Buy a new MIG or TIG welder or cobble something together?

admin

Hi All, I'm brand new to this forum. I'm not a welder, but I can stick stuff together OK. Mostly I work on my race car stuff, or repair stuff on my tractors. I have a few welders, but mostly use a MIG PAK 15 I bought 20 years ago. I have the right gas, and a Teflon liner, and I can weld aluminum better than Bubba's local welding shop seems to be able to do.The biggest problem I have is wire jamming up or feeding uneven. So I either have to replace my mint MIG PAK 15, adapt a spool gun to it, or buy something different. I'm real good with electronics and have buildings full of every part imaginable, so electrical interface is no problem at all for me.I have a new project that requires I make pretty good aluminum welds on 16 ga to maybe 1/8th inch thick aluminum. It's an intercooler for my car, and the core is going to cost me a few hundred bucks, and it has to hold cooling water, so I don't want to mess the core up.I weld some car body parts, tractor parts, and other stuff on a regular basis.1.) If a hose from some spool gun will connect to the Lincoln MIG PAK 15 I have, I'm sure I can build a trigger interface. I don't want to get into external gas lines and solenoids. Is there some spool gun that will fit and seal to the hose outlet mechanically? 2.) I have cobbled in an AC feed for my MIG PAK 15 already. By moving two wires, I can use an external 150 amp 48 volt AC supply I built. It has fully variable current limiting, but stays at either 24 or 48 volts open circuit.  So I can use AC on it, but Lincoln does not sell a spool gun for it. To be truthful, I can weld aluminum with DC almost as cleanly as AC. The only issue is the wire occasionally balls up inside the welder, or feeds in spurts.3.) I can buy something else, like a MIG, but this would duplicate my existing MIG except for the spool gun, and it would probably be DC only. 4.) I can buy a TIG, which would be totally different. I have never TIG welded. I don't know much about it. I've silver soldered with a torch, but that's as close to TIG as I have ever been. So what should I do? I rarely do aluminum. Maybe two or three times a year. I rarely do copper and never do stainless. I mostly weld iron and steel and car body panels (which are tough to not burn through with the MIG welder).Thanks, Tom
Reply:Sounds like it's time for a TIG, if you have the patience.SqWave 200Millermatic 190Airco 200 ACHypertherm PM45Boice-Crane Band SawVictor O/A
Reply:I vote tig also...And it's not truly cobbling unless you use a hammer.
Reply:Tig would be the way to go if you have the time to learn it. Just make sure you get an AC capable tig machine. If you do this you will be addicted and probably never want to weld any other way!(haha) Weld On!
Reply:Thanks everyone for the suggestion.I guess a TIG is a major step forward and complements the welders I already have. Is the Hobart EZ TIG 165i a good enough machine for my small stuff? Looks like they are $1400 new. Or will I regret buying a TIG-only machine?Should I shop for a used machine?
Reply:A used machine (transformer based) if you have the space, a Thermal Arc 186 if you don't. The Hobart 165 and the Miller Diversion 165 are identical and only have amperage settings, The TA 186 has quite a few more options and comes with a TIG torch and stick stinger, got mine with a foot pedal for under $2000 CDN.SqWave 200Millermatic 190Airco 200 ACHypertherm PM45Boice-Crane Band SawVictor O/A
Reply:New or cobbled?    Why not used?There are plenty of people out there selling, good, used brand name welders for cheap.  You just got to keep your eyes open and on the best deals, be ready to pounce.  If you buy a quality Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, Esab and a good price, you can turn around and sell it for what you paid if you get 'done' with it.   Speaking only of Miller, but assuming the same is true for the others mentioned above, when you have feed issues, once you've replaced the liner and you are sure you have the right rollers, you big manufacturers can help you out with repair parts to get it working again.  When you buy used, test it, then pay based on the condition.  I bought my first personal MIG from a professional welder (he didn't need or want a welder at his home anymore - he was a blacksmith as a hobby).  In addition to getting a good deal for properly maintained (and in this case clean) welder, I got nickle tour on how to set the machine and tune it in.  Craigslist...Con Fuse!Miller Dynasty 350Millermatic 350P-Spoolmatic 30AMiller Multimatic 200Hypertherm PowerMax 1000G3Miller Maxstar 200DX
Reply:There's a clean Diversion 180 for sale in the sell forum here by wb4rt.  A reliable forum member.TA Arcmaster 300CM3XMT 304S22P12 suitcase feederX-Treme 12VSOptima pulserTA161SMaxstar 150STLHypertherm PM45OP setupStihl 020AVP, 039, 066 Magnum