Beginner in Mobile Welding

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Hey Weldingweb, Im a young welder/fabricator wanting to venture into mobile welding and looking for advice. I have a Miller 211 and hand tools, wanting to know what types of equipment and models to outfit a rig with. Customer base will be primarily agricultural. Also what are common rates for mobile welding and any tips on what to stay away from or focus on?
Reply:I would suggest a good engine drive welder with plenty of auxilary power output to go with it. This will be one of the primary tools for your mobile welding service.
Reply:What models should I look for?
Reply:Personally, I have a Miller BobCat 225G. But I don't have to rely on it for a livelyhood. Although there are some that use them for that purpose. TrailBlazers are another good one to look into, along with some of the Lincoln models. That MM211 will not work out in the field without a power source though.
Reply:I was looking into getting a generator to run the MM211 off of until I can afford a bobcat, what do you think?
Reply:Originally Posted by HarrisFPI was looking into getting a generator to run the MM211 off of until I can afford a bobcat, what do you think?
Reply:Originally Posted by HarrisFPI was looking into getting a generator to run the MM211 off of until I can afford a bobcat, what do you think?
Reply:What kind of truck do you have to base this new business on? Having a good reliable truck is imperative to running this kind of business.
Reply:Have you discussed this little venture with your insurance carrier yet?
Reply:A bobcat it is, thanks for the advice Bistineau. As far as the truck I have a GMC with 4x4, manual trans and heavy duty axles which should be up to the task. It is my farm truck which I am going to build a flatbed for. As far as insurance I havent looked into that part of it yet. Also, any odd tools or supplies which are good to have on the rig? Any input is appreciated.
Reply:a sledge, rosebud, come-a-long, high-lift,  big pipe wrench w/ a cheater, and maybe a red rubber stamp for your invoice book that says "payment due at time of service"
Reply:DISCLAIMER: I am an idiot when it comes to welding, so take my advice with requisite grains of salt, but FWIW ---Some other things come to mind:CHEAP Laptop or tablet with accounting/invoicing software on it (normally I recommend spending some more $$$ to get a decent machine - often a Mac, but in this case it's gonna be beat up in the cab of a truck and used while your hands are dirty, so get a cheap one with at least Windows 7 on it, and expect to replace it every so often - consider it a consumable - oh, and DON'T use it for email or web surfing! Just invoicing!), and a small printer, and an inverter to run it off of 12V power (you probably don't want to try running it off of the welder; the power output might not be clean enough for reliable operation. Fortunately, decent inverters for running a PC and printer in a car are cheap nowadays.) Also, remember to keep backups of the data on it, as it's your business documents: the IRS really doesn't like being told "uh, I lost it..."If you don't already have a smartphone with a GPS in it, it'd get one; they are not too expensive nowadays. Also, be sure to download an app that keeps the maps on your phone, instead of downloading them on the fly as you are driving: when you get to a spot where there's no cell signal, by having the maps on your phone already, it'll keep working. Personally I like iOS devices (aka, Apple) as opposed to Android, but YMMV... so try them both if you don't already have a commitment to one platform or the other.Fire extinguishers, plural: you may find yourself in a situation where there's lots of dry grass or wheat around what you have to weld - nothing like a grass fire to ruin your day.Welding blankets.Portable shovel, and various clippers - what you need to weld may be hard to get at, on the underside of a machine.Water jugs or tanks on the back of the truck, both for drinking and for washing your hands after working on the machines. The drinking water should be in an insulated tank so you can add ice to it. Also, carry some Gatorade or something like it to keep your electrolytes up. You might want to design in a spot for a jug of Fast Orange or your favorite hand cleaner and some paper towels, and a small trash can. If you want to get fancy you could add a RV type pump (these are available relatively cheap surplus) and a short garden hose with a spray nozzle on it...Perhaps a hydraulic kit? Not necessarily this one, but something like it? http://www.harborfreight.com/10-ton-...kit-62114.htmlGrinders & various disks, and requisite safety equipment to go along with it.Nice to have might be a portable plasma cutter or Oxy-fuel cutting setup.Air compressor & impact gun set (for getting stubborn bolts off) would be nice. You already mentioned hand tools, so I'm gonna' assume that you have stuff like screwdrivers, pliers, and socket sets covered already.Don't forget to keep some welding-safe cleaners & degreasers on the truck.Basic multimeter. You might be amazed how often I've had one of those come in handy on a supposedly non-electrical task...Lighting! Sometimes it gets positively dark under those machines, even during broad daylight.Cordless lithium-ion drill/driver. I've had both NiCd, NiMh, and LiIon/LiPo drills, and I can say that the Lithium ones are worth the extra $$$. They don't loose much charge just sitting there; and thusly they're pretty much always ready to go. Might also want to consider throwing an AC powered drill and some decent bits in the toolbox for drilling out the ends of cracks, frozen fasteners, etc.While you're making the back for your truck, think organization: not only is it faster and more efficient for you when everything has it's place and is kept there, but it also looks much better to the client as well. Also, keep expansion in mind: if you're starting small, and are successful, you will want more tools; and eventually you will have the income to get them; so you'd better have a place to put them! (and don't forget a provision for locking up the rig as well... it'd be a shame to have all that work get stolen by some @#$%s!! )How about a magnetic sign for the side of the truck? I've no experience with this specific product of theirs, but they did my business cards OK...http://www.vistaprint.com/car-door-magnets.aspxP.s. - yeah, I know it's easy spending somebody else's money  so this is just a suggestion list, and not necessarily what you absolutely must have to get started. And like I said at the beginning, I'm an IDIOT at welding, so....
