Help choosing a welder

[yomax4]

If you go with a Stick Machine, Get the AC/DC. Dc will give you out of possition capabillity. ( Over Head ) ..Cant always weld on the bench..

Good Luck

 

[jamestaylor72]

My girlfriend and I recently purchased a beautiful home on 33 acres about 18 miles east of Canton, Ohio. Since then I have bought my first tractor and have been scouring the pages of TBN for useful advice to help me on my way. Now I need a little help with a purchase.
I have a feeling I will be in need of a welder at some point. Whether to weld chain hooks on the FEL, repair implements, or for fabrication of needed items. I have never welded so I plan on keeping it simple. I've narrowed my choice down to either a 225 or 235 volt AC stick welder. Here's my question. Which brand? Does it matter as long as they are well known brands?


Thanks for any help you can give me

Mark

HI Polo and welcome to TBN!!
Just thought I'd throw my two cents in here too. I started with a smaller 110v Lincoln Mig welder, and last year upgraded to a big 220v machine-"Lincoln 255c" Mig. I bought both machines from a company on Ebay called Indiana Oxygen Company "IOC". I've also bought helmets, and other items from them,,, and have been real happy. Last summer I built my first 6.5 X 12ft. trailer with the 255c, and it performed flawlessly. If your wanting a "tombstone" stick machine they have those as well!! For the money,,,,It was a great deal. I got both welders FAR cheaper than I could have gotten them at the local welding supply house. And shipping was free,, and no sales tax. Both brand new machines, in the box. If your still shopping around for a welder I'd recommend checking into it, the difference is hundereds of dollars !! They also carry Miller if thats your preference. I personally hate paying too much for anything.

JT

 

[bota7800]

Two things:

1. Someone mentioned using a chop saw for cutting (presumably mild) steel. Can I safely use my Ryobi 10" 14 amp miter saw for this purpose, or do I need more amps?

Charlie

Yes, it will work fine for the OCCASIONAL cut on metal. I used my 15 amp 12" DeWalt to cut a bunch of mild steel into short sections in a more production situation. I melted the dust collector port so it drooped closed and embedded filings in the plastic throat plate. Chop saws are cheap and better suited to the job (a portable bandsaw is better but not cheap)

 

[IXLR8]

[mini hijack]
Doesn't anybody weld with Oxy/Acet any more? I have a setup I was given, tanks included, just learning to use it. Given the right tips, won't that do the job of putting two 1/4" pieces of steel together solidly? The tips I have are working well for the thin wall aircraft tubing I am playing with, I know they won't do the thicker stuff. I figure a bigger tip is going to be much cheaper than stick machine. Although I am finding it difficult to find anybody who even knows what the right rods are to use with gas anymore, never mind a place that actually carries them.
[end hijack]

 

[arveeotto]

Digger2
I just bought a Lincoln K1297 AC/DC 225/125/230 welder last week--" Made in the USA from USA and imported components". Now I'm not saying that all of Lincoln welders are manufactured in the US, but at least this one seems to be.
Rick

 

[oliver28472]

I have an AC stick welder that's probably older than me (52). I think it is a NRC. It does the job but if I had to buy a new welder I would probably go with AC/DC as well. Welding classes are recommended. I had to move mine out of the way a few days ago to pull my air compressor out for repair. My stuff is in a barn with a dirt floor. Welder sits on a pair of concrete silo blocks to keep it off the dirt. My welder isn't that large but it sure is heavy and those little steel wheels don't roll on red dirt. It has copper windings in it which is a good thing. Yesterday I was trying by myself to get it back up on those 4" thick blocks and it fell over, taking me with it. No damage to me or the welder. It seems I remember that you can add a wire welding attachment to AC/DC if it has positive or negative ground abilities???

 

[jamestaylor72]

[mini hijack]
Doesn't anybody weld with Oxy/Acet any more? I have a setup I was given, tanks included, just learning to use it. Given the right tips, won't that do the job of putting two 1/4" pieces of steel together solidly? The tips I have are working well for the thin wall aircraft tubing I am playing with, I know they won't do the thicker stuff. I figure a bigger tip is going to be much cheaper than stick machine. Although I am finding it difficult to find anybody who even knows what the right rods are to use with gas anymore, never mind a place that actually carries them.
[end hijack]

Actually, Oxy/Acetylene welding was the first process I learned while in Diesel College. Instructor said "if you can learn & master Oxy/Acet welding you can learn them all" !! We were also taught brazing. I have my own torch set at home now too, and still keep in practice now & then. It's actually quite enjoyable, & nostalgic feeling !!

