Which type of welder would be best for my needs?

[flusher]

I use a Hobart Stickmate LX AC/DC stick welder around my 10-acre place. About $400 at Tractor Supply. Needs 220V wall power. I'd advise against 110V units--usually have duty cycle limitations. I've never had my welder kick off when pushing it to higher duty cycle.

Start honing your welding skills with the easy rods (6013, 7014, 7024 in 1/8" size). Then when you get the hang of it start using 6011, 7018, which take a little more practice to use effectively. 6011 is a high arc force/deep penetration rod that used for initial root passes and can be used on dirty, rusted material. Use one of the other rods for capping the root passes.

Get yourself a decent auto-darkening helmet. Mine is a $50 unit from Northern Tool. Never been flashed while wearing that helmet.

Good luck and be careful out there.

 

[sdef]

One other thing, if you do not have a torch, I recomend it first.
It can cover most jobs, and is by far the most versitile tool since the hammer.
Cutting, brazing, soldering, bending, heat shrinking, removing stuck nuts, welding, gouging, weld removal, fixing cast iron ect
With a bit of practice, they can do some very nice welding too.

What other tool can go from cutting foot thick steel, to brazing very thin sheet metal, to welding 1/4" steel, with just the change of a tip?

I do have a small torch with the peanut bottles, but am certainly no proficient with it.

That is a beautiful tractor in your avatar.

 

[sdef]

I use a Hobart Stickmate LX AC/DC stick welder around my 10-acre place. About $400 at Tractor Supply. Needs 220V wall power. I'd advise against 110V units--usually have duty cycle limitations. I've never had my welder kick off when pushing it to higher duty cycle.

Start honing your welding skills with the easy rods (6013, 7014, 7024 in 1/8" size). Then when you get the hang of it start using 6011, 7018, which take a little more practice to use effectively. 6011 is a high arc force/deep penetration rod that used for initial root passes and can be used on dirty, rusted material. Use one of the other rods for capping the root passes.

Get yourself a decent auto-darkening helmet. Mine is a $50 unit from Northern Tool. Never been flashed while wearing that helmet.

Good luck and be careful out there.

Thanks for the advice, especially about the rods. I have been searching for this exact information.

 

[deereman75]

I do have a small torch with the peanut bottles, but am certainly no proficient with it.

That is a beautiful tractor in your avatar.

Thanks, I wish it was mine.... LOL
The closest thing I have is the old cockshutt/oliver my dad and I are going to restore for a winter project.
My dad grew up with one of those john deere 830s on the half section barley farm. They were responsible for quite a few tankers full of labatts beer over the years.... LOL

 

[sdef]

Just checked on stock on PA 200. New PA 200ST's will be here in 10-12 days. This will be an improved model with stick/tig function. Supposed to have greater arc force control, hot start etc. However, it will be rated at a lesser duty cycle of 35%. Not bad, but not like the old ones. BUT with that said, these units have had a lot more rigorous testing than previous models. Unit weight and design has been streamlined. Still will be 6010 capable and though I haven't tried one, I've been told it is better than the older units with 6010.

Because of the posters here, I have narrowed down my options to Everlast and Longevity, most likely in the 160 amp. - 200 amp. range. I like the idea of a TIG option with foot pedal, hot start, arc force control, etc., along with dual voltage if possible for the times when high amperage is not required and 110VAC may be handy. All of these items sound like they would make it easier for a newbie to learn and do a better welding job. Or maybe not. And realistically I think that 160 amps is all I would ever need. But what do I know at this point

 

[Shield Arc]

That is a really nice avatar/picture or whatever it is called in you signature box. Pretty cool.

That guy is not worth a **** as a weldor, you know how many years he's been trying to start that one rod? :laughing:

 

[sdef]

That guy is not worth a **** as a weldor, you know how many years he's been trying to start that one rod? :laughing:

Ha, ha, ha.

 

[sdef]

At this point, the Everlast PowerArc 160 STH looks like the best bang for my buck, but I have not made a purchasing decision.

 

[k0ua]

At this point, the Everlast PowerArc 160 STH looks like the best bang for my buck, but I have not made a purchasing decision.

