Wanna help me choose my first MIG welder

[ridehonda400ex]

I wanna get a MIG welder. However I want one thats both flux core and shielding gas capable. Im looking to stay under 500 dollars with it as i wont be welding sky-scrapers so nothing with outrageous power lol. Ive been looking at this:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00920569000P?prdNo=1&blockNo=1&blockType=G1


mostly since it can run on a standard 110v outlet and it does both flux core and shielded gas.

I just am worried as to the quality of craftsman welders. It looks like a nice machine and craftsman tools are good but ive only worked with lincoln electric and hobart welders before

[CJM]

Honestly Im sorry to say if you want to weld something and not have to buy another welder in a little while you want a 230v machine (the kind where you need a special plug to operate-actually your dryer uses the same kinda plug). Expect to spend closer to 800 as well.

Best model in this range that will take gas, use fluxcore and weld ANYTHING you could ever want is the hobart handler 187 http://www.hobartwelders.com/products/wirefeed/handler187/

The smaller welders are good for tinkering around, but once you want to weld some good stuff thats a bit thick they just dont have the juice to do it.

If you really think dont need such a welder and can live with something lesser then a hobart handler 140 is the best.

Miller is the absolute best of course, but very spendy. Ive used lincoln and craftsmens (usually made by someone else) and the quality is just ok.

[Ruby Soho]

i have a miller 140 at my house. i love it. i got it a few years ago it was alot more expensive then than it is now. im pretty sure they sell for 6-700 now. totally worth every penny.

the book says its maximum thickness its capable of welding is 3/16, but ive done 1/4" with it. you can also preheat metal and weld thicker. ive done 1" rebar with pre heating and it worked flawlessly. but the overall nice thing i like about the smaller welder is for at home, you can weld smaller and thinner metals. alot of around the house stuff.

another nice thing about the miller (not sure on other brands) you can hook up an argon tank and mig aluminum with a spool gun. ive done it a few times. its no tig but it works on larger pieces.

[ridehonda400ex]

Im mainly looking for something weld on the quad frames with. Im not sure how a smaller welder would handle quad frame tho. Ive been in this welding class for a couple months now and my teacher said that my welds look much better than most of the second year students. And Im suprisingly really good with an arc welder too. So Ive been looking at those also since they penetrate really well. I just love the ease of a MIG lol but arc welding isnt hard for me either..

[250x_kyle]

spend the dime one one now instead of doing it later. if your goign to be welding on quad frames you want something a little mroe adjustable then the craftsman. cjm posted up a good model home owners welder. my buddys dad has one we use building odds and end for trail runner jeep and works very well on .120 wall mild steel DOM tube.

[CJM]

An arc welder would be cheaper and penetrate very good but of course the welds dont look to pretty usually. Plus is with an arc you can weld even rusty dirty metal with the right rod.

If your set on a mig then like I said spend the coin now and not later. Me Id buy a miller or a hobart over much else. Ive always had very good luck with them and they are easy to adjust and dont break down usually. Cheaper welders-you get what you pay for imho. The problem with the cheaper ones is they are all 110v and dont usually penetrate enough without flux core wire. Ive used them plenty and they will get the job done-but they have thier limits.

If your dead set on a less expensive model try and find a used miller or hobart or even a lincoln. Might save you a few bucks. Like I said a 240v machine will weld dang near anything IF you have the plug for it, thats another cost you must figure in-if you gotta wire in that plug, but its worth it.

Bottom line is you can weld usually up to about 3/16 thick metal with a smaller machine, the larger machines will easily do 1/4 thick metal tho. i believe in the phrase-buy once, cry once. So spending now means later on you wont be spending more!

[HondaPohl]

X2 on the MIllermatic. I have the 140 with autoset. Works amazing. If you want better heat penatration run 92/8 argon mix. Welds nicer and get better heat. But mine was around 700 bones.

[quad2xtreme]

Originally posted by CJM
i believe in the phrase-buy once, cry once.

Never heard this phrase before but love it. I've practiced this philosophy as much as possible in life. Spending once on quality always provides the lower total cost of ownership!

[Ruby Soho]

Originally posted by HondaPohl
X2 on the MIllermatic. I have the 140 with autoset. Works amazing. If you want better heat penatration run 92/8 argon mix. Welds nicer and get better heat. But mine was around 700 bones.

same one i was talking about.

plenty to do quad frames.

stick welding is fine and dandy on big stuff, out in the field. but your going to want to mig/tig a quad frame. most tubing on a quad is so thin you'll have a harder time arc welding than mig.

[wilkin250r]

I'm not the best welder in the world, but I've found welding thinner metal like frames and stuff to be MUCH easier with a mig welder. I seem to keep burning through with a stick with even the thinnest rods I could find.

I've done some research on small MIG welders and looking at online forums and stuff. It seems a lot of people really prefer the Lincoln welders. They say for the larger welders, Miller is definitely #1, but for the smaller welders, Lincoln just has them figured out. They have better starting characteristics, and parts are easier to find because there are a LOT more Home Depot and Lowes hardware stores than there are dedicated welding supply stores. You can use solid or flux core, the 140 amp and lower are 110V, and they are capable of adding a spool gun and welding aluminum.

[FHKracingZ]

Originally posted by wilkin250r
I'm not the best welder in the world, but I've found welding thinner metal like frames and stuff to be MUCH easier with a mig welder. I seem to keep burning through with a stick with even the thinnest rods I could find.

I've done some research on small MIG welders and looking at online forums and stuff. It seems a lot of people really prefer the Lincoln welders. They say for the larger welders, Miller is definitely #1, but for the smaller welders, Lincoln just has them figured out. They have better starting characteristics, and parts are easier to find because there are a LOT more Home Depot and Lowes hardware stores than there are dedicated welding supply stores. You can use solid or flux core, the 140 amp and lower are 110V, and they are capable of adding a spool gun and welding aluminum.

Most of you guys are blowing smoke up this poor guys rear lol.

A Hobart welder is identical to a miller. Just different sticker. Miller owns Hobart. When you buy a Hobart welder the gun, and most of the internals even say miller on them.

If your looking to do frames stay away from arc or fluxcore as they burn hotter than a mig/tig and are harder to control. TIG is the only way in my opinion to do a frame correctly and look nice.

Even working in the welding field 99% of the time its the person behind the welder. And a little fyi, I would say 85% of pipeline welders use the vantage or even ranger line of generator welders from Lincoln.

Stick with a 110 (140max) welder. Its not worth the money and hassle of having a 220 put in unless your using it on a regular occasion. Plus its expensive to run a 220. You can watch your electric meter run extremely fast while drawing 220 when welding, kinda funny.

[CJM]

^ I kinda agree in this respect.

Im thinking of buying a welder Im gonna use often (and I do use mine) and I build all kinds of stuff where the 220 really shines.

For an ATV frame and small stuff a home depot lincoln would probably suffice for most. Me, Id outgrow it in a day.

[HondaPohl]

Hobart is to Toyota as MIller is to lexus. For the hobbiest, the Hobart is a great machine. For someone who is welding all the time and abusing the machine, go with the Miller. It is designed for more commerical, industrial apps. There are alot of similarities between the welders but there are some key differences. Hence the 250 dollar diff. In your case, the Hobart will be perfect.