Let't talk welders.

[hughjazz]

Hi, I am looking for some insight on what size and type of welder to purchase.

In school I was an above average welder. This was years ago however.

I am competent in brazing, mig and arc welding.

What I am lacking is knowledge of the actual welders.

I used what the school had.

DC arc welder
220 mig.

So what I m asking, is what do you guys recommend for a guy who wants to work on his fj40?

-I have plans to do the saginaw ps in the future.
-whatever bodywork required eventually
-My front spring perch is starting to crack, (P.O long story)
-Maybe a soa in the future
And any other misc repairs I come across.



-I don't have 220 in the garage, but I have a 7000 watt generator
Questions.

-I am leaning towards an ac arc welder for the price, but I understand they are a pain to use. Is that true?

-Will my generator run a 220 welder?

-Is an ac/dc arc welder worth twice the money than an ac only?

Is a 110 fcaw welder a complete waste? I like the idea for doing sheet metal.

What do you all think?

My priorities are.

1. Good welds especially on structural things.
2. Ease of use, (It's been a long time)
3.Preferably buy 1 that will suit all my needs
4. Good price, this 'cruiser habit is killing me


What do you think?

Thanks
John

 

[BDSeff1fitty]

wire in a 220.

 

[phase]

We are spoilt when it comes to consumer electricity in Australia. The standard for residential supply is 240v @ 50Hz. This means that we can run anything up to an industrial sized mig in our garage and all we have to do is run some heavier cable, circuit breaker and a 15A plug. Just guessing but I'd say to get a decent duty cycle and good penetration on chassis welds with steel > 6mm, you might need 220v but I'm no sparky and I live on the other side of the world so happy to be corrected.

I have a Lincoln Electric AC /DC PowerMig 180c which are made in the States I beleive and does everything I need it to. Sheet metal - no problem. It goes right down to 30A so can easily be used to stitch up panels, plug holes etc in 1mm sheet. As long as you are patient, super strong welds with 8mm+ steel are possible.

FCAW is good for welding outdoors as there is no shielding gas to get blown away by the wind but I wouldn't use it on my cruiser unless I was out of shielding gas and the supplier was shut for the weekend, especially for body panels. It leaves splatter all over the panel and in my oppinion is just a compromise. I'd get a decent mig that can do AC / DC and then you can do both MIG and flux core if you want.

Everyone has a different oppinion but I reckon if you buy a decent quality MIG machine with fine current control and a decent current range then you should never have to use anything else.

 

[fj40charles]

Wire in 230V in the garage. Easy to do.

Buy a 230V wire feeder made in USA. Miller, Hobart, or Lincoln.

I recommend Hobart Handler 187, 210 or Millermatic 180, 211 at the minimum.

Flux core of sheet metal sucks.

 

[cjgoode]

220 is best but a 120 works fine. I would get one that has the gas fitting that can do wire with gas or flux. Flux on sheet metal does stink but doable, you just have to grind the spatter off and practice a lot, it will burn a hole quick. I use flux for everything, its a lot cheaper then wire, gas and the bottles. I keep a stock of spools of flux wire and I never have to worry about making sure I have gas. Plus it is a long drive to where I can get gas. I have 4 220 outlets in my garage, I had a really good PO on the house, but went with the 120. I can use it anywhere that has electricity. With flux cord you can easily weld 1/4 with two passes, it will handle anything a car would need if you take your time. I have had to use it in several places that do not have any 220 available so for me it has worked out well. I did go with the top end miller in the 120 range, been very happy. A mig would be much better then an stick arc.

 

[wadeclinton]

You have a very loaded question there. With a 7000w generator you are limited in what will run on that low of wattage. A small inverter will run fine. However it will only be SMAW (stick), or DC TIG. For example a Miller maxstar 150. (http://www.millerwelds.com/products/stick/maxstar_150_s/) I used to run this set up until I got a engine drive welder with a 11000 w generator. See picture of how my system looked. This little welder will work excellent with the generator you have, but doing thick material will become difficult.
If you spend a little more cash you can get into a good mig welder. Like one of these http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_212_autoset/. This machine you can also set up with a spool gun and then you can weld aluminum too. Don't be scared about the msrp most good welding supply will have a significantly lower price. With this machine I'm sure your generator won't run it. You will want to pull 220 to the garage. I'll guess it'll cost 500$ doing your own labor. As far as other colored machines go lincoln makes good machines as well, I've found them to cost a bit more than a comparable Miller. I'd stay away from Hobart their quality has gone downhill over the years but that's my opinion.
Right now I'm running a Miller 302 engine drive and a Miller 210 mig welder. I also use a extreme 12vs suitcase feeder. The stuff I have is geared to more professional work, but cruiser building can get into professional grade work real fast. Hope this helps you out.

