need opinions on welder

[youmustbecrazy]

Do any of you have suggestions on a home shop welding unit for basic welding (bumpers, frame, etc)? It has been years since I have welded and only arc at that. Any info on machines and price range would be a great help,
thanks!

 

[Fantom]

Mig welders are nice and not too expensive, what you want to do is figure out what thickness of metal you will be welding, then get the one that will weld one or two thicknesses higher. This way the welder will not be running at 100% all of the time and if you need to weld thicker pieces you can. The migs are nice because they are decently priced, you need only one hand to operate, has decent welds ( with a bit of experience), is fairly easy to use, and you do have an option of welding other materials as well. Tigs are sweet but more expensive, they need more experience, are a bit harder to use but have amazing weld finishes (with a lot of experience), can weld pretty much anything (with the right rods) but you need two hands to weld. Arc is a bit more "harsh" for welding, usually industrial stuff, good penetration, messy, but does the job. My choice (since I can't afford a tig) is a mig. As for brands, it is pretty much budget and opinion related. Hobart is like a Miller (same company) but with cheaper circuitry, Lincoln is a good unit, Miller of course is very nice - especially the new 252. Since you are looking at doing frame welding and bumpers you are going to spend a couple of bucks, most likely you will be working with up to 1/4" so the welder would need to be able to do 3/8 - 1/2" max. You can always try Oxy/Acet. but that is an art.

 

[youmustbecrazy]

Thanks for you input - I appreciate all the help I can get!

 

[73fj]

I have a Miller 251 and I love it! Today I was doing body work on my old Chevy with it, but if I wanna go heavy it'll do that too. Plus it will do aluminum.

 

[incogrhino]

I picked up a miller 212 a little bit ago.Love it.Weld up to 3/8 in a single pass.I sold my Hobart 140 to get this and wish I had sooner.Get a 220V welder and don't look back.

 

[1973Guppie]

IMO, miller's are the s***, great machines.....

 

[freeheel720]

I have a miller 304xmt and I love it! yes it is pricey, but it will do everything. I usually use the mig, but the option to stick weld really counts when you need it. Certain parts (cast metal) can only be repaired by stick welding. Also, a stick of 6010 will cut through anything if you turn up the voltage too high! I would recommed a mig welder that uses a shielding gas, then if you are doing a critical weld you can use a flux-core wire and have a dual shield for better welds.

At least spend the extra $$ for a 220v welder, far better.

 

[El Cazador]

Miller mig, as much machine as you can afford.

 

[spressomon]

I have the MM175 (220V & gas)...great little welder. However there have been a couple times I wished I would have gotten the MM251 for welding thicker than 1/4" material in one clean pass. Other than that it's an incredible welder for the dough!

 

[95Rover]

Miller welders

if you search Miller's website, they have great info. on which welder is best for your application. You can even print out how to weld guides. Hobart welders are also made by Miller...more basic from my understanding.

 

[Xanatost]

I have a Lincoln MIG 180 230v and it works for everything I need it to do. Just my .02$

 

[fj40charles]

if you search Miller's website, they have great info. on which welder is best for your application. You can even print out how to weld guides. Hobart welders are also made by Miller...more basic from my understanding.

Hobart is NOT made by Miller. Both Miller and Hobart are owned by Illinois Tool Works (ITW).

I'd recommend a MM210/212 for home shop. If you need more power, get a Miller 251/252. If you're lucky, you might be able to find a Millermatic 200.

 

[xjnation]

i'VE GOT A Hobart Handler 180. Works GREAT!!!! I personally have never liked welding with Millers but thats just me. Go to Toolking.com and you can get a good deal on a scratch and dent or reman. Stick with a 220v for sure. 110 are cool for portability but the power is not there.

 

[The Red Camel]

HAs anyone heard of a Chicago electric welding systems

This guy picks them up from the states and sells them to Canadians,,,,,, are they good......

