then get the Hobart 187 which would consume the rest of the budget and thats not including any other supplies like tanks or consumables. These machines will only run on 220v so being portable will be limited.
Reply:Bob an tim are good! Barely see bob since hes out on the road but i see tim every week. Anyhow im not a shop so the thousands dollars worth of tools will never happen, this is just stuff that i may come across from time to time. The main thing i would do on a normal basis would be motorcycle frame repair and frame work on s10 pickups. The teachers told me the lincoln SP140 w. a spoolgun for aluminum and ill be good to go. As for waiting till i finish school, that makes no difference. Were on MIG now and only thing left is TIG. I just want a basic machine that could do minor repairs/fab work in the garage. I know people say a leadcord isnt a good option, however i see 220v cords on jobsites all the time(most are 0ga-4ga). No reason for a 2-4k machine in my little garage. However im thinking maybe the SP140 is to small, so i thought about a 180 of some sort?. Thanks for all the input, I appreciate it.EDIT: Teachers suggested SP140 w. spoolgun, LWS suggested miller 211 and hobart 187. I welded up my quad bumper (alum) with a mig w. spool attachment at school and it came out amazing. Then again i welded my motorcycle ramp w. one of our tig machines and obviously thats a lot cleaner but a mig machine seems more "all around" for my garage.Last edited by Criscone; 02-27-2010 at 06:35 PM.
Reply:I'm a junior in highschool and i currently surpass every welder in my school (it's my first year). I usually use MIG because i like to do crafts and its fast and easy. I know how to braze perfectly, I can arc weld and TIG pretty good I want to start buying my own equipment. I'm gonna go up to alaska this sumer to work and prolly bring back about $4,000. this is my wish list:MIG welderBest automatic helmet (don't wanna risk my eyes)Plasma cutterTorch cutterMy budget is about $2,000
Reply:ummm way to thread jack kid, 2k wil not get you a welder, helmet, plasma an torch setup. Well maybe used but plasma isnt cheap..I paid a little over 1k for a basic plasma cutter.
Reply:You took the course to become a welder?Find a local shop to work in; many schools offer placements, and when you get more experience you can go on to make your decision, many owners would allow you to work after hours and weekends.
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ersonally, I would suggest (if you have a truck) to search around on craigslist, ebay, etc... and look for a generator welder. I've seen quite a few functional older Bobcat 225nt's there, some older Lincoln rangers, etc... It'd be a good way to go since you won't need to have an extension cord run (which you shouldn't do anyways), it'll allow you to power other equipment in the field (if you find an inexpensive used plasma in the future or something similar).What I'm getting at here is that sometimes used is the way to go. Buying new can be really expensive (my new Trailblazer 302 with no leads, etc... ran a bit over $4k). You can get a used older Trailblazer for around $1k if you look around a bit. Since you'll then be able to weld mobile much easier than relying on your customers power (not always an option) you'll probably be able to take on quite a few jobs you wouldn't be able to without a generator welder.Just my 2c.As for the guy wanting the following:MIG welderBest automatic helmet (don't wanna risk my eyes)Plasma cutterTorch cutterFor $2k, that's optimistic at best. Even buying all of that used, you're going to blow more than that real quick. The plasma cutter (decent name brand one which works well) will probably run you around $700 even used. Add in consumables at another $200 minimum. The torch setup, you can probably get that relatively cheaply used, but add on the cost of tips, full tanks, etc... and you're probably looking around $500-$700 minimum. The best automatic helmet...depends on what your doing, but say a Speedglas 9100xx, that'll probably run you around $350. A good (read as not chinese crap) MIG welder will probably end up costing you around $500 minimum used. The MIG will then need consumables, tips, wire, etc... which you can probably add up to another $300 easy. Add in safety gear such as gloves, leathers, respirators, etc... and you can add on another $300.Add all that up
lasma: $700Consumables: $200Torch: $500-$700Auto Helmet: $350MIG: $500MIG Consumables: $300Safety Gear: $300Total: $2850 - $3050That is if you get really luck in finding good used equipment, don't have to buy anything new and already have a lot of unlisted stuff laying around. To give you an idea, I got a smokin' deal on a good ESAB plasma off of CL. That cost me $500. I just spent $300 in consumables for it (yup, plasma consumables cost alot of money). That's $800 for the plasma alone."No man's knowledge here can go beyond his experience." - John Lockewww.improvised-engineering.comManufacturer Agnostic:Blood----------Sweat---------Tears----|------------------|----------------|----Lincoln Red, Miller Blue, Esab Yellow
Reply:ummm way to thread jack kid, 2k wil not get you a welder, helmet, plasma an torch setup. Well maybe used but plasma isnt cheap..I paid a little over 1k for a basic plasma cutter.
