Mig Welding..

[dirt clod]

Forget the 120v welders. The 220v will do everything much better. (I have both). I have this one.....
Pro MIG 180

We have a miller at work, I can make better looking welds with the one I bought than the miller I have used more. They had it own there website recently for less than 600. Think its back up to over 600 now. And get the gas for mig. The fluxcore splatters and you get bunch of tiny pin size burns when useing. The mig I can use with no gloves, not that it is a good idea though. The fluxcore will splatter above the gloves

 

[whiteh2o]

Pro Mig 180T (which is tap .....you set the knob) or 180C which you set the voltage with no tap? If you bought it at a retail store you have tap.

Situation: Home Dep. Lincoln 175HD Tap with a useless welding shield is 620.00 last time I checked. Lincoln 180C 230v 180 amp (meaning you set it where you like it) 699.00 delivered not at a home store.

I think I'll take the later of the two.

 

[crabjoe]

What does everyone think about a 220V Harbor Freight Mig/Flux core welder.

They're so cheap, it's temping to pick one up.

 

[whiteh2o]

Lincoln, Miller, Hobart...stay within this...my .02

 

[jgendr]

What does everyone think about a 220V Harbor Freight Mig/Flux core welder.

They're so cheap, it's temping to pick one up.

I may get some flac from this, but I'll be honest with you. I too was looking in to getting a good mig welder not 6 months ago! so I bit the bullet and bought one of the Lincoln 110 units from Lowes!!! BIG Mistake!!! It obviously could not handle what I wanted to do !!! and the price was nearly double the 220v machine you just asked about!! The speed control really sucked big time, It either went way too fast or way too slow. So I took it back and got my money back and went to the local Harbor Freight and bought the 220v 180 machine.


I LOVE IT!!!!!!! Hands down it's the Biggest Bang for the buck!!!! I just Finnish a grapple for my FEL and it was mostly 3/8 steel, and 1/4 steel. That sucker can weld!!!!! I am very Happy!!!!!

Only a couple of downfalls though! When you buy it get a gas regulator, unlike the lincoln the regulator is separate, like $25 but get one. Get a bottle of CO/AR mix and your set for true Mig. The flux core welds fairly good too for stickin stuff together. #2 the speed control motor gets to jerking if your don't have it set right or if your running the 10lb spool. a little playin with the dial and it calms down. # 3 The feed line and gun are Really cheap, it like 6' or 7' long and the trigger will fatigue your finger if you try welding too long. But for learnin on It's good enough, After you are proficient you can always buy a good aftermarket 15 footer off Ebay. Finally it does not come with a 10 LB spool holder, but if your freind works at a machine shop he can make you one out of plastic easy!!!


Don't let a lot of profectionist try to talk you into spending the big buck for a lincoln or a miller or whatever!!! your not doing this for a livin, it's for hobby/fun! I say buy one and learn, and with the money you save you could get one of their AC/DC Stick machines too and have the best of both worlds!!!!


Just my 2 cents worth!!!!

Ok Ya'll can hammer me now!!! LOL

 

[AlanB]

The HF tools have their place, and a bunch of them are at my house, and used regularly in my business.

This is one of those discussions though that I have a hard time with an anology for but let me try explaining it this way.

You can go buy an old Ranger truck, for $100. It starts and runs, but you have to push in on the brake, while turning the key to the right and flipping the blinker on. Careful when you hit the brakes, it pulls too the right, or left, kinda depending, it runs real well, except when it doesent, in which case you need to jiggle the shifter and hit the dash three times.

Now, give that truck to your 16 year old, and a book about driving and tell them to go learn how.

Too me, that is equivilant to how many people "learn" welding.

And some go on to be great weldors no doubt, and many learn how to drive around the farm in that old ranger.

My 2 cents, and I am biased, is a welder is a lifetime investment. You may not feel that way. I want one that will be around long after I am.

Probably about 18 years ago, I was using dad's Miller thunderbolt I think he bought in the 50's or early 60's. The little wire amp indicator had been broken a while, and dad just always remembered where he had been at last time, and adjusted turns of the crank from there, then fine tune anyway.

Two of us in the shop that did not work quite so well

Walked into the welding shop, told him what model etc. and he reached under the bench and handed me one.

So, from my standpoint, for durability, and ease of use, the lincolns and millers are hard to beat.

