Good homeowner welder?

[s219]

So I haven't welded since about 1992, but I think I can pick it back up pretty easily with some practice. Since getting a new tractor and trailer, I am seeing more and more instances where having a welder would be handy. I do have a good local welding shop that doesn't charge too much, but it can be a pain to bring them plans, materials, etc -- it would be easier to clamp stuff up in my garage and just get the job done in minutes. Even being able to tack stuff myself would really be a help.

I still have all my old tools -- clamps, gloves, mask, grinder, etc. The only piece missing is the welder.

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good basic welder for homeowner use? I looked at a small 115V Hobart wire feed MIG which seems like a decent unit, but it's limited (by power and wire size) to about 3/16" material. That would cover much of my use, but not the big stuff (though I could use it to tack the big stuff and then bring to the welding shop). I'd like to stay under $500. I don't have convenient 220V access in my current garage, so a 115V welder would be better. We are in the process of building a new place where I will have a nice workshop, and can wire that for 220V and upgrade to a bigger welder then if it's needed.

If I wanted to use a bigger welder at my current house, I'd have to run a line into the kitchen or laundry room and commandeer the stove or dryer hookup. Not sure my wife would dig that, but if anyone else has done something like that, let me know.

If the 115V welder isn't worth the trouble, that would also be good to know.

I'd appreciate any thoughts/advice you guys may have. Thanks.

 

[Soundguy]

I personally would not have a 115v welder as my ONLY welder.

I use a hobart 235AXL AC stick welder. It's beefy, and was cheap to purchase. It's priced just a hair less than a lincoln 225a tombstone and has a few benefits over the tombstone IMHO.. .. 1, a lil more amps on the top end.. ( no big deal ), and I like the infinite amperage adjustment lever, vs the pre-set switch positions.

I DO have a 115c stick welder to use 1/16 and 5/64 rod for detail or sheet metal work.. but any real welding gets done on the big stick.

for farm welding and fabrication.. it's done everything I've needed including large heavy weld repairs involving 3/4" material and large / heavy implements like a batwing mwer..e tc..

in practice, the lincoln tombstone ( still on sale at lowes and home depot for 285-299$ ) is just as good.


that's the opinion of a someone who is not a 'real' welder, and does not own 'real' welding equipment, as one of the pro welders here would (constantly) point out.

soundguy
soundguy

 

[deereman75]

Well I have a lincoln tombstone I got used, and it works good. It burns 6011 and 7018ac quite well. I have a longevity stickweld 250 dc stick welder in the mail to me now, it will be here tomorrow. They are about $450 (I got mine as a thoughtful donation from longevity). They have infinatly adjustable amperage, and adjustable arc force and hot start. I will try it out tomorrow with some 7018. If it works well, I would defenatly recomend it over a tombstone. The stepped amperage gets to be a real pain.

 

[s219]

Well, I first learned on a Lincoln arc welder, and can't say it ever let me down. So maybe I should just go for that type of unit (can't beat the price/capability) and work out 220V wiring.

 

[rcowan]

If you are going to weld and cut, then why not use Oxy/Acet?

From not a real welder.

RC

 

[crash325]

Go to your breaker panel and take a look. I should be easy to see how the drier is wired in. Most panels have space for more breakers and it is easy to wire in anther circuit.

If you are not comfortable doing that. Ask a qualified friend or hire someone, even that should not cost much.

I see good welders on Craig's list all the time, some almost new looking for under $200. There are some dreamers there asking new prices for old junk.

Can't go wrong with a Tombstone or Hobart. And if you ever upgrade it's easy to get your $ back.

Again from a non pro welder. I just goober things together.:laughing::laughing::thumbsup::thumbsup:

 

[Corm]

Here's one more vote for a 220v AC (or AC/DC) welder. Hard to beat their simplicity and reliability. My advice would be to stay away from a 110v welder if you are only going to have one machine. I have one (Lincoln SP125+), and it is great for sheet metal, but that's about it. Anything much thicker and it leads to a lot of frustration. You also have to deal with a very short duty cycle with one of those small machines.

Corm

 

[Canada_CT230]

I just got myself into the welding game. I purchased a Mastercraft AC 230 Amp welder (rebranded Century) for $75 off of Kijiji. Works great. It cost me about $125 for the wire to run 220V to the garage (50ft) and about $55 for a 50A breaker. I also had a length of conduit and the welder receptacle and those items were about $20. So all in all...I wired a 220V plug in the garage for $200.

My welder does not have 'stepped' Amp adjustment but infinite adjustment from 40 - 230 Amps.

That is my setup for $275. That is the price of a new Lincoln AC box.

 

[bearcreek paul]

You might want to look at the Everlast and longevity Welders on the forum.I have the Everlast Pa 140 it is duel voltage.I think Everlast or longevity has a 160 amp duel voltage coming out now with a 60 percent duty cycle.
You also can't go wrong with the old buzz box as mentioned. I have used mine for the last 30 years, just recently went high tech with the inverter and have no complaints so far.

 

[s219]

My house has 150A service. Of the 220V circuits, the dryer is 30A, stove is 40A, AC compressor is 45A. The breaker box is completely full (last time I added a 110V circuit, I had to use a skinny breaker -- that won't help me for 220V). My brother-in-law is an electrician, so I will see if he has any suggestions. But I am not so sure it's going to be feasible to work in another 220V circuit.

So the dual voltage units have some appeal, since I can grow with them into the next house where I will be sure to have a 220V welding circuit in my workshop. I will check them out.

