welding carts

[ArlyA]

You guys with welding carts. What have you liked, or disliked using them.

 

[WranglerX]

Made my own...Whats not to like..... (hate little tiny casters they get stuck with the smallest things)...

 

[MTGreen]

Casters typically suck if you buy one of the Chinesium carts. Suggest swapping out for a decent set of brand name casters from Surplus Center in Nebraska or somewhere similar. Other than that harbor freight type one is fine as long as you measure your welder. Fabricating a real welding cart to meet your specific needs is usually one of the first projects for new welders

 

[BukitCase]

"hate little tiny casters they get stuck with the smallest things"

Me too... Steve

Oh, btw I bought one of the ones Arly posted for my little stick/tig - ended up spending hours "upgrading" the wimpy little wheels - it's STILL a wimpy little cart if you don't live on a pool table...

 

[MinnesotaEric]

I just use a Vulcan box as a cart. I did put my plasma table on a frame with wheels so that I can roll it around.

 

[alexpops]

Ditto on the casters. Middle shelf is not big enough for a TIG cooler & (for me at least) leaves stuff too disorganized if used for MIG tips, tools, etc., so kind of worthless. Better approach might be drawers or a cabinet to keep stuff clean of grinder dust.

 

[workinonit]

My cart for my Miller180 came with it. Nice cart with big wheels. The 251 and Syncrowave casters are integrated.

 

[Hay Dude]

Home made
Likes: free, nobody will steal it.
Dislikes: none

 

[ArlyA]

Ya guys, I hate those micro wheels and already planned to trade them for larger ones. What about the drawers?

 

[workinonit]

Mine doesn't have drawers, just a shelf.

 

[kf4uda]

Made my own...Whats not to like..... (hate little tiny casters they get stuck with the smallest things)...

View attachment 787901

Nice job on your cart. I am starting to look into a larger mig. Are you satisfied with that Hobart?

 

[alexpops]

Looked @ the big Vulcan cart & almost pulled the trigger (have a never expires 20% off coupon) until I noticed the Bottle placement. If you have tall bottles, prevents opening most MIGs for spool changes/setting ref's/polarity changes without moving things around. So you lose top real estate to two machines instead of 3. Adding shelves on the bottle side to stack MIG/TIG, cooler & Plasma would work if your leads are long enough or turning the MIG "backwards" on the other end works too (only a problem if your tanks are tall enough to interfere & you want 3 or more machines up there). Would be almost perfect IMO if the Bottles sat behind the cart, but then you'd need to attach more casters under the bottle shelf since getting "tippy" would be an issue & the tanks & chains might interfere with the TIG filler tube storage unless you move those as well. For what its worth, until I get my dream shop built, I'm floor space challenged so multiple carts involve moving things around to get the "right" machine & its cart out of its parking lot & It ALWAYS winds up being the one furthest from being usable.

 

[alexpops]

The Other option I've looked at is adding a bottle shelf to one of HF's Yukon 46" mobile workbenches. The way they keep raising the price on the Vulcan cabinet, it would be $70 cheaper & closer to ideal to modify the Yukon which is about the same size & has a drawers or cabinet style. Pretty decent box, I use one on my back porch next to my smoker for food prep & cooking tool storage.

 

[alexpops]

If you only need 1 MIG welder on a cart with storage, this might do it, but I have NOT looked at them or had any experience with them.

ps. the torch/gas welding cart is garbage. The lip on the bottle shelf makes it harder than it has to be to lift in big bottles & the wheels won't hold air. You're better off with a decent wide dolly & length of chain. Tack on an ammo can for tips/cleaners/strikers if you want all-in-one storage

286 lb. Capacity Welding Cabinet

Amazing deals on this Welding Cabinet at Harbor Freight. Quality tools & low prices.

www.harborfreight.com

 

[MossRoad]

You guys with welding carts. What have you liked, or disliked using them. View attachment 787900

Mine is similar to that, but only one shelf. Not enough depth on the bottom shelf to put a longer tool box under it.

Small wheels aren't bad if your garage/shop floor is smooth, but if you have to roll it out to rougher pavement rocks, forget about it.

I'm tempted to put 20" bike tires on an axle about 8" up the vertical. That would make it easy rolling. Then two wheelbarrow handles out the front.

 

[WranglerX]

Ya guys, I hate those micro wheels and already planned to trade them for larger ones. What about the drawers?

What drawers, see plastic tool box on my cart....

 

[2manyrocks]

First welding task is to fab your own cart. If you think you may buy a plasma cutter in the future, fabricate accordingly.

 

[ArlyA]

I've have been fabing for a few years. Following is some projects I've did. Oh and I also welded in the engery busness for 15 years. I'll buy a cart.

 

[etpm]

You guys with welding carts. What have you liked, or disliked using them. View attachment 787900

I built myself a MIG welding cart when I bought my Lincoln SP125 Plus MIG welder. I welded it up out of 1x1x1/8 angle. I used 1/4" plywood for the shelves. I do have some sheet metal I could make shelves from but I guess I'm just too lazy to make 'em. It is quite similar to the cart in the picture. I used 4 inch casters which are OK in the shop but are still a little small for a gravel driveway. The structure that holds the bottle is lower than the rear wheel axle centerline. I did this because the rear wheels on my cart are pretty large diameter and I wanted to keep the bottle as low as possible. I use the upper shelf to store the hood and the lower shelf for storing wire, tips, hammers, and other welding related accouterments. The only thing I want to add is some sort of cord, ground cable, and whip hanger system. I really think that each cord or cable needs its own hanger.
Eric

 

[MF243RedTop]

Fabbed my own just out of angle bed rails and left room for the arc welder on bottom and a bottle on back.. if needed .

Can weld in place with both beside my steel table or move entire cart 25ft to front roll up door and weld to the outside of shop with either on a 50amp extension cord