what is the best welder for body work?

[8960series]

Hi guys I have an 89 fj62 with some Body rust on the fenders. I was wondering what Type of welder do you guys recomend for patching rust. I have several vehicles that could use some tlc and just dont know Were to start. Now I know there are mig welders and tig welders and I just dont know which is the best for what I want to do. I appreciate the advice. Thanks.

 

[PAToyota]

Either can work for bodywork. A certain amount depends on your skills with either of them.

 

[Leaping Deer]

If you are asking I'm guess that you would probably don't have the skills to TIG (I don't either) so your are probably better of with a MIG as they are more user friendly and the machines are usually cheaper. For body work I use a small Lincoln mig with .023 wire and gas. There is supposed to be an easy grind wire which is softer and better for body work. I just haven't ordered any yet.

 

[kulangot]

Hands down, the TIG process is better - no two ways about it. No sparks, very little warpage and you can control post flow along with every aspect of the process.

However, it takes about three times the prep work and three times longer to do the weld. Your filament with TIG needs to be tighter and cleaner. The patch panels are much more labor intensive to make and fit. Everything, including your gloves needs to be clean. Better, but hard as heck and very time consuming. You even to have a dedicated grinder to sharpen the tungsten electrodes or it will pick up contamination. TIG is the brain surgery of welding.

AND, like others have said - requires a lot more skill - like tons more skill. However, if by chance you have proficiency in gas welding with an oxy-fuel torch (oxy-acetaline) then you will pick up TIG in a day. Gas welding is the hardest of all to master - especially on sheet metal.

With a good teacher and a quality welder, you can learn to MIG weld in a short time.

i'd recommend that you do not try to run a bead when doing rust repair. Just fill in the weldment with a series of spot welds. For that reason, I'd recommend that you buy a Lincoln Power Mig with the optional spot timer module or the Esab Mig Master that comes with that option standard. You can dial in the machine to get just the right size spot each time you pull the trigger. Easy Peasy.

I love the TIG process but wind up using MIG for nearly everything. Tig is great for welding inside a nice car where you don't want to damage stuff with sparks.

Check out Ron Fournier's DVD's on metal working.

He is so good that bondo is referred to Fournier in a can because he uses no body filler.

 

[cruiserpilot]

A mig welder with gas. use smaller wire, 0.023 as previously stated would be good. The gas is important, makes for much cleaner welds. 110V is ok, but I'd recommend 230V is you have the source.
Go to a welding supply store and look at all brands, don't buy something just because it's cheap.
Buy extra tips, tip cleaners, and don't cheap on the mask.

 

[thecrazygreek]

I picked up a HOBART handler 140. Its perfect for automotive work. Especiialy sheet metal. It plugs into 110 outlets, and can easily do 1/4 inch which is all you need for most auto repairs. (frames etc)

the best part is not how thick it can weld however, its how thin it can weld. You can really turn down the amps (to 25) and weld 22 g steel without warping (if you go slow)

I chose the HOBART after doing major research on what I needed in a welder, and after reading many posts here on MUD.

Check out this thread https://forum.ih8mud.com/fj45-owners-club/39575-1965-fj45lv-build-up-resto-thread.html Its what convinced me on the HOBART 140.

 

[GDA62/100]

TIG is best, but I'll second the HH140 for MIG. I used one for similar repairs on my fenders and elsewhere. Like it's been said, it's best to do a lot of short welds, often just a spot/tack at a time. Do not try to run a long bead! Hammer and dolly the weld while you wait for things to cool. I like use as high a tap setting as possible to get the weld to heat up fast and penetrate rather than a cold, non-penetrating weld just sitting on top. Too low a heat setting and you heat affect more sheet metal (warpage) since it takes more time. Take your time fitting it up and prepping-that's the biggest challenge. And, don't start a fire.
Find some good autobody welding instructional YouTube videos to watch.
I've since upgraded to a HH187. Go 220v if you can.