Mig welding gas

You guys use gas on your mig? If so what kind? I have been researching some mixtures and there is plenty of generic info on the web, but when it comes down to it I would rather ask you guys.

Thanks!

 

For general purpose welding of mild steel you need a bottle of 75% argon and 25% carbon dioxide. JC

 

i think the most comon i've found is a 75-25, 80-20 argon/co2 mix... im in the same boat you are....
Raf

 

The guy at the welding shop where you get gas would be a good person to ask too.

For common steel applications, its either 75/25 or 80/20 Ar/CO2. I can't remember which I've got, but I do remember I asked for one, got the other, and it works fine.

 

I just used straight CO2 in my muffler shop. (I can hear the gasps now) Not exactly NASA quality but it worked just fine for many many years. Never a problem with a weld due to the gas.

 

ditto

 

90-10 argon-co2. Lots of guys like the higher CO2 stuff, I prefer more argon. It's not really rocket science though, most any mix will work fine.

 

C25 here

 

I recently got a bottle of full argon and I thought something was wrong with my welder. I got the wrong bottle given to me and didn't check it. Airgas also has a 86/14 mix that's fine.

 

I used straight co2 for years with my MIG which was handy because it has more volume in a small tank than Argon/mixes. When stored at pressures greater than 300 psi it becomes liquid and converts back to gas when released giving more volume of gas for the same size 72/25 tank. The smaller Co2 bottle was handy when taking the welder to another location to use it.

When I got my TIG welder I switched to 75/25 and finally to straight Argon because it seems to work better than the mixes. My gas supplier doesn't charge me any more for straight Argon than 72/25 either.

 

75/25 mix

 

We've been using C25 boxing rails for years, seem to work fine.

 

The cadillac of mixes= "coogar" = 90 argon 7 co2 and 3 oxy

 

this is what i use and i have no complaints after many bottles and many years

 

75/25 argon/co2..straight argon for alminum

 

Lots and lots of welding with 75% CO2/25% Argon. I like it just fine. I've MIG welded with pure Argon, and it does fine, as well. I'd like to try straight CO2 sometime as an experiment.

The main thing with your gas is that it keeps oxygen out of the weld zone.

 

Straight CO2 at home and at work we use some mix from Liquid Air.
I don't see much if any difference...certainly not enough to pay the premium price of the mix!
If you know someone who services soda fountains and the like you can get a tank from him.
Its the exact same CO2 and cylinder for that purpose as the ones that the gas supplier uses for small MIG welders...at least around here anyway.
It even has the same threads and plastic washer!

 

CO2 here. its a hotter and more firey weld than an argon mix but cheaper and i get to own the bottle rather than rent it. CO2 works just fine on mild steel

 

Depends on application.

 

I just got a new Hobart Handler and they suggest c02 as an option because it's readily available at most sporting goods stores for paintball guns. Good news for me because I already have a c02 cylinder.

Here's the small co2 cylinder Hobart offers. Good for about 45 minutes of welding and costs around $5 to refill.

 

The 75%co2 25%argon is what i use every day. Its a great mix for welding carbon steel. Theres alot of options out there but i think 75/25 is the way to go.

 

I use both, the 75/25 80pnd is 68.00 and the Co2 is 34.00 for a CD50 ( the same size as a 200 oxy. For GP welding I use the Co2 and use the 75/25 for welds the will be visible.

Lee

 

75/25 best bet unless you are looking to spray arc where 90/10 is your best bet.
When tig welding or aluminum mig with a spool gun or push pull gun use argon

 

I heard awhile back that if your tank of c02 and argon sit quite a long time that you should roll the tank of something like that to remix it. Am I thinking wrong or heard it wrong?...I am having troubles with laying a good bead like it did last time I used it several months ago

 

I'd be interested to hear what folks say about that too. I have an 80/20 bottle that goes over a year sometimes without use.

 

I use 75/25 and I pay 49.00 for a bottle from a welding shop in Cleveland, Tn. Knoxville and Chattanooga get 62.15 for the same bottle

 

75/25 for short arc and 98/2 for spray. Never used it but I hear co2 does spatter more than 75/25.

 

a while back i was given a full bottle of pure argon, so i hooked it up to my miller 200 wire feed. bad welds for a while until i looked it up on the miller forum and found what i was experiencing, bad looking welds, bad penetration. wrong gas they say. went back to 75/25 mix and the welder woke up again. i have also used straight c02 with lots of spatter and bad looking welds. just buy the right gas thats recommended for mild steel with a mig welder and thats the 75/25 mix

 

I run 80-20 mix with .035 wire in a 250 Miller In a 120v Lincoln with .020 wire for thin stuff I use CO2 because of price. Get a pop machine bottle $20 to fill runs a long time if I can keep my grandsons from filling their paintball tanks from it.

 

Any info about rolling the tank after the argon/Co2 sits awhile?