Welding Cart Question

[Iplayfarmer]

So, I picked up a new Lincoln AC/DC 225/125 Tombstone welder. It's only been used for 3 hours in its life. It's much bigger than my old Montgomery AC, and so I'm thinking about building a new welding cart for it. I also have a small lincoln 110v mig.

Here's the question: Should I build one cart to hold them both, or should I build separate carts? Who has done it either way, and what are your thoughts?

I'm also planning to build a cart for my new (used) Oxy/Fuel rig. Has anyone ever considered building all three into one cart?

 

[Western]

I would build separate carts for the welders. Having 2 together would be a hassle and you will only be using 1. You may find that you don't really need one for the arc welder if it has long leads and stays in the shop. wire welders have shorter leads so it makes sense to have them on there own cart.

As far as the bottles, I would get a bottle cart with big filled tires. I would put a picture of mine on here but it's dark out.

 

[rhett]

before my Tombstone was stolen, it was attached to a Hand Truck which made it very easy to move on many surfaces and with cable hangers added made it a cinch placing it in a corner for storage to anywhere the extension power cord would reach. Also made easy going up and down stairs. Sad part, it made it easy for the thieves.

Again for O/A I used a Hand Truck with little modification. It was a B-Prestolite acetylene and a 125cuft bottles with a hose hanger at the top. Darn thieves found it easy to steal too.

I've since replaced the O/A rig and got a HF Hand Truck, about $20 at the time. Even rigged a Hand Truck up for my small MIG. Makes life easy setting up out in the yard then going back to storage for safe keeping. Also just like to say I have never liked anything on casters, a little pebble seems to always chock the wheel.

Lowes has economy Hand Truck's for $20, just checked, and need to get me a couple more

 

[bobodu]

I have never been one to carry the whole toolbox if I just needed a screwdriver.

 

[Iplayfarmer]

You may find that you don't really need one for the arc welder if it has long leads and stays in the shop.

For me it's just the opposite. I use my stick welder outside. (The wind always blows around here.) I have 50 foot of 3-10AWG cord on my current stick welder that I plan on switching over to the new one. The other option is to build a cart such that the cord is part of the cart and there's an outlet on the cart. If I'd have thought ahead and got 4-10 cord to begin with I could even rig the cart with both 220v and 110v to run grinders, etc. My mig is used inside the shop, and it's much smaller so it's easier to carry.

I do think that whatever new cart I make will have a compartmentalized storage space for welding rod. I'll want at least two sizes of at least three different rods. I'd also like to put a space for slag hammer and wire brush.

I can understand the comments about the casters. That's what my current cart has, and it's a pain. I carry one end of the cart more than I roll it on all four wheels. Big wheels are a must on the new cart.

I'm considering the idea of a hand truck. The big advantage is that it will take up less floor space. In my small garage that I use as a shop, floor space is at a premium. The drawback is stability. If I stack everything on a hand truck that I want on my cart it's bound to fall over sometime.

 

[deepNdirt]

My mig welder is pretty self contained although is top heavy while sitting on top of the card, I had to put some better wheels with straight through axles, I didn't like the swivel caster as they would seem to let the cart tip,
on my Miller Thunderbolt it works like Hand trucks to move it about, I'm thinking of re-rigging it somehow on a cart, I change all the cords to heavier and much longer ones and need the ability to roll them up on a wheel of sort, when I try rolling the old fashion way around the-ol-arm the 50 ft. of 6-awg wire gets pretty heavy not to mention stiff when getting cold, ideally would be great to have the reals that could turn like an air hose real, but I don't think there is a such? or the mobile welders trucks I see around would have them, they simply have the wraped over hangers as I do on my welder now,

 

[bobodu]

What kind of man has pictures of his welder in the hard drive!!!
The handle and tires came off a leaf blower. I use a long cord the used to run up to the unloader in the silo.

 

[Diamondpilot]

I like the idea above. For my Miller 225 I just bought one of the Harbor Freight Furniture Dolly's. Cheap fix for under $10 but I have never taken it out of my Pole Barn with concrete floors.

Chris

 

[cobbkevin]

I thought I was the only one to use an HF furniture dolly. Actually, I my tombstone on it once to move it...that was about 2 years ago. I better go buy a new dollly since I keep forgetting where I put my second one, until I see my welder.
Kevin

 

[JB4310]

I've never had to move my stick welder, just have long leads. I do have a portable gas powered dc welder for job-sites.

But for the mig I broke down and bought the cart, it is pretty handy, I would try and make one similar. This one is designed for indoors with kinda wimpy wheels, if you were to take it outside you'd want better wheels. I personally never do any mig welding outside.

JB.