Upgrade my 180c to .045 Worth the investment?

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I am going to be doing a fair amount of welding >1/4" outdoors and was wondering if its worth the investment in upgrading to .045 innershield. The kit costs ~$80 with a roll of 212. I don't do a lot of welding but like to have the right tool for the job. Any suggestions or comments would be appreciated.
Reply:What are constructing/making out of 1/4"?ESAB Migmaster 250 Hobart Ironman 230Multimatic 215TWECO Fabricator 181i & 211iHH125EZ - nice little fluxcore only unitMaxstar 150 STH - very nice
Reply:I plan on building some attachments for my tractor and pick away at making a rock screening machine similar to this one. I have been scrounging steel and other parts for a year or so and have enough materials to get started. Tried to post a picture but that did not work out so well. Figured it out got the picture to post. Attached ImagesLast edited by Timster2; 05-26-2012 at 09:41 AM.Reason: Tried to post a picture took a few trys
Reply:What dose the kit consist of, And size of wire roll included?  I ask because i would think your machine would have come equiped with the drive rolls and guides to run .o45 from new.Briggs weldnpower 225/210/cvLn-25 suitcaseMillermatic 130
Reply:The .045 in a T-11 will probably be ideal for the upper half of your machine as long as you can get the rollers to feed it. You may not be able to reach the upper amp range that .045 can do but for everything from about 75 amps to 190 amps it should be sweet. At least with the hobart wire anyway. I've never studied Lincolns but if it's the same spec it should be about the same volt/amp ranges. I was thinking that with the lower wire feed speeds that come with larger wire sizes, it might just be a little easier on the drive system in the long run. Couldn't prove that be it sounds logical to me. One thing to remember with upping the wire size on smaller machines, don't go cranking the wire feed up beyond the amperage output capacity of the machine then blaming the wire or machine."The things that will destroy America are prosperity at any price, peace at any price, safety first instead of duty first, the love of soft living and the get rich quick theory of life." -Theodore Roosevelt
Reply:I recently fixed a BBQ for the local American Legion post and blew through a small spool of 211 in no time and had to load a ten lb spool to finish the job. That got me thinking about upgrading to the larger wire. The upgrade comes with a ten lb spool of 212 and a new liner and drive roller  http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us...roduct=K2528-1 The roll of wire is about sixty bucks alone. I was hoping someone had done this upgrade and could give me some feedback.
Reply:I ran 10lbs through my machine a few years ago.  I can't recall any issues.  I only had to purchase the wire and tips.  I mig mostly and stick or tig in the field, so I really don't have reason to run flux core.  80 bucks seem reasonable, if you don't have a roller and the kit comes with tips.Last edited by tapwelder; 05-26-2012 at 10:16 PM.
Reply:It will work fine for your application, it is meant for that welder. If the kit doesn't come with an .045 liner, make sure to get one along with .045 tips. NR-212 runs nice and smooth, slag brushes off easily.JohnA few weldersA lot of hammersA whole lot of C-clamps
Reply:You could find a used Lincoln 225 AC stick welder for $80.
Reply:Keep in mind you really won't stretch that machine much past 1/4" under real world conditions if you want solid dependable welds. 3/8" is probably going to be pushing a small 230v machine like that.Jumping up to bigger wire isn't going to add more power to your machine, only lay down more filler at a slower wire speed. As Sandy said, as long as you stay within the working parameters of the wire, you'll be good, but when you try to do heavier materials and start to push things you'll probably start to see issues with cold beads and poor penetration..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:If you use 045" innershield on a 180 amp machine your welds will probably look like vulture droppings. I hope you're aware that running.045 wire requires around 40% more current capacity than 035"Do you already own a gas bottle and regulator? If so, then I highly recommend you buy some low-price 035" E71T-1 dual-shield wire instead. For example, Outershield 71M. I believe Lincoln makes small-size 10# or 5# spools. http://www.airgas.com/browse/product...ct=lined026804If you don't own a gas bottle, getting 045 rollers, guides, tips and liner, will cost more than a bottle of gas. and your arc performance will be less smooth due to the increased current requirements.If you've been running self-shielded wires until this point, the difference will be like a bolt of lightning.
Reply:I have a Miller Syncrowave 180SD and old Craftsman 230 amp buzz box ( my first welder some forty years ago) so if I need some extra horsepower I can always go stick. I was just hoping that the .045 had a higher filler to flux ratio and thus would go further. Ten pounds of filler is ten pounds of filler either size. I generally use a old 120 amp HF dual MIG using .030 fluxcore to tack everything together then finish the welding with the Lincoln 180c. I just like to weld with the MIG. As the eyes age and the hand is not as steady as they use to be MIG is just easier.I have gas bottles of Argon, CO2 and Argon/CO2 mix but will be doing most of the welding outdoors and did not want to have to worry about wind etc. However I am not opposed to giving it a try. I have only used gas indoors and never tried it outside. If your in your experience its doable I'll give it a try. Any suggestions as to which combination to use?Last edited by Timster2; 05-27-2012 at 07:38 AM.
Reply:Can you fab a holder for larger spools which would sit atop the 180 with the side cover removed, and perhaps use a small V-groove pulley bracketed to that adapter to make the wire transition to the feed rollers?It would be a bit of work but it would end the "small roll" problem forever.
Reply:Originally Posted by Joshfromsaltlake[FONT="Georgia"]If you use 045" innershield on a 180 amp machine your welds will probably look like vulture droppings. I hope you're aware that running.045 wire requires around 40% more current capacity than 035"
Reply:The self-shielded fluxcore wires that the average hobbyist runs at home require a lower voltage and amperage to run properly then a gas shielded version of the same diameter. The voltage and amperage required to properly run the .045 self shielded wire being discussed falls within the range of power that the 180C is capable of outputting. I've ran several pounds of Hobart .045 Fabshield 21B with a Handler 187 on 1/4", and the results was very good. I liked it better for this application then an .035 wire. When I hit 1/8" material though, I didn't like the .045 wire as well. On 1/8", the arc lacked the intensity that an .030 or .035 produces.A compact 180 amp unit really doesn't output the level of power (low in the voltage department) to properly run an .035 gas shielded fluxcore.ESAB Migmaster 250 Hobart Ironman 230Multimatic 215TWECO Fabricator 181i & 211iHH125EZ - nice little fluxcore only unitMaxstar 150 STH - very nice