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I've only used a stick/arc welder a few times and got instruction from the friend who owns it. I wanted to get some more opinions about what kind of welding set up would be best for my needs.I'll be welding stuff for my Hummer truck. racks, steps, brackets and mounts. tube steel from 1" to 3" in dia or box sections. Brackets up to 3/8" thick or so.So is a stick welder the way to go? What brand? I'd like to keep it on the INexpensive side because I'll be using it for limited recreational stuff. Any help or instruction (point me in the right direction), would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.
Reply:I am assuming you want to go 110 voltYou can get into a small AC Stick welder around $100.00A mig will be more between $250 - $300 starting rangeIf you go the AC stick route be sure to buy rod that is made for AC no larger than 3/32" diameter !! You can weld quality items this wayThe mig will be a bit more versatile and is you add gas and 70s-6 wire you can weld thin gauge toobelow is a buyers guide link that might helpgood luckLast edited by ZTFab; 12-09-2010 at 05:22 PM.
Reply:thanks noplace..I'm goin to the link right now. reading some of the other related type projects, the wire feed mig might do everything i want. unless there are some 1/2"thick automotive applications i don't know about. thanks again.
Reply:I would tend to disagree with the 110 volt focus. Frankly if you can afford a Hummer you should be able to afford a decent welder.So I'd suggest looking only at 220 volt capable welders. For stick both Miller and Lincoln have low end AC/DC stick welders that are well accepted and have been around for years. They are nothing fancy but will do the jobs you describe. These so called buzz boxes often show up in places like craigs list, newspapers and swap sheets. For what you describe stick would work well. Since I have Millers catalog in front of me I can tell you that you that the welder is called a Thunderbolt XL. This welder gives you a range of 40 to 300 amps AC and 30 to 200 amps DC. People with experience can chime in with how useful those ranges are. Lincoln has a similar machine, just realize that you want a AC/DC capable machine.You could also consider a Mig welder. Agian you don't want to wimp out with a 110 volt unit. A Mig in the 175 to 200+ amp range should do the job. Personally I think stick is easier to learn even though everyone says Mig is the cats ***. Your results may vary. The deciding factor would be how much work you expect to do on thin stock and sheet metal. Thin materials are one place where a MIG does an outstanding job.Either of the above options keep you in reasonable price ranges. Another option is to go with an inverter based machine that can run on naything form 120 to 440 volts. I don't think you need the expense here. In any event you would still need a 220 volt circuti to get maximum performance. Just be aware that that 220 volt circuit has to be sized for the welder you buy. Depending on the welder type amperage demand can vary 20 amps to 70 amps full load.As to the inverter based machines Miller has the Maxstar 150 S and 200 STR welders. Haven't priced these so look online a bit. Reading the specs though I would not go with the 150 S for a number of reasons. One isthe usable range of operation the other being the lack of an sort of TIG capability. My feeling is that if you are going to buy an inverter with that type of money you might as well get rudimentary TIG support.Personally I'm a bit torn between saying go with a stick machine or go with a MIG. A MIG would offer you the flexibility to do auto body work that would be difficult with a sitck machine. Besides you have a friend with a stick machine you can trade machines as need if you go with a MIG.Dave
Reply:My personal take on this...230V, if youre po' boyin it go with stick and although more challenging on the thin stuff, you can do it. DC machine...dont bother with ac. There are ac/dc machines..cheaper ones thats fine..just stick to the dc polarity. If youve got more moeny a 200 amp mig machine would be my choice. Something bigger than 150 would work but Id prefer the 200. For stick 200 AC amps would suffice. This means a 225/125 ac/dc machien will be fine. Anyway best of luckIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Thanks for the replies. I looked at Hobarts and Clarks/miller? today at tsc. I like the Hobart 140? it's a stick that welds 18guage? to 1/2". I didn't want to have to spend $400 on just the buzz box. I'm sure to end up with another couple hundos going for accessories. I'd like to keep it all under $350. I think i should be able to get good used equipment for that price. any thoughts. more about what i'd be making: Undercarriage skid plates. side steps, grill guard and treestands. I've got a dewalt die grinder. no saw. my buddys got a saw, but it's nice to have one next to your project. I think everything that i'd be cutting and welding will be all thin guage tube square and round. probably no flat stock thicker than 3/8" for brackets. I'd have to wire 220 to the garage. not a big deal, but what do you mean by "wire the outlet to the machine."? I'm thinkin now with all the talking and what's good for certain projects, that a mig is the way to go. Realisticly i'll be doing all thin guage stuff. and as mentioned, my buddy's got a stick welder for his drilling buisness so heavy stuff can be done there. what's the best wirefeed mig in terms of longevity? i'm assuming that the wirefeed mech. is one of the "make it or break it" issues for the machine? could i get away with a 110V wirefeed mig for everything up to 1/4"-3/8"? just hobby stuff. what's a good one? thanks for the conversation
Reply:I do think you could get away with a 110v mig. As stated you have access to a larger arc. Though, you are asking a bit much to weld above 1/4". Pay attention to duty cycle. As you near 1/4" the less welding you do and more rest your machine needs. Most 110v mig welder operate best on 20+ amps. Hence, for optimal performance you might need to do some fuse/wiring modification. You will be able to operate on 15 amps though 20+ is noticably better. You can change the plugs on a 220v welder or dryer to match , thus plug directly into the outlet used by your dryer. I get a lot of stuff second hand: pawn shops, news paper, garage sales, etc.I guess most pressing prior to your first would be a saw;chop saw or band saw or hacksaw.
