Buying my first Welder

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Hey guys im new here and am just starting to get into welding. I am looking for one about 200 bucks, going to use it to do small projects around the house, build go-carts, stuff like that.I dont know if i should get a MIG or an ARC welder, what are the pro's and cons of each. I would like to weld up to 1/4inch thickNC454
Reply:Welcome.   Start with an arc welder and move up from there.  For 200$  There is not much you are going to get. Wish you luck   JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:You didn't say you wanted to weld thin stuff, and at $200 you're looking at a Stick welder.  MIG is just a different arc process, but still also an arc welder.  You can get used Stick machines in the local papers for about what you want to spend.  Just make sure it welds first.  If they don't let you test it, don't buy it.  Try to get one with DC capability, but it's not mandatory.
Reply:Do you need 110 ( regular house outlet) or is your garage already wired for a welder???2011 Dodge 3500 diesel duallyLincoln SA-200Lincoln SAE-300LN-25'sLincoln Idealarc R3RMiller Trailblazer 302
Reply:Without knowing what he can buy, you don't know what he is going to need.   JohnSMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:i know you said that you are looking at getting one for around $200, but if you are willing to knock that up to about 400 of 500, i woudl reccomend the Lincoln Electric Weld-Pak 100 HD, available at Home Depot. it is sold for about 350'ish (i think). by the time you get a helmet (it only comes with a hand-held model), gloves, a brush, and some practice steel, i would say you're looking at about $400. that is what i have and i love it. also, i woudl reccomend a cheap-o 4 1/2" angle grinder with a few extra wheels, and definately up-grade to the 10-pound spool adapter. the 1 lb spool that comes with the welder goes a lot faster than you would think. also, since it is a self-shielding flux-core welder, you do not need a gas tank to start welding. after i got it home, i went real slow and double checked all my connections when i set it up, and read the manuals front-to-back. i was up and running within an hour or two... like i said, i was going VERY slowly and had a few interuptions. it is a great, compact, starter welder. i've fixed a few things around the house with it so far, as well as i redid my entire exhuast and am going to be doing a few side jobs with it here in the near future. it says that it can weld up to 1/4" plate, but i woudl be skeptical about that. i would say that 3/8 or 7/16 woudl be the MAX with a single pass. good luck,Later,Andy
Reply:sorry... pressed the submit button twice
Reply:110VWould like to weld up to 1/4 steelNo experienceNC454
Reply:the LE 100HD is powered via a standard house outlet (110-115V, 1 Phase, 15 amp breaker (i have mine on a 25 amp breaker). use at least a 10 gauge extension cord if you have to.later,Andy
Reply:If you happen to be like a lot of guys I've known, then I would say go with the small wire welder. A vast majority of people that think they want to fix a few things and need a welder go out and get the low priced AC stick welder. The can't wait to get it home and burn some rods. I have seen this actually be only one half of a rod before they push the machine under the work table and that is where it stays till dust obscures the color. The thing they didn't consider is that welding is a skilled trade that is not learned over night from a box back. It is fairly difficult to weld with an AC cracker box if you are an experienced welder. No need to turn your self against welding, just get the wire machine that matches your budget and you will get your money out of it and a lot of fun too. Sorry, forgot to add, go ahead with the cracker box if your intent is to learn to stick weld. If you can learn to weld well with one you are on your way to becoming a first rate world class welder. But if you just want to do home metal projects the wire feeder can't be beat.Last edited by mooseye; 10-28-2007 at 10:22 PM.SA200,Ranger8,Trailblazer251NT,MM250,Dayton225AC,T  D-XL75,SpoolMate3545SGA100C,HF-15-1  RFCS-14 When I stick it, it stays stuck!
Reply:Originally Posted by aczeller... i woudl reccomend the Lincoln Electric Weld-Pak 100 HD, ...
Reply:although the box says the LE 100HD can weld up to 1/4" mild steel, i would highly doubt it, assuming you are speaking of a single root pass, no matter the welder seetings. if you are looking for any sort of structural welding, which (i am assuming) NC454 is not doing, the LE 100HD is NOT the way to go. however, it is a GREAT starter welder. i was a little sceptical at first, based upon the price and reletively small stature, but the more i use it, the more i love it. it is teaching me loads of information about welding, and with the minimal set-up costs associated with it, i am more than happy with it. if i feel that i need to up-grade to a true MIG setup later on, it has the capability to expand. it is also advertised to have the ability to weld Aluminum and SS, however, i feel that this would be a waste of money (the manual says that the Al and SS sizes are very VERY thin, and thus virtually useless for funtional item production) and i will save my cash to upgrade to a better welder later on. i think it can sufficiantly weld up to 1/4" mild steel plate when the metal is properly prepared, the welder is fine-tuned, and it is done with proper welding technique with multiple passes, but once again, i doubt that this can be acomplished on a structural level. the metal will hold together more than suffiently for about 90% of all small, household and hobby applications. i know there are many, MANY other comperable and/or better welders, however i have no expereince with these competitors, thus i am not able to truthfully comment on them. i can only state my opinion on how well mine works and reccomend it to others, based on their needs and how they compare to mine. if NC454 was asking about a structural welder or something to weld 1/4" Aluminum or SS, i would have never reccomended this welder. however, he seems to have the same, or at least similar, needs to mine (small home and hobby projects, limited to 1/4" plate and less).sorry for any confusion or inconvenince my previous post(s) may have caused.Later,Andy
Reply:That Lincoln 100 will weld 1/4" very well if you do it right.  It's very slow but it will do it.  I welded a receiver hitch on a truck with one a long time ago (I would highly recommend not doing this) and it's still holding and has had some big loads on it.  But that was stupid and I wouldn't do it now!DewayneDixieland WeldingMM350PLincoln 100Some torchesOther misc. tools
Reply:littlefuz... thanks for proving my point... like i was trying to say... the LE 100HD will stick 1/4" steel together, but i wouldn't trust it structurally.later,Andy
Reply:Just for once I'd like to see a rookie say that for price, the sky's the limit!!!200 bucks?  Try googling cheapass chinese junkWeldingWeb forum--now more sophomoric banter than anything else!
