New inexpensive trimode welder

[daugen]

As a relevant aside, under what conditions would I need a stick welder?
Burning through the paint on my trailer so I could get to metal, instead of properly preparing the surface? which I know how to do.
Burning extra thick material which I likely won't be using or be able to pick up?

Can I ditch stick?

Some rods were finicky, discussions on what rods to use were some of my favorite discussions on this site.
Not that I remember much of it...so likely a good idea I start over as MIG newbie.
But if it costs 1500 bucks to get into the US game, well I'm sorry. Not going to happen.

well now this looks interesting if I really can ditch stick:

MIG180 180-Amp MIG Welder With Spool Gun

The MIG180 mig welder includes upgraded Tweco 100 Style torch and American style connection. Order online today from PrimeWeld to get free shipping.

primeweld.com

says made in USA, 550 entry point. Not bad. Costs twice as much as imported because we pay our people better. I'm ok with that.
lots of 300 dollar alternatives on Amazon, keeping in mind California's good experience. I've bought lots of HF stuff too, not usually what I would ever consider "good tools".
But if I need three different phillips head screwdrivers, they all don't have to be the good stuff. My favorite tool, the most used one, now I just might spend little more on that.

I owned a Radio Shack for five years. Pretty familiar with basic electronics. Welders are not rocket science.
If I can get an inexpensive, relatively, MIG welder from a major US brand, that's going to be my first choice.
US service center. I'm told Miller, Hobart and one other make a lot of their equipment here.
I think my needs are best served by one of the major name rebranded but supported imports.

But yes I will look at Everlast also.

My budget is 500 but I need to save room for helmet, gloves, etc. I had a nice welding stand before, HF, worked fine.

 

[2manyrocks]

"The MIG180 comes with upgraded Tweco 100 Style torch Made in the USA..."

Interesting that it says it also comes with an aluminum spool gun in addition to the regular torch.

I have the primeweld Cut50 plasma cutter and it seems solid to me so far. It was very well packed for shipping.

 

[5030]

Defiantly not USA made and a bit over your $400 limit;

TITANIUM​

MIG 170™ Professional Welder with 120/240V Input​

The TITANIUM MIG 170™ Professional Welder is a versatile MIG/Flux-core welder that works with or without shielding gas

$569.99


And the triple + your budget a multi purpose 120/240 unit;
View attachment 751085

The HF unit lacks the beans for me, I do spray transfer MIG 95 % of the time which requires a minimum off 200 amps at the torch.

I also have a Hobart 190 MIG and it's a nice machine. Had it at least 10 years and ran miles of wire through it with 0 issues. Wide open it's borderline spray transfer but it will do it. Nice thing about the Hobart is the consumables (tips and shields) are available at any Tractor Supply. I use INE wire in it in 10 pound spools.

400 bucks won't get you much welder today and it will be offshore made.

 

[alexpops]

As a relevant aside, under what conditions would I need a stick welder?
Burning through the paint on my trailer so I could get to metal, instead of properly preparing the surface? which I know how to do.
Burning extra thick material which I likely won't be using or be able to pick up?

Can I ditch stick?

What do you want to use the welder for? Fab work or sheet metal repairs (body panel patches)? Inside? using new steel or pieces you can easily clean up? MIG should be all you need & you'll have less spatter & no slag (but you'll want 023 wire tips & sleeve for sheet metal). Fab work or thicker repairs (need more penetration) Outside in wind? Fluxcore or Stick unless you can rig a wind shield to keep the gas where you want it -- spatter & slag will need cleaning & you'll need to change the polarity if changing to fluxcore. Repairing dirty/oily/rusty equipment outside in wind while under the vehicle in mud? Stick & I'll deal with the slag when I get it back indoors and change into dry clothes. Up to you, but I like having the "right" tool for the specific job I'm attempting. PS If you need 6010 for a specific job like gap filling, make sure the inverter machine will handle it. A lot of the cheap inverter machines won't. Finally ... did you like stick welding? I actually prefer it to MIG unless the feed rate and power are dialed in perfect. I can see the puddle with stick better as well. YMMV

Some rods were finicky,

Cheap rod oven will keep your 7018's in good enough shape & dessicant/sealed containers for the rest unless they need to be "refreshed".

