Welders

[Butch 194]

I guess the time has come to buy a welder. I have ever welded in my life nor have I ever seen anybody weld. Looking for a welder to work on the Wheel Horse, mower deck, car chassis, wagon, garden implements and such. Maybe welding some exhaust work on cars.

What kind of welder should I buy with no experience to work on the mentioned items? I was looking to spend no more that $1200.00 which is surprising how low end that price is for welders.

I was looking at the Miller 211, a mig welder, which works on 110 and 220 of which I have both in the garage.

Any ideas or recommendations?

Thanks.

Butch

S. Jersey

[porkchop 1]

I have had or used every kind of welder you can think of!!! Welding has always been part of my job description for 30 years. At home I have now downsized to a miller 140 that works off 110 volt. I can weld up to 3/8 thick with it and they are priced around $750. What ever you buy make sure it,s not some fancy digital controlled nightmare unit with alot of bells and whistles. A heat selector and wire feed control are all thats required. Keep it simple!!! Mig is the way to go for a garage shop and MILLER IS THE ONLY WAY TO GO. :omg:

[TT-(Moderator) 1,147]

I do a lot of welding, but am definitely not a "welder".

I have to go with Randy on Miller being a good machine.

I had a 120V / 135 amp wire feed unit for a few years until it got fried by an incorrectly-wired 120V receptacle (240V) and replaced it with one of the new 140 Auto-Set machines. It's perfect for 90% of what I work on but it can't handle anything thicker than 1/4" without making multiple passes. (I use .023" wire)

I do have access to a larger 240V "mig" at work, so that's where I do the thicker stuff. :omg:

[jimbotelho 1]

I agree with the other 2 posts miller or lincoln would be my choice definitely a mig as their are so many other things that you can weld where as a stick welder isit has its limits just my 3 cants being an ex pipewelder

[Butch 194]

TT I could have done without your first sentence! Not what I like to hear! Hard to believe something that looks so simple can be so hard. I was gonna take a welding course at the local Vo-Tech last year but didn't. Maybe his Fall.

I thought you just pulled the trigger and either pushed the handle forward or dragged it backward!!

I guess I'll go with the Miller. I did like that autoset they had which would take any guessing out. Do you guys use it with or without gas?

Butch

[TT-(Moderator) 1,147]

Do you guys use it with or without gas?

I have always used the C-25 (75% argon/25% CO2) shielding gas. (steel welding)

I don't think I have ever welded with flux-core wire and from what others tell me - I really don't want to.

I think the welding course is a great idea and actually received "the basics" while attending vo-tech during high school. :omg:

[porkchop 1]

:omg: I agree with TT 75/25 gas.

[Butch 194]

I agree with TT 75/25 gas.

Does that mean I need two bottles instead of one?

[Indy w h 5]

75/25 is the gas mixture Its just 1 tank

Indy

[rickv1957 73]

No,it is a mix,Rick,like my miller 210!

[Butch 194]

Ah, good! It's a ratio mix with only 1 bottle! Still gotta buy a bottle, helmet and gloves too. $1500 to fix two cracks in my mowers deck sounds just about right to me!!

Thanks!!

Butch

S. Jersey

[Indy w h 5]

If your wanting a small mig welder, Lincoln makes a nice 110v

benchtop welder good up to 1/4 in.

Indy

[Gene_S 93]

I use a Snap-On 140 amp 110V welder with .035 wire flux core. What is the diffrence between using flux core and gas? Is that why the weld berries stick everywhere on my work?

I just love the auto darkining helmets Butch... But not a necessity, the original helmets work fine to.

[DMK855 15]

Butch, the Miller is a real good machine. Really like my Snap On Muscle Mig 250 though. Good luck with your deck!! A welder is almost a must have in playing with these old tractors!!!

Haasman, the flux cored wire will work, but does not yeild the quality of weld you will get with a gas mig!! The gas is only a "shield" for the weld!! Splatter is more prevalent with flux cored wire, but can also be from other conditions.

