I'm looking to buy a welder so I can finally attack my chevy. I know it should be a MIG, any suggestions?, what are you working with? Do they make ones that plug into average house outlets? thanks guys
they make them that run off 110, but i would stick to a 220 one. miller and hobart are a bood brand, lincoln too. steer clear of sheap stuff.
What kind of shop are you working in? I've had access to 220 and not once regretted my Lincloln 110. If you don't have ready access to 220 already I wouldn't sweat it. I'd vote for 110, especially if you're buying for only this one project.
Yep to the Miller, Hobart or Lincoln. The main reason for picking one of those is that sometime or other you will need to have some repairs done or buy a part or two and those are the ones that you can get readily repaired and usually get parts from the local welding supply from and get back to work. One of my buddies built a number of cars with a Miller sidekick 110V welder that he put through the wringer for years. He now has a bigger Miller but still drags the Sidekick out at times. I was looking at 110 units but ended up picking up a slightly used Lincoln Pro-mig 175 from a guy who had bought it and then bought a bigger unit.
I agree with Mr48chev. I have a business here in the U.K. repairing welding and plasma cutting systems and even here I recommend the U.S. made brands (though much of our Lincoln stuff is made in France - ouch!). Resist the temptation to buy the cheapest thing you are offered and aim for something with a more 'industrial' edge.
http://images.lowes.com/product/converted/015082/015082663449md.jpg http://www.lowes.com/lowes/lkn?action=productDetail&productId=256722-1703-K2480-1&lpage=none I just got this one. I weld alot at work and I have a Lincoln 220vac stick welder at home. (along with this new one.) And I'd say it's the best money that I've spent. It really does weld really well, no BS. I recommend this one. I've used it on the body work and I've also made mounting brackets with it.
You have to love a Miller... I bought a 110V Lincoln, it was a good little welder, but IMO it did not get hot enough to weld in my firewall, made some "worm" welds so I bought a 220V Miller, it is more than big enough to weld anything anywhere on my car. Spend $400 on a 110V machine, if you use it you will get a $700 220V machine pretty soon, save the $300 you will waste on the 110V, (you might sell the 110V used for $100) and buy the biggest welder you will ever need for your car. So really, chances are you will either end up with a $700 220V welder or a $1,000 220V welder.... same welder different price... If your breaker box is close to your garage and it ain't plum full of breakers already, it is cheap and easy to install a 220V plug. If your clothes dryer is in the garage you will have 220V there already..
CDO I just got a Hobart 140 mig new in the box from the local trading paper for 350.00. Its great on sheet metal and body parts. I have not tried it on heavy stuff.
Beware the cheapy Harbor Freight 110 buzz box welders. I have one (unfortunately, that's all I have) and you can't work sheet metal to save your life with one of those. One touch on the low setting and it blows holes in 18ga metal like it was rice paper. Works great for zapping 1/8th plate steel, but anything lighter than that and you're spending your whole day chasing holes in your work. If I had more cash, I'd get a nice Lincoln or Miller.
i use 300+ amp three-phase powered Lincoln all-in-one (MIG, TIG, stick) welders at work (busy sugar mill). apparently theyre about 20yrs old and only two of about 10 of them are starting to play up. This place is basically one big welding job and these welders are used for 8hrs a day for a whole week (i know i did for two weeks straight building up worn spots on a 5ft diameter chain sprocket and its 200 10-15kg footlong chain links). and theyve probably been doing it since they were new 20yrs ago. At home though, we have a small S.I.P brand MIG that we've had since restoring my father's VF valiant about 12 yrs ago. no problems with it so far. I wouldnt recommend using a small single-phase powered MIG on anything loadbearing, but would fully recommend using them on panelwork. For your information, there are two common types. Type 1 uses a gas (usually argon/helium or carbon dioxide). Argon/helium welds are more attractive than those surrounded by CO2, but argon is more expensive i think. Type 2 is without gas but the welds dont look all that good. Not sure whether you can use all gas machines without the gas, havent learned all that stuff yet at college. I think you might be able to use a gas machine without the gas, all you have to make sure is that you use gassless wire otherwise you have no hope of doing anything attractive that will hold any weight or stress using gas wire without the gas. But the one thing i love is just pulling the trigger while pointing it where you want a weld and it does most of the work..........mmmmmmm
I' bought one of the Snap On 110 welders and I can weld ANYTHING with it. 100% duty cycle means that I will quit before it does. I've Chopped my Harley frame with it, worked on my '55 Gasser frame with it, taught myself, and my son how to use it, and am now working on a Roadster P/U frame. Pricey, but the ease of use makes it worth the $$$
at least... but once again I can suggest, buy blue! The Millermatic DVI does both 110 and 220. Great machine that you can grow into. Not cheap, but it is a great machine and will retain a lot more value than a cheapy.
You can come by and take a test drive on my Lincoln 175 if you like. They're usually available at a good price, and I've been happy with mine.
Miller 140, 110V Mig.... I have been very happy with it... I also have a 20 year old Lincoln Arc welder, does good for thick stuff...
If you can afford a good Lincoln 220v then get one . I only had small change so I got a 110V Lincoln 125 HD for all the sheet metal work , but for the frame work , I have a good ol 220v Lincoln Stick welder . I have about $300 in the 110V & $125 in the 220v . Both work good for me . It doesn't pay for me to have the bottle gas for just the amout of use it gets , the rental for the bottle will kill me ! . If the bottle & gas was cheaper I would have that too . Just my 2 cents worth .
yeah no shit!!! and whatever happened to good old research...welding companies do have websites that detail and describe their products quite well.
Awful lot of input for a first welder, how about budget. Restored many of winners and built rods with nothing more than a plug in the wall miller. My Harbor freight welder also handles sheet metal just fine. Jon
I don't know he's asking for our opinions not website specifications I don't mind helping a fellow rodder out, but I guess some do and are just too busy or important to bother with it other than complain about the questions. I have a Lincoln 350 stick welder ( big old boy ) and a 110 V Lincoln mig.I use the mig. 90 % of the time other than the sort of short cycle time it's great for what I do with it.
ah yes, but asking people for there opinions on something is not always the best choice. I personally dont like lincoln, but apparently you do. So why should he take my opinion over yours? It is best to research welders in his price range, talk to his local welding supply company and then look into warranties. Then make his decision based on that, not he said she said.
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