Does anyone own or regularly use a mig by the name of Firepower? Theyre pretty cheap and sound like a good deal. Of course the Mac and Snap-On guy and owner of the local welding supply shop say that its a crap brand and I'll blow up the car I'm welding on (naturally they dont sell them). I usually buy a brand name tool for the reputation of quality and warranty, but I know welder motors, guns , tranformers ect. are generally made by a mass producer and sent out to be made a Snap on, Mac and the like. Thanks
I used to have a chep-o mig. Little bugger lasted for about 5 years too, so I was happy. Then one day all the magic smoke escaped. I felt like I had been welding long enough to spoil myself on a brand name. Got a Miller. Found out I was a hell of a lot better welder than I had been before. Seems the cheep ones don't control the speed of the wire as well and you get twice as many blow-outs. Loves me my miller. Craig
what he said. i have a Lincoln 135 and 215 at home, and use a Miller at the shop. While my welding skills have disappointed me at times, the machines never have. that said-- GET THE RIGHT SIZE MACHINE, preferably a bit bigger than what you think you need. nothing sucks (or could be more dangerous) than too small a crappy welder. -scott noteboom
we used to have a guy at my shop who considered himself a "bodyman extrodinare" i never seen sooo many retarded gaps on a car in my life.( no offense but he really did consider himself a bodyman extrodinare) i saw a door skin he did, more mud on it than if he would have fixed the old one. he always shit on me saying he had 28 years expierience ( this is when i first started the trade) i knew it and respected him for it. one day i finished my first big hit 2 rails both aprons radiator support cradle suspension it came out great my boss even complimented me on it ( he was a real prick too) that guy rick told me a good job too then he said i took too long on it. "with 28 years expierence you can do those jobs quick" he said i said 28 years expierience of hacking cars up isnt equal to 1 of doing it right. he didnt last long at that shop. your comment reminded me of him, again no offense.
check out the hobart handlers, about as cheap as you can get a good quality machine for with good customer service.
No offense taken. Doorskins when I do them have no mud. Steel dolly and a hammer. Metal finishing is a lost i practice on all my doorskins. Big hits take time. It's better to make it right then to hack it together and kill someone's family with a shitty repair after they have thier next accident. I receive on average 2 to 3 calls a month from other shops in my area asking if i'm happy with my workload and how i'm being treated. I always joke about the "extrodinare" part but lately I have been blessed. 28 years doesn't mean someone does a good job. I have 26 years in this biz and I learn everyday. My welder I use everyday is a Lincoln Pro-Mig 175. I bought it at Lowes for 500.00 and it came with a cart. A good welder at a dam good price. Mine's 3 years old so they may have gone up but well worth the trip to Lowes. Good luck.
I'll second the "get a Hobart or Miller." I, too, bought the cheapest MIG I could get my hands on, a Sears Craftsman that they don't sell anymore. My welds were "okay" to "crappy." Then it broke and I used my neighbor's Miller and it turns out that I'm a much better welder than I thought. Turns out the elcheapo was giving me half-assed contact most of the time, which means I got half-assed penetration most of the time. It didn't even sound the same! I'm about to buy a Hobart or Miller. Haven't decided which yet, but both are available at home improvement stores, hardware stores, etc. Tractor Supply Company seems to have the best Hobart prices.
hobart and miller are owned by the same company, they use a lot o fth esame parts inside, but some are not exactly the same. most, the differenced are in the switches, i really liek the hobart 187, i plan on buying one in the very near future. i weld for aliving and we dont use much hobart stuff out in the field, but it is definitely good stuff, i know plenty of guys that have bought the hobart migs and are very happy with them and the customer service from them, they are slightly cheaper than miller and lincoln, and once again, made in the usa.
My Hobart Handler 135 (used for sheetmetal and light steel) is great and is in fact a Miller subsidiary. I had to replace my gun recently due to a dumb act on my part and the gun is a H10 which made it a little harder to locate. The M10 gun won't fit due to some differences in the Millermatic and the Hobart. Both of them weld very consistently. I have a Miller 300 amp Heliarc for heavy welding that sits more than it gets used because the Handler is so easy to use and move about the shop. Larry OKC
The Jalopy Journal
