i'm new and need help

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well, just like the title says, i'm new to the forum and welding. i'm in the market for a welder so i can start learning how to weld for myself so i thought i'd come to the experts.i'm looking for a mig i can use at home. of the ones i've seen say that they are able to weld up to 5/16 which is fine for me. the other thing is that it needs to be 115v. also, i don't know everything there is to know about welding but i need to be able to weld al. eventually so i guess i need a seperate spool gun? i've seen the miller ones, is this what i should be looking at?as you can tell i am a noob so if you have any info. that will help me please let me know. also, i'll be picking up a book called "welders handbood" (i think thats what its called).
Reply:not being funny but like the name "Superwelder" met quite a few over the years..LOL. good luck mate some might say its imposible
Reply:the 110 migs that are being made today can do some good work with fluxcore or gas..but you state you want to do aluminum..its probably in your best interest to find a used tig machine for aluminum.. i dont think a 110 mig can do aluminum..i may be wrong but myself?i would not even try it..its probably not worth the headache  ...zap!I am not completely insane..Some parts are missing Professional Driver on a closed course....Do not attempt.Just because I'm a  dumbass don't mean that you can be too.So DON'T try any of this **** l do at home.
Reply:Not to burst any bubbles here but a 110 volt MIG is out of the question if you want to do materials 5/16" thick.   For that you will need a 220 volt MIG.    That is for mild steel, to go to 5/16" Aluminum you will need a significantly more capable welder than a 220 volt 175 amp model, like around 300 amps and likely more if we are talking large pieces.So the first question is why do you want to avoid 220 volt machines?    It is a good question and the answer will dictate what you are capable of doing.    With some exceptions I normally suggest getting a 220 volt MIG if it is going to be your only welder for a while.   Mainly to avoid being to limited in what you can do.As to the specfics of Aluminum it is a tough material to weld.    It would be best to have a spool gun available.    In any event the 135 amp and 175 amp welders are not generally reccomended for this material.   Some people do use them with mixed results to do sheet goods of Aluminum but that is about it.So maybe you can enlighten us a bit on what you want to accomplish.   Obviously you want to learn about welding but is it business related or Hobby?    Frankly if you want to get into the business I'd highly reccomend getting into a program somewhere to learn welding from the ground up before purchasing a welder.No you may say why would I want to do that.   There are a number of reason one of which is working towards certification, another being your own safety, and most importantly finding out where your personal interests lay.    Once you know where your interests are you can buy a welder to suit that interest in a professional way.    Professional welders are expensive so you want to make a good buying decision.For a hobby I suspect you are on the right track.    A 220 volt 175 amp MIG is a good first welder and will remain very usefull even if you get a stick machine.    But (it is a huge but) even here you have to make sure it fits your needs.    If you live on a farm this is not likely to be the best choice in welders, if it is to be your only one.    If you have no experience a bit of time in a class or two might do you well to nail down processes and such.    So this is somehtng you might want to sleep on.Dave
Reply:I agree with wizard, although i did see one guy weld some aluminum with a "MIGATRONIC"  180  amp mig ,with the regular gun that came with it , but ihave an identical Migatronic 180 & i was NEVER able to weld alum , mine bird nested the small alum. wire . My Lincoln sp250 will weld .045 alum. with standard gun, but , thats too big  of wire, unless you are welding some HEAVY stuff.
Reply:Originally Posted by superwelderof the ones i've seen say that they are able to weld up to 5/16 which is fine for me. the other thing is that it needs to be 115v.
Reply:I'll have to go with the other guys here only maybe not quite as gentle. You're gonna have to tune your wishes to meet reality. They just don't make a wonder machine that a hobby guy can weld up some 5/16" steel and do some aluminum all in the same day, and do it all of a 120 receptacle. Read the glossy brochures with a grain of salt under your tongue.
Reply:+1 on Sandy's response.  I get salt at $5.75 for 50# bag so you can use plenty!!!My angle grinder is my best friend!
Reply:Originally Posted by SandyThey just don't make a wonder machine that a hobby guy can weld up some 5/16" steel and do some aluminum all in the same day, and do it all of a 120 receptacle.
Reply:sorry i wasn't more specific. this welder will be used on my car 90% of the time (exhaust,body...). the reason i'm asking about al. is because i might need to do al. tubing and i don't want to get a welder that i'd have to get rid of later to do what i need and at the same time i don't want to spend tons of money for something that is overkill. i understand that i probably won't be able to do 5/16" but i'm just saying, if the welder can, then that is more than i need. the reason i want 115v is so i can use this anywhere. it not for a business or anything, it will be at home but i don't have 220v all around my house. this is just a hobby for me. basicall i'm tired of going to the muffler shop to have them weld something up that i can do myself at home.also like i said, this is just a hobby so i do not really want to get a tig so i can do perfect al. welding, it just needs to look ok and hold.one other question, why are there welders that say 200v, 205v...?thank you all for the help
Reply:A 120V MIG will do most of what it looks like you want.  You'll still want a dedicated circuit whenever possible as they are power hogs, even though they have the same plug as your alarm clock.If you go this route, just hire out whatever aluminum work you want.  Trust me.Welders have several voltage inputs available to match different voltages in different countries as well as the various voltages that arise from using phases from different types of 3-phase systems in this country, too.  These are nominal voltages.  Meaning a 230V welder can be used on your 240V house current.  But you want something linked to a closer voltage if you are using a 208V leg of a wye-connected 3-phase service.
Reply:Originally Posted by superweldersorry i wasn't more specific. this welder will be used on my car 90% of the time (exhaust,body...).