Cheapest Amazon I could find with a quick search.

www.amazon.com/Electrode-Ovens-110-Analog-Thermostat/dp/B01HVP80LW/ref=psdc_13400511_t2_B086WLFLNB

Electrode Ovens, 10 lb, 110 V, Analog Thermostat​

Brand: BEST WELDS
4.7 out of 5 stars 26 ratings


-5% $74.52$74.52
Was: $78.30$78.30

› See more product details
and

www.amazon.com/Forney-93097-Storage-Container-8-Inch/dp/B000NPGQ4Q/ref=psdc_13400511_t2_B01HVP80LW

Forney 93097 Rod Storage Container, 14-3/8-Inch, Red​

Visit the Forney Store
4.8 out of 5 stars 343 ratings

Amazon'sChoicein Arc Welding Rods by Forney

-19% $13.99$13.99
List Price: $17.20$17.20




One-Day

& FREE Returns
Made of high impact polypropylene plastic

• 14 3/8-Inch overall length
• Includes four internal compartments to separate rod
• Screw type cap with rubber o ring provide clean, dry, air-tight storage for electrodes
• Store up to 10 pounds

 

[5030]

Heck, I use an old toaster oven to dry my rod. You can pick them up cheap.

 

[DGZRT]

As a relevant aside, under what conditions would I need a stick welder?
Burning through the paint on my trailer so I could get to metal, instead of properly preparing the surface? which I know how to do.
Burning extra thick material which I likely won't be using or be able to pick up?

Can I ditch stick?

Some rods were finicky, discussions on what rods to use were some of my favorite discussions on this site.
Not that I remember much of it...so likely a good idea I start over as MIG newbie.
But if it costs 1500 bucks to get into the US game, well I'm sorry. Not going to happen.

well now this looks interesting if I really can ditch stick:

MIG180 180-Amp MIG Welder With Spool Gun

The MIG180 mig welder includes upgraded Tweco 100 Style torch and American style connection. Order online today from PrimeWeld to get free shipping.

primeweld.com

says made in USA, 550 entry point. Not bad. Costs twice as much as imported because we pay our people better. I'm ok with that.
lots of 300 dollar alternatives on Amazon, keeping in mind California's good experience. I've bought lots of HF stuff too, not usually what I would ever consider "good tools".
But if I need three different phillips head screwdrivers, they all don't have to be the good stuff. My favorite tool, the most used one, now I just might spend little more on that.

I owned a Radio Shack for five years. Pretty familiar with basic electronics. Welders are not rocket science.
If I can get an inexpensive, relatively, MIG welder from a major US brand, that's going to be my first choice.
US service center. I'm told Miller, Hobart and one other make a lot of their equipment here.
I think my needs are best served by one of the major name rebranded but supported imports.

But yes I will look at Everlast also.

My budget is 500 but I need to save room for helmet, gloves, etc. I had a nice welding stand before, HF, worked fine.

This is the unit I'm going to order. Seems to be rated really high and the Spool gun would be nice .

 

[alexpops]

Good luck. Let us know how it works for you.

 

[2manyrocks]

As I recall, my Hobart 187 mig welder was around $600ish years ago, and the spool gun for it was going to be another $200? I didn't buy the spool gun because I rarely weld aluminum.

Being able to get a 180 mig with this many positive reviews for $550 today including a spool gun looks like a pretty solid deal.

 

[5030]

From experience, the only 'spool gun' worth any beans is a 'push-pull' spool gun and I don't believe the included one is that. I don't have one. If I need to weld aluminum, I use my TIG and appropriate filler rod.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Yes there is. It's a new unit called the PowerMTS 141Si. But it has HF start capability and a foot pedal option. More advanced and better warranty. Built-in gas solenoid for TIG. Even Separate gas inlets for mig and tig. In stock. Give me a call. https://www.everlastgenerators.com/product/mig/powermts-141si

 

[daugen]

Mark, thank you. That looks like a very nice unit and well out of my price range.
My understanding is the primary use for TIG is aluminum. Please correct that if needed.
Since I have zero desire to weld in aluminum, perhaps I should have asked about the best inexpensive dual mode, meaning
stick and MIG. Why pay for TIG if I'm never going to use it.

spool feeder sounds good but not if heavy or clumsy. Stick is pretty simple.

