Mig Welding..

[crabjoe]

Guys,

I found a Lincoln Power Mig 180C from a private party for $400! At least it's suppose to be a Power Mig 180c, not Pro Mig 180, but I have my doubts because he said it was gotten from Lowes. It's suppose to be new in box and I was told he's selling it because he has no 220V access.

So the questions are, is there anything a smaller MIG welder can do that a 220V MIG welder can't?

For a price of $400, even if it's a Pro Mig, is there any reason to NOT jump on this deal?

Thanks!

 

[BigEddy]

There is nothing a smaller MIG can do that a larger Mig can't. I have a Lincoln 110V unit and upgraded to a Hobart HH210. My Lincoln has not been turned on since, even when I was doing 24 gauge. I would not recommend anyone who wants to weld anything more than bodywork buy a 110V unit, unless they just do not have 220V power available. The difference in price between the 110V and 220V units is miniscule compared to the difference in capability.

Get some training from your buddy. If he can teach you the principles of stick - then you will know enough to be able to teach yourself MIG. The principles are the same, even though the techniques are a bit different. Most important thing to learn is electrode positioning and manipulation.

I would highly recommend you take a look at the Hobart 187. It is the perfect size machine for what you are planning, and by all accounts is highly recommended. There have been some good deals available through TSC and others.

 

[Superduper]

I've noticed a lot of Lincoln 180c and 180hd's for sale through craigslist and all are supposed to be brand new, all around the $400 range. The fact that there are so many out there made me skeptical about them so I never gave them serious consideration because I wondered why there would be so many "new" Lincoln 180's out there purchased but never used -- doesn't make sense.

 

[bobodu]

Like has been mentioned,you can plug a 120 v. in anywhere. I wonder how many get run on a 15 amp household outlet?? You can run them off a generator if need be. Plus,they would be easier to pass off to the next guy down the road when you wind up getting a better welder.

 

[dbdartman]

In my experience, the only thing a small 120v MIG can do better than a 220v MIG is weld light gauge sheet metal (think: body shop). Welding 22g, 24g, 28g with a 220 machine is a challenge.

For welding farm implements, a 180 amp 220v machine is almost big enough to do most of what you'd want (if you're welding more than 5/26" thick, you'd better know what you're doing, or it'll likely come apart).

The opinions expressed are mine alone, learned from over 20 years as a weldor.

Attached is a pic of the spring seat & gussets I welded on a new Dana 60 rear (1/4" thick axle tubes, 3/16" thick seat & gussets) with a friend's TIG machine. He was watching the machine output gauge as I was welding & said I was running right around 220 amps.

 

[digicamnut]

The adds say that with flux wire you can weld up to 1/2" material with the pro mig 180. Just wondering how it works in the real world?

 

[Ford960]

Attached is a pic of the spring seat & gussets I welded on a new Dana 60 rear (1/4" thick axle tubes, 3/16" thick seat & gussets) with a friend's TIG machine. He was watching the machine output gauge as I was welding & said I was running right around 220 amps.

dbdartman,
Are you sure that your friend wasn't looking at the input voltage meter? If this was indeed 220 amps that's a lot of heat. I've done a lot of tig and looking at the picture makes me think that this was a mig solid wire w/gas weld.
The beads look nice but a close look at the picture zoomed in reveals porosity in the weld at the end of the saddle and the ends of the bracket are undercut, especially the top far end. The tan spots on the bottom weld also indicate mig.
What shielding gas were you using?
Please don't take my comments as negative, this weldment would probably out last the drivetrain.

Take Care,
F960

 

[AlanB]

I guess I like having the small machine, because of the practicality of having the small wire already spooled and ready to go.

While true that you can respool the big machine for the smaller wire, the practicality of changing liner and drive rolls and wire reel means I sure don't "want" to do it much, if at all.

 

[Ford960]

I guess I like having the small machine, because of the practicality of having the small wire already spooled and ready to go.

While true that you can respool the big machine for the smaller wire, the practicality of changing liner and drive rolls and wire reel means I sure don't "want" to do it much, if at all.

Another reason to like the ReadyWelder, the distance from th drive roller to the weld puddle is only 6-7", there's no need to change the liner, only the contactor tip. Wire change outs only take a few minutes to go from steel to aluminum and back...in fact the only thing is to make sure that the wire doesn't unwind from the spool while threading the bitter end through the gun.

And since the distance is so short after the drive roller, that means that I don't waste 10' or more of wire at the end of each roll.

The other day I found out that a .035 flux cored stainless steel wire was available in the 1# spool.

 

[gemini5362]

My 2 cents to the cooments that are showing up now.
1. The are pricey but miller makes a welder called a DVI Basically it will run off of 110vac or 220 vac. It comes with different plug adapters to go in different types of electrical outlets. You plug the correct adapter into whatever receptacle you have, plug the welder cable into the adapter and the welder will autoselect the correct voltage. It allows the benefits of a 110 volt welder or the ability of a 175 am (220 volt) heavier duty unit.

2. If you want to be able to change rolls quickly get a welder with a spool gun. Again they are pretty pricey but you can change to stainless or aluminum wire very quickly.