Reply:me likems portaband IF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:i've stated this many times here but seeing as your new i'll state it again..a 110 wirefeed mig is ok if you use the gas with itmost are fluxcore wire machines..these are fine and dandy for muffler brackets and that sort of thing..but your going to fab up things for a hummer that you want to paint up all nice and shiney huh?well you'd be better off with a cheapo stick welder..the acid in the fluxcore wire will not go away no matter what you do and it eats the primer and the paint from the inside out so whatever you paint now..will look like crap in a week... just a little thing to keep in mind ...zap!
Reply:Yeah, That word MIG gets used loosely. Mig V. Wirefeeder. Make sure your machine is a mig welder.
Reply:I agree with WIZARDThis information will help you build your Kingdom to pass to the next generationLast edited by MetalSculptor; 03-19-2006 at 07:19 PM.
Reply:After reading a bit of your mesage below I think we can focus a bit more.First i really think that you would be best off with a MIG welder from what you describe below. That however won't cut the budget that you have layed out. Well buying new anyways. I say Mig welder but I mean at a minimum a 220 volt 175 amp class machine such as MillerMatic 175 or Lincoln equivalent. Unfortunately that is more like $800 dollars.I'm not sure where you picked up "wire the outlet to the machine." but if you where refering to a response form me what I meant is that you will need a 220 volts circuit (given that you buy a 220 volt welder). The problem is determining what size circuit that will be, it could be a 20 amp circuit or a 90 amp circuit depending on the welders need, or something different again. Ideally what you would do is to have an electrician install a properly sized feeder for the welder. All electrical work should be done per NEC (the National Electrical Code).For a small mig welder you could just have a few 20 or 30 amp, 220 volt branch circuits added to the garage. Looking ahead you would be able to run newer equipment as you update your tool collection. If you expect to expand your shop with things like band saws, compressors and such, it pays to plan ahead. I know it may not sound rational to spend money ahead of time for shop infrastructure but it does pay off in the long run. Unfortunately I'm talking from experience here. You don't need to go over board here but believe me it may benefit you big time to improve the garages electrical system prior to purchasing tools.As far as brands of MIG welders that have postive community feed back look at Hobart, Miller, Lincoln, ESAB and others mentioned positively in this forum. The only mig welders I've had experience with are a Lincoln 175 amp class machine and a huge machine I used years ago. It really is difficult to pick out any one manufacture as providing a welder that is head or heals above the other from the list above. The only exception to that is Millers Passport welder which you don't even want to look at because you will want it and suffer sticker shock.As for the 110 volt machine all that I can say is that they do work. The thing is you give up a lot of capability. Take one step up and you get a lot more weld potential for only a couple of hundred more. I'd also have to say that some of the things you intend to do would be difficult with the smaller welder. So my answer is a qualified no, you don't want a 110 volt machine. That no is qualified due to a couple of points. One you have access to a stick welder. There are things you can do to get a little more mileage out of a 110 volt mig welder. One of those things is to preheat the items to be welded, but such approach might have you spending more money than simply getting the right welder up front. I'm also qualify that with the thought that you are buying a high quality welder.Note that you won't find any good quality welder in your price range new. You can do a couple of things, one is look for a reconditioned (factory) welder. Another is to keep an eye on auctions and estate sales and "swap sheets". The smart move is to bite the bullet and buy a new welder especially when it coems to MIGs, unless you are real lucky finding bargains. A few days of overtime or what ever can close the price differrential between what you are willing to pay at the moment and what you should purchase.ThanksDaveP.S. The distilled version is to just say no to 110 volt MIG welders. Buy, find, or inherit a nice machine. Dave Originally Posted by babydaddyThanks for the replies. I looked at Hobarts and Clarks/miller? today at tsc. I like the Hobart 140? it's a stick that welds 18guage? to 1/2". I didn't want to have to spend $400 on just the buzz box. I'm sure to end up with another couple hundos going for accessories. I'd like to keep it all under $350. I think i should be able to get good used equipment for that price. any thoughts. more about what i'd be making: Undercarriage skid plates. side steps, grill guard and treestands. I've got a dewalt die grinder. no saw. my buddys got a saw, but it's nice to have one next to your project. I think everything that i'd be cutting and welding will be all thin guage tube square and round. probably no flat stock thicker than 3/8" for brackets. I'd have to wire 220 to the garage. not a big deal, but what do you mean by "wire the outlet to the machine."