welding machine

DavidS · Jun 3, 2003

ok guys left me know which you recomend. a stick welder or a wire feed, or a gas wire feed. and why.

CSAW · Jun 3, 2003

If you do a search you will find enough on this subject to keep you reading all night. Good luck and get ready to read.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 3, 2003

Tell us what you plan on welding,if you have ever welded,etc. RICHARD GAUTHIER

DavidS · Jun 4, 2003

I plan on using it for jobs around the house the largest metal i can forsee myself welding would be maybe 1/4" thick. I have some welding experience with a stick welder, never have tried wire feed. Have been told by several people that wire feed is much easier to weld with, and I am really leaning towards a small MIG unit.

looch · Jun 4, 2003

I'm in the same boat as you.

CSAW is right - lots of info here. Based on what I've read, I'm leaning more towards a stick because...

1) flux core wire is no substitue for gas;
2) for the small amount of welding I want to do, keeping gas bottles would be a pain;
3) gas can be a problem if welding outdoors in the wind;
4) MIG welds look better - even when they're not. Bad stick welds look terrible making them easier for a novice to recognize;
5) learning to stick weld provides a solid foundation in the art of welding.
6) generally, stick welders are less expensive to buy (although not less expensive to run).

You say the thickest metal you want to weld is 1/4". What's the most thin? Welding sheet metal with a stick is not easy.

Anonymous Poster · Jun 4, 2003

Well if you are already wanting a m.i.g.,than thats what you should get.One thing I would suggest is to get a name brand,miller,hobart,lincoln,the next thing is to get one that uses 220/230 volt input,don't get one that operates on 115 volts.I will add just for the heck of it,unless you are planning on welding sheet metal or aluminum,and you wanted just one machine,I'd get a stick machine.reasons,much simpler,no moving parts to adjust,clog up etc.You can even get a welder generator and put it in the back of your truck,etc. RICHARD GAUTHIER

BrettW · Jun 5, 2003

I just got a Lincoln Weldpac 100 wire fed 115 volt, used from ebay for 160 + shipping. I just used it on some scrap to practice. I seems to do a good job so far. I am a novice so I cant really tell yet. The welds I did on 1/8" steel help up OK. I put them in a vise and hammered them and the steel bent but the welds held. check ebay and pawn shops for a used machine. bw

Gary_in_Indiana · Jun 5, 2003

David,

I know this isn't what you really asked, but the first thing I'd advise would be taking an ARC welding class followed by a MIG welding class. Then you'll be able to decide more what you want based on personal preferences you'll develop. You'll also learn about welding safety and proper welding techniques that could prove invaluable.

40Kchicks · Jun 6, 2003

David,

You could do it all. I won't tell you what you should do but here is my experience. I wanted to do some repairs around the farm so I got a little lincoln AC/DC buzz box (stick welder). It worked for those repairs fine but then I wanted to start building buckets and other bigger projects. What I was doing was tacking everything together in my shop then taking it to my brothers welding shop to finish weld it with the wire feed (mig) welders. The stick will do the job, but much slower. My brother was nice to let me use the shop but I was in way and being that is how they earn a living I decided to get out of their way and buy my own mig.

I wanted to do quality welds on 1/4 plate single pass so I was looking at about a $1200 -$1500 lincoln or miller. Unfortunately my brother was away on a job so I couldn't get his help with the purchase but I knew he would give me a hard time if I didn't get a good welder.

What I ended up getting was an ESAP multi-master 260. It cost about 2K with the bottle and a 15ft mig gun. I wanted maximum versatility and this one machine will do mig, stick, and tig.

What a difference. The mig is really smooth and fast. The stick is as smooth as butter. I never knew stick could be so quiet and spatter free. The tig isn't as nice as a high frequency stand alone system but works great for me. I really like using the tig for things I would normally use a torch for and stainless. The control is great and it’s a fun skill to have. My brother got me a standard tig torch and used an european to american adaptor because he didin't like the esab torch.

Anyways we are very impressed with this tool. I use it all the time. Each process does something better than the other so having all of them is really really nice. This tool is probably my favorite tool in the shop.

Eric

5030 · Jun 7, 2003

The "favorite" tool in my shop is my "wallet". It allows me to buy all those tools. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

treesawer · Jun 12, 2003

I have a stick AC-DC & a 145 amp mig gas unit. I have used the mig with flux core wire but hated the spatter so gas was the cleanest. Lately I have forced myself to weld with stick
so I can master it the best my machine can weld. No tig experience but love the quality of their welds. I think your 1st decision is what is your true $ budget for this machine.
Now find out what you can buy on this budget that will do the weld jobs you want. If you live in an area that power goes out often & you don't own a generator I'd look at a stick unit that has a nice 10K generator with it. If you don't have free time to take welding classes then pick up a good how to learn welding book & read it twice over. Practice,Practice
& practice some more. The newest electronic helments do help
you see your starts easier & seem to make my welding jobs just a little more fun.

Treesawer /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

jlemon · Jun 23, 2003

Do you lend your 'tools' out? /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

reedfish1954 · Jul 31, 2003

DavidS,

I have a set of 40cf oxy/act torches and a Hobart AC Stickmate. With a 115volt MIG you will have to bevel your thicker 1/4 inch thick metal to get acceptable penetration. With a stick welder, good penetration is easy obtained by extra heat a 220volt stick welder provides. The pix of my recently made tractor grill is a 7014 elecrode at 120amps. Tought to tell if it is MIG or stick.

BWS · Jul 31, 2003

hobart handler 175 if cost is a factor.go millermatic 175 if you want the cats meow.try cyberweld.com.these are two great machines if you go mig.jmho.bws

MadReferee · Jul 31, 2003

I have a Millermatic 175 and just recently used it to build a heavy duty landscape rake. No problems with penetration. It beats my 250 amp stick welder hands down.

Gary_in_Indiana · Jul 31, 2003

<font color="blue"> (Go with a) Hobart Handler 175 if cost is a factor. Go (with the) Millermatic 175 if you want the cats meow </font>

What are the differences in cost and in features/benefits? Isn't Hobart now owned by Miller?

MadReferee · Jul 31, 2003

According to the experts over on the Hobart/Miller discussion boards:

1. Hobart and Miller are owned by the same company and the manufacturing line for both models are side by side.

2. the MM 175 is designed for the more experienced welder and has a finer voltage control via a knob setting. The HH 175 has fixed tapped voltage settings and is designed for the home hobbiest. Difference in price should be around $100 or so.

Hobart/Miller welding boards

JRP · Aug 3, 2003

I got a Miller 250X mig welder new on ebay for about $1300. This machine will weld 22 gauge or 1/2" in single pass. It makes beautiful, safe welds. This is a lot of cash, but the price included shipping and no sales tax.

This machine is made for a 50 amp 240 volt circuit. I made an adapter for my dryer plug. This works well. A few times while welding 3/8 for long periods the breaker has tripped.

Overall, my suggestion is 1: don't waste you money on an economy 120 VAC machine. Stick or MIG, go with 240 Volt. 2: Miller is a top brand with nozzel parts available in almost all cities. 3: Gas MIG makes fine welds that don't need flux chipping and cleaning. The gas cylinder lasts a long long time. 4. If you do get a full size MIG get a full size bottle. 5. A full size machine has better resale value.

Once you have the machine your uses will increase.