Reply:**** you guys are great. well, thats what i was trying to figure out. i know miller has welders where you can get a spool gun for it and weld al. i guess, so this is not a good idea? i understand what you guys are saying now and i think i'll leave the al. to someone else. well now that you know what i need what would you recomend?also, i've heard that Craftsman welders are rebaged Lincolns, is this true?
Reply:You could get around a spool gun with aluminim. Replace the liner with a teflon liner. A push-pull system isn't  necessary as long as you keep it relatively straight and at a distance of 10 to 15 feet. I weld with a miller extended reach machine and a 25 foot lead. Your feeder will push the wire fine even at 25 feet as long as its straight. The issue you face is the consistency of the wire speed but staying within a small distance will eliminate this.So, whats left is a heat issue. And with a 110 volt, you will not weld aluminum but you should not have trouble with the bigger miller machines. I don't know the specs but the millermatic DVI is a dual voltage machine that works great in both modes although I don't know if you can do aluminum with this machine.Hope this helped a little.
Reply:Originally Posted by superweldersorry i wasn't more specific. this welder will be used on my car 90% of the time (exhaust,body...). the reason i'm asking about al. is because i might need to do al. tubing and i don't want to get a welder that i'd have to get rid of later to do what i need and at the same time i don't want to spend tons of money for something that is overkill. i understand that i probably won't be able to do 5/16" but i'm just saying, if the welder can, then that is more than i need. the reason i want 115v is so i can use this anywhere. it not for a business or anything, it will be at home but i don't have 220v all around my house. this is just a hobby for me. basicall i'm tired of going to the muffler shop to have them weld something up that i can do myself at home.also like i said, this is just a hobby so i do not really want to get a tig so i can do perfect al. welding, it just needs to look ok and hold.one other question, why are there welders that say 200v, 205v...?thank you all for the help
Reply:Originally Posted by RojodiabloWith the lincoln 100 I have done aluminum. It requires lots of preheat, and it birdnests horribly. But for a 100v machine, you will be fine, and you can definitely learn a lot. I still have my small welder, if you need one, look me up. 714-801-5514. With the right wire, and technique, you will be fine. And... they don't make a spoolgun for the 110v machines. Spoolgun=$600. 110v welder=$350. See the inherent problem???
Reply:Originally Posted by RojodiabloAnd... they don't make a spoolgun for the 110v machines. Spoolgun=$600. 110v welder=$350. See the inherent problem???
Reply:Originally Posted by MAC702I certainly agree with the math and the poor feasibility, but with Miller/Hobart machines, you can attach the Spoolmate 3035 spoolgun to MM135/175 or Hobart 135/140/175/180 machines using the SGA-100 control box.I don't know anybody who actually thinks this is worth it, though...
Reply:thank you all for the help.if i can find a tig for $300-$400 that would be great. do you think i should get a mig and use that to learn first or would it be fine to just learn on a tig? and do i understand this right, tig can do the same, if not more, than mig can, right?
Reply:Tig has more possibilities, but only if it can run ac/dc current. Plus, for ac tig, the power demands are pretty high unless you use the new inverter style welders. I have never seen a decent tig machine used or otherwise for less than $700. When I did find it, I grabbed it. For the most part, tigs that are ac/dc start around $1100 used. Mig is much more practical, easier to learn, and faster.
Reply:the miller dvi might be worth looking at it can except a spool gun and you can run it of 115 or 230. I have experince mig and tig welding aluminuin and i have tried it with a short 7ft standard whip and that was more headache then it was worth. A spool gun is well worth the money. some day I might have the money to get me a nice push pull set up. I much rather tig it than anything but I just like tig welding ..
Reply:what is this push pull thing?
Reply:Most of the small mig welders you see like the Lincoln weldpaks or the sp130 and such have a single feed motor in them. They look like windshield wiper motors. Heck, they probably are. They just push. But with aluminum being so soft, those motors can push against an obstruction or resistance and bend the wire. It has to go somewhere when it bends and it can't go anywhere in the liner, so it bends up and up and up and up inside the case, often called birdnesting because that's what it looks like in the case when you open it up. This can also cause a direct short inside the case with the Lincoln units. I don't know about the blue stuff. Well, the solution by Cobramatic was to place a second motor at the end of the cable inside the gun tip. This motor pulls, probably just a little bit faster than the other motor is pushing. This pulling action keeps the wire moving in the right direction. I have seen these called Cobramatics, Prince guns. Lincoln had a unit but I really believe it was a Cobramatic painted red. I am embarassed by that....But it wasn't as beefy as the green originals. As far as welding aluminum, the cobramatics are about the best bet out there unless you can get a tig unit. Speed will then be the main factor as tig is slower. I like tig myself, but I can't weld aluminum consistently to save my life. I can do it, but it's not perfect like a lot of guys I have seen!Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain
Reply:Originally Posted by Joker11Well, the solution by Cobramatic was to place a second motor at the end of the cable inside the gun tip. This motor pulls, probably just a little bit faster than the other motor is pushing. This pulling action keeps the wire moving in the right direction.
Reply:On this topic....Does anyone know if you can fit up a push/pull gun onto a Lincoln LN-25 suitcase wire feeder? I see the guns all the time and wonder how I might make use of one. I can't pull the trigger on a completely separate wire feeder just to get the use of the gun.Mac, thanks for bringing clarity to the motor arrangement. I was a little fuzzy on just exactly how they were configured, but I knew the basic idea was there.Lincoln Power Mig 210MP MIGLincoln Power Mig 350MP - MIG and Push-PullLincoln TIG 300-300Lincoln Hobby-Weld 110v  Thanks JLAMESCK TIG TORCH, gas diffuser, pyrex cupThermal Dynamics Cutmaster 101My brain