NEWBIE - RECOMMENDATIONS

[gumshu]

For a newbie like me who knows squat about welding, what would you guys recommend that I buy for misc. repairs and perhaps building a few implements... stick, Tig, Mig??? I wouldn't want a top of the line welder, but nothing too cheap either. Thanks

 

[Ed of all trades]

A simple lincon stick welder works great for the larger stuff. I have an AC unit that is about 40 years old and was used for most of the repairs on a working farm. A mig is great for the thinner, sheet metal ect. It depends on what you are going to do and how much you want to spend. I ran a welding service for a couple years and Miller welders are what I like, but that is just my idea. Many others will like other brands. Leave the TIG alone until you get to the point where you know more, and just buy one at a time some people never get to the point where they like hot balls of metal bouncing off of your skin. It is also good to take a class or find a GOOD welder that will teach you how. many never learn the important little things that make a differance.

 

[tinman565]

Spend a few extra dollars, and buy a brand name AC/DC stick machine. You won't be disappointed sir. As mentioned earlier....have someone who does this for a living give you some lessons. It takes practice....simple as that.

 

[Shield Arc]

You should look at Everlast, and Longevity machines. I have the Everlast PowerArc 200, it will stack 6010 effortlessly, and runs 7018 every bit as nice as any machine I've ever run. But Longevity's Stickweld 250 has adjustable hot start, and arc force, not sure about their Stickweld 140. These two options make life so much easier!:thumbsup:

 

[Zork]

Go to TSC and buy a Forney welding book. It will give you all sorts of information about welding, plus some other useful techniques and tips.

 

[gumshu]

Thank you all for sharing this information. It will get me off to a great start.

 

[k0ua]

It have the little Everlast PA160 DC stick machine and it has done all my fabrication and repair work. It is cheap and easy.. Their little PA140 also looks good. If you are going to be doing a lot of sheetmetal then a MIG is probably the way to go.. Me I just TIG it with my PA160 and add on scratch start TIG torch. TIG takes time to learn ( I am still learning) Stick takes some time too, but is worthwhile in my Opinion. I have heard MIG is the easiest to pick up. Some schooling or a buddy that knows how to weld and has the patience to show you could be worth a lot.. It took me a while to get to the level I am at all by myself, (and I am not very good). It is a journey, but it is fun and rewarding. I fixed this last Saturday:

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/welding/249487-oh-no-my-bucket-broken.html

James K0UA

 

[Shield Arc]

TIG takes time to learn ( I am still learning)

And you will continue to learn until the day you die, (hopefully many many years from now)!

 

[weldermike]

Well said shieldy. The more I learn, the more I realize I still have alot to learn. I like to be very well rounded in all aspects of the trade, and its never ending!

 

[Sockwell]

Watch sites like Craigslist. I had been using my Bobcat 250 to weld in the barn. I wanted an AC/DC buzz box to stick weld just so I wouldn't have to listen to the noise. After a couple of months, saw a Miller Thunderbolt AC/DC that had been traded in on some antique fishing lures. Got it and some HD jack stands for $400. It didn't even have heat marks on the clamps. Just took a little patience.

 

[cowski]

i would recommend you get either a lincoln 135/140 mig or a acdc miller thunderbolt stick welder.the mig welder will be easier to learn and will weld thinner metal.the stick is harder to learn but can weld thick metal.if you weld a lot you can use both welders.with the lincoln mig get the tapped settings .it can be bought with a aluminum kit and the ability to weld with fluxcore.fluxcore will weld deeper and can be used outside.get 1/8 6011 rods with the stick welder.

 

[cqaigy2]

Lincolnarc tombstone style stick welder. Relatively cheap, tough. Can weld pretty thick stock, 100% duty cycle at 75 amps. I got one for my Dad 40 years ago when i used to make a living sticking metal together, and now im using it. It still welds great, however i don't do so good anymore, can't see the puddle anymore, so i weld by sound now.

Pretty rare that one would need tig or mig unless your thinking of taking it up as a profession, getting certified and such. A stick welder will weld just about small as normal wire feed will, plus it will weld much bigger.


I did use wire feed flux core where the wire wasn't much smaller then a pencil. It was used for welding larger steel like the type used in buildings, it used a lot of amps but very fast. You lugged just the spool and whip up where you needed it, attached the cables and layed out your bead. Very clean not much flux left but metal had to be clean. Clean wasn't a problem because they don't us dirty metal in buildings.

