Best Buget Welder To Buy?

[nicolas72gmc]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

That's the same machine I have. It's an old one, bought in the early 90s. Trust me on this, buy a bottle and conversion kit. You will come back here and thank me. If you're good with flux core, you will weld like Jessie James with MIG conversion. It's night and day. With the gas, you can run the little .023 wire which is perfect for sheetmetal.

^^^^ yeah what Kevin Said!!!!

[SpaceForRent]

Does anyone in here use TIG?
It's a great choice for small stuff, low heat input, very accurate.

[massopust13]

This is a very timley topic for me. I purchased a 72 Longhorn this summer and have had very little time to work on it thus far. I just ordered some new rockers and door pieces to replace on saturday and I bought this welder.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=55525

Has anyone used this item?

I've been reading some stuff on these boards the last month or so. I will get some photos up soon. I live in Milwaukee, but my truck is currently being stored at my folks' place in Central Wisconsin.

[Sinister]

Originally Posted by massopust13

This is a very timley topic for me. I purchased a 72 Longhorn this summer and have had very little time to work on it thus far. I just ordered some new rockers and door pieces to replace on saturday and I bought this welder.

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=55525

Has anyone used this item?

I've been reading some stuff on these boards the last month or so. I will get some photos up soon. I live in Milwaukee, but my truck is currently being stored at my folks' place in Central Wisconsin.

It looks like the lowest amperage you can weld at is 58 amps with that welder, which is too hot for sheet metal. You need to be able to get down to 20-25 amps. IIRC

[mrh33916]

I priced a Hobart 140 at Northern tool @ 5 years ago then went to the local welding shop where I would be purchasing my gas to see what they had to offer. After talking to the salesman and showing him the price on the Hobart I ended up buying a Millermatic 140 that he gave me a deal on. I paid slightly more for the Miller but the salesman made up most of the difference by giving me the first tank of gas free.
IMO it is better to spend a little more on some things and buy it from the place that can get parts and repair it if there is a problem down the road.

[jugernot]

Originally Posted by mrh33916

I priced a Hobart 140 at Northern tool @ 5 years ago then went to the local welding shop where I would be purchasing my gas to see what they had to offer. After talking to the salesman and showing him the price on the Hobart I ended up buying a Millermatic 140 that he gave me a deal on. I paid slightly more for the Miller but the salesman made up most of the difference by giving me the first tank of gas free.
IMO it is better to spend a little more on some things and buy it from the place that can get parts and repair it if there is a problem down the road.

Well said..............I've learned that it is always better to get the right thing for the right job, or you will spend more time and $$ trying to make something else work.

[mclairmo]

Originally Posted by Sinister

Fluxcore will leave slag/residue which can come back to haunt you when you go to paint.

I would avoid fluxcore. I used Argon to weld patch panels on my 67 Camaro and my 71 Mustang and no rust, no bubbles under the paint or any other problems for over 15 years.

[culp7]

So Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart?

[Tx Firefighter]

Lincoln and Miller are premium, top of the line machines. It's completely Ford versus Chevy in a MIG welder. Engine drive, Lincoln is king.

Hobart is owned by the same company as Miller, but they are consumer grade. The differences between the two are noticeable if you look closely. For instance, on the Miller MIG, the wire drive is aluminum while it's plastic on the Hobart. Also, the Hobart will have a lower duty cycle than the similar Miller machine.

The consumer line of Lincoln welders is Century. Again, made my the same company, but at lesser quality and specifications.

[culp7]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

Lincoln and Miller are premium, top of the line machines. It's completely Ford versus Chevy in a MIG welder. Engine drive, Lincoln is king.

Hobart is owned by the same company as Miller, but they are consumer grade. The differences between the two are noticeable if you look closely. For instance, on the Miller MIG, the wire drive is aluminum while it's plastic on the Hobart. Also, the Hobart will have a lower duty cycle than the similar Miller machine.

The consumer line of Lincoln welders is Century. Again, made my the same company, but at lesser quality and specifications.

so i think i will probally go with a lincoln or miller 140... So you would say the lincoln is a beter welder then the miller?

[Tx Firefighter]

On a mig welder, choose your dealer and support network that treats you best. My big steel jobber is a Miller dealer so I bought a Miller welder recently so I can get needed stuff from them.

Either is great though. I have a 15 year old Lincoln 110 volt Mig and a 15 year Miller 220 volt big Mig. Both are super.

On engine drive welders, Lincoln owns the market. Find any big construction job, bridge, or pipeline and it will be all Lincoln on the job site. It's literally like 99 percent Lincoln engine drive machines.

