MIG Welder for Beginner/Light Use

[Oaktree]

Personally I prefer American made (or maybe assemble) HOBART welder, I have a Hobart Handler 140 .... It is a 120 Volt machine with 5 preset heats, and will run either shield gas (solid wire) or fluxcore wire..... Will weld up to 1/4 inch material at top heats with ease....The only thing I found is to use top heat the requirement ( by documentation) for a 20 amp circuit to be false, I did my home work and found that it require at about 25 amps to run at top heat, so to keep from tripping breaker I upped my welders AC supply circuit to a 30 AMP.... About 10 years now and don't remember how many rolls of wire through it and still happy with it....

I have the same unit as you and I'm happy with it. Welding just seemed like a useful skill to have, always wanted to be able to do it so I picked this up maybe 10-12 years ago. Maybe an HF would have been good enough for the amount I use it, but they didn't have a store here at the time.

Flux core will do the work you are talking about. The limitation is welds don't look as nice as mig with gas shielding - but a mig system is more complex to store, move around, set up. I've used flux core exclusively for 15 years for my farm repairs, and don't see a need to go to mig. Nobody is going to critique the beauty of my welds.

Most of my MIG welds look bad enough. They seem to do the job and no one sees them but me. Never tried flux welding, though I ought to...won't have to move my projects inside all the time.

 

[paulsharvey]

Not relevant to our OP, but know a gas line welder (local gas company, former travel pipeline welder), who says his Lincoln Ranger is out preformed by a $250 inverter Stick/DC Tig machine so much, he uses the Ranger for the outlet to feed the dtick/Tig. Take that as you want. Our OP won't be well served sinking $6.5k into a Ranger or Miller. I would keep an eye out for a used machine; BUT, replacement parts on a used Miller will cost more than many imports.

Based on our OPs statements; I would look for
A: Dual voltage, not only 110V
B: Flux and gas, just to add that on later
C: something with 'normal' tips/cups/liners
D: atleast 40% duty cycle at max/near max power; maybe 20%, but some Cheap machines only have like 10% or less at max power, which Sucks
E: warranty and/or replacement parts
F: don't believe all the old myths about 1970s/1980s USA stuff lasting forever/amazing welds/unkillable; they might have been tough, but they are dinosaurs, and probably don't suit a new starter; it's nice to see your actual voltage, wire speed, and have infinite control
G: if it was just hi-low power and wire speed settings, or so.ething like A/B/C/D, run, you want to be able to set your speeds/power to what you want
H: bad wire on a good machine runs like crap, good wire can make a poor machine run better, good helmet make Your welds better, so spend the money on better wire/helmet/gloves
I: if your weld works for you, take that as win; not everything has to be for Instagram/weldporn

 

[paulsharvey]

I like a multi process set up, mig/Stick. Now, part of that is, I have like 120 lbs of rods that I got for $3.00.

 

[Yogi05]

Just read the whole thread and in some ways more confused than when I started.

I have a very old Kodiak flux core mig that never worked right. Feed issues, and only setting is a high/low switch.
I haven't needed a welder for around 20 yrs, but I find I could use one here and there now, so.....

I bought a cheapo 3 in 1 from amazon that I can not even begin to pronounce the name of. I chose one based
on price, reviews, and hours of videos reviewing that exact model. $128 Cdn, which I think is like $900 Usd

Plugged it in for the first time about 3 hours ago. Read the instructions and all that first. Double checked my set up. then
touched the mig torch to some metal ...... nothing. Re-checked everything. Nothing.
Put the MMA torch on and got some sparks. Wasn't worried about actually trying to weld anything at the moment.
Back to the FC mig, nothing. (Electrode negative BTW)

Any guesses why I get nothing from one torch and something from the other?

This is a 200a machine, and I admit I don't know much about that stuff so I read some charts I printed to check amps etc.
and still no mig.

I gave up quickly because I didn't want the machine flying across the yard yet.

Back to the net to see if I could figure out what I'm doing wrong, and discovered I don't even know if the screen is showing amps or volts.
It's some kind of magical machine that when you set one parameter, other parameters like wire feed set automatically.
Went to manufacturer site and noticed some of their other similar machines show a dial marked V and some marked A, so I glean because mine is marked with an A, it must be showing amps (goes from 20 to 200). BTW, the manual is VERY vague and poorly written.

It uses 0.8 wire at the moment, which is .030.

Is it possible I just need to crank my amps up to get any kind of mig reaction? I only went as high as 75 on the screen but figured that should have given me something.

I was going to buy a FC mig from our version of HF because of the return/exchange policy like HF, but they go on sale for $138 and they sell out like Pink Floyd tickets. You almost need to meet the truck dropping them off to get one.

Hoping I don't have to return a faulty machine, and I'm just doing something stupid.

I had to learn to weld about 40 yrs ago to get a mechanics license, but never used electric welding for my job, lots of oxy/acetylene though. I was
never good with the MMA/mig to begin with.

Here's the exact model I bought if it makes thing clearer for anyone who may be able to help.

 

[paulsharvey]

Just read the whole thread and in some ways more confused than when I started.

I have a very old Kodiak flux core mig that never worked right. Feed issues, and only setting is a high/low switch.
I haven't needed a welder for around 20 yrs, but I find I could use one here and there now, so.....

