Welders...

B4snake

B4snake

New Member
So I have a question about welders and I'm not really sure where to post it here so.. I just figured I'd try in the tool section.

So, a good friend of mine just gave me his old harbor freight welder.. its a 220v I believe 130a MIG/Flux Welder..

I didn't know it was a 220v till he gave it to me and I read the front of the machine. While my house doesn't currently have a dedicated 220v line, I can wire one in.

The question is.. Between all the cable, connectors, circuit breakers, I'm spending about $200... Is it worth it to go to 220v for a welder? I could pick up another harbor freight welder for about the same price but it'd be a 110v 110a welder. He said the welder served him well and he welded a bunch of projects with it, but just upgraded to a nice Miller unit.

I really don't need a welder all the time, maybe once a month.. So I can't really justify right now spending the money on a nice Lincoln welder. (Even though I want to)

Basically this is the question. Is welding with 220v a huge improvement over 110v? Is it worth the hassle? If I were to get a new 110v MIG welder, what would you recommend for around $200? (I know that's a crazy budget)
 
personally, I wouldnt recommend a welder at that price because it would only be able to hand very light materials and bad quality machine (if bought new).....but if you cam across a good deal on a used welder??
Investing in a 220V dedicated line would be were I would put my money because you could plug in more than a welder (as far as shop tools go) A welder that operates on 220V would be able to handle a heavier guage material and operate at a higher duty cycle (as far as I have been told). I have a TIG that works on 220 and has no problems welding thin to thick steel and aluminum.

But this is just my opinion

Do you have an electric clothes dryer?? if you do, that is 220V or an electric stove
 
I just went through this and have a 220v Lincoln 180. Chances are the welder you're being given is more than 130 amps if it's 220v.

I'd invest the money in 220 to your shop - can be handy for any number of things, and you're better off spending the money on a permanent improvement to your home (increases its value) than on a cheap Harbor Freight welder that you'll ultimately end up putting in a landfill when it dies.

Enjoy the free welder till it dies and then buy another 220.

Now, my opinion is worth as much as the air you're breathing - I've not yet used my welder. But given the choice, 220 is better than 110 and again, it's a better use of money to improve your house than spending it on a cheap welder when you have a free one sitting there.
 
I guess you guys have a point.. and the most expensive part of this is the 50ft extension cord I'd be making out of SJOOW cable to run the welder outside.. That I can always take with me anywhere..
 
If not now, in the future you are likely to need more power in your garage. Install a 60A or 100A sub-panel, then any power needs you have in the garage don't have to be wired from your main panel, just from the local sub-panel you installed. I know that I can blow a 20A circuit breaker just from running a belt sander with the shop vac as a dust collector simultaneously.

Don't spend money on a shitty welder. A 110V welder is very limited in the amount of power, and might require a 30A circuit, which you probably don't have either.
 
Basements are nice and warm and dry - better than a garage, if you can get your bikes out. My uncle dug a ramp and put a door into his basement - could ride bikes in and out.
 
I really want to put a ramp in.. But right now I have to navigate a flight of stairs. I've done it a bunch of times with my old 250cc dirt bike.. With the CB550 I took the engine out to make it easier. Once it gets to a certain stage though it goes outside and lives in my shed and I do work on it in there.

The only problem with the basement is that I'm tall and the ceiling is short.. :'(
 
Dont buy a harbor friehgt 110 welder haha. The welder you got being 220 is probably 100x better than any 110 welder and you will be able to do much more with it.
 
I'd be inclined to put the 220v in over buying another rig. I bit that bullet myself this past fall, but you're better off doing that and using the free HF welder, than buying a 110v.

I have the newer style 220/170A HF MIG/Flux and while I've used nicer hardware in the past, remember a large portion of the weld quality (or any craftsmanship) is the user's skills with the tools he has. I've seen guys with more money than brains lay sloppy welds with really nice machinery, and seen cheapo welders put down a nice bead with a good user behind the gun. (Don't look at mine...they might be strong, but pretty they are usually not)

Regardless, you wont be able to run a nice Lincoln/Hobart/etc in the future if you don't do the 220v, so might as well do that now since you've got a free rig in the mean time.
 
BLSully said:
a large portion of the weld quality (or any craftsmanship) is the user's skills with the tools he has. I've seen guys with more money than brains lay sloppy welds with really nice machinery, and seen cheapo welders put down a nice bead with a good user behind the gun.
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Eh, I wish I could say I was good with welders, but I'm not.. the next question I have is flux core or MIG? Again, not going to use it very often.. Is it worth it to go with gas?
 
Flux core is filthy. Almost as bad as stick welding for splatter and smoke. MIG is much cleaner to work with, but if you are outside and it is windy, it doesn't work. If you are running a cord outside, flux core is OK, but if you are planning to do any welding at all in your basement, using the gas is mandatory.
 
Any one know if a 140 A, 120 V mig welder would be good enough for welding in a rear loop for a new seat or would a heavier duty welder be needed? Im currently renting so adding in 220 isnt a possibility and I'd rather do it myself rather than pay a shop to weld it up.
 
MechNewb said:
Any one know if a 140 A, 120 V mig welder would be good enough for welding in a rear loop for a new seat or would a heavier duty welder be needed? Im currently renting so adding in 220 isnt a possibility and I'd rather do it myself rather than pay a shop to weld it up.
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Welcome to the site!

i dont wanna be a bitch... but:

I would recomend to bring it to a shop. If you're asking this, i assume you dont know much about welding. I could be wrong so excuse in that case ;) In short, its not a technique learned overnight and to me, a hoop needs to be rigid. pay some cash to get it done right. if you have the hoop and get it mig welded, they'd robb you if they asked more then 50.
 
MechNewb said:
Any one know if a 140 A, 120 V mig welder would be good enough for welding in a rear loop for a new seat or would a heavier duty welder be needed? Im currently renting so adding in 220 isnt a possibility and I'd rather do it myself rather than pay a shop to weld it up.
Click to expand...

After you read Berts response,
hah the answer to your question is yes, a 110V mig would do just fine. You just have to take your time and be proficient with your machine. I do a lot with a lowly 110 mig. a lot.
 
SONICJK said:
After you read Berts response,
hah the answer to your question is yes, a 110V mig would do just fine. You just have to take your time and be proficient with your machine. I do a lot with a lowly 110 mig. a lot.
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hehe... here in holland we have 220 standard and 380 optional so i really did not know the answer. i just wanted to be a wiseass hahaahah
 
Bert Jan said:
Welcome to the site!

i dont wanna be a bitch... but:

I would recomend to bring it to a shop. If you're asking this, i assume you dont know much about welding. I could be wrong so excuse in that case ;) In short, its not a technique learned overnight and to me, a hoop needs to be rigid. pay some cash to get it done right. if you have the hoop and get it mig welded, they'd robb you if they asked more then 50.
Click to expand...

Thanks. I have welded before but definitely not an expet. My plan was to get one, practice some more etc and then weld the rear loop on etc. Im not very familiar witht the machines as Ive always used other peoples.
 
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