 

[digger2]

Arveeotto,
Well i gotta swallow my pride a little. ....But i do know a certain model Lincoln Mig and a certain model Lincoln tig machine i was looking at on the
Miller website was (in a side by side comparison ) listed by Miller as being made in Mexico.I was told by a freind that they were now made in Mexico
(Lincolns) and after seeing this on the Miller site i assumed he was correct and they were all made in Mexico.....I stand corrected.
I just looked on the Miller website and i cant find where they list the country of origin
anymore.They used to list it. Anyway,i'm pretty sure ALL Millers are made in the USA..Appleton,Wis.

 

[gemini5362]

Yes, it will work fine for the OCCASIONAL cut on metal. I used my 15 amp 12" DeWalt to cut a bunch of mild steel into short sections in a more production situation. I melted the dust collector port so it drooped closed and embedded filings in the plastic throat plate. Chop saws are cheap and better suited to the job (a portable bandsaw is better but not cheap)

Bota i am going to have to disagree with you but I am doing it respectfully. I think a mitre saw would have way too much trouble with the sparks emitted with the cut. Last time I used my chop saw I was a bit careless with the cord and burned away the outer insulation from the sparks. You can get a metal cutoff saw for around a 100 dollars. You can get a a really good one for around 175.00 and you will have the tool that is made for the job. I just bought a Harbor freight bandsaw for 179.00 while it was on sale. Everyone I work with has the same model and they have lasted for years. My mitre saw was a lot of money I would hate to see someone ruin one when a lot cheaper method is available.

 

[gemini5362]

My girlfriend and I recently purchased a beautiful home on 33 acres about 18 miles east of Canton, Ohio. Since then I have bought my first tractor and have been scouring the pages of TBN for useful advice to help me on my way. Now I need a little help with a purchase.
I have a feeling I will be in need of a welder at some point. Whether to weld chain hooks on the FEL, repair implements, or for fabrication of needed items. I have never welded so I plan on keeping it simple. I've narrowed my choice down to either a 225 or 235 volt AC stick welder. Here's my question. Which brand? Does it matter as long as they are well known brands?


Thanks for any help you can give me

Mark

If you have read some of the welding posts on here you will find out that asking this group which welder to buy is like going out in a barn full of cats and throwing out catnip. You will find that everyone wants a piece of that action. since I am no different I will give my advice since I am fairly new to the welding scene.

If you do not know how to weld and do not have the time, or have a job that does not allow you to take welding classes buy a mig. It is more money but about as simple as it gets in learning how to weld. If you want a stick machine that will be harder to weld with ( I cannot use one worth a flip) but a lot cheaper. You can get a 225amp ( i believe i am quoting the right size) lincoln welder dc version at lowes for around 229.00. For the ac version It is around 459.00 . If you get the Mig make sure to get at least 175 amps that will do most of the light duty fabrication work someone with a small farm is going to do.

Myself and several people have gotten the harbor freight self darkening helmet for 49.00 in my opinion it works well and buying a non self darkening helmet is right up there on the par with beating yourself with barb wire.
4 inch grinder is a must as well as a 2 1/2 inch cut off tool( I hope i got the cutoff tool size right) You also want to look at harbor freight or something along those lines for clamps. there are c clamps, clamping pliers with various size and shape heads. for other things I get the plastic wood clamps that you grab a pistol type grip and squeeze a trigger to ratchet it. If you get them at harbor freight they are cheap. They dont last long but any kind of clamp like that wont last long and the ones at HF are cheap. Try to find a good place to get metal. I noticed someone saying something about scrap metal. All of the scrap metal dealers in this area have started a policy about not letting you into the scrap yard because of insurance reasons. Metal is not cheap so if you go to an auction where they have a bunch of scrap make sure you know the value and wade in bidding. The advice about getting good body protection is pretty valuable I have some nice burns from not putting on protection. I also have learned to wear some kind of hat even though you have a helmet on sparks can fly over the top of it and the awful smell you notice might be your hair getting burned. I do have a lot of fun welding and learning how to do things. I am on my third cut and reweld job trying to make a universal mount attachment on some forks I bought. I had to cut off the old mounts and make the universal one for my tractor to use. I am really learning why you tac weld something and then check to see if it works.