need info on welders.

[troyzstang]

Hey guys
I'm looking for a good home welder. Any suggestions?
I know nothing about welding except the local shops charge to much. I would rather buy one and learn with it. Just small stuff for ATVs and dirtbikes

Please share the thoughts.

[born2ride14]

lowes has some nice lincoln 160's they are not cheap though. Get a mig And make sure you dont use the flux core system, you need gas for a good clean weld

[troyzstang]

Thanks but what about welding alumminum?

[250x_kyle]

you can weld aluminum with a mig but im not a big fan of it. if you were going to strictly weld aluminum or thin steel, tig could be the way to go, but it is expensive and takes a little time to get used to.

- how deep is your pocket?
- do you have any welding skills?

[FHKracingZ]

Get a zippo and a paperclip and do some weldin!!!!!

No but really, I have had good lucky using miller and hobart stuff considering they are the same company.

lincoln square tigs are deffinatly bad***** though.

Depends what kind of welding you are looking to do. Judging by your prior knowledge I think a basic 210/220 mig would be a good choice. :)

[250x_kyle]

Originally posted by FHKracingZ

Depends what kind of welding you are looking to do. Judging by your prior knowledge I think a basic 210/220 mig would be a good choice. :)

thats what im thinking, but if he gave us a price range could throw out some model numbers.

[Ichoptop]

I build hotrods and have Lincoln, Miller and and Hobart machines. All serve thier purposes well. Gas fed mig will do anything you need to. The best IMHO is the Miller but it was $1,800 dollars
I personally use an old Lincoln Arc for heavy chassis work, the mig for brackets and tabs as well as body work and tig for anything technical, fragile or anything that needs to be really pretty without grinding. Every now and then I like to pull out the torch and do some torch welding like my dad taught me just for giggles.
as for learning. check your local community college for a summer class. With that and some practice you will get the hang of it in no time. a blind monkey can weld with a mig pretty much.

a good 220 mig machine with bottle filled will cost anywhere from 500 to 1,000 bucks usually. Check Craigslist. I see a lot of descent machines on there for a pretty good price.

110 machines are 300-700 and for just quad stuff would do. I built my first hotrod with a 110 Miller machine and after 15 years its still on the road and doing well.

[bean2080]

i am a welder myself and i do all of my welding with a 220 stick welder, it all just depends on what you want though and what it will be used for. if you are going to be welding on thinner stuff then a 110 would be great for that, if you are going to be doing thick stuff then a 220 would be better.

as for as getting a mig, tig, or stick, it again all depends on what your going to use it for. if i would do it over i would get a mig insted of a stick, mig is just easier to handle. if your going to do aluninum then i would recomend getting a tig. you dont have to get gas, flux core will do fine but like said above, gas welding will make it look alot better.

[IcutMetl]

I tell ya what; some older guys may agree with me and most may not, but if you get a small oxy/act torch set plus some filler wire and learn to weld with that first, it will teach you a TON about heat control, and you can lay down some pretty nice welds- especially on chromolly where preheat is needed. Ability to braze is also a plus. I would recommend a Miller or Lincoln 175amp Mig welder; they're easy to come by, and you can use flux or gas when needed. Check at your local big box store or on Craigslist. A 210amp range welder would be nice and give you more duty cycle, but if you're looking at one for atv frames, and basic intermittent welding, a 175 will be much cheaper and do the job more than fine with room to spare. I've always welded with gas in steel, stainless, and aluminum (with the extra gun), but flux has some advantages too- better penetration in thicker materials, and cleaner welds in outdoor settings. You can lay down some great beads with stick welders as well and they definitely have a valid place, but for a guy that's just beginning, it's a lot easier to lay down a quality weld with a wire fed. Also, there are a lot of good books to gather data from- check out your library, or even at Lowes.

[BuB400]

I bought a Hobart 125 for around $300. Flux core wire and will weld up to 3/16" steel. 110volt. Real happy with it.

[One_Bad_400]

Originally posted by BuB400
I bought a Hobart 125 for around $300. Flux core wire and will weld up to 3/16" steel. 110volt. Real happy with it.

I have that EZ welder in one of my shops. Takes all the guess work out of it. Just turn the knob and throw down a bead. and it welds amazing for being a $300 flux core. I've got a MuscleMig and Lincoln 225 Stick welder.

If you are just playing around with steel, and not looking to get REAL technical with welding. the Hobart 125EZ Flux core is really impressive for $300. But if you are wanting to run aluminum, Tig is really the way to go, but its CON is it being more expensive having to deal with the Argon / Tungsten / rods and taking alot more skill then mig or Flux.



Another welder i recommend is the thermal arc 95s www.thermalarc95s.com

This welder is great for under $400. Can run Stick and Tig. I've ran a few beads on this thing and its great. Will peal slag on its own every time. I tried to lay down a chitty bead and the thing just keeps going.

But $$$$$$ is your main prombem.

You can get a welder from home depot for $200 or you could spend $28,000 on a Air Vantage 500. :D

[One_Bad_400]

but the best advice i can give you. is EVERY man (or woman, they actually make better welders) needs a welder. There is always something to fix or fun to build. i always have little projects going on. some stuff is really usefull, some stuff is cheesy. but its always a great feeling after you get dont welding something up and you hold it up to look at and show people.

[troyzstang]

Wow

Great responses from everyone.
I think I will look at this one

"Thermal arc 95s"

Seems like a nice all around unit. My garage is pretty user friendly ( When I can move in it) and this is about the only thing I don't have.

Thanks again

[250x_kyle]

the problems with the thrmal arc is that it is dc only wich puts aluminum tig welding out of the option, and it only has a 20% duty cycle

[One_Bad_400]

Originally posted by 250x_kyle
the problems with the thrmal arc is that it is dc only wich puts aluminum tig welding out of the option, and it only has a 20% duty cycle

Ya, that is one down fall is that it's not AC. but on the 20% duty cycle, its got a "over heat" cut off, We ran it for about 4 hours strait and never had a problem. If it wasnt a demo for us to play with, i probably wouldnt had ran it like that. Burnt up a $2000 plasma cutter a few years ago. Ran her till the cows came home. So now i'm a little nicer on my own equipment :D

[250x_kyle]

Originally posted by One_Bad_400
Ya, that is one down fall is that it's not AC. but on the 20% duty cycle, its got a "over heat" cut off, We ran it for about 4 hours strait and never had a problem. If it wasnt a demo for us to play with, i probably wouldnt had ran it like that. Burnt up a $2000 plasma cutter a few years ago. Ran her till the cows came home. So now i'm a little nicer on my own equipment :D

that and being a lift tig you have to strike an arc with it. wich in end could create some flaws when welding steel tubes.