Making a decision...

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Aside from watching a few videos and reading a few articles, I'm completely new to welding. In fact, I don't even own a welder yet. Since I'm mostly a hobbyist and am still in University, I cannot afford anything high end. I'm primarily looking at the Mig-Pak 140 and 180 as they frequently go on sale at Canadian tire and are within my price range. Since I mostly will be doing auto work, can anyone make any suggestions as to which I should purchase? Aside from being able to to weld thicker steel, the 180 doesn't look that much better than the 140. Thoughts? Thanks a lot.
Reply:One school of thought is to buy as many amps as you can afford.  It is very easy to turn the welder down, but impossible to use amps you didnt buy.  So a 180 would be better.  Might want to look in the local craiglist and auction sites and see if a suitable unit is available.  That said, welcome and good luck learning.  It's a blast when it all comes together, so do not get discouraged.BobI'm spending my Kids inheritance, I dont like him that much anyway!!!!!!Enuff tools to do the job, enough sense to use em.Anybody got a spare set of kidneys?  Trade?
Reply:First question to ask is what do you all want to weld. If just sheet metal 140 will be fine but if you need to do frame work or something 140 will be to small. With a 180 you could weld 1/4 or heavier with multi passes.Millermatic 252millermatic 175miller 300 Thunderboltlincoln ranger 250smith torcheslots of bfh'sIf it dont fit get a bigger hammer
Reply:and so the agony of decision begins again.....i.ve heard that a 180 wont weld as well at very low amps as a 140...
Reply:Originally Posted by weldbeadand so the agony of decision begins again.....i.ve heard that a 180 wont weld as well at very low amps as a 140...
Reply:Have you considered your power supply and portability?  By that I mean, will you ever have a buddy that might want you to "bring the welder over and fix my....".   If so, having a 110 volt welder is pretty nice because it's far easier to find a power source wherever you go.   The 180 is a 220 volt welder, so if you don't have 220 volt power in your shop, you can't run it.  You could have an electrician run a new line from your subpanel and install a new outlet, but it's going to be expensive (far more than you might expect, not even counting the building permits, inspections and materials).  The other option is to get one of those dryer-outlet-to-welder-plug adaptors (NEMA50 I think they're called).  Generally dryer outlets are 220 volts, 30 amp circuits, which will be enough for your MigPak180.  Since you're in Vancouver, KMS tools in Coquitlam (next to the Ikea by the freeway) sells one for $60.I believe both MigPaks come with identical "extras" and are essentially identical in every way but the output.  The 180 will weld thicker metal and has a much better duty cycle than the 140 (how many minutes out of every 10 that you're letting the machine cool instead of welding) other than that, they're basically the same machine.  Usually for home use, duty cycle isn't an issue because you'll invariably be grinding, fitting-up, jigging and so on between welds, so don't worry too much about that.Also, Canadian Tire has the 180 on sale this week for $629, which is actually $20 cheaper than the base price for the MigPak 140.  Keep in mind though, that if you wait a couple weeks, the 140 will also be on sale, probably as low as $350.For most newcomers, their power supply dictates their first purchase.  My recommendation if you don't have a big 220 volt line in your shop is to go with the 140.  If you later outgrow it's capabilities, you can upgrade.  I've got a 140 that works great. If you're close to Maple Ridge, PM me and you're welcome to come over and give it a try.Lincoln AC225 & MigPak 140, Lincoln Magnum SpoolGun, Miller Spectrum 375-X Plasma, Syncrowave 200 TIG, Millermatic 252 MIG, Miller Digital Elite, General 7x12" horiz/vert bandsaw, 3' box/pan brake, 20 ton press, milling machine, 12x28 lathe, etc.
Reply:I think you may benefit from going to a beginning welding class.But most people don't want to hear that.AWS certified welding inspectorAWS certified welder
Reply:Take a class if at all possible. That will let you know what to want!