 

[Cruiserdrew]

For a home welder with off-road projects, you'll want a MIG welder, with shielding gas. The learning curve is shorter and steeper. Get a 220v welder and at least a 175 amp machine. You don't want a TIG machine at all--it's way too slow.

I run a Millermatic 210, the new version of the same machine is the 212. Great machine, and I've not needed more welder. I built an entire SOA 40 with that machine, plus sliders, and lots of little projects. Starting a set of 60 sliders now.

The 251/252 is slightly more adjustable, but in home use, I don't think you can tell the difference in the 210/212 (vs the 251/252) machines. You may as well save the price difference.

Lincoln also makes equivalent welders, and while most here prefer the Millers, if there was a major sale on the Lincolns, that would be enough to tip the balance that way. I was at a friend's house the other day, and he had a brand new Lincoln 215. It is a nice and high quality machine.

Remember, a welder is a "permanent" tool. Once you have one, you will never be without one again. Do not be afraid to part with a few extra $$ for the right machine. It is hard to find used ones, but with the general slide in the building trades right now, it might be a good time to look on Craig's list or a place like that.

I bought my welder from Indiana Oxygen, who is a huge internet seller of welding stuff. They have an ebay store so go there to browse. It was a very good transaction. Avoid any of the Chinese welders. You want a brand with standard consumable parts, as well as widely available repair parts. That pretty much narrows it to Miller, Lincoln, Hobart (Miller's second line brand) and maybe ESAB.

 

[73SoCalCruiser]

I have an ESAB migmaster 250 and like it. will cost about 1700 to 2k. Nice duty cycle and can weld to 1/2".


Mike

 

[MTJohn]

Welder

I just got a Millermatic 212 as an early Christmas present and am happy so far with the little I have used it. I wanted the 251, but Miller told me that the 251 required 8 gauge wire and I only had 10 in the garage. Running a bigger wire would have cost way more than the welder. I paid $1,449 from a local distributor. I could have saved a little money from an Internet vendor, but the difference wasn't enough to not buy local.

Also got a plasma cutter, torch, and metal cut off saw, but I haven't had a chance to play with those yet - my wife is making me finish her laundry closet as quid pro quo for the new metalworking tools.

 

[BooKilla]

I am a big fan of lincoln and miller. Most people underestimate the mighty 110...this is a great machine to learn on and will weld most anything you need to do. Just bought a new one and it fuses metal together just fine

 

[fj40charles]

I am a big fan of lincoln and miller. Most people underestimate the mighty 110...this is a great machine to learn on and will weld most anything you need to do. Just bought a new one and it fuses metal together just fine

I think most people "over estimate" the abilities on a 110 volt welder. It does not matter what brand you buy, you can only draw so much amperage given the 110 volts. I agree, it is a great welder to learn on and to use on sheet metal. Just understand the limitations of the 110v unit.

I would not try to weld anything thicker than 1/8" on my Millermatic 130XP welder. Anything thicker, I'll use the Millermatic 200 welder which tops out at nearly 300 amps.

If you're going to buy just one welder, get a 230 volt model.

 

[fj40charles]

I just got a Millermatic 212 as an early Christmas present and am happy so far with the little I have used it. I wanted the 251, but Miller told me that the 251 required 8 gauge wire and I only had 10 in the garage. Running a bigger wire would have cost way more than the welder. I paid $1,449 from a local distributor. I could have saved a little money from an Internet vendor, but the difference wasn't enough to not buy local.

Also got a plasma cutter, torch, and metal cut off saw, but I haven't had a chance to play with those yet - my wife is making me finish her laundry closet as quid pro quo for the new metalworking tools.

I know this is a little late.... You could have used the MM251/252 on 10 gauge wire as long as you used a 30 amp circuit breaker. I doubt you would trip the breaker much welding 1/4" to 3/8" steel.

These is a provision in the NEC that allows you to run a smaller size wire for welders only. You could get by with a 40 amp breaker on 10 gauge wire, but I think that would be the max. Welders are treated differently since you are not pulling max amperage all the time because of the duty cycle. Ever wonder why the primary cable (power cord) on welders is not as big?