 

[gumshu]

The AC/DC units I've seen are single phase 230V. What size breakers are you guys using in your electrical panel?

 

[Sockwell]

The circuit is 50 amp, 230V, single phase. Use the same circuit for the Thunderbolt as was using for the M211 and Diversion.

 

[k0ua]

The AC/DC units I've seen are single phase 230V. What size breakers are you guys using in your electrical panel?

50 amp is what I have. I could get by with a 30 for my inverter, but I started with the Lincoln Tombstone.

James K0UA

 

[gumshu]

The circuit is 50 amp, 230V, single phase. Use the same circuit for the Thunderbolt as was using for the M211 and Diversion.

Well, it looks like I'll have to run a new circuit with 6ga. wire and 50 amp breaker if I want an AC/DC unit. At the moment, all I have is a 30 amp with 10ga.

 

[BlacknTan]

Look for a used Lincoln tombstone of T-bolt in AC/DC. Personally, unless a person has money to throw away on a throw away Chinese machine, I wouldn't recommend one. Yeah, they work. Using electricity to create an arc is not rocket science, but who can predict how long a ChiCom machine will last, and by all accounts, the warranties are just as unreliable as the machines themselves.

 

[k0ua]

Look for a used Lincoln tombstone of T-bolt in AC/DC. Personally, unless a person has money to throw away on a throw away Chinese machine, I wouldn't recommend one. Yeah, they work. Using electricity to create an arc is not rocket science, but who can predict how long a ChiCom machine will last, and by all accounts, the warranties are just as unreliable as the machines themselves.

I was wondering if you has ever owned or used one. Mine is still going strong after 2 years, and works very well. No I cannot predict how long It will last, but to say the machines are unreliable seems a little broad don't you think? Sure are a lot of guys on this forum have them, and I don't see a lot of reported problems. Perhaps I am missing them..? What is your experience with either the Everlast or the Longivity machines.? :confused3: I am not trying to start a fight, but I have noticed that every time we owners recommend one of these machines because we are pleased with their performance and value, you seem to disparage them. Why?

James K0UA

 

[BlacknTan]

I voiced my opinion, as you did, and do very often.
I've never used an Everlast or Longevity machine and most probably never will. I've never had access to one, and have absolutely no intention of buying one to try. My money is hard earned, and I cannot risk it on equipment without a track record, and on a company with a reputation of poor service to it's customers. I count quite a few welders as friends, and I value the opinions of professional tradesmen. To a man, they recommend against the Chinese machines. My trade is not as a welder, and I don't claim to be one, but I've been welding since 1968, and been in close proximity to guys that really know what they're doing my entire career (which is now over, BTW). I've also had access to high quality equipment over that time.
Now, when I buy something.. anything, I do my homework. I research everything. On the web, and elsewwhere. There is a lot of information about the Chinese welders. Welding Web cannot be counted. The Everlast and Longevity forums there are owned by the respective companies, and all negative comments are removed promptly. But, the web is replete with unhappy customers and negative experiences. This is not heresay, I've seen it. If these two companies were more open and forthright with prospective customers, they might earn a bit more respect. But, they crow about how they design the machines, machines built to their specs, so on and so forth, when in reality, they are just importers of the machine. this is why Everlast USA and Everlast Canada are entirely different entities. I cannot, in good faith, buy from, or indeed recommend, a company that hides behind an image that is total fabrication. I don't appreciate deceptive business practices.
I don't care what anyone buys, and as I said, I'm sure the machines weld, for an indeterminate amount of time. To build a machine to weld two metals together is not cutting edge technology. So, whoever wants a ChiCom machine, have at it, and I sincerely wish you good luck with it. No one need pay any attention to a recommendation from me, but my money will never go into one..

I stated my opinion, and made a recommendation. Nothing more, nothing less...

 

[Shield Arc]

From what I read on other forums the majority of the problems with the imports is how they are handled while being shipped. I spent over $5,000.00 for my Lincoln Invertec V350-Pro. It didn't work correctly upon arrival! Had to take it to the repair center and wait in line like everyone else. This machine came by truck, not UPS or Fed-Ex, but a wire inside the machine had come loose. When my Everlast PowerArc 200 arrived two of the feet were broken, I think UPS through it out of a plane! Machine works flawlessly! :dance1: