A good budget priced welder?

PapaPerk · Aug 9, 2013

Hello, I'm interested in getting a welder for home use. I'm accustomed to using MIG at work. Have done stick and TIG as well.

I really like miller welders and basically what I have always used.

With that being said... What is your recommendation on a good quality, reliable welder at a low price for home use. 3/8" steel max is probably good guideline... 1/2" at most.

Thanks

Ken45101 · Aug 10, 2013

Well, I'm not sure that you will get anything for "low price" but I have a Miller 211MVP (mig) and a Miller Thunderbolt XL (stick) that are good units.

For really keeping the cost down, find a used Lincoln 225AC Tombstone welder on Craig's list. Sometimes you can find them as low as $75. They are supposed to be bulletproof and last forever.

adirondackmtnman · Aug 10, 2013

I bought a Hobart Handler 140(owned by miller's parent company) a year ago. Paired up with a tank and cart I have about $700 in it. Welds turn out pretty nice for a smaller unit, although it would be nice to have an infinitely variable heat setting rather than a detented, preset knob. That's the only gripe I have about it. For 1/2" steel you'd need to make a couple passes, but it can be done. It's compatible with a spool gun as well if you wish to do aluminum.

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gwdixon · Aug 10, 2013

If you are set on MIG then you know from working with it the initial costs are not cheap and require constant replenishing of the gas. Welding outdoors is an iffy situation as well. Dirty metal usually found on a farm is problematic.

If you'll "settle" for stick there is a lot of versatility available, including scratch-start TIG (but more expense for that feature). I went with an Everlast PowerArc 200 and had enough of a budget savings to get an Everlast PP 70 plasma cutter. Plus, you can get a discount by being a member of TBN with this company.

There are some Longevity machines available but I don't have experience with them.

If you are stuck on Miller/Hobart then prepare to pay for the name.

Shield Arc · Aug 10, 2013

I have the Everlast Power Arc 200 as well. Best arc I've seen for the money

. I have also run Longevity's Stickweld 250. Very nice machine, and has adjustable hot start and arc force:thumbsup:. It doesn't have the range as my Lincoln V350-Pro has, but doesn't cost 5-grand either!

muddstopper · Aug 10, 2013

I am not all that brand loyal, I own Lincoln and Miller and once owned a hobart. My miller is the 175mig and I use it for most everything. My old standby is a ac/dc lincoln tombstone stick. I prefer the ac/dc over just the ac tombstone because I dont like welding with ac. The ac/dc tombstone is perfectly capable of stickwelding pretty much anything I want to stick together. If want to get into serious welding I have a lincoln ideal arc 250/250 stick tig, but dont really need it for my hobby use. I bought it because of the tig capability and wanting to play with welding aluminum, and the fact I got a bargain in it.

I guess for a budget welder, the Ac/Dc tombstone would be my first choice, and actually was when I bought mine 30+ years ago. For mig, my old hobart was a 110v 125 amp machine that turned out to be to small, and I now have the 175 miller which is marginable when it comes to thicker material, but for angle iron and 1/4in wall tube it works just fine. I used my brothers 110v 135 amp lincoln and didnt like it either, again to small. If i was in the market for another mig, I would probably look for a 200+amp model, but thats just me.

ericher69 · Aug 10, 2013

PapaPerk said:
Hello, I'm interested in getting a welder for home use. I'm accustomed to using MIG at work. Have done stick and TIG as well.

I really like miller welders and basically what I have always used.

With that being said... What is your recommendation on a good quality, reliable welder at a low price for home use. 3/8" steel max is probably good guideline... 1/2" at most.

Thanks

What is your budget?

Everyone's interpretation of a low price is different!

I just sold my 220volt Lincoln SP170-T mig and with CO2 was rated at 3/8 single pass (although after using my 252 rated at 1/2" I think the smaller mig was probably inadequate for 3/8) Guy bought it for $500 no bottle

PapaPerk · Aug 10, 2013

ericher69 said:
What is your budget?

Everyone's interpretation of a low price is different!