Contact member, joshuabardwell send him a PM . He has one, see what he thinks. his link is below.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/members/joshuabardwell.html

 

[gwdixon]

If you are considering hardfacing implements or edges of components you might consider at least 200A in a stick welder. At least that has been my experience.

 

[Scooby074]

Stickmate/Miller Thunderbolt. Just about the perfect farm welder. Made in USA. All you see here on farms. Lincoln tombstones too.

 

[Lou66]

Hobart welder/generator is made my Miller in Ohio.. Just more on the lite side for home or farm use.. Had mine for over ten years and have never needed any work none to it.. other than the oil and filters,, air, oil and gas.. Lou

 

[Shield Arc]

At this point, the Everlast PowerArc 160 STH looks like the best bang for my buck, but I have not made a purchasing decision.

160-amps should be sufficient for the average guy here. Anytime you can get a foot pedal for Tig welding it makes it so much easier. Even though xray welds are made everyday with scratch start Tig rigs. FYI: Just because that is a DC only machine, if you ever need to you can go old school and weld aluminum with it. Here is an aluminum Tig weld I made with the Longevity Stickweld 250 and my Tig rig. If I would have had a foot pedal I could have controlled the heat! Notice how the weld is wider at the end? That is a result of no way to control the heat that builds up in aluminum, other than moving faster. With the foot pedal you can control this.

 

[sdef]

160-amps should be sufficient for the average guy here. Anytime you can get a foot pedal for Tig welding it makes it so much easier. Even though xray welds are made everyday with scratch start Tig rigs. FYI: Just because that is a DC only machine, if you ever need to you can go old school and weld aluminum with it. Here is an aluminum Tig weld I made with the Longevity Stickweld 250 and my Tig rig. If I would have had a foot pedal I could have controlled the heat! Notice how the weld is wider at the end? That is a result of no way to control the heat that builds up in aluminum, other than moving faster. With the foot pedal you can control this.

I do see that. It is nice to know that in an "emergency" I could do a bit of aluminum welding. Or well, at least try... I have made aluminum projects, such as a really nice, portable framework for a 50 watt solar panel and bolted/screwed them together with stainless hardware. Aluminum is expensive when one has to purchase small amounts at Lowes...

Up to this point I thought aluminum welding was only an option for AC machines. Even on the welding "how to" sites I have been to, they say one needs AC for aluminum.

I have made the decision for a TIG option and foot pedal, thanks to the posters here.

TBN posters have been very instrumental with increasing my bank's investment in tractor equipment, as I have significantly upgraded it all

 

[Shield Arc]

Tig welding aluminum on DC with 100% helium is how it originated, hence the name Heliarc.
One thing nice about Tig welding aluminum on DC with 100% helium is, you can pretty much cut your amps in half from using AC with 100% argon. There is a member over on Welding Web who goes by B_C. Bill is an amazing aluminum Tig weldor. He uses an argon helium mix with AC.
Sure Tig welding aluminum on AC with high frequency and argon is the way to go. Now a days with machines like the Dynasty series, they make it so easy even a hack like me can do OK on aluminum.

 

[killdozerd11]

B.C. Bill is real good shovelon Terry is great

I don't know bill personally but i know terry was over at his shop a week ago playing with the dynasty 700
Now that is a TIG machine...But handling that big 400 amp torch is a bugger to get used to ...it isn't your wp-17

 

[Shield Arc]

Terry was a huge help to Bill when he first got his Dynasty 350! Bill really struggled with it for quite sometime.

 

[weldermike]

Shieldarc, I just got my first inverter. Gonna play with her after work today! Yahoo! The first one showed up broke and I just got another yesterday. Only played with it a little bit and it got late on me,



but from what I see already me likey!!!!!!

 

[sdef]

Shieldarc, I just got my first inverter. Gonna play with her after work today! Yahoo! The first one showed up broke and I just got another yesterday. Only played with it a little bit and it got late on me,

View attachment 334697

but from what I see already me likey!!!!!!

The first Miller arrived broken? Really? I would hope the issue was a shipping problem and not a manufacturer's defect at this price level.

 

[Arc weld]

The Dynasty's were inverters and the Syncrowaves were conventional machines and now they have inverter Syncrowaves. What's up with that?