Please help me pick the right welder.

tuolumne · Dec 30, 2010

I'm sure this has been done many times.

I am a very green welder. I hope to take a class at the local tech school in the near future. Please do not laugh at my welding ambitions noted below. In the past I have done a number of repairs on farm equipment with an old thunderbolt stick welder. I have never enjoyed the welding experience, but most of that is due to lots of old rods and a very poor helmet. Then again, those welds have held. I have also borrowed a wire feed mig and a non-gas wire feed (both 110) for various small projects. Again, the welds have held in sometimes high fatigue conditions, but the penetration and weld quality were never up to my standards (I'm a structural engineer). This is all most likely due to the welder, not the equipment. However, I'm the welder that I have to deal with! In all cases, the prep was very clean, but wire reels may have been old. In any case, the two gas units did neater work than the other unit.

I have no cutting tools currently other than a sawzall, so if a plasma combination setup makes some kind of sense I am open to that. I do intend to get a small chop saw for cutting the steel tubing.

My current need is to build a small sawmill. This involves lots of 1/4" HSS etc. There will be a lot of welding, so the cost of consumeables is important to me. This causes me to lean toward a stick welder (and buy some good rods!) I can imagine doing many other similar fabrication and repair projects around our homestead using mild steel.

I have two specific future projects however that make me think I'll need something other than a stick welder (including some classes). I intend to build an aluminum utility trailer and a stainless steel flue pan for sugaring. What I am wondering is whether to invest in TIG capabilities now in some kind of combo unit or whether to invest in a separate unit in the future.

Thanks for any input.

Edit: I forgot budget...whatever I save by not having someone else do it. I like the challenge of DIY. Somewhere in the 500-1500 range for all equipment seems reasonable. This includes helmet, startup consumables, clamps, gloves etc.

kennyd · Dec 30, 2010

I would suggest getting a stick machine to build the sawmill, it will be big-and outside and stick is a lot more tolorant/forgiving about that. TIG is like soldering, everything must be CLEAN and well prepared, and because of the sheilding gas needed it does not do well outside. Stick is also cheaper up front and cheaper to use.

The $1500 budget also suggests a stick machine...you can will/easily spend twice that on a TIG machine alone. Get a good helmet, a PortaBand type bandsaw, a couple 4 1/2" angle grinders, clamps, A mice jacket and maybe a chopsaw and start learning...

crazyal · Dec 30, 2010

I would suggest a MIG with a spool gun (either as a package or down the road when you are ready to weld aluminum then get the spool gun). I'm no expert on TIG but while it is a great form of welding it seams much slower than a MIG. If you've already done a little with a MIG you probably got a feel for it, it's not too hard.

A stick would be fine but to do your other projects you need a different machine or a TIG attachment, I know nothing about them. I would think you would want to use gas shielding, not sure if the TIG attachment could do that.

I'm guessing a 200amp MIG with what you need may be around your upper limit but it would be up for all your tasks.

Shield Arc · Dec 30, 2010

I have just about every tool you'd ever need. I do not have a lathe tho

. I too would suggest a stick welder, and a port-a-band. Between my Ellis 1800, and port-a-band my chop saw has about an inch of dust on it. And my Hypertherm 1250 has about 1/2-inch of dust on it.
To really help your budget I'd suggest looking at Everlast PowerArc 200, I just bought one month or so ago, use it everyday, well except Christmas day:laughing:. I am so impressed with it. You could buy a scratch start Tig torch and Tig weld your stainless steel project with it as well.

Transit · Dec 30, 2010

Do not put the cart before the horse. If I were you, take the welding class first to see all the processes than chose what you like and need.

tuolumne · Dec 30, 2010

How long does a blade last on those portable bandsaws without being water/oil cooled?

kennyd · Dec 30, 2010

tuolumne said:
How long does a blade last on those portable bandsaws without being water/oil cooled?

A long time if you use the slower speed. You can also get a lubricant stick that you can apply to the blade for heavy cuts.

beppington · Dec 30, 2010

OP: You seem to be in a very similar situation to me a few months ago, except I really had no welding experience at all, just always wanted to weld & finally decided to get into it. Here's a thread I started that reads just like yours with lots of replies: http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/179118-welding-virgin-needs-direction.html

I did end up taking a community ed welding class & have decided to "probably" get a 110V GMAW machine such as a Millermatic 140 Auto-Set. I'm very particular & want the smooth, clean welds the gas provides, along with not wanting to spend time cleaning up a splattered mess of a weld, which is what I'm sure I'd make if I used flux or stick. Maybe 110V won't be big enough, but it's gonna be my first welder anyway, as soon as the holidays are over :thumbsup:

Shield Arc · Dec 30, 2010

tuolumne said:
(I'm a structural engineer).

Being a structural engineer I'll bet welding school will bore you to death. The theory part anyway! I'd suggest you take a trip down to you local welding supply, ask the counter guys if they'd suggest someone to you who could give you some one on one instruction. I've taken guys in, and in just three to four Saturdays have them pass the D1.1 tests. There is absolutely nothing like one on one instruction!