Good homeowner welder?

[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).