Reply:Oh, and if you make a mounting bracket for the laptop/printer to attach to the cab of the truck, be sure to remember to have some shock-absorption means  in the mounting: hard drives aren't too fond of being hard-mounted to the vehicle frame. Some springs or soft rubber shock isolators where it attaches to the body will probably be OK; especially if the hard drive is not spinning while you are driving down the road.
Reply:All great info above. Consider 3/4 pipe clamps , come a longs , slings , shackles , cribbing , hydraulic jacks , Hi lift jack ,big fkng hammer , " C " clamps , a two ton engine hoist and a 4 x 4 sheet of 3/4 plywood to set it on. A boom crane on truck would be handy too. Might consider a enclosed trailer for storage of goodies.Big a$$ pipe wrenches , pry bars , crow bar, drift pins, pin wrench , and oxygen / acetylene torch too. I have a big umbrella and stand for sunny days and rainy ones too. It's one of those seven foot market ones. Works great.Field farm equipment repairs sometime require lots of swearing forcing pieces back to original. Assorted plate can be handy too. You'll always be adding something as you gain experience . With all the goodies on hand you will need something else. You can never have enough. Good tires are a must for in field repairs. Driving in worked ground can be challenging . Take pictures before and after. Ok, tired of typing.
Reply:Thanks for all the advice guys, now I can start on the collection of equipment and supplies. When I do over the truck I will make a thread so everyone can see how it turns out!
Reply:O boy When i started i had a 180 amp lincoln a torch and a lot of hand tools in a 1968 el camino...But that was back in the late 70'sand i have not gotten much bigger ...Just the stuff i weld on hasBacked my CATMA over your CARMA oops clusmy me  What would SATAN do ?? Miller Trailblazer 302 AirPakMiller Digital Elite  Optrel Welding HatArcair K4000Suitcase 12RC / 12 VSHypertherm PM-45Rage 3 sawRusty old Truck
Reply:Have multiple grinders, one for every kind of attachment you will need, so you don't have to take time swapping out wheels on a single grinder. Have you one for a grinder wheel, cut off wheel, wire brush wheel, wire brush cup, flap disc, etc. And have extras of each wheel in case you wear them out while working. Some extra extension cords, at least 50' ones, and three way splitters so you can have several of your grinders plugged into the same cord. It get's to be  PITA to have to keep unplugging one tool to plug in another each time you need to use a different grinder or something. Like if you are wire brushing something and see a spot that needs grinding, then going back to wire brushing.
Reply:Originally Posted by killdozerd11O boy When i started i had a 180 amp lincoln a torch and a lot of hand tools in a 1968 el camino...But that was back in the late 70'sand i have not gotten much bigger ...Just the stuff i weld on has
Reply:Definitely don't forget the grinders
Reply:Originally Posted by BrittOh, and if you make a mounting bracket for the laptop/printer to attach to the cab of the truck, be sure to remember to have some shock-absorption means  in the mounting: hard drives aren't too fond of being hard-mounted to the vehicle frame. Some springs or soft rubber shock isolators where it attaches to the body will probably be OK; especially if the hard drive is not spinning while you are driving down the road.
Reply:This is what i use.All you need is a pen to sign your name or a spare $100g .Everything everyone mentioned is in there,and then some more.Just messin with you .Best of luck starting out. Attached Images
Reply:Originally Posted by Crash5291If shut off hard drives will be ok, But if your worried about that you can use a SSD (Solid State Drive - No moving parts) it will also be a little quicker then a regular HDD.
Reply:A couple more questions: 1. Would you recommend building a custom flatbed setup for your truck or buying a used service body?2. What are common hourly rates, so far I've heard $75 but can't see charging that much as a beginner. What's the going rate for you guys who do it everyday?
