On-Board Welders...What do you guys use/recommend? (1 Viewer)

[CruiserStuff]

I'd love to have an on-board welder to have when (not if) I break a weld on my plow rig when I'm in the field. Any suggestions? Pics of your setups would help a bunch...

 

[IPOR]

I've used premier, mobi-weld and ready welders. I bought my first mobi-weld about 12 years ago, great unit. Easy and safe to use. The power output on an onboard welder is dependent upon alternator output - and back then Mobi-weld offered several bosch alternators to fit various applications. Plenty of power for any welding need. Also included 110v DC for the grinder/drill/lights/etc. I was very happy with this unit, but sold it with the truck. I've never owned a premier, but have used one before and it was very similar to the mobi weld.

I later bought a ready welder. To be perfectly honest it was a huge disappointment. It takes several batteries to achieve sufficient amperage, welding time is very limited, the spool gun doesn't fit in places where a stick welder fits, the electrode is always hot (not like a mobi or premier where you can turn it off). On the plus side you can take it anywhere - you don't need the motor running, and it's easy to use for people unfamiliar with arc welding. (although the average user will not get adequate penetration with the ready welder because they will not string enough batteries in line)

Last year I picked up an old school mobi-weld unit and have used it many times - great unit, has gotten us off the trail when we would have otherwise been stranded and turned trip ending events into "snack break/continue wheeling" events. I'm very happy to have it on my trail buggy and plan to put one on my FZJ40 project as well.

Lance
PS- I now have a ready welder for sale to the highest bidder!

 

[FJ40 TOOLMAN]

Used portable mig welder made by century uses two 12 volt batteries.

 

[CruisinGA]

Can you stick weld?

Read this link? Pirate4x4.Com - Pirates of the Rubicon 4wd Club

Homebuilt setup that can also run 110v devices can be done cheap.

 

[cruiserjunkie]

my buddy runs a second alt 12si he uses for welding just adds the leads and belt gets good results and was less than 75$

 

[Pin_Head]

my buddy runs a second alt 12si he uses for welding just adds the leads and belt gets good results and was less than 75$

X2

except I use a large case Ford alternator. I throw it in my spares box when I am out on an extended trail ride and I uses jumper cables for the electrode holder. It is hard to have too much power for an alternator welder, so you don't need any kind of voltage regulation; you adjust the output using the engine speed. No need for fancy stuff just for an emergency trail welder and none of the mobile welders works well enough to justify its cost for more general use at home IMHO. 3 batteries works well too.

 

[mooker82]

X2

except I use a large case Ford alternator. I throw it in my spares box when I am out on an extended trail ride and I uses jumper cables for the electrode holder. It is hard to have too much power for an alternator welder, so you don't need any kind of voltage regulation; you adjust the output using the engine speed. No need for fancy stuff just for an emergency trail welder and none of the mobile welders works well enough to justify its cost for more general use at home IMHO. 3 batteries works well too.

Yes....That large Ford alternator is used just like this by a lot of Bronco guys. They are relatively cheap and dependable. You would be amazed at how well that setup works.

 

[steverb]

3 batteries(truck batteries) jumper cables and some welding sticks. you get more then enough amps for a good weld.

 

[1973Guppie]

I built a welder setup on my vortec using the location where the AC would normally go........

https://forum.ih8mud.com/40-55-series-tech/85853-onboard-alternator-welder-writeup.html