I'm sorry I don't know enough to ask good questions here.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Tig is used a lot in stainless and in steel, depending on what you are doing. Excellent for body repair on thin sheets on cars.

You might just want to look at the Cyclone 140E or 200E if MIG is all you need.

https://www.everlastgenerators.com/product/mig/cyclone-140e

 

[panamaguy]

I previously had an Everlast stick/? that I was very happy with, never got beyond stick.
Farm sold, only need light duty but would like flexibility.
With a 400 dollar budget, what else should I be looking at?
No aluminum. Want something easier and less skill demanding than rods. Which I barely mastered.
Ready for new machine and different way of welding steel.

may I assume I want something with a spool of wire inside?

Is there an Everlast equivalent to this:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078V852S2?tag=waterwelders-20&th=1&psc=1&geniuslink=true

I remember buying welding rods these folks made
thanks Drew

It's real easy if you were happy with your Everlast go get a Everlast mig. I am also very happy with my Everlast Mig and TIG welders Now retired welder my whole life. Second you will not find any made in America welder (Lincoln, Miller Hobart) etc for under about $3000. They can not compete with offshore so they get their less expensive stuff built offshore

 

[2manyrocks]

Mark, thank you. That looks like a very nice unit and well out of my price range.
My understanding is the primary use for TIG is aluminum. Please correct that if needed.
Since I have zero desire to weld in aluminum, perhaps I should have asked about the best inexpensive dual mode, meaning
stick and MIG. Why pay for TIG if I'm never going to use it.

spool feeder sounds good but not if heavy or clumsy. Stick is pretty simple.

I'm sorry I don't know enough to ask good questions here.

Very generally....

Tig will finely weld aluminum, but requires more skill as a welder. I would describe Tig as precision welding of materials that are very difficult to successfully weld with other methods.

Mig is thought of as easier than stick because the welding machine feeds the wire.

Depending on the welding capacity of the mig welder, the size and type of wire used, a mig welder can be set up to weld anything from auto body sheet metal up to fairly thick metal. If you set up to weld thin sheet metal, that particular wire and shielding gas may not be suited to thick metal. You have to match your welding wire size, flux or shielding gas, to match the thickness and type of welding you expect to weld most often. For example, .30 flux will weld a wide range of metal thickness, but wouldn't be my first choice for welding a thin sheet of metal.

FWIW, some mig wire welders can also weld aluminum. The issue is aluminum wire is soft and doesn't like being pushed through a long mig cable. It tends to jam. The purpose of the spool gun is to put the aluminum wire spool near the tip of the welding gun to avoid jams.

Stick is easier to change rods to suit a particular welding situation than it to change out the wire roll on a mig.

Stick welding thin sheet metal is more of a challenge than welding thin metal with either tig or a properly setup mig welder.

What you should buy partly depends on what you intend to weld.

 

[TheFarmerInAdell]

well now this looks interesting if I really can ditch stick:

MIG180 180-Amp MIG Welder With Spool Gun

The MIG180 mig welder includes upgraded Tweco 100 Style torch and American style connection. Order online today from PrimeWeld to get free shipping.

primeweld.com

says made in USA, 550 entry point. Not bad. Costs twice as much as imported because we pay our people better. I'm ok with that.
lots of 300 dollar alternatives on Amazon, keeping in mind California's good experience. I've bought lots of HF stuff too, not usually what I would ever consider "good tools".
But if I need three different phillips head screwdrivers, they all don't have to be the good stuff. My favorite tool, the most used one, now I just might spend little more on that.

I actually just bought this unit a few weeks ago. I had a Millermatic 185 that was a very nice welder. I really wanted a plasma cutter and a tig welder as well, so I decided to sell the Millermatic and put the money towards the Mig180 and CT520DP (unfortunately not in stock yet). I actually still had money left over after that, so I bought an argon tank. The only reason I got the Primeweld was that in my research for an inexpensive alternative to the blue and red machines many on the welding forums recommended Primeweld. They are based in NJ and they are very customer service focused. The units come with a hassle-free 3 year warranty.

So far I've only used it once. I like that it has actual values for voltage and wire speed unlike the Millermatic, but it will take a little bit for me to get used to that (It comes with a large sheet with what voltage/speed for what material and thickness). The Millermatic had arbitrary numbers to indicate voltage and wire speed and I got used to those settings. I also like that you can use 10lb spools in it, as that is what I have.