Good luck whichever way you go.

 

[Superduper]

..... Get a bottle of CO/AR mix and your set for true Mig. The flux core welds fairly good too for stickin stuff together.....

Just to add to this, straight CO2 shielded welds will have better penetration and burns hotter but will have a little more splatter though nothing like stick welding. A CO2/Ar mix will result in a more attractive looking weld but is more shallow and doesn't penetrate as well as straight CO2. CO2 gas is very cheap. CO2/Ar mix will cost you more. When doing thicker or structural stuff, use CO2 or flux core.

 

[bobodu]

I went to the welding supply house today and dropped $200 of the company's money for a new Hobart Ironman 210 gun. I can buy a couple,maybe THREE of the old copper wound Tombstones for that.

 

[Ford960]

Crabjoe,
If you want a serious mig welder that will easily do 3/4" steel or sheet metal, has a 100% duty cycle and is the most portable spool gun on the market then check out the ReadyWelder at:
Ready Welder - www.readywelder.com

Join the forum at:
READY WELDER FORUM

Post 5 messages and you will be entered in the free raffle of 3 ReadyWelders. As of last night they are also drawing for ReadyWelder t-shirts, hats, and stickers given away EVERY weekday from April 14 - April 30th!!!! You must post by Monday to get in.
Read the thread "Free Welders" for details.
Ready Welder :: View Forum - FREE WELDERS!!

I have owned and used a RWII 10000ADP for over 3 years and have welded a lot of aluminum and steel. It can be used either flux cored or gas and the short wire path means that birdnesting is a rare experience. Only once did it happen in 3 years and that was my fault when I forgot to turn on the argon with .030 aluminum wire. This was also the ONLY burn back that I've had. With my old Westinghouse SP100 spool gun burn backs were a daily event, and the contactors weren't cheap as they were about 8" long.
Front end parts for the RW are standard Tweco and readily available at any Lowes, Home Depot, or LWS.

For welding solid steel wire I use CO2 and get really nice welds but as mentioned before, wind is not a good thing as it will blow away the shielding gas. So outside in windy conditions flux cored wire is your best friend. You can even weld stainless steel, though I haven't had a need.

On the ReadyWelder forum you will find people that are using this welder to build rock sliders and other guys doing all sorts of things related to wheeling.

The ReadyWelder can be be used in a shop or garage and then taken out on the trail, all it needs is a couple of batteries and repairs are easily accomplished. The suit case makes it easy to throw in the back of your truck.

Here's a couple of videos of the RWII in action.
YouTube - The Ready Welder Test
YouTube - Readywelder at Tay Forest Challenge

One last thing, I heard that Home Depot has a sku number for them.

No, I'm not connected to RW or WeldStone in any way, it's just the best and most honest piece of equipment that I've ever bought. It works first time every time and gives me great results in places that were without power.

Good Luck!!!

 

[sixdogs]

What an excellent thread of responses. I can add little and learned a great deal.

I'll only add that I wanted to weld for 20 years but was unsure so I never did it. I even had a stick welder--AC only--but sold it from poor results. Then I took a welding course at a local Voc Tech school and my world brightened. I spent $275 on a Certified Welding course and after that can now produce some pretty good welds. I'm even impressed and can now recognize some of the poor crap/cold welds on a LOT of stuff out there.
I bought a 220 Lincoln and use flux core because I weld outside but may add the gas bottle and do some stuff inside. I am also thinking of an AC-DC stick welder for hardfacing.
If you think life is fun, wait till you learn how to properly weld.

 

[crabjoe]

Guys,

I found a Lincoln Power Mig 180C from a private party for $400! At least it's suppose to be a Power Mig 180c, not Pro Mig 180, but I have my doubts because he said it was gotten from Lowes. It's suppose to be new in box and I was told he's selling it because he has no 220V access.

So the questions are, is there anything a smaller MIG welder can do that a 220V MIG welder can't?

For a price of $400, even if it's a Pro Mig, is there any reason to NOT jump on this deal?

Thanks!

 

[BigEddy]

There is nothing a smaller MIG can do that a larger Mig can't. I have a Lincoln 110V unit and upgraded to a Hobart HH210. My Lincoln has not been turned on since, even when I was doing 24 gauge. I would not recommend anyone who wants to weld anything more than bodywork buy a 110V unit, unless they just do not have 220V power available. The difference in price between the 110V and 220V units is miniscule compared to the difference in capability.

Get some training from your buddy. If he can teach you the principles of stick - then you will know enough to be able to teach yourself MIG. The principles are the same, even though the techniques are a bit different. Most important thing to learn is electrode positioning and manipulation.

I would highly recommend you take a look at the Hobart 187. It is the perfect size machine for what you are planning, and by all accounts is highly recommended. There have been some good deals available through TSC and others.

 

[Superduper]

I've noticed a lot of Lincoln 180c and 180hd's for sale through craigslist and all are supposed to be brand new, all around the $400 range. The fact that there are so many out there made me skeptical about them so I never gave them serious consideration because I wondered why there would be so many "new" Lincoln 180's out there purchased but never used -- doesn't make sense.

 

[bobodu]

Like has been mentioned,you can plug a 120 v. in anywhere. I wonder how many get run on a 15 amp household outlet?? You can run them off a generator if need be. Plus,they would be easier to pass off to the next guy down the road when you wind up getting a better welder.

 

[dbdartman]

In my experience, the only thing a small 120v MIG can do better than a 220v MIG is weld light gauge sheet metal (think: body shop). Welding 22g, 24g, 28g with a 220 machine is a challenge.

For welding farm implements, a 180 amp 220v machine is almost big enough to do most of what you'd want (if you're welding more than 5/26" thick, you'd better know what you're doing, or it'll likely come apart).

The opinions expressed are mine alone, learned from over 20 years as a weldor.

Attached is a pic of the spring seat & gussets I welded on a new Dana 60 rear (1/4" thick axle tubes, 3/16" thick seat & gussets) with a friend's TIG machine. He was watching the machine output gauge as I was welding & said I was running right around 220 amps.

 

[digicamnut]

The adds say that with flux wire you can weld up to 1/2" material with the pro mig 180. Just wondering how it works in the real world?

 

[Ford960]

Attached is a pic of the spring seat & gussets I welded on a new Dana 60 rear (1/4" thick axle tubes, 3/16" thick seat & gussets) with a friend's TIG machine. He was watching the machine output gauge as I was welding & said I was running right around 220 amps.

dbdartman,
Are you sure that your friend wasn't looking at the input voltage meter? If this was indeed 220 amps that's a lot of heat. I've done a lot of tig and looking at the picture makes me think that this was a mig solid wire w/gas weld.
The beads look nice but a close look at the picture zoomed in reveals porosity in the weld at the end of the saddle and the ends of the bracket are undercut, especially the top far end. The tan spots on the bottom weld also indicate mig.
What shielding gas were you using?
Please don't take my comments as negative, this weldment would probably out last the drivetrain.

Take Care,
F960

 

[AlanB]

I guess I like having the small machine, because of the practicality of having the small wire already spooled and ready to go.

While true that you can respool the big machine for the smaller wire, the practicality of changing liner and drive rolls and wire reel means I sure don't "want" to do it much, if at all.

 

[Ford960]

I guess I like having the small machine, because of the practicality of having the small wire already spooled and ready to go.

While true that you can respool the big machine for the smaller wire, the practicality of changing liner and drive rolls and wire reel means I sure don't "want" to do it much, if at all.

Another reason to like the ReadyWelder, the distance from th drive roller to the weld puddle is only 6-7", there's no need to change the liner, only the contactor tip. Wire change outs only take a few minutes to go from steel to aluminum and back...in fact the only thing is to make sure that the wire doesn't unwind from the spool while threading the bitter end through the gun.

And since the distance is so short after the drive roller, that means that I don't waste 10' or more of wire at the end of each roll.

The other day I found out that a .035 flux cored stainless steel wire was available in the 1# spool.

 

[gemini5362]

My 2 cents to the cooments that are showing up now.
1. The are pricey but miller makes a welder called a DVI Basically it will run off of 110vac or 220 vac. It comes with different plug adapters to go in different types of electrical outlets. You plug the correct adapter into whatever receptacle you have, plug the welder cable into the adapter and the welder will autoselect the correct voltage. It allows the benefits of a 110 volt welder or the ability of a 175 am (220 volt) heavier duty unit.

2. If you want to be able to change rolls quickly get a welder with a spool gun. Again they are pretty pricey but you can change to stainless or aluminum wire very quickly.