190-210amp mig or wire feeder
Tue, 31 Aug 2021 15:49:40 GMT
Hi guys looking for some education on this. I was looking at getting a mig welder to compliment my tig to do some automotive work as tig is not great for replacing large body panels etc.I was considering the Lincoln Weld Pak 180HD, Hobart Handler 187 or 210 and the Miller 211 (although I feel its kind of pricy).I am not looking to do any award winning work, just weld some different floor pans in cars, rust repair, fill and grind down some holes, tacking and some custom motor and transmission mounts etc. Probably looking at max thickness of 1/4" to weld.Now I am most tempted to get the Lincoln 180 for $500. I think it will do what I need it to do, but I am worried I'll be left wanting more, or it will get too beat up doing long runs of weld.My second question is, are there any voltage sensing wire feeder set ups that are in the $500-$800 range that I can just hook up to my Thermal Arc 300 GTSW? That way I can utilize one machine with all the fancy features etc, good power etc? Or am I barking up the wrong tree here?Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated gents.EDIT: Also would not be opposed to a Thermal Arc Fabricator 180i.. seems to be in the price range with excellent value.Last edited by Freestyle72; 05-25-2012 at 03:49 PM.
Reply:you might want to ad esab to the list they make 2 small mig welders that work very well off of a gen se,t they are the esab cady mig,the one I have is the 200i love the way it handles and the there is the 160i as well.Ron
Reply:A VS feeder on a CC machine like you have, won't allow you to do thin material. VS feeders in short arc with solid wire run very poorly off a CC power source. If you needed to weld heavy steel, say 3/8" + with large FC wire ( .045+) in spray, then maybe it might be an option, but from your description it will not do what you want.A stand alone mig or a feeder with a CV power source is what you want to be looking at..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
Reply:The lincoln 180 I can get for $500 brand new all in. The rest will cost around $800-$1000+tax.Do you think the 180 will do what I need and get a long for my occasional project use? I don't mind springing for quality, but for the money in it what do you guys think of the value?
Reply:Originally Posted by Freestyle72The lincoln 180 I can get for $500 brand new all in. The rest will cost around $800-$1000+tax.Do you think the 180 will do what I need and get a long for my occasional project use? I don't mind springing for quality, but for the money in it what do you guys think of the value?
Reply:I would be sure to get a machine that has a variable rather than tapped voltage setting if you are going to be doing lots of sheet metal. The ESAB 250 I owned had a really soft and smooth arc. your should really see if you can demo a few brands/ machines/Tiger Sales: AHP Distributor www.tigersalesco.comAHP200x; AHP 160ST; MM350P, Spoolmatic 30A; Everlast PowerTig 185; Thermal Dynamics 60i plasma. For Sale: Cobra Mig 250 w/ Push-pull gun. Lincoln Wirematic 250
Reply:Originally Posted by soutthpawI would be sure to get a machine that has a variable rather than tapped voltage setting if you are going to be doing lots of sheet metal. The ESAB 250 I owned had a really soft and smooth arc. your should really see if you can demo a few brands/ machines/
Reply:If your wanting to do 1/4" steel with a solid wire, I'd skip on the 180 Lincoln and go with one of the other units you listed. The reason being, the 180 Lincoln units, are a little lean on top end power for critical 1/4" applications with solid wire. The Handler 190 (replaced 187) can be purchased from online dealers for around $700. It offers a little more top end punch (power) then the Lincoln 180's.The Fab181i looks like it offers even more top end power then the Handler 190. The draw back to this unit could be time consumed learning to dial the unit in properly.For motor mounts made of out 1/4", I'd probably go with a Handler 210 MVP or Millermatic 211 as my smallest machine. Since I have more powerful machines available to me though, I'd actually use my 230 or 250 in spray transfer mode with C10 shielding gas.Last edited by Dan; 05-26-2012 at 07:38 AM.ESAB Migmaster 250 Hobart Ironman 230Multimatic 215TWECO Fabricator 181i & 211iHH125EZ - nice little fluxcore only unitMaxstar 150 STH - very nice
Reply:The weld-pak 180 is a decent machine and should work well for auto-body work......tacking and some custom motor and transmission mounts etc......
Reply:Originally Posted by JoshfromsaltlakeIt's also helpful to use .030" wire for thin sheet metal work since thinner wire will draw less current which makes the weld easier to control.
Reply:Originally Posted by JoshfromsaltlakeThe weld-pak 180 is a decent machine and should work well for auto-body work.Unlike cosmetic body work, welding engine and tranny mounts is a job that should be left to professionals. Ones who have lots of experience welding the same. That's a 100% safety critical area. By comparison, failed welds on body panels aren't going to result in random chunks of metal being splattered all over the road
Reply:I ended up grabbing this off of craigslist for $350 brand new. Cheap enough to risk being under sized or "not as nice". If I find the need to upgrade down the road I'll post up later what and why.
Reply:Nice deal. If you decide you need more, you could probally get your $350 back towards a bigger one.
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