Which welder should I go with??

admin

Ok guys. I am new to the forums but have some welding skill. Granted its been a while..I have come to the point that I need a welder to do body work, some exhaust work, and a lil frame fab here and there..  I am on a $200 budget unfortunately .none of these have the gas kits on them.. But here is what I have come across..First there is a Lincoln weldpak 100 thats missing the side panel..But works flawless with the flux core..price$175Second is a friends lincoln sp100  that just wont penetrate very well..I think he has it setup for gas and thats why it wont get a good bite with the flux wire..price $150Then theres this new , in the box stick welder with receipt . 2 months old..  selling cause he cant stop tripping the breaker at home..ITS a Harbor Freight ARC120 welder for $75..What you guys think??Last edited by dually502; 08-28-2009 at 08:08 PM.
Reply:Your not going to get much of a machine for $200. A mig welder will be required if you want to weld body panels. I'd lead towards a entry level 230v mig machine myself but you will have to spend more than $200 for a good one, even used.JasonLincoln Idealarc 250 stick/tigThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 52Miller Bobcat 250Torchmate CNC tableThermal Arc Hefty 2Ironworkers Local 720
Reply:has to be a small welder .. 120V max or 110 plug. the first two listd are mig welders.. they just need gas kits.
Reply:I would go with the first one.   You can always fab a side panel, and Lincolin is far better than a HF welder.keith The older the boys, the more expensive the TOYS!!Previous owned;Linde 300 Amp welderMiller Gas drv welder, Tumbstone,Dayton Miller ac to dc converter,High frequency unitLongevity LS60PCurrrently owned;Longevity WeldAll 200PI
Reply:I would hook a pair of jumper cables to a car battery and stick weld it with 6011, then keep saving that money up untill I could afford to buy a real welding machine!  MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33I would hook a pair of jumper cables to a car battery and stick weld it with 6011, then keep saving that money up untill I could afford to buy a real welding machine!
Reply:Ahhhh why not pick up a portable torch kit such as the Harris one sold at home depot? They are in the $250 range and will do 10x what a little toy flux core machine will. Just hate to see good money thrown away.
Reply:Where are you locted? I am not sure if this is the right place to post. I have a Campbell Hausfeld 105 mig welder that will take gas, has the mig kit/ regulator (never used), instruction booklet, a new roll of .030 Lincoln flux core wire, 4 new tips, has a tow handle, wheel kit,  and a place for a small cylinder. It does not have guages. I would like to get $125 for it.  I am selling it because I wanted the 220 power option so I just purchased a Miller 211.  I do not know how much it would cost to ship it.  I live in Sacrameto, CA until October, then I will be in Golden Valley, AZ through Thanksgiving.  If you or anybody is interested let me know and I will post pictures of it.  Darryl
Reply:I'll put in a second vote for the Lincoln Weldpak 100. I currently have one and it is a pretty decent little welder. I was kind of in the same boat, I wanted a wire feed that would run on 115v and could be setup to run gas. The Lincoln fit the bill, I use it on anything 1/8" or thinner. I have a 220v Hobart Arc as my primary machine, the Lincoln is used on small jobs.Scott
Reply:Well the guy with the weldpak 100 is flaked out on the deal... The SP100 has dropped in price and I might get it and just get it fixed if there is a problem ....Will probably keep looking thanks.
Reply:It might be as simple as the polarity being wrong (you set it one way for flux core and another way for gas).Jack OlsenMy garage website
Reply:Originally Posted by Jack OlsenIt might be as simple as the polarity being wrong (you set it one way for flux core and another way for gas).
Reply:grabbed the sp100..thanks guys dealing with its issues here..http://weldingweb.com/vbb/showthread.php?p=313307
Reply:Originally Posted by DesertRider33I would hook a pair of jumper cables to a car battery and stick weld it with 6011, then keep saving that money up untill I could afford to buy a real welding machine!
Reply:If you plan any frame work you need the bigger more expensive welder. A 110v welder aint gonna cut it for the other stuff you mentioned but not that. Where exactly are you doing all this work? Why can you not get the 240v power?