As you can likely tell, I am a big welder guy. I spend a lot of time on the welding forums and read the books too. I even have the title "welder" on my business card. Some days I do better than others, but it's my passion.

[culp7]

Originally Posted by Tx Firefighter

On a mig welder, choose your dealer and support network that treats you best. My big steel jobber is a Miller dealer so I bought a Miller welder recently so I can get needed stuff from them.

Either is great though. I have a 15 year old Lincoln 110 volt Mig and a 15 year Miller 220 volt big Mig. Both are super.

On engine drive welders, Lincoln owns the market. Find any big construction job, bridge, or pipeline and it will be all Lincoln on the job site. It's literally like 99 percent Lincoln engine drive machines.

As you can likely tell, I am a big welder guy. I spend a lot of time on the welding forums and read the books too. I even have the title "welder" on my business card. Some days I do better than others, but it's my passion.

Thanks Tx Firefighter, you have been a huge help in deciding.. So as a Shopping list I need a:

Welder, Welding Wire, Gas W/ Bottle, Gloves, Helmet, and Gas regulater?

Am I missing anything that I would need to start welding?

[BCOWANWHEELS]

if it was me and you dont do very much needing a welder i,d just hire it done. you can make a mess of things if you dont know what your doing. there more to it that just buying a welder.jmo
bob

[Tx Firefighter]

Originally Posted by culp7

Thanks Tx Firefighter, you have been a huge help in deciding.. So as a Shopping list I need a:

Welder, Welding Wire, Gas W/ Bottle, Gloves, Helmet, and Gas regulater?

Am I missing anything that I would need to start welding?

You've got it covered. Depending on which welder you buy, it will come with the regulator and hose. You can usually buy gas bottles real cheap on Craigslist. Just look at the bottle and find the latest hydrostatic date. It will be a year stamped into the bottle near the valve. Make sure it is within the last 10 years. Buy it and take it to a welding house and swap it for a full one.

For gloves, I use normal leather work gloves for most mig work. Some spots and shot beads don't make enough heat to need the big heavy welding gloves. Only if I'm running beads for long lengths do I put on the thick ones.

[Sinister]

Originally Posted by BCOWANWHEELS

if it was me and you dont do very much needing a welder i,d just hire it done. you can make a mess of things if you dont know what your doing. there more to it that just buying a welder.jmo
bob

Where's the fun in that? Get a welder and practice on scrap until you're ready to weld on your truck. It's fun and you'll have the skill for life.

[culp7]

thanks ya'll you guys have been a great help

[Tom Vogel]

Now... do yourself a favor... go to your local community junior college and take a couple of welding classes.
Oh yeah, TX firefighter is right on the machines, go Miller or Lincoln.

[Sinister]

Here's a good welding site with tutorials and forums.
http://www.mig-welding.co.uk/

[67c-10Texas]

Originally Posted by jugernot

Well said..............I've learned that it is always better to get the right thing for the right job, or you will spend more time and $$ trying to make something else work.

well said. i have been trying to weld on my cab with a 20 year old mig that i spent more time fixing and riggin than welding. i purchased a Miller 140 autoset and it is a heck of a welder for a 110V unit

i like the adjustibility of the milller - it does not have the presets like other welders do. it makes it nice because i am cutting the drip rails off and i am welding on different material thickness. i have found a setting that wont blow through the material yet still penitrate the thicker areas

[mrh33916]

Also, invest in a auto darkening helmet. I was amazed how much prettier my welds where once I started using one. It will also save you a bunch of grinding time.

[0331grunt]

Originally Posted by mrh33916

Also, invest in a auto darkening helmet. I was amazed how much prettier my welds where once I started using one. It will also save you a bunch of grinding time.

100% I went from the flip front to an auto darkening unit and made HUGE improvements!! I have a cheap one from Harbor Freight and it works well so far. May get a nicer one later, but hey, it works for me!

[mrh33916]

Mine is also from Harbor Freight, I've had it a couple years, no complaints here,

[Ben IV]

at home ive got a miller 172 its a 220 machine and is good up to 5/16 I use 0.23 wire for sheetmetal and it does great. Unless they have changed them the small lincon machines have plastic parts in the drive mechanism i havent used one for mabie 5 years so the new ones may be aluminum like the millers. Just know your machines limits my welder is good to 5/16 but even being a certified welder i wouldent weld a frame with it. i see alot of people using 110 machines to do frame work and its scarry. Keep in mind a big machine like a lincon or miller 255 can weld thin guage sheet metal so you dont need two machines.

[culp7]

Was thinking about buying a lincoln, But does anyone know forsure if the drive componants are plastic or metal?

thanks Bryant

[Tx Firefighter]

On my 15 year old Lincoln, they are not plastic.