Pending Tool Purchase - Welder and Air Compressor Advice

[S4Cruiser]

I've been wanting both of these for a while but haven't bit the bullet and purchased either.

Well, now that Lowes has the 'Zero Monthy Payments and Interest for 12 Months' deal through 4/13 if you spend more than 299.00, I think I'm going to take the plunge.

For the welder I thinking a Lincoln MIG model but not sure which one. Never welded so it needs to be beginner friendly. I don't need anything industrial but would like to be able to do bumper/frame/slider work.

For the compressor, I doubt I'll use it for media blasting or major paint jobs but would like to be able to prime individual body pieces, run air tools, etc. An upright is a must but not sure if a permanant mount or one with wheels would be better. Also not sure on the SCFM needed.

Any advice or thoughts for those that have bought these, are pleased with their purchase or might have done something different? My budget is limited but I'm thinking 1500 or less for both.

Both obviously have to come from Lowes b/c of the financing deal.

-Jon

 

[Mtbcoach]

I just went through this, not an expert but I slept at a Holiday Inn last night...

Being a bit anal, I did way too much research on my purchase. Most everyone I asked advised to get at least a 240v version of both. It offers more power for them to run on. I was lucky that we already had at 240v breaker in the panel, not being used (we went to a gas dryer instead of electric when we moved into this house) and all I had to do was disconnect the wiring to that outlet, install a new outlet in the garage (I did two, one inside and one close to the garage doors), run some 8 gauge romex and all is good. I hard wired the compressor into one box and have two places to plug the welder in and even if both are running at the same time, they doesn't exceed the breaker rating.

I bought my compressor at Lowe's when they had a 20% off all compressors. I picked up a Campbell-Hausfeld, upright, 60g 3.5 hp unit. I puts out 10.5 CFM at 90 psi which will run pretty much any air tool (of course, there are exceptions but most you will use being a garage mechanic) and is so much quieter than my old Ingersol-Rand portable unit.

I bought a Miller MIG 180 w/autoset, very similar to the Lincoln 180. I've been burning through bunches of wire, welding up these 4X4 Lab bumpers and it did very well in getting full penetration through the 1/4 steel plate. Only once did I have to wait for the unit to cool, hitting the max on the duty cycle and that was because I had the whole bumper prepped for welding, not having to stop and do some grinding along the way.

I'd also say to not skimp on the welding helmet. I bought the Miller auto-darkening unit and it works very well. Just flip it down, get everything lined up and go, the sensor works very fast and I don't have to do the flip up/down in order to see.

Good luck with your decisions. I'm glad I jumped into that game and very happy with being able to take on much bigger projects that I could before...

 

[fourtrax]

+1 for what Jerry said.

my recomended min. specs for an air compressor would be greater then 5 cfm @90 psi. which will run most air tools. if you can swing one that does 10+cfm at 90 psi then your ready for anything. if you have have space and power a 220volt compressor or welder for that matter will perform better and more efficient then a simular 120volt unit.

miller/hobart and lincoln are very good units. Mig is the easiest form of welding to learn. You can get the default kit that comes with Flux-core which is easy to use and works well with dirty meatal but it splatters quite a bit so you will have some extra ginder time during clean up after welding. you can get the shielded gas kit (regulator and hose) then pickup a argon/co2 tank at tractor supply or your favorite welding supply house
(even over the internet) these two items will set you back an extra 300.00 but your welds will be cleaner more uniformed (once you get the hang of it all).

 

[S4Cruiser]

Just the advice I needed guys!!

I was considering this dewalt ( DeWALT at Lowe's: 15-Gallon 200 PSI Electric Portable Air Compressor ) unit b/c of the price (on sale for $310) and portability but I'm not sure if it would run some of the continuous demand air tools; grinders, sanders, cutoffs, etc.

So now I'm leaning toward the compressor that you got Jerry. Seems like you can't beat the price and features compared to others out there. It is a big b!tch though.

I like the Miller 180 autoset but it's about 300 bucs more than the comparable Lincoln and Hobart 230 volt MIGs. Is the autoset feature that big of a deal or just a nice to have?? I imagine with the Hobart and Lincoln units you just have to set it based on the chart per the material/wire you are working with.

 

[Mtbcoach]

Just the advice I needed guys!!

I was considering this dewalt ( DeWALT at Lowe's: 15-Gallon 200 PSI Electric Portable Air Compressor ) unit b/c of the price (on sale for $310) and portability but I'm not sure if it would run some of the continuous demand air tools; grinders, sanders, cutoffs, etc.

So now I'm leaning toward the compressor that you got Jerry. Seems like you can't beat the price and features compared to others out there. It is a big b!tch though.

I like the Miller 180 autoset but it's about 300 bucs more than the comparable Lincoln and Hobart 230 volt MIGs. Is the autoset feature that big of a deal or just a nice to have?? I imagine with the Hobart and Lincoln units you just have to set it based on the chart per the material/wire you are working with.

The Autoset feature just makes things kind of brainless. Yes, you can do with just using the chart and setting things but then I'd actually have to think and that always causes me some trouble.

Is it worth the extra $300, probably not and if it helps get a good helmet, bottle and wire, its a good trade off...

 

[mtweller]

Don't forget to consider the cost of the consumables and the tank for the welder, and, as mentioned helmet, gloves, etc. You'll want clamps and other welding accessories which all add up quick. Of course those kind of things can be bought over time, but you'll want to be on gas immediately. Flux core sucks!

Lincoln, Miller, Esab, Hobart - can't really go wrong as long as you go ahead and spring for the 240V.

I have found you can never have enough compressor, so buy the biggest you can afford for your budget, or wait until you can afford something that will fit the bill. Trust me, I constantly wish for a larger compressor.

R

 

[S4Cruiser]

I took the plunge and spent some coin after doing some research and considering everyone's advice. Thanks btw!

Decided on the Lincoln Pro Mig 180. The ultimate factor here was it was the biggest one that Lowe's offered and I could defer the cost for a year. If Lowe's carried the Hobart 187 or Miller Autoset 180 I probably would've gone with one of those but the Lincoln should be more than capable for what I would ever need/want to weld.

Also have a tank, Miller auto darkening helmet and pair of nice gloves on order from ebay. I figure the 40 cf tank is kinda small but there is a welding supply store less than 2 miles from my house and they only charge 22 bucs for an exchange. Need to find a cart and have an electrician wire up an outlet for the garage and I'll be set.

For the compressor I was torn b/w something portable or a fixed mount. I weighed the pros and cons and went with the Dewalt smaller compressor vs the one like Jerry got. It won't run the same tools as the larger tank but fits my garage a bit better. It does fill up to 200 psi so it makes the 15 gallon capacity seem bigger than it actually is. So far it has done fine powering the impact gun, cutoff wheel and ratchet that I picked up.

Also picked up a Dewalt electric angle grinder too.

New toys are the best .

 

[Mtbcoach]

Sweet, you've opened up a whole new world of getting dirty in the garage.

And, don't buy a cart, just build one. Now you have the tools to do so and its a great first project to get you used to the equipment and tools. I can't recall exactly but think there is a project cart on the Miller website under the "resources" area. It was either in the "projects" section or on their discussion board but I'm sure you can find quick and easy plans to build one for yourself.

Can't wait to see your first project...