110 or 220, your opinion please??

[lolo62]

Unoman
i just left Edwin's and he is still waiting on you to come by for that cage. are you still interested in it? if so, i hope you aren't planning on using a 110 for that.. kind of scary..
just sayin.
good luck

 

[grant5127]

The Saginaw conversion is the kit from Downey and I've had it sitting in a box for about a year now.

I'd stick that thing on eBay and do the 60 box conversion.....

 

[grant5127]

Unoman
i just left Edwin's and he is still waiting on you to come by for that cage.

Come on in said the Spider to the Fly...............

 

[stuckinnz]

mig is not flux core.

Gasless mig is flux cored so are other special mig wires.

It's expensive gives off a ton of fumes but you don't have to worry about loss of gas sheild when using mig out doors.

 

[grant5127]

It's expensive gives off a ton of fumes but you don't have to worry about loss of gas sheild when using mig out doors.

Yea..... real handy for building pipe fence.........

 

[Mace]

Gasless mig is flux cored so are other special mig wires.

It's expensive gives off a ton of fumes but you don't have to worry about loss of gas sheild when using mig out doors.

Gassesless mig is not mig..
Hell it is not even GMAW for that matter..
It is FCAW..

I have no problem with welding a cage 110V if you have any clue how to weld. Cages are only 1/8" thick metal typicaly for cripes sake..

 

[Mace]

The best way to build or add something to a vehicle is to fabricate brackets and use bolts/rivets. Notice how most things bolt or rivet on. These fasteners have very predictable performance, easy to calculate the strenth of threads and the shear strength of the steel. Bolted brackets also give a little without breaking or cracking, this is good in a frame that has to flex. A fabricated bracket can have more thought put into strength elements like gussets and bends. Don't weld it on, use a bracket and bolts.

Have you noticed that some of the riveted items on your cruiser have welds too??

Welding is a perfectly acceptable solution. I would not and do not hesitate to weld to my frame.

 

[Splangy]

Gassesless mig is not mig..
**** it is not even GMAW for that matter..
It is FCAW..

I have no problem with welding a cage 110V if you have any clue how to weld. Cages are only 1/8" thick metal typicaly for cripes sake..

He was talking about using flux core wire in a MIG welder. While it's obviously not GMAW when using flux core wire, you're still using a MIG welder (but not doing MIG welding!)

X2 on a 110v welder being sufficient to weld a cage.

 

[rusty_tlc]

I did my Sag PS gear box install with a Hobart Handler 110 Mig set up. So far, three years, it's held up (knock on wood).

It would be generous to describe my welding ability as average. Sometimes patience, preparation and persistence will overcome lack of ability.

 

[antFJ]

i had the lincoln 110v with the variable knobs.. all metal construction $550 shipped to my door couldn't beat it. on welding my frame i cranked up the heat/slowed down the feed and it had enough penetration. i was even using the flux corewire welding outside

 

[Mace]

He was talking about using flux core wire in a MIG welder. While it's obviously not GMAW when using flux core wire, you're still using a MIG welder (but not doing MIG welding!)

Doesn't matter..

He is using a wire feed welder. That's like using a scratch start tig setup on a AC/DC stick welder and calling it SMAW.

Also, the polarity of the welder itself is set up different for MIG vs FCAW.

Mig is a process, not a machine.

 

[fj40charles]

The welding skills and practice with the welder you choose is far more important then the welder, but you would need top end of the 110 for sure. I got a 110, debated about getting a 220, main reason I went with the 110 is I can use it anywhere, 220 would do better on the bigger jobs, the longer duty cycle would help but my lincoln 110 will penetrate all the way through. I think the flux cord will allow you to weld much thicker metal then if you use a 110 with gas.

I disagree. You could be the best welder in the world, but without the proper equipment, you're not going to be able weld it properly. Example: you're not going to spray transfer with a 110v wire feeder.

There is no such thing as top end of 110v welder. The max amperage you're going to get is about 140 amps out of a traditional transformer based "all in one" wire feeder. If you need better/more penetration, pre-heating will help.

