Getting Started

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I am new to welding (never done it yet).  I pick-up things VERY easily.  I would like to start fixing some equipment on the farm.  I need advice on what machine I should start with.What I need to do:  I have a 42,000 lb excavator, a plow, a small bucket-loader, etc.  So I will need to weld some thick heavy metal sometimes.  I have a twenty acre piece and I am a weekend warriorHow often:  I will probably do 3-6 welds a year although it might be fun to build my own 14' trailerQuestions:  Buy new or used?  Buy MIG or something else?  120 or 240 volt (240 would require some additional wiring).  Plug-in or portable (I do have the excavator away from the house).  Other size/power considerations?Considering the number of welds per year, cost is somewhat of an issue, just from a practicality perspective (cost per weld).Anyway.  Its just something I would like to learn before I die.What do you guys think?George
Reply:I've been very happy with my Everlast PowerArc 200. Had it a little over 3-years. I wish I would have waited until the PowerArc 300s came out, then I would have adjustable hot start, and arc force. For a little over $300.00 really hard to beat the arc quality. Attached ImagesDon’t pay any attention to meI’m just a hobbyist!CarlDynasty 300V350-Pro w/pulseSG Spool gun1937 IdealArc-300PowerArc 200ST3 SA-200sVantage 400
Reply:Tall order there, George.  In the shop, a strong 240V circuit is a must.  Do you have a (relatively) portable generator?  Beyond welding sheet metal, you have to have the power to do the work."USMCPOP" First-born son: KIA  Iraq 1/26/05Syncrowave 250 w/ Coolmate 3Dialarc 250, Idealarc 250SP-175 +Firepower TIG 160S (gave the TA 161 STL to the son)Lincwelder AC180C (1952)Victor & Smith O/A torchesMiller spot welder
Reply:Hello and welcome. You might take a minute and add your location to your profile so we know where you are located at. You might find someone here local to you who can help.You will want 230v unit or an engine driven unit. You will not get enough out of a 110v machine to do what you want. Stick would be my 1st choice for what you want to do, but a full sized 250 amp class mig would work as well. An engine drive will free you from the shop and let you do field repairs. Down side is it's loud and costly for shop work. It does take care of the need for 230v power however.You might think about taking a night class in welding at a local high school tech school or community college. This lets you get your feet wet and learn the basics correctly right from the start. There's no better faster way to learn than having someone who knows what he's doing look over your shoulder and point out where you are making mistakes. There is only so much that can be conveyed by text and picts. Many times I'm watching the students position and not the weld itself when I'm trying to determine why they are having issues.When you sit down and add up what wire, gas, electric and materials will cost you, not to mention the instructors time, a class is usually stupid cheap. Around me a class breaks down to about $11.50 an hour roughly. You can burn up at least that in materials if you apply yourself. After that everything you get is "free". Add to that the chance to use equipment you might not have, OA torch, plasma, shear, tig, stick etc, and a class can make a lot of sense. If you end up with your own machine, you can practice at home and spend most of your class time working on issues or learning new stuff vs repetitive drills.  Fixing major things on the excavator will require a fair amount of skill. So will building a trailer. The excavator will have the power to quickly destroy bad welds. When this happens you usually mess up more stuff and just make things worse. Learn to do it right 1st. Trailers are not learning projects. These sorts of things that travel on the road need to be solid because lives could be at stake. Plan on sticking to smaller noncritical things for quite awhile until you develop the skills to do code quality welds in all positions every time..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:Great Responses, Guys!  ThanksOk,  off to school I go.  Naugatuck Valley Community College is right up the street and they have a great program.240 volts is a must.  I will start with shop model.  I presume that it can be plugged into a field generator that produces sufficient power and voltage?Now I have a recommendation for a 250 amp MIG or a stick welder.  Wouldn't mind some more comments about the virtues of these two options.Now, how about new and used?  Do these things wear out?  Can people abuse them?  How do I evaluate a used machine?  Will I spend a lot less?  Anyway, great comments so far.GeorgeMiddlebury, CT
Reply:To use a genny would depend greatly on how much juice it produces. Lincoln suggests at least a 15KW genny to run one of their basic AC 225 tranny stick machines. Bigger units like Idealarcs would require even more juice to run. Inverter based stick machines require less power, but cost more on average.  Migs, depends on the unit. Big units require a fair draw, so you'd need a big genny. Mid size units require less power and might be usable on mid sized gensets, say 6.6 to 10 KW. Most would want between 25-35 amps 230v plus a buffer to get  the genny to spool up on demand properly.New/used.  You typically pay a lot less if you can buy used. If you hunt CL you can find plenty of used units. AC only transformer stick machines go for $50-150 around me. AC/DC transformer stick machines go for $250-700 used, depending on the unit. Bigger units aren't always more expensive. Older industrial machines often sell for less money, but make sure the units are not 3 phase only. Nice thing about tranny units are they are built like tanks. They run forever and seldom have issues. Even if they do, there's usually not much to them and they are easy to repair since they typically have no electronics. Inverters can be iffy. Many used units can have board issues that are very expensive to repair. There are some good ones out on the market, but you need to know what you are buying.Bigger migs come up from time to time but are less frequent. Many are older industrial machines that are often out of production or 3 phase. Newer units show up from time to time. You have to sort of know what you are getting into here.Stick has a lot of advantages. It's usable in the wind outside. You can easily change rods to adapt to different projects. 6010 for dirty material, 7018 for critical welds, and hard facing rods to do wear areas. Down side is it's dirty and smoky and it's often too hot to do anything thinner than say 1/8", though with some practice you can do a bit thinner. It's a poor choice for sheet metal body work however.Mig you have 2 options, gas mig with solid wire, and Flux core wire. FC is very similar to continuous stick welding. It's smoky, messy and works well in the wind. Gas mig is a bit more particular. It's a poor choice if there is a breeze because the wind blows away the shielding gas. It's cleaner and neater to run, and can be used for thinner steel, with the right wire. Down side is it can be a pain to change wires. They sell hardfacing wire, but it comes in big spools and can be costly. Generic wire isn't too bad, but it can be a pain to keep several rolls on hand for different projects. Most pick a generic size wire and usually stick with it for most things.A lot of this they may cover in your class. Talk to the instructor about what you want to accomplish. Most are more than willing to tailor the class to each individual beyond the basics. There's no point in learning to do sheet metal if you are planning to weld up heavy steel or vise versa..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:At 3 to 6 welds a year I couldn't recommend your buying anything. Welding is so much more than the machine as you will quickly discover that you need / want a grinder or two, grinding wheels, chop saw, clamps, etc. etc. etc.. For a few occasional field repairs on apiece of heavy equipment I would really recommend that you hire it done as it will be a lot cheaper in the long run. Having said all that I couldn't agree more with the night school idea as I believe there is a lot of bang for the buck there. Good luck and remember for occasional use rental may be an option to look at.
Reply:Here is some light reading to get started with:http://www.millerwelds.com/resources...e=story18.htmlI suggest reading as much as you can from credible sources before jumping into any purchases in this hobby. By credible I mean sites like Lincoln Electric, and Miller. They have tons of great articles like the one I provided the link to. What you read from them is fact, what you read on internet forums is some fact laced with opinions. Both are great resources though, and that's why we all love Weldingweb isn't it?IAMAW Local 330Airco 300 AC/DC HeliwelderAirco Dip-Pak 200 with Profax spool gunPowr-Kraft AC225Everlast PowerArc 200stBuffalo Forge No.21 drill pressSpeedglas 9100xxAirco, Oxweld, Purox, Victor torchesLincoln Ranger 8