I just sold my 220volt Lincoln SP170-T mig and with CO2 was rated at 3/8 single pass (although after using my 252 rated at 1/2" I think the smaller mig was probably inadequate for 3/8) Guy bought it for $500 no bottle

I'm thinking under $500.00. Is that too low for MIG machines? I may have to go with stick.

adirondackmtnman · Aug 10, 2013

You could buy a Hobart 125EZ for under 500. Can't hook up gas to it, and its a little harder IMO to see the puddle with flux core wire but it'll weld up dirtier metal better, and work outside in the wind better. You may end up spending more in the long run though as flux core wire runs about $10/lb. (At least around here) as opposed to about $3/lb. For solid wire. You may indeed be better off with a stick welder for economy's sake...less moving parts to worry about.

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wyeguy · Aug 10, 2013

I've been doing some looking recently and have a budget like yours. The Northern Tools MIG 135 was rated one of the 6 best by Popular Mechanics. I think its being replaced by their MIG 140I, which has better features & is spool gun ready. For my skill, use, and budget, $350 for this type of welder looks pretty good. Reviews look decent, too.

PapaPerk · Aug 10, 2013

Made in USA is important to me too! Is that asking too much? Lol

wyeguy · Aug 10, 2013

Missed that. Sorry.

BukitCase · Aug 10, 2013

If you want made in USA, best look for a used Miller dialarc or similar - the new Millers are apparently "assembled" in USA (from foreign parts), for the most part - and especially in your price range.

I've seen a couple of Dialarc's in CL recently, one went for $350, other was listed at $400. Woulda bought one of those, but I already have a 250 amp ac/dc by Solar (old enough it's still all copper), a 4 yr old Miller 252 (when they were supposedly still made in USA) with 30A spool gun, and an Everlast I-tig200T (200 amp DC tig, 160 amp stick with dig and hot start).

At least Everlast is honest enough NOT to put a big USA sticker on it with small print saying "assembled" - plus it's got a 5 year warrantee. Oh, and it weighs 22 pounds compared to about 90 for the Miller, and will run stick on my 8 kw genny 'way out in the field when I need it to.

We'll see how it goes; Tig is not an essential to me, so I was willing to chance it for 1/4 the cost of the same features in a Miller :confused2:

Not sure I'd survive tellin' the wife (as cool as she is) I was buying another welder at this time anyway

Absolutely nothing you could buy new at that price is gonna be made here any more - period.

Sorry, but that's just the way it's gotten... Steve

Arc weld · Aug 10, 2013

If you want new for under $500, go with a stick welder like an Everlast. Even a good used MIG will probably be over $500. If you want to weld up to 3/8" get a 220 machine.

Mark @ Everlast · Aug 10, 2013

We've got a 140 MIG under 500.00 now. I'm not sure on availability and can check. It is sort of a silent product until our new website gets put in. It's an inverter, and it's a new line of "economy" MIGs we have.

Scooby074 · Aug 10, 2013

3/8 to 1/2 is a little much for 120v migs. Yes Im sure someone will chime in and say how they welded up a nuke reactor with a 120v mig

.... But really more amps are better.

If USA is important and you have experience with Millers, no since reinventing the wheel here and have a look at millers machines. The MM252 will be a lifetime machine for you that will handle all you want. You'd have to increase your budget significantly though. THe 211 is considerably cheaper, but maxes out at 3/8.

What about stick. A Thunderbolt Ac/Dc is in your budget and can handle all your thinking of throwing at it.

Farmagain · Aug 10, 2013

I bought a cheap welder without realizing the duty cycle on the cheapies are low, like 5-15%. That means they will overheat and kick the breaker before you can burn one rod. I sold it at a loss and bought a used Lincoln tombstone at an auction. I've built a bumper for my tractor, even welded some 1/4" rods on 1" plate. It goes on and on....

BethelHntr · Aug 11, 2013

The miller 211 is a nice machine but doubles your budget. If you find a mig at least get one that runs on 220/240v, Way more heat for penetrating the bigger stuff you mentioned than the 120v class.

Arc weld · Aug 11, 2013

An Everlast inverter is a better machine than than AC/DC Thunderbolt and probably half the price and twice the duty cycle. Kind of a know brainer if you ask me.

Fordman1981 · Aug 11, 2013

PapaPerk said:
Hello, I'm interested in getting a welder for home use. I'm accustomed to using MIG at work. Have done stick and TIG as well.

I really like miller welders and basically what I have always used.

With that being said... What is your recommendation on a good quality, reliable welder at a low price for home use. 3/8" steel max is probably good guideline... 1/2" at most.

Thanks

Check out the miller multimatic 200. I bought one and love it I have been working on an aluminum project with it and am very impressed with it. They have went down in price since I bought mine too.