I really doubt the 110v welder would penetrate all the way through on 1/8" steel. 110v welders have their place with sheet metal work and 1/8" or thinner metals. Anything else, you need to get a 230v welder.

 

[Joe_E]

I had a guy I went to school with come over and do some welding for me on the 60 project a couple weeks ago. He's been welding since high school ,almost 25 years.
He shows up with this teensy 110 Hobart set up for TIG. I'm like wow.

He loves it because it's so portable and powerful. I had to find a 20 amp outlet, which was the washing machine in the house and run an extension cord, because it blew the 15 amp one in the garage a couple times.

I seen what can be done with experience and 110. I was thoroughly impressed.

 

[Mace]

I disagree. You could be the best welder in the world, but without the proper equipment, you're not going to be able weld it properly. Example: you're not going to spray transfer with a 110v wire feeder.

There is no such thing as top end of 110v welder. The max amperage you're going to get is about 140 amps out of a traditional transformer based "all in one" wire feeder. If you need better/more penetration, pre-heating will help.

I really doubt the 110v welder would penetrate all the way through on 1/8" steel. 110v welders have their place with sheet metal work and 1/8" or thinner metals. Anything else, you need to get a 230v welder.

Come on Charles, what does spray transfer have to do with this conversation. Are you trying to say it is the only "proper" way to weld?

There are crappy 110V welders and there are quality 110V welders. max amps does not have that much to do with quality. A Miller 110 is a better unit than a HF unit.

There is no reason a quality 110V unit cannot weld 1/8" thick steel without issue. It just takes time, patience and skill.

 

[fj40charles]

Come on Charles, what does spray transfer have to do with this conversation. Are you trying to say it is the only "proper" way to weld?

There are crappy 110V welders and there are quality 110V welders. max amps does not have that much to do with quality. A Miller 110 is a better unit than a HF unit.

There is no reason a quality 110V unit cannot weld 1/8" thick steel without issue. It just takes time, patience and skill.

110v welder will work fine with 1/8" thick steel. I don't believe it will penetrate it 100% like the poster said.
I have a problem with people who think having welding experience will allow them to weld any thickness with a 110v welder.

 

[fj40charles]

I had a guy I went to school with come over and do some welding for me on the 60 project a couple weeks ago. He's been welding since high school ,almost 25 years.
He shows up with this teensy 110 Hobart set up for TIG. I'm like wow.

He loves it because it's so portable and powerful. I had to find a 20 amp outlet, which was the washing machine in the house and run an extension cord, because it blew the 15 amp one in the garage a couple times.

I seen what can be done with experience and 110. I was thoroughly impressed.

110v welder above is inverter based is VERY DIFFERENT than your transformer based welder. It is much more efficient with electricity and WILL produce higher output than a transformer based machine.

 

[Joe_E]

110v welder above is inverter based is VERY DIFFERENT than your transformer based welder. It is much more efficient with electricity and WILL produce higher output than a transformer based machine.

I will not dispute your reply one bit as I have no real experience with types of 110 welding.
I just merely wanted to show some damn fine welding using 110 volts.

 

[Unoman]

Got everything torn down today, but nothing welded. The factory frame rivets on the manual box were a pita to get out, but with enough air chisel, pry bars and hammering, they finally broke free.

 

[DaGoat]

LOVE my lincoln 110v. Put a downey p/s conversion in 9 years ago and is still in great shape. I'm locked with 37 baja claws. I would put the largest diameter fittings and hoses you can get for the saginaw box. It really makes a difference. Power steering is the BEST thing I have ever done to my cruiser. Good choice.

 

[Junk]

I think we'll just tear everything down, tack weld what we need and then I'll flat tow it to the fab/off-road shop 2 mi down the road. I'll let them burn it in with their professional touch.

Great idea. If you're not 100% confident and lacking the required expertise, then tack it and have someone else zip it up. Save the DIY for something less important like bumpers or sliders. Once you have more experience and feel like you know what you can and can't do, then you can do more.