Choices Please help

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Ok, this is my first post here but if its anything like car forums people are just gonna scream "do a search noob".  Anyways, I have been doin research and got a book called welders handbook.  Good book.  Now i need to choose my first welder.  I want a cheap MIG and i need to weld stuff like thin aluminum piping and steel.  Unfortunately at the shop we are limited to regular plugs (120, 110??).  I called all the pawn shops and thrift stores.  Here are my options.  Oh, and I have done a search and asked around about all of these.  FirePower FP90 gasless $200.Dayton 85amp $289.Chicago Electric EZ MIG $95.Century 80?? all the shop knew $145.Chicago Electric Mig100 $130.Cambell Hausfeld 70amp $69.Century 120v gasless $95.Hobart 220v Arc (can't even use it??) $290Or, i read a suggestion on a new Lincoln from Home Depot.  Good idea??  And can any that I have listed use gas cause I read i need it for aluminum.  Sorry if the details are limited but I was talking to people on the phone that don't know anything about welding.Any responses are appreciated.  Thank You.
Reply:don't know enough to tell you honestly,,,but welcome
Reply:Look for the highest output on 110v you can get.  140 amps is the max I think.  That will be enough for sheet metal work and even 1/4 if you bevel and do multiple passes.  You want to make sure it has a gas valve so you can use solid wire.  It makes it easier to do sheet metal and is a must for aluminum.  You can use fluxcore for thicker than 1/8.  Aluminum might be an issue.  I dont know if the 110v machines have a liner you can get.  My little lincoln 175 has a kit that works pretty good with the standard gun, but its a 220v unit.  You need a teflon liner, thats for sure, the steel liners will chew up the aluminum.  I here the Miller Passport is pretty sweet.Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:Wow, 12 views and already 2 replies.  One was even a welcome.  Man you guys are already a lot nicer than the people from most car forums.  Anyways, yeah, I am confused.  I mostly need to do piping which isn't thick at all really.  But i need motor mounts and a transmission CM.  Prob is the welder is cuttin into the car budget, but I do wanna learn.  Whatta delima.  Everyone I ask is just like, go get a miller like they grow on trees or somethin.  Yeah, I know they are the shiz or whatever but the millermatic 140 is like $600.  I hear my friend has a fancy arc welder.  Maybe I can make mounts with that and use one of those cheap pawn shop welders for piping??  Well, which one would you guys pick?  I am thinkin the Century 120v or the Chicago mig100.  But I don't know if they have the potential to run gas.  Maybe I will just get a new Lincoln and call it a day.  But then i gotta by gas and a helmet.  Anymore replies would be welcome.  And thank you.
Reply:you are going to love this, but a miller is the way to go. I know how you feel and your reasons are real but the problem is that you might not get the results you want with the lesser welders. Their are however decent mig welders out there that are not millers. What I know of the above is very limited and I don't think any of them will be allot of good to you. Aluminum needs a decent welder to run with. I have heard some good things about the clarks and they are cheaper than a miller, so you might want to check it out. Also you mentioned a lincoln, they work very well and I have used both the SP135T ( 110 ) and the SP175T ( 220 ). You might even want to try ebay but I never seem to have luck there. One more thing, try looking at member signatures as some post their gear and you might see one of the ones you are looking at. You could PM them to ask a couple question about it. Might help as I have seen some century welder listed. A member named " Wallythacker " has a century mig listed. He might be of some help and seems like a good guy. PS: Welcome to the forumMiller DVI2Lincoln Precision Tig 225Thermodynamics Cutmaster 38Everything else needed.
Reply:Sorry, I usually say hello first.. Get all excited when people start talking 'new' welders Various GrindersVictor Journeyman torch200cf Acet. 250cf oxygenLincoln 175 plus/alpha2 gunLincoln v205t tigLincoln 350mpEsab 650 plasmaWhen you can get up in the morning, Its a good day.Live each day like its your last.
Reply:I got my 220V Lincoln 175HD from a pawn shop in brand new condition for $375 (of course, it helped that I worked for the same company.)  You should be able to find a decent, name brand 110V one for probably half that.  You can always talk them down, believe me, it'll be a very rare item that they won't sell for 20% off of the listed price, and some you can talk down to 50% off.If your drier is 220V, you can make an extension cord, mine cost about $70 to make a 50 Ft. one from Home Depot.
Reply:Hey, thanks for the help so far, and Doolittle don't worry about not saying welcome.  Trust me, I have seen much worse greetings for noobs when i search various threads.  Anyways, new developement.  The shop in front of my friends has a 220v outlet so I think we are gonna go half on the cost to run the outlet back to his shop.  But he is tellin me this will be like $180.  So our other friends arc welder uses 220v and i can make mounts and do the headers, but i hear aluminum is really hard with and arc.  However If we do this that should broaden my range of mig welders considerably.  And dent my pockets considerably. Plus then I have to go to the shop just to use it .  I wanted to burn my house down.  But seriously, thanks for any suggestions past and future.  The Lincoln is lookin better and better, so is ebay.  They have a good range of 220v's.
Reply:stick to the major brands, Lincoln, Miller , Hobart. Easy to find replacement parts for maintenance and repair. Also know that some of the units are now dual power, 115/230 . If you ever relocate or upgrade power you may gain and advantage. buy as much machine as your budget will allow, you will always find a need for more power.
Reply:Motor mounts and 120V welders, especially in the hands of the less experienced, don't mix well.The Millermatic Passport is over $1300.  Mine's a few years old, and is still worth more than $1000 on the market.  But it's inverter technology makes it the only 120V machine that I would recommend for 1/4" structural welding."Cheap MIG" and "aluminum" don't mix either.You need to decide if you really want the machines that will do what you need.  Welding is not a cheap hobby and some of the projects you listed are not for hobbiests.But still, WELCOME!!  I hope we can answer all your questions.As mentioned, usually 240V power is easier to get than some assume, even if you have to get it from the panel.  Look at the Hobart HH187 or a good, used Stick machine, IMO.
Reply:I noticed a Clark with spoolgun at Northern Tool for $599.  Might fit the bill if you want to be able to handle aluminum too.Low duty cycle but you get what you pay for and something is better than nothing.  After you learn to MIG weld, you can sell it and get a better machine that suits your needs.http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...2171_200312171For 120V:http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...2173_200312173
Reply:Hey people.  Thanks for more and more info.  I am really in the process of broadening my knowledge base B4 i even start welding.  So all this info is a big help and much appreciated.  But I understand what you guys are tellin me about having to buy a nice welder to do what i need.  I want to have my cake and eat it too so to speak.  But after gettin into modifying cars i realize you gotta pay to play.  The retrofit lifters we need run like $400.  One of my friends is gonna let me borrow his cheap chicago electric 80amp MIG.  I am just gonna practice runnin some beads on scrap for now.  Once i get some skills i will ask my friend to allow me to use one of their welders at the shop.  They make fuel tanks all day long and have some very very expensive equipment.  I just didn't wanna have to ask but whatever.  In other good news i just got one of my turbochargers today from the junkyard.