It does come with a stick welding stinger, so you can still do stick with it. You can do flux core (gasless), which for most applications under 1/4" (and some applications over 1/4") it replaces stick. It comes with the spool gun for doing aluminum. My Millermatic had a spool gun as well, but I never used it. I just never had a need to weld aluminum. You can also do the MIG with gas which produces a nice clean weld (no slag).

A side note about the Millermatic, I bought it 7 years ago for $850, and sold it 3 weeks ago for $1300 with many people contacting me. So for less than what I sold a 25 year old single process blue machine for I bought 2 machines that can do 4 processes together. And they will take up the same amount of space together than the old blue machine. The MIG180 is far lighter and more portable than the Millermatic 185 with similar specs. That's where inverter technology beats out the old transformer technology.

 

[Nam Tran]

Lincoln AC/ DC 225 lasted me 30 years; you must have a DC welder.

 

[kpsp50]

Very generally....

Tig will finely weld aluminum, but requires more skill as a welder. I would describe Tig as precision welding of materials that are very difficult to successfully weld with other methods.

Mig is thought of as easier than stick because the welding machine feeds the wire.

Depending on the welding capacity of the mig welder, the size and type of wire used, a mig welder can be set up to weld anything from auto body sheet metal up to fairly thick metal. If you set up to weld thin sheet metal, that particular wire and shielding gas may not be suited to thick metal. You have to match your welding wire size, flux or shielding gas, to match the thickness and type of welding you expect to weld most often. For example, .30 flux will weld a wide range of metal thickness, but wouldn't be my first choice for welding a thin sheet of metal.

FWIW, some mig wire welders can also weld aluminum. The issue is aluminum wire is soft and doesn't like being pushed through a long mig cable. It tends to jam. The purpose of the spool gun is to put the aluminum wire spool near the tip of the welding gun to avoid jams.

Stick is easier to change rods to suit a particular welding situation than it to change out the wire roll on a mig.

Stick welding thin sheet metal is more of a challenge than welding thin metal with either tig or a properly setup mig welder.

What you should buy partly depends on what you intend to weld.

Have to agree with that but sounds like you got the primeweld on your mind. If you get it use it quickly and use it a lot right off the getgo in case your not satisfied with it you can return it. Good luck

 

[daugen]

thanks for all this input, I'm absorbing.

 

[rangerfredbob]

Something in the 140 range should suit what you want and price range... I have some of the Titanium offerings from harbor freight and they're treating me well even though I have the 170 and 200 but still, I've beat the everliving snot out of the 170 since I basically stole it (open box sidewalk sale on Sunday back when that meant half price, $125 out the door...)... I have no doubt the 140 offerings from Titanium or Everlast would do similar as I don't push the limits that hard, I'm usually running off of a 15A 110V circuit or a 4kw generator or something dumb with flux core, but have wicked it up on 220V burning in 1/4" plate real nice too... If you're stuck with no gas that's basically limiting to flux core which isn't near as bad as what anyone says, it's just not as pretty... it's more like a glue gun with 6011 rod... takes some getting used to but I have no complaints... in the next couple months I will be upgrading to welding with gas on my 200, I have a spool gun for it and hope to TIG some stainless tubing and gear up to do some aluminum welding on my boat...

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Something in the 140 range should suit what you want and price range... I have some of the Titanium offerings from harbor freight and they're treating me well even though I have the 170 and 200 but still, I've beat the everliving snot out of the 170 since I basically stole it (open box sidewalk sale on Sunday back when that meant half price, $125 out the door...)... I have no doubt the 140 offerings from Titanium or Everlast would do similar as I don't push the limits that hard, I'm usually running off of a 15A 110V circuit or a 4kw generator or something dumb with flux core, but have wicked it up on 220V burning in 1/4" plate real nice too... If you're stuck with no gas that's basically limiting to flux core which isn't near as bad as what anyone says, it's just not as pretty... it's more like a glue gun with 6011 rod... takes some getting used to but I have no complaints... in the next couple months I will be upgrading to welding with gas on my 200, I have a spool gun for it and hope to TIG some stainless tubing and gear up to do some aluminum welding on my boat...

There's a big difference in the Titanium and the Everlast. Starting with warranty. And ending with design and quality of internals.