Reply:Like everybody else said, you're going to have to spend a little more $$$.  I bought the Lincoln 175HD for my first welder.  It is the 220V one, but it will weld 1/4" steel easily.  You could get the 3200HD which is a 110V model.  It will weld 1/4" steel as well, but that's probably the thickest I would weld with it.  Whatever you do, get the wire feed welder.  They are really easy to use.  I've never had a welding class or anything.  I found some scrap metal and welded it all together for practice.  After that and some reading on here, I weld just fine for my needs.Matt in OKCLincoln 175HD
Reply:I can only speak as a new "welder" aka:  metal destroyer. But I wasn't sure whether or not I could weld, like to weld or be good enough to keep welding. I asked for a welder and was given a Decastar 135E. It is made by Ryobi in Austrailia. It is a wire fed, either Solid Core or Flux Core, has speed control and 4 heat settings off 110v plug. I have just been practicing and although the manual is real crap, learned that I had the wires crossed and was setup for flux core but was using solid wire. FRIGGIN NEWBIE!! Anyway, it is a great welder and if I get good enough will sell this one, buy a better.
Reply:With a limited budget I would check craigs list.  There is a 3200hd for 300 bucks..  You could get into oxy/acetylene welding setup for under 200.  That will refine the skills a bit.Common sense in an uncommon degree is what the world calls wisdom.
Reply:Can You Borrow A Welder Until You Know What You Would Like To Do.   John   SMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :
Reply:aczeller uhm you do know that 3/8 and 7/16 is thicker than 1/4 inch right????you said 1/4 inch maybe. probably only 3/8 or 7/16 in a single pass. just wondering did i read it wrong???
Reply:Originally Posted by 69 chevyJust for once I'd like to see a rookie say that for price, the sky's the limit!!!200 bucks?  Try googling cheapass chinese junk
Reply:What about taking the $200 and put it toward a local VoTech (etc.) night class?  Get the training, use their equipment to see what you like, and they usually let you work on some of your own projects.   Might be a better way to start before you spend money on the wrong equipment.
Reply:Originally Posted by BobcatterWhat about taking the $200 and put it toward a local VoTech (etc.) night class?  Get the training, use their equipment to see what you like, and they usually let you work on some of your own projects.   Might be a better way to start before you spend money on the wrong equipment.
Reply:I strongly recommend Rilon welder offered by shenzhen fortune in www.hq747.com .Hope you are luck to get what you want.
Reply:Lucky, this is America and we buy Lincoln, Miller, Hobart.  Enough of China  John      SMAW,GMAW,FCAW,GTAW,SAW,PAC/PAW/OFCand Shielding Gases.  There all here. :Get a new ($270 at lowes or home depot) or used ($100-200) Lincoln tombstone.
Reply:Originally Posted by aczelleri know you said that you are looking at getting one for around $200, but if you are willing to knock that up to about 400 of 500, i woudl reccomend the Lincoln Electric Weld-Pak 100 HD, available at Home Depot. it is sold for about 350'ish (i think). by the time you get a helmet (it only comes with a hand-held model), gloves, a brush, and some practice steel, i would say you're looking at about $400. that is what i have and i love it. also, i woudl reccomend a cheap-o 4 1/2" angle grinder with a few extra wheels, and definately up-grade to the 10-pound spool adapter. the 1 lb spool that comes with the welder goes a lot faster than you would think. also, since it is a self-shielding flux-core welder, you do not need a gas tank to start welding. after i got it home, i went real slow and double checked all my connections when i set it up, and read the manuals front-to-back. i was up and running within an hour or two... like i said, i was going VERY slowly and had a few interuptions. it is a great, compact, starter welder. i've fixed a few things around the house with it so far, as well as i redid my entire exhuast and am going to be doing a few side jobs with it here in the near future. it says that it can weld up to 1/4" plate, but i woudl be skeptical about that. i would say that 3/8 or 7/16 woudl be the MAX with a single pass. good luck,Later,Andy