Technical Mig welder question...

Get your self a name brand welder, once you have it and learn how to use it
you will use it way more than you ever expected. It will become an indispensable
tool in your inventory, you'll wonder how you ever got along without it.

......................... Jack

 

Migs are great for light chassis work. Brackets etc. I prefer stick on frame work like crossmembers though. I have a small 110 Lincoln mig that I use for sheet metal but it is not heavy enough to trust with what you are doing. If you have a torch, try your hand at welding light gage with that. It will help when you step up to tig. A good welding machine will open a whole new world. Miller makes a good product also. These guys have given you some great advice. Good luck

 

Buy a used brand name welder and put it on a HF cart if you feel the need to buy something from them.
Be aware Lincoln makes 2 110v MIGS. One for Home Depot and one for thier dealers. Guess which one has all plastic wire drive parts?

 

Don't buy the big box store welder. I had one once as stated above its all plastic.
If you have a problem welding, you want it to be you, not your equipment. Get a good welder, you will NEVER regret it

 

I have a Old Century ( OOB) mig with a copper reactor ( transformer ) and converted it to gas , it was made in the late 1980s works great for sheetmetal but not for heavy stuff , for that your gonna need some serious amps to get penetration , either find a stick welder or pay to have someone do it , around here we have guys who do mobile welding (they are pipeliners and marine welders) and bring the whole unit to the jobsite on there truck ( duallys) , worth paying them to have it done right ( $100-150 a hour ) the first time and the welds are nice to look at too .

 

Go team blue. Miller all the way!

 

If you buy a 110 volt welder be sure you have enough current to the welder. And small gauge ext. cord will choke your welder down and make it weld like shit. Regular 20 amp will not cut it, especially with extension cord. I run my Miller off one leg of 220. And it's makes all the difference in the world. I can't emphasis it enough power at the machine, not at the breaker thru house wiring and ext. cord . Have you got a 220 volt plug close like a dryer you can build a ext cord off it. That's my two bits worth. Frank

 

You want to be very careful doing this... If the 220 plug is three wire, there's no neutral, just a ground and while neutrals and grounds are 'sorta' the same electrically, the ground part of the system isn't supposed to have any current on it. I had a neighbor who tried using the ground for a neutral and he almost electrocuted his wife while she was washing dishes. Run a dedicated circuit, it's much safer....

 

Harbor Freight MIG... Maybe It's Good... Go Miller!

 

I have a millermtic 135, it is a super welder. It will weld 1/4 to 5/16 plate with no problems, and works super on sheet metal