I bought a cheapo 3 in 1 from amazon that I can not even begin to pronounce the name of. I chose one based
on price, reviews, and hours of videos reviewing that exact model. $128 Cdn, which I think is like $900 Usd

Plugged it in for the first time about 3 hours ago. Read the instructions and all that first. Double checked my set up. then
touched the mig torch to some metal ...... nothing. Re-checked everything. Nothing.
Put the MMA torch on and got some sparks. Wasn't worried about actually trying to weld anything at the moment.
Back to the FC mig, nothing. (Electrode negative BTW)

Any guesses why I get nothing from one torch and something from the other?

This is a 200a machine, and I admit I don't know much about that stuff so I read some charts I printed to check amps etc.
and still no mig.

I gave up quickly because I didn't want the machine flying across the yard yet.

Back to the net to see if I could figure out what I'm doing wrong, and discovered I don't even know if the screen is showing amps or volts.
It's some kind of magical machine that when you set one parameter, other parameters like wire feed set automatically.
Went to manufacturer site and noticed some of their other similar machines show a dial marked V and some marked A, so I glean because mine is marked with an A, it must be showing amps (goes from 20 to 200). BTW, the manual is VERY vague and poorly written.

It uses 0.8 wire at the moment, which is .030.

Is it possible I just need to crank my amps up to get any kind of mig reaction? I only went as high as 75 on the screen but figured that should have given me something.

I was going to buy a FC mig from our version of HF because of the return/exchange policy like HF, but they go on sale for $138 and they sell out like Pink Floyd tickets. You almost need to meet the truck dropping them off to get one.

Hoping I don't have to return a faulty machine, and I'm just doing something stupid.

I had to learn to weld about 40 yrs ago to get a mechanics license, but never used electric welding for my job, lots of oxy/acetylene though. I was
never good with the MMA/mig to begin with.

Here's the exact model I bought if it makes thing clearer for anyone who may be able to help.

View attachment 861007

So, got some questions, and please don't take any offense if I ask something stupid:
1) when the mig gun is plugged in, powered up, does wire feed out the gun? if not, does the feed rollers try to feed? if the feed rollers roll, but not wire, is the gun and whip held out from the machine at a more or less straight run?

2) If wire is feeding out the gun, do you have good ground contact, both on the work piece, as well as the dinse connector on the machine?

3) does the machine have a switch or dial that needs to be reset for Mig/FCAW?

 

[paulsharvey]

It 'sounds' to me like there is a setting that needs changed, to the mig whip, and then possibly, the Amps read out will also turn to Volts? The picture, stock picture I assume, you see how the mig gun symbol is lit up in orange, was your similar when you tried

 

[WranglerX]

At least most of us can pronounce "Miller" or "Hobart" or "Lincoln".....

 

[AirOpsMgr]

Just read the whole thread and in some ways more confused than when I started.

Don't feel bad, I'm confused as well ... one member in this thread is relentlessly poo poo'ing all over "Chinese" parts, but then claims most of what he uses professionally is from Harbor Freight ... Definition of a hypocrite? So yeah, hard to follow some of these posts, lol

I too am in the market for a basic welder, but have only used the higher-end units that we keep in our maintenance shops a few times, just to learn and fix a couple of small personal items. I'm nowhere close to stacking dimes, but my handful of attempts aren't too horrible, so I think I'm ready to get one of my own.

I need practice and will start small as I'll only use a welder once every few months around my property. Thinking I'll try the HF "Titanium stick 225 inverter welder" and see how it works out.

 

[Yogi05]

So, got some questions, and please don't take any offense if I ask something stupid:
1) when the mig gun is plugged in, powered up, does wire feed out the gun? if not, does the feed rollers try to feed? if the feed rollers roll, but not wire, is the gun and whip held out from the machine at a more or less straight run?

2) If wire is feeding out the gun, do you have good ground contact, both on the work piece, as well as the dinse connector on the machine?

3) does the machine have a switch or dial that needs to be reset for Mig/FCAW?

Appreciate the help.
1) Everything is set up as it should be. Wire feeds well. (Feed problem I mentioned in my novel was the old welder.)
2) Connections on the machine are good as built. Twist and lock. Checked them at first fault. Ground contact might be sketchy
but I did scratch the metal a bit with sand paper. Just 2 small pieces to practice with. I also did something I am reluctantly admitting...
I smacked the ground clamp with the torch/wire looking for spark. nothing.
3) That pic is exactly my machine. The feed was set to mig. You cycle through the little pictures to match. Although I have no idea what the AI position on the bottom left is for. Manual doesn't do anything but tell you name.

 

[Yogi05]

It 'sounds' to me like there is a setting that needs changed, to the mig whip, and then possibly, the Amps read out will also turn to Volts? The picture, stock picture I assume, you see how the mig gun symbol is lit up in orange, was your similar when you tried

Stock picture but my model. I was under the impression when researching welders that you could switch the volts or amps according to your own preferences, but in hind-sight, it may have been one or more of the other brands I spent hours comparing.
The symbol is highlighted in a hard to see orange. I guess to compliment the orange logo writing etc.??

Based on the turnable knob having an A beside it (1 o'clock position) I think it's safe to say it's programmed in amps.

To that end, what would be a setting for 1/8 metal. Test pieces. Should I have cranked that setting higher than 75 when testing?