 

[xrsrfn]

If you want to use your welder on 240vac and you do not have any extra slots look at either purchasing some double single pole breakers for your panel they replace a normal single pole with two breakers and only use one slot. It sounds as if you have a GE panel if you use a THICK breaker probably is a THQL breaker. The thin breaker you purchased was a THQP 20 or 15 depending on the ampacity. Look for a THQP2020 it will use one slot for two 120 volt circuits, you will need two of the 2020 breakers and then you can buy one THQP 220 for your welder on its own circuit. Your panel is probably large enough if you are worried don't dry clothes and weld at same time.

 

[Canada_CT230]

I had to put in a sub-panel for my basement development circuits. That freed up spots for a 50A breaker in the main panel. My service is 200A. I put a 50A breaker for the sub panel and have light loaded circuits in the sub...that is what the electrician recommended to do.

 

[JimRB]

I have a Hobart Handler 140 with a gas bottle. It does what I need. When I need to go bigger I end up going to my friend's welding shop. Of course if you are welding 1/4" and bigger all the time then of course the little 140 may disappoint.

That subpanel is a good idea if your house supply is big enough.

 

[flusher]

Surely you have 220V service to your house. Just get a line run to your workshop and get a 220V AC/DC stick welder. Mine is a Hobart LX Stickmate ($400 from Tractor Supply). Get 10 lb boxes of 6011, 7014 and 7018 rod (1/8" size) and practice on scrap steel until you recover your welding skills. Forget about 110V units--most are just toys with limited duty cycle capability.

Good luck.

 

[Soundguy]

one other thought.

if in need of a high capacity ( 180-200+ ) amp machine.. northern tools has a stick welder for a alarmingly low price of 149$.. I've not used one.. but assume their duty cycle onthe high end is low.. perhaps 5% or 10% at most. .. that said.. most times people aren't welding at max either.. i do most of my stuff at 90-110..

good luck.

PS.. someone else also mentioned O/A bottles.

while I don't gas weld ( do solder and braze ).. a set of O/A bottles.. even smaller ones like #2.. are nice to have to cut with... them and a 50$ HF chopsaw and you can do some goof farm fabrication. add inthe needed items like the 10$ grinders and what not

soundguy

 

[deereman75]

one other thought.

if in need of a high capacity ( 180-200+ ) amp machine.. northern tools has a stick welder for a alarmingly low price of 149$.. I've not used one.. but assume their duty cycle onthe high end is low.. perhaps 5% or 10% at most. .. that said.. most times people aren't welding at max either.. i do most of my stuff at 90-110..

good luck.

PS.. someone else also mentioned O/A bottles.

while I don't gas weld ( do solder and braze ).. a set of O/A bottles.. even smaller ones like #2.. are nice to have to cut with... them and a 50$ HF chopsaw and you can do some goof farm fabrication. add inthe needed items like the 10$ grinders and what not

soundguy

I would say avoid the northern welder like the black death. I saw one sold under a differnt label, and it was a pos. The leads were like 5 feet long, 12 gauge, and had the kind of stiff insulation you se on the wiring in your walls. The amperage adjustment would be impossible to get within 15 amps of what you want, seeing as the indicator is 1/4 inch wide, and there are 4 numbers on the scale. It has a 10% duty cycle at 180 amps. The ground clamp is what you see on dollar store jumper cables. The stinger looks like a toy. For the price of it, you could get a used tombstone, which although it is still a bit of a pain to weld with, at least it will last.

 

[Jamming]

I bought a Hobart 140 handler 5 years ago, it will do almost anything around the house upto 1/4" and thicker with a little time. Been a great welder for the money. It's a wire feed 120v 30 percent duty cycle, never had a shutdown from over use. I have welded over 600 feet of steel tube fencing and many other projects. Less than $500 :thumbsup:

 

[Soundguy]

I myself personally.. would go with a used tombstone.. i see them in the want adds as low as 50$ for the AC models.

I have a hobart stick.. similar to the tombstone lincolns.. etc. I like it.. does what I need.. and was perhaps just a lil mor ethan 1.5x the cost of the northern one.

I need to find someone who has one of the northern jobs.. just to see how it welds.

if it's leads are truly that bad.. I'd have to guess it's a PITA to get anything done with.

maybee that's why it is a cart style with wheels.. so you can roll it to within 5' of the work..

so.. fess up.. anyone here got one? honest opinion of it in use?

soundguy

 

[deereman75]

I myself personally.. would go with a used tombstone.. i see them in the want adds as low as 50$ for the AC models.

I have a hobart stick.. similar to the tombstone lincolns.. etc. I like it.. does what I need.. and was perhaps just a lil mor ethan 1.5x the cost of the northern one.

I need to find someone who has one of the northern jobs.. just to see how it welds.

if it's leads are truly that bad.. I'd have to guess it's a PITA to get anything done with.

maybee that's why it is a cart style with wheels.. so you can roll it to within 5' of the work..

so.. fess up.. anyone here got one? honest opinion of it in use?

soundguy

all my info just came from looking at one that looked identical to the northern one for a few mins at a tool store. This one was a unison brand, made in china. I bet it is the same one just in black.

 

[troutsqueezer]

Does anyone have a suggestion for a good basic welder for homeowner use?

I'd appreciate any thoughts/advice you guys may have. Thanks.

That particular question gets asked a lot, on here and on many other forums and there are always hundreds of different answers that run the full gamut. After a lot of reading, you'll probably go with your gut, which you would have gone with anyway had you not read all the replies.

Buy what you suspect will work for you. If it doesn't, sell it and buy something else. Choice of welders is always a very personal one, if you ask me (which you did).