Reply:Originally Posted by HarrisFPA couple more questions: 1. Would you recommend building a custom flatbed setup for your truck or buying a used service body?2. What are common hourly rates, so far I've heard $75 but can't see charging that much as a beginner. What's the going rate for you guys who do it everyday?
Reply:Well, as I said earlier, I'm a CWI (uh, that's Certifiable Welding Idiot  not Certified Welding Inspector!) and most definitely don't do this stuff for a living, so take my comments with appropriate skepticism, but...IMHO, don't undervalue yourself too much. Yes, you are new, and there is a certain lack of experience involved that does count for something. However, you've got some certifications, right? At least attended some night classes at the local JC? And you can do the job, right?If so... then you should be charging something close to the market rate. After all, a good weld is a good weld.And if you're uncertain about your abilities... even after having gotten some education... I'd say just go get some old scrap equipment and practice on it a lot. If a part isn't broken... break it, and then fix it, and put it to a destructive test to check your welds.Also, people subconsciously value stuff (and services) by how much it costs... if you're pricing yourself too low, they will not respect your work.In my area most plumbers HVAC guys electricians and tradesmen like that charge upwards of $100 an hour in my opinion I don't think a welder should be any less than them as a matter of fact most plumbing jobs you can fix with a small hand tools and maybe a torch if need be, where as most welding jobs you gotta start up that pricey welder burn rods and grinder discs at a min.   Im not taking anything away from Plumbers I'm just saying if I were you I would look at the prices those guys are charging in the area and not be any less.. and don't be so hard on yourself being a beginner I don't think has anything to do with it if you're confident enough to fix what needs to be fixed then you should charge with the other guys going to charge that's going to do the same job as you if you're not confident in doing the job that's a hand don't do the job tell the Guy thanks but no thanks and move on to a job that your comfortable with...
Reply:Thanks for the input guys. I'm fairly confident in my abilities, I had been thinking $50 an hour, beginning when I pull out of the drive. I've been thinking start low (50/hr) and increase as I get more tools I.e. tig capability and work my way up to 75/hr.
Reply:Don't start your self too low, remember you still have consumables costs to consider. Gas both liquid and compressed, rods, grinder wheels and so forth, that you have to buy on a regular basis, not to mention the other consumable that you might not have considered, like FOOD. You need to buy what you need to work with as well as feed your self and pay other bills too. So give serious consideration to how much you want to start out charging. Of course I know some people will base their decision on who they hire to do a job strictly on price alone, so what you may pass up in hourly pay, you may make up for in volumes of hours worked. But then the more volume of work you get, the more volume of consumables that need to be replaced, too.
Reply:well whatever you charge, it won't take you long to see if your winning or losing.     You mentioned Ag, was your main clients.     Don't know what type of farmers or area your in, I feel farmers are a rough customer.     There word is usually pretty good, but i think of them high on the ladder compared to other trades as far as being tidy, money conscience, independent/self sufficient, difficult to reason or convince, and hard to deal with.  Not all, but some abuse equip, they need it fixed right now, don't have time to do it right, try to get you to do crazy dangerous **** and hold it against you when it breaks.  Many have welders and equipment, and can weld themselves or have a worker who can, so your sort of competing against his own cost and labor, unless it's someting they don't feel qualified taking on.     Also, the liability is there, there tractors, equip, isn't cheap, if your weld fails on a cracked loader arm, they might look at your for the hyd cylinder that got ruined, and why they can't now feed the cows.    I'm giving you worse case scenarios ( not trying to scare you) , but this is the realistic attitude you may incur.   I usaully tie wire old leather jackets around cylinder rods when working around them, in fear of accidently bumping them w/ rod end.    Be cautious of the way you ground, so your ground isn't passing through gear boxes or expensive bearing etc.  Hyd leaks and fluid is flammable.    Some newer equip has computers that can get knocked out from welding if the proper precautions arent taken.    lol.   So, it's very hard to say or have a set rate.    My rate would be reflective to the liabiltity involved on different things/ whether or not, I'd be guaranteeing the fix or not, and the time frame.   I'm not knocking farmers, as i was once one.   But there not my favorite go to crowd, by any stretch of the imagination.    I'd rather fix an old ladies gate for a 100 dollars than go do a 400 dollar job for a farmer any day of the week.     If you grew up in Ag, i'm telling you things you already know, and don't need to hear.    If you don't have the background, then you might learn hard and fast.   And Ag repair is more dangerous and hard on equip.Last edited by 123weld; 08-02-2015 at 03:55 PM.