? I'm thinkin now with all the talking and what's good for certain projects, that a mig is the way to go. Realisticly i'll be doing all thin guage stuff. and as mentioned, my buddy's got a stick welder for his drilling buisness so heavy stuff can be done there. what's the best wirefeed mig in terms of longevity? i'm assuming that the wirefeed mech. is one of the "make it or break it" issues for the machine? could i get away with a 110V wirefeed mig for everything up to 1/4"-3/8"? just hobby stuff. what's a good one? thanks for the conversation
Reply:I agree I personally have littl euse for 115V machines. They have their place. Most of you guys though get into trouble with these machines. Very limited capabilitesIF it Catches...Let it Burn
Reply:Wizard and all others with responses, thanks! I've been sifting through a lot of welding info in the last couple of days and for a new welder(do-it-yourselfer), it's kinda overwhelming. Now i know why they have classes for welding .I think ya'll have talked me into a Miller 175 or a Lincoln 175. That mig machine seems to fit a majority of my hobby jobs. I'll be checking out ebay for good priced machines. Thanks again for the insight and yes, I'll be back with lots more questions when i start layin beads.
Reply:Ok, i'm back . I see a Clarke 180Amp - 220V machine. What am I going to miss out on by not going with a Miller or Lincoln? It's a lot cheaper and I truly believe you get what you pay for. The Clarke has to have a pitfall for the discounted price. Anyone care to steer me away from it? Thanks again for any input, advise or conversation.
Reply:I can't really say anything at all about the Clarke machine becasue I've never used one. I have used the Lincoln and an old monster. Futher I've had good feed back on the Miller mig units. Along with that I.ve seen or used a number of stick welders none of these where Clarke units. So all I can say is that you have to rely upon mass experience and opinion and maybe an honest spec sheet.Just realize that the specs are only part of the equation. The wire fed mechanism is a critical part of the equation as is its robustness. The electrical parts a very close second and impact the quality of the arc.I look at it this way if you expect to do welding projects, espcially those of different materials and strength demands, you will need a relationship with a welding supplier. If nothing else you will need gas as flux core won't cut it for everything you want to do (BUY THE WAY A FLUX CORE WLEDER IS NOT A MIG WELDER). Don't get suckered into buying a cheap flus core welder that won't cover all the bases a MIG can. Beyond choosing a gas supplier you also need access to supplies for wire and repair of the guns and so forth. A welding supply shop is a good place to get these.ThanksDave Originally Posted by babydaddyOk, i'm back . I see a Clarke 180Amp - 220V machine. What am I going to miss out on by not going with a Miller or Lincoln? It's a lot cheaper and I truly believe you get what you pay for. The Clarke has to have a pitfall for the discounted price. Anyone care to steer me away from it? Thanks again for any input, advise or conversation.
Reply:thanks Dave. i've got a welding supplier in town. don't know em yet, but will soon.
Reply:Clarke is one of the major welder manufactures is the UK so at least they're no some ChiCom s$%# box.My angle grinder is my best friend!
Reply:Yes big in the UK but I actually think they are Itialian manufacture. Could be wrong, seen reference to such on a British MIG welding site. If you guys can find it, it is a nice sight. I have http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/ as the web site but they seem to be offline at the moment. Obviously has the British slant on everything, sometimes that third world point of view can be enlightening.Thanksdave Originally Posted by PentawelderClarke is one of the major welder manufactures is the UK so at least they're no some ChiCom s$%# box.
Reply:Hey, Wizard, you might notice a guy called Pentawelder over on that site too!Just responded to a post there about Lincoln Welders.I think you're right about the Italian manufacture.My angle grinder is my best friend!
Reply:thanks for the input fellas. I'm kinda interested in wheather or not the Clarke machines are as versitile as the other more expensive machines. in fact, i'm not even sure what features to ask about. i assume that the gun would be set up for gas if the machine kit comes with a regulator? should the Clarke machine be capable of all dia. wire that the others are? I know these are broad questions, i'm more concerned with the amount of cash i'll drop on a hobby machine and what kind of quality i'll get out of a cheaper one. |
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发表于 2021-9-1 00:17:26