canoetrpr
Veteran Member
- Joined
- Aug 7, 2005
- Messages
- 2,382
- Location
- Ontario, Canada
- Tractor
- Kubota M7040 cab/hyd shuttle - current, Kubota L3400 - traded
No pictures here but I thought I'd post my successful experience.
Finally acquired a welder after contracting out a couple of small jobs. Just got tired of not being able to do the little thing I needed to get welded myself.
I was trying to keep the $$ down. I picked up (after some advice here) a used AC/DC Hobart Stickmate LX 235 used. Came with a welding jacket and some 10 lb or so of rods.
Didn't realise how much the $ bills would start to fly after that welder aquisition. The welder was just the start. A couple angle grinders (I could use at least one or two more!), wire wheel, clamps, 25' welding extension cable, HF style auto-darkening helmet, magnets, more rods - 10 lb of 6011 and 1 lb of 6013 and 7018AC to try etc.. DVDs on Arc Welding - 1 and 2.
Steel stock ain't cheap! even the scrap stuff. Got some angle iron at a decent deal to practise on at a scrap yard. Located a metal dealer who I bought a whole pile of drops from - 1/4" plate, 5/16" plate, 3/8" plate and so on.
Found a 6ft x 3 ft steel welding table in the classifieds. Could have built one as a project but I paid less for it than I probably woudl have for the steel - $100 so picked that up too.
Then bought a HF style 4x6 bandsaw - again after TBN consultation.
Holy cow.... this thing is a disease. I couldn't stop myself buying the stuff. I have no clue what I spent and I don't think I want to count. The welder itself was only a small % of the expense!
FINALLY a couple days ago, I decided I was half decent enought to repair a tine on my landscape rake that broke the other day. Bit of grinding / bevelling, 6011 and some more grinding. Today I gave the rake a workout in the riding ring... the weld held just fine.
Long story short.... it was WELL worth it. Not sure how I did without a welder and it wasn't rocket science for me to acquire enough skill to put two pieces of broken steel together for a simple non critical repair. I've probably put 5-6 hrs total on the welder just running beads, joining scrap. Probably burned 10 lbs of rod playing. I'm no genius at it but I don't think I need to be for the sort of non-critical stuff I am doing around the farm.
Some day in the future, I might get a big honking mig welder. I like the idea that the process is a lot cleaner - no slag to chip off. I can't justify the cost (yet ) for the odd repair / fab job the stick is doing me fine I think.
Plus at this point, if I were to spend some more $ it would be in cutting equipment (plasma cutter or oxy acetelyne rig). Only since I've started, I've realised how much more time cutting takes than welding.
Thanks a lot for the help and encouragement to all who have helped.
Finally acquired a welder after contracting out a couple of small jobs. Just got tired of not being able to do the little thing I needed to get welded myself.
I was trying to keep the $$ down. I picked up (after some advice here) a used AC/DC Hobart Stickmate LX 235 used. Came with a welding jacket and some 10 lb or so of rods.
Didn't realise how much the $ bills would start to fly after that welder aquisition. The welder was just the start. A couple angle grinders (I could use at least one or two more!), wire wheel, clamps, 25' welding extension cable, HF style auto-darkening helmet, magnets, more rods - 10 lb of 6011 and 1 lb of 6013 and 7018AC to try etc.. DVDs on Arc Welding - 1 and 2.
Steel stock ain't cheap! even the scrap stuff. Got some angle iron at a decent deal to practise on at a scrap yard. Located a metal dealer who I bought a whole pile of drops from - 1/4" plate, 5/16" plate, 3/8" plate and so on.
Found a 6ft x 3 ft steel welding table in the classifieds. Could have built one as a project but I paid less for it than I probably woudl have for the steel - $100 so picked that up too.
Then bought a HF style 4x6 bandsaw - again after TBN consultation.
Holy cow.... this thing is a disease. I couldn't stop myself buying the stuff. I have no clue what I spent and I don't think I want to count. The welder itself was only a small % of the expense!
FINALLY a couple days ago, I decided I was half decent enought to repair a tine on my landscape rake that broke the other day. Bit of grinding / bevelling, 6011 and some more grinding. Today I gave the rake a workout in the riding ring... the weld held just fine.
Long story short.... it was WELL worth it. Not sure how I did without a welder and it wasn't rocket science for me to acquire enough skill to put two pieces of broken steel together for a simple non critical repair. I've probably put 5-6 hrs total on the welder just running beads, joining scrap. Probably burned 10 lbs of rod playing. I'm no genius at it but I don't think I need to be for the sort of non-critical stuff I am doing around the farm.
Some day in the future, I might get a big honking mig welder. I like the idea that the process is a lot cleaner - no slag to chip off. I can't justify the cost (yet ) for the odd repair / fab job the stick is doing me fine I think.
Plus at this point, if I were to spend some more $ it would be in cutting equipment (plasma cutter or oxy acetelyne rig). Only since I've started, I've realised how much more time cutting takes than welding.
Thanks a lot for the help and encouragement to all who have helped.