Need advice on buying welder(s)

[Sublifer]

not sure why but it seems in my area the people on craigslist are trying to either sell a set of torches with no hoses or tanks for 350-400 or a set of tanks with no torch for 350-400. Might be real nice stuff worth the money but it isn't helping me any...

Was looking on Northerntool and found a medium duty set for 219: Gentec Deluxe Victor-Style Oxy-Acetylene Medium Duty Welding, Cutting and Heating Outfit, Model# 7120B | Cutting, Heating + Welding Torches | Northern Tool + Equipment
and a heavy duty set for 329: Gentec Deluxe Heavy-Duty Victor-Style Welding/Cutting Torch Set, Model# 7130B | Cutting, Heating + Welding Torches | Northern Tool + Equipment
The regulators look different but I don't see any difference in the torches. Medium duty would probably do all I want anyways. I expect I need those T-grade hoses for the propane. Saw a couple oxy-propane tips for $9 each

I also saw this mig/stick unit from northerntool: Northern Industrial Welders Hybrid MIG/Stick 200 230V Multiprocess Flux Cored/MIG/Arc Welder with Included 10-Ft. Spool Gun — 140/200 Amp Output | Wirefeed Welding | Northern Tool + Equipment
I don't know if it would hold up, or if that 140amp on stick is enough but the fact that it does 200amp mig and comes with the spoolgun and has 3 year warranty at $630 sounds awfully tempting.

 

[IslandTractor]

The Northern Tool stuff is probably fine but I have no experience with it. Before you buy the off brand stuff from them, at least check out the better stuff from a discount pro welding shop like cyberweld.com. They also sell torch kits etc. Victor's own China made stuff is labelled Firepower I believe. I have a set and it is fine for non professional medium duty use.

Before I shelled out over $600 on an off brand MIG welder I'd think real hard about spending a few hundred more for the real thing from Miller or Lincoln or Thermal Dynamics or ESAB. Especially check out the prices on Cyberweld rather than just what the list prices are. The off brand stuff can be hard to get parts for and doesn't hold it's value. The Miller and Lincoln stuff holds it's value well and you can get parts from any welding shop.

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

Mark, would the 160amp on stick with the iMig200 be sufficient for 1/2" mild steel? I think even 200 amp I'd have to bevel edges... Maybe I should just start with a stick unit.. much as I'd rather do mig or tig...
I looked at some torch sets. Seems you can get a medium duty set for ~200 or a heavy duty set for ~350. Add tanks and I'd be near the cost of a Everlast plasma cutter.

Sublifer,

What seems to be ignored here in the discussion, is that attempting to weld 1/2 inch in a single pass is generally not practiced, even with a higher amp welder, unless it is on a very thick piece of metal. There are several reasons for that, but one of the main ones being is that there is a real risk of creating a large heat affected zone around the edge of the weld, creating a weak spot where the metal characteristics have changed for the worse. Also it can create a higher risk for trapping slag in the weld, and the metal begins to cool before the impurities are floated out.

160 amps isn't a lot of amps, but it will handle most 1/8" welding rods, and a few 5/32 quite well. You typically won't lay down a bead of metal that is too much thicker than the diameter of the welding rod. This is within the range of most everything you will do. Multiple passes are better. Say for 3/8" you'd average about 3-4 passes with a beveled edge. A 1/2 may take 4 to 5...depending upon the type of bead you lay. (stringer versus weave).
Even with MIG, you won't typically fill 1/2" in a single pass. I have a 280 amp ESAB. I'd never think about making a single pass 1/2" weld, especially a butt joint, even with it and .045 wire.

 

[Sublifer]

IslandTractor: I have been looking at cyberweld. I could get a hobart 190 w/ spoolgun for 200 more than that northern tool package. A thermalarc 180 without a spoolgun at the same price. Millermatic 180 w/spoolgun is 1100. Hobart 210 w/spool gun would be almost 1200 and the millermatic 211 w/ spoolgun is ~1300. Yes I'd love to get the millermatic 211 but we are talking twice the price, not just 200 more... The thermalarc 180 is somewhat tempting as it is a bit more capable as a stick welder than all the 200amp mig setups I've been looking at. But on the other hand the hobart has the spoolgun at the same price... I could argue with myself for weeks over these...

Mark, I haven't forgotten multiple passes and fully intend to. I do want sufficient penetration though because I do not want to bevel out 3/8" in order to weld 1/2". That would eat up some grinding discs and take forever. I do not mind grinding out a 1/8-3/16" bevel as long as I could penetrate the rest with sufficient amps and I just don't think 140amp on stick could do it and I'm not even sure 180amps could....

 

[Mark @ Everlast]

You're going to be hard pressed to do it with 300 amps. Take the old rule... 1 amp for every .001", that'll put you in the 500 amp category. Beveling IS the only way to get 1/2" and do it right...even with larger welders and electrodes 1/4". The amount you are talking about grinding, I just don't see it happening with anything in single phase.

 

[cowski]

bevel it with a torch. multi passes with 1/8 6011 on a little over 100 amps will do it.a thunderbolt would be a good way to weld it.a everlast 140 will weld it.for 1/2 inch steel get a stick machine.

 

[Sublifer]

bevel it with a torch. multi passes with 1/8 6011 on a little over 100 amps will do it.a thunderbolt would be a good way to weld it.a everlast 140 will weld it.for 1/2 inch steel get a stick machine.

Now that is a much better idea than grinding all that off. Thanks for the tip!

Now I just have to decide on a welder...

I don't suppose you can attach a spoolgun to a stick welder? haha Maybe I should wait on the mig machine like a few of you had done.

Maybe get a scratch start tig torch with a stick unit. That would get me everything I'm wanting except aluminum welding and I'm not planning on that right away anyways. (it'd just be nice to have and play with...)