is it time to move on and go flux core?

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hey now.for the last year now ive had a thermal arc 95s. fixing nana's iron stair railing outside went perfect as well as building or "fabricating" brackets for my truck, jig's and metal tables etc. its done everything i wanted to. i weld to fix or make things. i like the stick because they are dependable, no gas connections and 99.999999% of the time i weld outside. ive passed light gauge certification. i was taking a 1/2" and under certification with my union because apparently carpenters now weld too. (exterior panels to studs) but i culdnt finish it because i had to work overtime on another job and in this economy you dont turn down overtime. if somebody said "davey go weld these building plates on that support the building in one pass"  but if someone said "davey can you fix this for me" i have no problem doing it. ive welded stuff onto tractors, offroad trucks etc. im pretty good with a stick. but im really eyeing the hobard handler 125. i can weld outside with it. i can weld thicker material with it than my smaller stick. i have no access to 220v +. ive found myself needing to weld some thicker up to 3/8" material and to me, making a moutain of passes is useless with a smaller thermal arc welder. if my root pass can really do it in one shot what good is adding a mountain of welds on top of a weld that isnt that strong.the grand ol' opry aint so grand anymoremiller maxstar 150sworking on an oxy/acet set up
Reply:Even with FC that small "mig" will top out at 1/8" at best. A 140 amp class machine might get you 3/16" with FC. To do that you'd need at least a dedicated 20 amp 115v breaker. No 110v mig/FC rig will get you 3/8". To do that you will need to get a 220v capable machine. Even the Passport Plus, about the best 110v/220v machine out there won't get you to 1/4" with FC on 115v power.Be aware that most manufacturers over rate their small machines. They run them on unlimited input power and run very short beads to get their "max thickness" ratings, usually on FC wire. You will never see those sort of results under real world conditions.If you want to do thicker steel on 110v power you need to look at a bigger stick machine, like the Maxstar 200. On 115v power you can get 125 amps DC @ 50% duty cycle, the down side is you will need 34 amps of 115v power for input to do so. Something most people won't have at home. Thats about the best machine to get max penetration/ thickness I know of out on the market, and they are not cheap.http://www.millerwelds.com/om/o2226ap_mil.pdf You are up against the problem of input power, You really can't get enough power from a 110/115v household outlet even on a dedicated 20 amp line. To do material over 1/8" or so you really MUST go to 220v. Any thing else might look OK, but you didn't get enough penetration into the base material. If theres absolutely no way you can get 220v power then you need to start looking at generator welders.Last edited by DSW; 04-09-2011 at 04:00 PM..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 wish to improve your weld quality, go ahead and buy the largest welder that will run on 110V, but like DSW mentions, don't expect to weld heavier material. It will allow you to do a slightly better job with the material that you are already welding, but even then you will only be able to run short beads without throwing breakers.  Your question has been asked numerous times, and the advice is always the same. Limited input power equals limited output power.
Reply:do you have a 220 dryer plug available350P 30A spool gun cut master 51  syncro 250 other stuff " take a dog off the street and make him prosper and he will not bite you sad the same cannot be said for man" i didnt use punctuation just to piss you off
Reply:no, i live in an apartment that is upstairs in a house.ill just go to my union hall if i need to weld something that big. ok thanks guys for the help.the grand ol' opry aint so grand anymoremiller maxstar 150sworking on an oxy/acet set up