Time to buy a welder... i need advice

J

JRK5892

Over 1,000 Posts
well i am determined to teach myself to weld! i have a bunch of buddies that do it so i know i can get some lessons. i think it is pathetic that i do not weld and i am sick of it... i just stated to look at welders and i have no idea what the hell i am doing... anyone sugest something i should get?
i need a good all around welder
MIG, TIG, Arc?
 
depends on what you're doing...

arc is limited really to fairly messy structural welding on steel, lots of spatter and hard to control

mig is limited generally to steel or stainless unless you get some specialized add ons, which still aren't that easy to use, good welds on steel and stainless, and easy to learn, good for production

tig is best overall for precision welding, can weld on any weldable metal with the appropriate ac/dc welder unit, don't need add ons, excellent welds on any material that the welder has the power for... drawbacks are cost and difficult to master

torch - a little old school, but can be used on any weldable metal, a little dirty for a shop or garage, benefits are good welds, can be used for welding or cutting with the appropriate head, drawbacks are hard to learn, different torch heads required for different size material, will soot up your workshop without good ventilation, and you're buying a lot of expensive gas

I saved my pennies long enough to buy the best mid range tig I could find, the miller synchrowave 200, cost was about $2500 with the tank cart and regulator, worth every penny if you ask me though, if I could have afforded it, I would have bought the dynasty on account of its ability to weld aluminum with a much tighter weld and maintain the point of the tungsten
 
Like was said above it deends on what you want to do. I built an LSR sidecar and I welded the frame using a 220v arc welder. It can be a little messy but can produce good solid welds. It takes a little while to learn to strike an arc. I also have a small 110v mig that I use with cored wire. Its pretty messy and I wouldn't use it if I was bettingmy balls on it. I use it for non-structural welds, small tabs etc.

If I were starting out I would go with a good 220v. mig. Preferably with gas. Much cleaner welds and I feel better penetration. Its also sort of idiot proof when it comes to starting. Ultimately tig is the best bet but again as said its difficult to master and initial cost is quite high.

I've very little experience with gas other than brazing. I've seen guys do beautiful welds with gas but I was never one of them. :)
 
i was thinking the same thing JRK. i really want to learn, although i won't ever be doing it for much more than hobby work. i was toying with the idea of building a stick/arc welder from microwave transformers. I think someone might have even posted this in the $50 mod thread. my reasoning is, A. i just want to learn for now. B. it would probably allow me to make some ugly custom exhaust pipes that i can wrap. C. its cheap.

i might be wasting my time, maybe i watched too much of the Red Green Show...
 
Welding thin wall metal like exhaust pipes is not easy. And I would think it would be downright difficult with a stick. Don't know about a $50 microwave stick welder but it doesn't sound like the ideal tool for learning. If you want to weld pipes and not have to wrap them go with a decent mig. Even if you wrap them a mig will be a much better bet. A mig outfit will make you fll like a welder right from the start.
 
I am looking to spend around 3 - 400 on it... i would perfer to not use gas, something that i can plug in would be ideal... i have amazing welding equiptment at my disposal but it is about an hour away... i am looking for something i can use in the shop basicly as an all around. If i need to weld any frames or something like that i would have my buddies do it... i knw i would not trust MY welding on anything i am going to be sitting on?! ha ha ha
 
Hoofhearted said:
Welding thin wall metal like exhaust pipes is not easy. And I would think it would be downright difficult with a stick. Don't know about a $50 microwave stick welder but it doesn't sound like the ideal tool for learning. If you want to weld pipes and not have to wrap them go with a decent mig. Even if you wrap them a mig will be a much better bet. A mig outfit will make you fll like a welder right from the start.
Click to expand...

thanks for the advice. if i can get the gatekeeper to let me spend the money, this is probably the way to go. so a decent mig is 220v? any other specs we should look for?
 
go with the miller 135 then, it will do good on mild steel good on stainless and it's got a good power supply that can efficiently work with 110v and still give you a good duty cycle
 
what about this guy? it's closer to JRK's price range
http://www.weldingmart.com/Qstore/p003822.htm
sp140t_lg.gif
 
+1 on the miller. If I were you I'd look into saving an extra $100 and get a gas capable rig. Hobart (made by miller) makes a Handler 140. It's 110v gas capable, but will do flux core (gasless mig), and will weld up to 1/4" plate. I say get gas capable because gas makes a super pretty weld while flux is pretty messy. But you can pick up something like this for less than $500. I use a Hobart, a bigger one, but is amazing. Stick to a name brand in this case...it's worth not having the headache. Lincoln, miller, hobart....I think you're learning to do one of the most useful trades you possibly can!
 
As everyone has said, you are better off staying with a Miller, Lincoln, Hobart etc.

As for type of welder...I would try and find (actually looking myself) a 110V MIG unless you have 220v in your garage. Mig is going to be alot cleaner than Arc, especially if you get a gas backed welder. I highly recommend this. It will make life easier and produce a cleaner weld. MIG welding is an easy art to learn.


If you are wanting to weld thin materials then you will need to go with TIG but I would suggest learning MIG first. There are alot more variables and skill needed for TIG.
 