Reply:I am getting into similar work. I have been working towards this over a few years. I did my research and bought machines that I think will do the job. I would have liked to go bigger but costs in always a factor. I am fro Canada so prices are a bit higher but you will get the idea. for a mig I bought the Miller DVI2 as I wanted the 110 volt option but still have some decent power when I needed it ( Cost 1250.00 ). For plasma I Bought a TD Cutmaster 38 ( cost 1250.00 ). And for tig I bought a Lincoln PT225. Nice welder that cost do Aluminum and has a decent duty cycle. ( cost 2150.00 ). Would have liked a bigger tig but didn't want to spent the money. So as you can see I kept my cost way down while managing to get at least decent gear. For the type of work you mention here, these welders are the bottom line you should be looking for and if possible go bigger. Basically 1000.00 to 2000.00 is the beginning of a good saving plan towards your setup. I will tell you now that if you run out and spend the money you have trying to take short cuts buying cheaper machines you will regret it so much it isn't funny. The type of work you mention is going to cost you money to do. Sorry if I sound harsh but there seems to be several post lately where people want to get into a decent tig setup for custom work and only have a budget of 1000.00 or less. Headaches and fustration is all they are going to get with this idea. Keep saving and looking for good used machines. It is so well worth the wait. Good luck and learn all you canMiller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:Ive had the plasma cutter for a couple years which i barely use but couldnt pass up the deal and ive had a cheapy craftsman mig welder which is an absolute POS. I can mig,tig,arc etc the only reason i went to school was to get a grasp on 'how things work and why' and to better my skills. Also to kill a year i had to wait for my apprenticeship to start/modern welding looks extremely well on the resume. Im going to be a union pipe welder which consist of tig/stick, so this mig setup is just for basic little jobs i come across. Anything beats this craftsman! Im kind of leaning twards the Millermatic 211. Later on I may pick up a nice tig machine but for right now just your average mig machine will do i believe.
Reply:Everyone I've heard that has the MM211 loves it. If I was looking for a meduim sized portable mig that would be my choice because of the 110v/220v option and the fact that on 220v it's almost as powerful as my current 220v only medium sized machine..No government ever voluntarily reduces itself in size. Government programs, once launched, never disappear. Actually, a government bureau is the nearest thing to eternal life we'll ever see on this earth! Ronald Reagan
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SW, What is your opinion on the 211 running off a 100 ft ext. cord in either 110v or 220v?
Reply:Jay O.I just recently purchased a 211, and used with 50' of extension, and plan on getting at least 50' more or a complete piece 100' lomg, at 50 this machine welded great, I am definatley rusty, well the only thing I welded with in 15 years was an Home Depot Lincoln Weldpak HD-100, the Miller made that thing seem like a toy, Also I am using 8 guage 3 wire SO cable for my extension, I recommend at least that size, and maybe #6 if you can afford it. I cannot reasonably carry a welder and generator, or engine driven plus torch, plus plasma, plus construction tools, etc, so the cord for me is a must.
Reply:A Millermatic 211 with an appropriately sized ext cord for the run length will do what you are asking of it, for the steel welding anyways. Not sure how well it welds aluminum. Tig is usually preferable to mig for aluminum.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:The Aluminum welding I hope to be doing will be short runs on material varying from 1/8 to 3/8, usually 2x2 to 4/4 frames and arches, some times for munting lugs for air cyllinders, it will be an emergency situation, so speed of setup and repair are most critical. I don;t have the bottle yet, so I have been able to try the spool gun yet.Also the LWS asked what kind of wire I would be using in my spool gun, I thought it was only for aluminum?Any thoughts or suggestions about my purpose for this machine are appreciated, I also picked up an Econ twin (Not Hf) and after trying the 211, I am thinking that I may not use it much if at all.If this is the case, what is a good asking price for it and 240' of lead?
Reply:make your "hobby" pay for it's self. $50 here, $20 there... or barter. etc..weld cheap if you want, but dont weld for free. you'll get a reputation to be taken advantage of.buy a Diversion tig. 110/220v or the Ta185 220v only. you can then weld (just about)ANYTHING, perhaps slowly, but surely. tou can tig about any type of smaller metal. and you can stick weld bigger steel with as many passes as needed.be the 1 person among all your freinds with the foresight, vision, and guts to risk a $2000 dollar investment. -then get to earning it back from your deadbeat buddies.
Reply:Interesting thoughts, I have risked about $1600 for the 211, and Econ twin, and do plan to be profitable with them, and then move up to a good TIG unit, Profit is not a 4 letter word after all.I guess the question is, what will the stick machine offer that the 211 does not?
Reply:Originally Posted by goinzerI guess the question is, what will the stick machine offer that the 211 does not?
Reply:get a credit card
Reply:Originally Posted by Jay ODSW, What is your opinion on the 211 running off a 100 ft ext. cord in either 110v or 220v?