[6wheeler 668]

I am gonna go with TT on this, I too weld alot but I am not a welder.. I have a miller wire feed also. Shielding gas is a must, flux core sucks. I also have an old Miller Thunderbolt 125 stick welder. The wirefeed is great for lighter stuff, But Remember, they do NOT weld outside well if there is a stiff breeze or windy. With my stick welder, I can weld any where (Except under water ) with this welder I can weld as light as 1/8 up to 5/8 material. But, the wire feed is much easier to use. The wind blows the shielding gas away and you get alot of splatter. I personally like to have both, but I have room for that. Just my .02 cents Pat

[Butch 194]

Wow! What's with you guys that weld a lot but aren't welders? I hope that doesn't mean your welding sucks. I hope to be able to do at least some decent work. I guess a welding class is starting to look like a must!

I have my eye on the Miller 180 and the 211. I like the 211 because it operates on 220v and my outlet is along side where I work on our cars.

How much splatter and wind will determine whether I weld in the garage or outside.

Butch

[dkopp 1]

Does anyone have any experience with the Hobart brand of welders, such as the Handler 135 or 140?

[Indy w h 5]

Butch, if it's windy out side it'll blow the gas away from the weld. Causing

the weld to get kinda "ugly". It's best to weld inside unless it's a calm day.

You can buy an aerosol can of anti-stick and spray it on the parts you don't

want the little weld balls or "boogers"to stick to

Indy

[DMK855 15]

dkopp, I had a Hobart 140 and really liked it for the home garage. I upgraded to the Snap On for TIG capabilities!!!

[bell 11]

Does anyone have any experience with the Hobart brand of welders, such as the Handler 135 or 140?

I have a Hobart Handler 140 and it is the best welder I've ever used.

I was surprised that nobody had mentioned a Hobart yet. Afterall, they are made by Miller and the only difference between a Miller and a Hobart of comparable size is that the Miller is Infinitely adjustable, meaning that you have 4 power settings on a Hobart... 4 clicks, it's either on 1, 2, 3 or 4... A miller can be adjusted to anywhere in between those clicks with a smooth rotary dial, no clicks.

To me, the Hobart is a FANTASTIC welder... And, you can pick one up with the cart and regulator for just over $500. I have run about 8 large spools (I believe 10lb) of wire through mine and it still works as good now as the day I brought it home.

Now, on to the flux core wire...

I have found that welding with flux core wire, you get better penetration than with solid wire and shielding gas. The only drawback is that there is a little more cleanup involved with flux core. I am not a expert by any means, but one of my recent projects used 3 spools (the large ones, not the 2lb ones) of wire, so I have a lot of experience with flux core and solid core.

Hope this helps you, and good luck!

[Butch 194]

3 LARGE spools of wire on one project? I don't have a clue how far the spools of wire go but I thought 3 large spools would last me more than a lifetime. Can't wait to see how much the spools cost.

Butch

[bell 11]

It was a 2003 Chevy Tracker, that I TOTALLY rebuilt into a off-road rig... It was lots of fun and I got a LOT of welding practice on it...

If I remember correctly, the last spool of wire I bought was almost $70.... But, for occasional use, that should last you a LONG time.

[Coadster32 793]

:omg: That thing looks kick butt!!

I was looking at a hobart140 myself. My buddy has one, and says it's really nice to use.

[Butch 194]

Sweet!!! And all that welding work was done with a Hobart 140 mig welder?

[KC9KAS 4,744]

Hobart, Miller, Lincoln are all good welders, and offer all kinds of bells & whistles if you want. Like most everything else, you can spend a little, or spend a lot!

I had used stick welders for 10-15 years before I had the opportunity to use a MIG...Now, I go for the MIG all the time. I have had better luck with the gas rather than using the flux core.

You will not regret taking a welding class at a VO-TECH....as long as the instructor(s) really does know what they are talking (teaching) about.

Good luck in your venture of becoming a welder!