Off-Road Welder

[MikesTractor]

My wife gives me a hard time about my "Off Road Welder". Every time she sees me pull it out of the shop, she kids me about it. She says it looks like it is 4 wheel drive, so, I thought I would let you guys look it over and see what you think.

I bought the welder last spring at a local flea market. It is a Hobart Handler 125. I ordered the optional gas kit since it didn't come with it. I needed some type of cart, so like any good scrounger would do, I crawled in the middle of my scrap pile and went to digging.

I wanted this thing to be stable outside so I could pull it around my shop yard. That is why I used the larger tires. The rear tires are off the front of a Sears garden tractor. The front tires and front axle are off an Ariens riding mower.

I rigged the front axle where I could steer it with the handle you see, or I can change to a tongue and pull it behind my lawn mower or ATV.
All of the metal came out of my scrap pile. All I had to buy was some bolts and washers.

....and the cart was built with the Hobart that it now carries.

 

[radioman]

very nice cart. that welder looks like mine.

 

[weedpharma]

Looks strong enough to go anywhere. Just curious as to why you chose to have that arrangement of steering rather than a basic "hill trolley" with fixed wheels on a bar with single pivot point in the middle.

Where is the adjustment for the wheel alignment I presume you will do every few thousand Kms?

Weedpharma

 

[Ford850]

I love the wheels and steering setup. It should really keep the cart stable on rough ground and when turning it. Nice work!

 

[JB4310]

Looks great, I assume the front end was from a rider mower, not custom built? I bought the cart for mine but would not work out doors like yours.

I have the same welder (135) but have not had good experience with it outside using gas, haven't tried flux core yet.

JB.

 

[MikesTractor]

Thanks for the comments.

The front axle is from a riding mower. I added the piece in the middle that the tongue connects to. The steering works much like a farm wagon that we used when I was a kid.

I looked through a lot of my scrap pile for something to make the front axle out of. When I got to the old riding mower and saw the front axle, I knew what I was going to use.

The cart is very stable. I used my atv and pulled it down to my neighbor's house a few weeks ago (about 1/4 mile). I didn't go very fast but it pulled good.

I don't do a lot of welding outside. I keep a small (2 pound) spool of flux core around just in case I need it.

Mike