want mig welder, which one to get

[frogg]

i do not understand how you can weld without digital displays, like driving down the road & guessing how fast you are going..

how do you know where to setup & adj. the amps, wire speed, you are just guessing. ?? ok so you get it set & weld , 2 wks. later after doing many welds , you want to do the same metal again, without having written down numbers you are back to guessing...

am i missing something.//

 

[MinnesotaDaveChalmers]

i do not understand how you can weld without digital displays, like driving down the road & guessing how fast you are going..

how do you know where to setup & adj. the amps, wire speed, you are just guessing. ?? ok so you get it set & weld , 2 wks. later after doing many welds , you want to do the same metal again, without having written down numbers you are back to guessing...

am i missing something.//

My machines have a chart under the door based on metal thickness, wire diameter and type shielding gas.

On my old machine with nothing, I set the wire feed speed based on how many amps I want, dial the voltage to make it run right. Pretty quick to do really. Then I write it on a chart I keep under the door.

Sometimes I'll hook up my multimeter just to double check welding voltage - but not very often.

 

[downsizingnow48]

I have a Miller 211, no digital anything. Just choose a wire thickness, then set the dial to the thickness of metal, and go. Never a problem. Adjust up or down a bit after the first short weld. A much better welder than I am a weldOR. Cannot see what a digital display would add to that.

 

[dragoneggs]

No digital here either.

When I visited Shield Arc with my brand spanking new MM211 transformer model a few years ago for some hands on advice on getting off on the 'right' foot... he said several things that have stuck with me. First, it is about listening to the sound, 'frying bacon'. Then he said, 'try my cheaters'... I quickly learned that I couldn't see 'the puddle' clearly until then. I subsequently went to my LWS and bought a corrective lens for my helmet. He also said, weld 'as hot' as you can. He wasn't a fan of the chart on my welder (but then again, he has only been welding a few weeks)... he said that is a start and adjust from there. These few tips have gotten me down the road for my DIY projects. Since then I have learned to aim the heat depending on the pieces you are joining.

 

[frogg]

what is a lws.

 

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