First welder advice

[rsallen]

That's another thing I've learned since starting to play with welding.
I only play, and if I have to have something that really counts.....it goes to someone that knows what they're doing.

I can get by.
But if it counts..............

Welding isn't a trade all it's own because of equipment cost. It's because there's a lot to know.

 

[tkappeler]

Welding isn't a trade all it's own because of equipment cost. It's because there's a lot to know.

Point taken.

 

[rsallen]

I don't know Shield Arc, it seems to me that the common problems you attribute to mig weld systems are just as endemic to stick units. You're really talking about operator faults and not equipment problems.
But I do agree that stick units are much more adaptable enre to different materials content and size.

 

[k0ua]

Because your right back to chipping slag. At least I think you would be. I've never tried it for that reason. I was trying to get away from chipping slag, so the MIG was perfect for me. TIG I understand is more like soldering. Heat in one hand and a stick in the other. Being in Ham Radio, I solder a lot, but for what I do with a Welder, the MIG works better for me.

Sort of like soldering but more like welding with an oxy-ace torch than anything. But of course you are melting the parent metal as well as the filler

 

[dlc2305]

I have a small Miller 140 MIG welder with a low cycle time that I have yet to max out more than a couple of times. Welding attachments for my JD 2305 and JD 317 has been the main jobs so far. Highly recommend the machine and setting-up with inert gas shield rather than flux core. Flux core requires reverse polarity that has less penetration and more difficult to weld. Little or no clean-up required with gas shield. Practice, practice, practice before starting projects; things will go much smoother. You could also do a Community College course and practice all types of welding before you purchase.

 

[edkemper]

That is my plan. The local Tech college offers a welding for dummies class to get one started and give us a chance to try different kinds of welding.

Forget cost for a moment, I'd like to buy the onboard welder Premier) for my truck so my welder and 120 plug are with me everywhere I go on my farm/ranch. Fencing or repairing equipment, my truck is with me.

 

[brin]

I have a small Miller 140 MIG welder with a low cycle time that I have yet to max out more than a couple of times. Welding attachments for my JD 2305 and JD 317 has been the main jobs so far. Highly recommend the machine and setting-up with inert gas shield rather than flux core. Flux core requires reverse polarity that has less penetration and more difficult to weld. Little or no clean-up required with gas shield. Practice, practice, practice before starting projects; things will go much smoother. You could also do a Community College course and practice all types of welding before you purchase.

Yes, I agree and I have a Clarke Mig 135 but I use primarily flux core for farm repairs...I get more penetration with flux core than gas not less

 

[MH8675309]

Mig is easier to learn. Stick on the other hand is better for rusty steel - mig wire will often roll off rusty steel since it is harder to get a ground with. If you know how to stick weld you can probably handle just about any other type of welding since it takes practice and eye to hand coordination. If mig is all you're able to do its similar to only being able to drive a vehicle with an automatic transmission. I ran miles of mig wire years ago when I was at the shop but now just have an AC/DC stick welder and it is more than sufficient. Just my opinion though,,

 

[Shield Arc]

Because your right back to chipping slag. At least I think you would be. I've never tried it for that reason.

That is very true with dual shield. And a lot of the gas-less fluxcore as well. Here is some NR-212 I ran, all the slag and splatter came right off with a wire wheel on a 4-inch grinder.

I don't know Shield Arc, it seems to me that the common problems you attribute to mig weld systems are just as endemic to stick units. You're really talking about operator faults and not equipment problems.

Don't get me wrong rsallen! I'm all for Mig / wire feeders. In the 70s I worked in a fab shop building nuclear waste tanks. The NRC required we retest on all processes every 3-months. Only one time I failed a 1-inch V-butt side bend test. It was vertical up with Mig. Reason I failed, I ran it too cold. What was really embarrassing, we had just got a new contract, and company was hiring more welders. The NRC inspector was over seeing the testing. Must have been 8 or 9 guys testing that morning. The inspector was busting guys out on looks alone. But he would bring them by me, and show them my test plates. Then he would say when your welds look like this come back and test again. Being as I worked there the inspector let me prep the plates, but only he was allowed to run the bender. You should have seen the look on his face when my coupons failed!:laughing:

 

[Arc weld]

I don't know Shield Arc, it seems to me that the common problems you attribute to mig weld systems are just as endemic to stick units. You're really talking about operator faults and not equipment problems.
But I do agree that stick units are much more adaptable enre to different materials content and size.

Lincoln is/was the largest welding equipment manufacturer in the world. They were VERY late to get on board with MIG welding, that's why they were pioneers in self shielded flux-core (Innershield). They wanted to try and turn stick electrodes inside out so they could be put on a continuous roll like MIG or sub-arc. The reason they were so late to get on the MIG band wagon was primarily because of cold lap. James Lincoln hated the fact that a weld could look almost perfect but basically just be sitting on the plate with little strength. With stick welding, you can generally tell by looking if you have decent fusion. Flux-core has so many different versions, it can be hard to know what someone is talking about just by saying flux-core. I will say the slag on flux-core generally comes off really easy. If you want the high deposition and penetration of flux-core with no slag to chip like MIG, you could always run metal-core wire. Are you confused yet?:confused3: