Welder recommendation

[acs55812]

I seem to have more and more need for a small amount of metal working, having not welded for 27 years I am sure something has changed somewhat.

The only welding I have done is arc welding which I recall problems with moisture in the shop/air causing problems with the rod, I would like to avoid this problem if it is cost effective to avoid it.

How does a wire feed welder differ in understandable terms from this old arc welding which I am familar with? I notice some that have a gas of some sort that goes with the wire---whats that about?

The current projects would be metal "about" 3/16 and I doubt I would ever to need to go heavier than 1/4 inch.

I would prefer to run this on either a 220V 20A circuit or 110 if thats possible.

Local choices for purchase are Grainger/Northern Tool/Tool Crib.

Any advise on brands ect?

Thanks
Dan

 

[AlanB]

Is it possible that there is a Vo-tech program in your area?

One class spent trying different machines, and seeing the different techniques and applications will really go a long way towards heading you down the right path, without spending a bag of money.

If I had to give advice, and you are just going out to buy today, and then were going to learn to use it after......

I would suggest a 220 v Small mig, something in the neighborhood of 175 amps.

I would tell you to get either a Lincoln or a Miller, but would probably not shy away from a Hobart.

I would tell you to get it set up for Gas, but realize that flux core is readilly available and has some advantages.

I would suggest buying from a welding supply house and would pay a 10% premium to do so, but would expect to be able to demo welders, helmets etc and speak with someone knowledgable about the products they were selling.

I would reccomend .030 high quality wire, and a C25 mix of gas in a large tank.

I would also consider purchasing a roll of innershield, or ask if they have a demo roll. (insure your liner and feed rolls will accomodate it)

I would ask to set up and operate YOUR machine together with YOUR selection of wire etc.

But all in all, if you were my freind, I would say come over to the house, spend a couple evenings playing with the welders, and make sure you purchase the right one for the jobs that you have in mind.

Good luck.

 

[kenmac]

I would stay from the cheap brands . Stick with hobart, lincoln,miller, etc, Go talk to the guys at a welding supply shop & tell them what you intend to use the machine for. Get a price from each brand, won't be much difference in price in the above brands. In my opinion the above brands are like chevy, ford, dodge,etc, some may like linclon , some hobart, some miller.

 

[YanmarFever]

Buy a miller 250 wire feed or a used Miller out of the want ads.
You will never regret buying quality.
Ernie

 

[txdon]

Miller makes the Passport MIG welder. It runs on either 120v 20 amp OR 240v 20 amp. The gas is co2 from a paint ball gun bottle that you can buy extras at Academy. Academy also fills the bottles for about $3. The bottles last a long time welding. You can use the small or large rolls of wire. The machine can also run without the bottle with flux core wire. Flux core wire creates it's own inert gas like the rods. It is a very portable suitcase welder. The 20 amp welder might pay for itself if it saves you the cost of re-wiring your garage and you do not have to buy or rent a large gas bottle (but it has a gas connection if you want to). I love mine and have had it for over a year.

 

[gb19711]

Dan,
You're getting some great advice. There are a few other things you should know before making a possible purchase.
MIG or wire feed welders are generally great for clean metal. Add a little rust or contamination, such as oil, paint, etc. and you can start running into porosity problems. ARC or stick welding seems to be a little more "forgiving". MIG is also great for thin metal such as body work, etc. While ARC can work on the thin stuff, it's not generally used for this application.
You mentioned having previous problems with moisture or dampness having an adverse effect on welding rod. Storing the rod in a closed cabinet with a simple household lightbulb (75 - 100 watt) can help remove the dampness. Only take out what you can use in a relatively short time and you shouldn't have this problem any longer.

Greg

 

[Soundguy]

I have a small arc welder and a big one.. the small one is a campbel hausfeld was about 80$ at walmart..70a arc welder. i use 1/16 and 5/64 rods with it. 3/16 metal is good single pass weld, though you can certainly make tie in passes to help with penetration if needed.. or if working with 1/4 CH also makes a flux welder for just a little more than double the money. They are'nt super duper welders.. but I've never had a problem with mine, and I've run probably 30# of 1/16 rod thru mine in the last 6 ys.

My big welder is a hobart 235a unit.. great for small to large jobs. A 6013 rod on a low amp setting can give you a weld that looks similar to mig/flux beads ( row of dimes.. or better etc.. )

good luck with whatever you get. I just don't do enough work to warrant a big expensive mig.. but I may pickup a small flux welder if i get into much sheet metal projects... so far my baby arc welder is doing sheet metal stuff just fine... just got to chip on it a little!

Soundguy

I seem to have more and more need for a small amount of metal working, having not welded for 27 years I am sure something has changed somewhat.

The only welding I have done is arc welding which I recall problems with moisture in the shop/air causing problems with the rod, I would like to avoid this problem if it is cost effective to avoid it.

How does a wire feed welder differ in understandable terms from this old arc welding which I am familar with? I notice some that have a gas of some sort that goes with the wire---whats that about?

The current projects would be metal "about" 3/16 and I doubt I would ever to need to go heavier than 1/4 inch.

I would prefer to run this on either a 220V 20A circuit or 110 if thats possible.

Local choices for purchase are Grainger/Northern Tool/Tool Crib.

Any advise on brands ect?

Thanks
Dan

 

[Ifixcars]

The gas shields the arc and puddle from the surrounding air. Shielding the puddle until it solidifies is desirable for strong, porosity free welds. Mig stands for metal inert gas, with the inert gas being CO2, or a blend of CO2 and Argon, Straight Argon, Argon and O2, Helium, or tri mixes. Shielding for Arc(stick) welding is "built into" the composition of the rod, and surrounds the puddle with a gas, and slag. Once the MIG machine is loaded with the right wire and gas, and properly set up, a little practice should be all you need to start having fun. A class or two or some instruction from a pro wouldn't be a bad idea. There are some good books and videos out there too.