What size mig welder?

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I am looking at buying a Mig welder.  I used to weld quite often but haven't for some time.  I want to build some tube bumpers for my Jeep and eventually build a tube chassis for a rock crawler.  Essentially I will be welding tube for the most part.  What size Mig welder should I get for proper welds?
Reply:If you have 240v available, get a 240v mig. I think it's better to have the extra amps there if needed. As for size, most of the 240v ones start out at 175 amps and go up from there. If you have to go w/ 120v, then you need lots of practice to get strong enough welds to do what you want.                         JMHO,                                      MikeOl' Stonebreaker  "Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes"Hobart G-213 portableMiller 175 migMiller thunderbolt ac/dc stick Victor O/A setupMakita chop saw
Reply:Minimum a 180A machine, but a 250A machine would make your life alot easier.If you cannot convince them, confuse them.         Harry S Truman
Reply:A rule of thumb I use is 1 amp per 1/1000 thickness for tube, so .for example 095 thickness should start around 90-100 amps for basic HREW, a little higher for CroMo and exotics.  A 240V welder is preferable to a 110V due to additional amps being available which give you longer weld times before duty cycle limits take effect.  A Miller Matic 211 or 212 will do a fine job, I have a MM-210 but it will also do 3/8 plate in one pass too.  Lincoln also has a welder in that range as do a lot of imports from china and elsewhere.  Extra capacity is a really really good thing, cheap underpowered equipment never ever saves money, because you end up wearing it out or damaging it and replacing it with a larger more powerfull piece quicker.  I always buy the max amps and max features I can afford when I am shopping, but  I also consider "off"  brands as an acceptable entry if they have superior specs and a verifiable customer base of satisfied users.  Just cause they claim it doesnt really make it so, so look carefully and spend wisely.  I bought a Miller Econotig when I was looking for an AC/DC tig, it had the best features for the money I had at the time, but has been far surpassed since then in features and amps by about every vendor on the planet, but it did and still does a good job, because I use it within it's limitations.  All equipment no matter the manufacturer can have good and bad production runs, Blue and Red do a better job minimizing those issues and repair/replace/resolve it quicker.  I am not a purist or an expert by any stretch of the imagination, and have made mistakes over the years, but for the most part I have done pretty good getting the most out of my tool investment buck.  I however Do Not attempt to save on safety stuff, it just isnt a good idea to buy a Horrible Freight welding helment for 49 bucks, and get  flashed, or a Jung-Daou Wong Chee Chin no name chinese regulator when a Smith or Linde is $10.00 more, when it needs service you will just have to buy another and there went your savings.  Just my .02, but it has worked for a day or three for me.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:Thanks a lot guys.  I was definitely not looking to skimp on buying one.  A lot of the chassis tube I'd be using  is usually .125 wall tubing DOM or HREW.  Just found a MillerMatic 212 for $1540 with free shipping.Last edited by cypher77; 06-17-2010 at 09:58 AM.
Reply:Millermatic 212 would be a fine choice for your intended use.MM350P/Python/Q300MM175/Q300DialarcHFHTP MIG200PowCon300SMHypertherm380ThermalArc185Purox oaF350CrewCab4x4LoadNGo utilitybedBobcat250XMT304/Optima/SpoolmaticSuitcase12RC/Q300Suitcase8RC/Q400Passport/Q300Smith op