Wanna keep it DIY? You can build a welder out of two old microwaves:

http://www.instructables.com/id/Build-a-Microwave-Transformer-Homemade-Welder/
 
rockcitycafe said:
depends on what you're doing...

arc is limited really to fairly messy structural welding on steel, lots of spatter and hard to control

mig is limited generally to steel or stainless unless you get some specialized add ons, which still aren't that easy to use, good welds on steel and stainless, and easy to learn, good for production

tig is best overall for precision welding, can weld on any weldable metal with the appropriate ac/dc welder unit, don't need add ons, excellent welds on any material that the welder has the power for... drawbacks are cost and difficult to master

torch - a little old school, but can be used on any weldable metal, a little dirty for a shop or garage, benefits are good welds, can be used for welding or cutting with the appropriate head, drawbacks are hard to learn, different torch heads required for different size material, will soot up your workshop without good ventilation, and you're buying a lot of expensive gas

I saved my pennies long enough to buy the best mid range tig I could find, the miller synchrowave 200, cost was about $2500 with the tank cart and regulator, worth every penny if you ask me though, if I could have afforded it, I would have bought the dynasty on account of its ability to weld aluminum with a much tighter weld and maintain the point of the tungsten
Click to expand...

RocCity is right. Save a bit and just buy a 220v inverter TIG--preferably with pulse. I've done everything except gas welding, and I always prefer the TIG. A few years ago, I cheaped out and bought a decent MIG machine, and I've regretted it since. That money could have been used for the machine I have now. In a place like Chicago, look around for some used machines that are still under warranty.

Roc's also right in that it's difficult to learn TIG. But if you're starting from ground zero, that shouldn't make a difference. Hell, my 13 year old picked up TIG pretty easily, but she was scared of the MIG.

One other thing, get a 5 sensor helmet. I have a three sensor and it constantly pisses me off.

--Chris
 
Hey JRK,

Check this one out:
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-Clarke-140EN-Mig-Fluxcore-Welder-110V-Gas-No-Gas_W0QQitemZ290360296029QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Welders?hash=item439ad2825d

I'm thinking about buying that one or the fluxcore only, which is only $145 plus shipping. I read Clarke is a good brand and that their welder will last a lifetime, it's just that the company is out of business so I'm not sure about the warranty. I guess it's "risky" but it's perfect for me because I'm only going to do small jobs here and there.
 
Joe,

I'm going to throw in with Chrisf and RocCity on welders. TIG is preferable and for anyone interested in quality as I know you are, you won't go wrong. I still use my 110v MIG with gas, and it's good for welding steel and has served me well BUT I'm still saving up for the 220v TIG which I know I'll use a lot more. You'll hate yourself if you go the low cost way and get a flux core MIG!

I've taken two adult education welding classes at the local tech high school, some of the best money I've ever spent. If you want to learn, take a class that offers plenty of hands on time. Classes usually run about $150-$200, eight weeks, three nights a week.

WARNING: Welding is highly addictive, you'll be looking for projects all the time once you learn how much fun it is!!!

Scott
 
I still weld everything with my Lincoln Tombstone ARC welder. Time and patience and lots of practice and you can weld anything you want to with it. Plus the cost is low.
 
When it comes to welding equipment, I highly recommend you do not buy on price--especially if you're turning out customer product. A beneficial question to as is this: Please post a picture of your weld and the type/brand machine used to produce it. You'll be able to narrow it down quickly from there.

This is a TIG weld on 18ga 304 stainless. The machine is an ESAB Heli-Arc 160 (inverer). That a fusion weld with no filler.
5.jpg


--Chris
 
Joe, I really think it depends on what you want to do. If you want to build gas tanks, custom exhaust, ect Id agree with these guys, save up and buy a tig setup. But you saw my frame, some of the welds arent all that pretty, but some actually look pretty damn good. That was all done with a bottom of the line fluxcore lincoln. I did also weld my seat with the same welder which is 18ga metal, however I absolutely do not reccomend this. I made it work, but part of me making it work includes bondo. So this is something that I would never ever think about selling to a customer.

So pretty much from a hobby stand point Id go for a 110v (unless you have a 220 source available) gas/flux capable mig. But if you have plans to produce stuff to sell or to work on customers bikes Id probably save up for a tig setup and like sky said, definitely get enrolled in a welding course. I was actually going to do one this fall but I never got around to it, you should check out oakton community college, they offer one through my old high school. Its only a few hundo and trust me this shop is sweet. Its an absolute mess, but its pretty well equipied: 5+ full sized lathes, several drill presses, foot operated metal sheers, jig saws, sand blaster, mig, tig, plasma cutter (with 2d cnc table) ect. ect...
 
chrisf said:
A beneficial question to as is this: Please post a picture of your weld and the type/brand machine used to produce it. You'll be able to narrow it down quickly from there.

--Chris
Click to expand...

i think this is a brilliant idea. although skill of the technician/artist comes into play. i'd love to see lots of examples of welds connected to different equipment and DTT'ers

oh and chris, that weld is hot
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

DTT Light or Dark

  • DTT Light
    • www.jadusmotorcycleparts.com
    www.lostapostle.ca/
    www.sparckmoto.com

    Spread the Love

    Back
    Top Bottom