 

[wadeclinton]

Couldn't attach two pictures using the mobil app so here's a picture of my current setup.

 

[hughjazz]

so the maxstar 150 you had before ran on 220 from a generator?
it looks like it will do both 220 and 110.

From the specs it says 100 amps at 35% on 110 power,

Is that enough for 3/16" steel?

 

[Pin_Head]

DC
-I am leaning towards an ac arc welder for the price, but I understand they are a pain to use. Is that true?

Yes, but if you can weld with an AC buzz box, you won't have any problems with DC

--Will my generator run a 220 welder?

No. If you want a generator welder get a Miller Bobcat

-Is an ac/dc arc welder worth twice the money than an ac only?

I think so.

Is a 110 fcaw welder a complete waste? I like the idea for doing sheet metal.

If you have a stick welder, you can use a 110V wire feed for sheet metal up to 11 gauge and the buzz box for anything larger.

What do you think?

Get a 220V MIG or get a buzz box and a 110V wire feeder.

 

[wadeclinton]

I never ran the Maxstar on 110. But according to my dad a professional welder you don't want to. He said the 110 didn't give as good of an arc characteristic. I welded 3/16 with 1/8" 7018 a lot and it was fine.
Also another dude posted about getting a bobcat. Those are good machines, one step down from what my 2nd picture shows. If you shop craigslist you could find a decent on at a good price. You could also find either an miller extreme suitcase or a Lincoln LN 25 suitcase and be mobile and be able to weld whatever you wanted . All that could most likely be found for under 4 grand.

 

[hughjazz]

Ok, thanks everyone.

Last few questions.

1. My basement is finished, and I am planning on moving next year. So I don't really want to run a new 220 circuit to the garage. Having said that, I have a 30 amp 220 for the dryer that is 30' away, Will I be able to weld up to 1/4" with 30 amps?
If I recall the ac225 imput is 50 amps at max output.


After thinking about it, I like the idea of a little 110 mig for sheet metal and a buzz box for the big stuff.

I guess I could make a 100' extension cord and run it to the panel.
I have the space in my panel box to put in a 220 receptacle

 

[hughjazz]

All that could most likely be found for under 4 grand.

If I had 4 g's I'd get a new tub first.

 

[FJforty]

AC/DC 250 Amp arc for heavy stuff. Mig with gas for sheet metal and precision work. Get these and there are almost no limits.

 

[wadeclinton]

You have do the math to determine how many amps you need at the panel. Google it and you'll find what u need. But basically it figures length of wire and max consumption of the machine.
As far as having two machines go, I'd steer away from the 110v stuff and go to 220. The machine won't have to work as hard to do what you want. And the 220 stuff generally is more heavy duty do you'll run less risk of over working it. Just my 2 cents.

 

[kblack77]

try checking out miller's newer auto set 211. The advantage of this mig is it can use 110v or 220v. when plugged into 220 it can go up to 3/8. great for home use where you might be welding on the frame to as thin as 22g. nice part about the 110v is readily available, you could start using the welder till you get your place wired with 220v 30amp circuit. They had a write up in a recent Toyota owners mag. just a thought............

 

[KLF]

try checking out miller's newer auto set 211.

Was just about to post the same thing. I bought one 2 weeks ago, cart & 80 cf bottle. NICE setup. I've only done a few test welds so far and it is really nice. Will go all the way from 24 ga up to 3/8". The Autoset feature is really slick.

 

[nicholastheczar]

I have a Hobart 187 that I've been using for about 4 years now. It has served me fine as a weekend warrior and I have used it for my restomod w/ my 40. I have no complaints.

Nick

 

[hughjazz]

OK, here's where I am now.


I am looking at 3 machines (right now at least)


I found a used lincoln 225 Ac/dc For $450 Including a 50 extension cord, And lots of rods.

Or this
lincoln welder - Calgary Tools & Hardware For Sale - Kijiji Calgary Canada. (rebadged lincoln 180

or this Its an off brand but it's a local company and the specs seem good. Its a dual voltage machine
Hot Deal!WeldKing MigSonic-145: Best value 145A Mig Welder - Calgary Tools & Hardware For Sale - Kijiji Calgary Canada.

Or this
Lincoln Electric® MIG-PAK 180 Wire Welder | Canadian Tire


Im even considering the lincoln 140 110 volt version.


What do you all think?
Is a used mig a bad idea?
like I said I've only used equipment, never purchased or really paid any mind to quality or price before.

Thanks
John

 

[pillguy]

Just a thought,
I have a hobart 140 110v and picked up a ready welder with batteries for the heavy stuff. It would save you from running 220v out to the garage.

 

[hughjazz]

*update*

I bought the 225 amp ac/dc stick welder.

I'll wire in a receptacle in the panel box and run an extension cord.