welding station setup.

[Kendrick]

I have future thoughts with purchasing the tig. I may need to do ss welding in the future and doubt I will ever do alum but theres always a chance like if i got a wild hare... and put my truck flatbed together with alum instead of steel.

I have no issues using a saber/circ saw etc to chop up thin steel and torch the thick stuff. I may also be able to get lot of the thick stock bent/cut from the dealer so that may not matter. not needing power is also a bonus.

 

[flusher]

I am setting up my welding station for the farm. I must now decide how to best/most economicly get the pieces.

1) bernzomatic t grade heavy duty victor style kit 80$
1a) 140/200 for o/a tanks witl fill
1b) misc supplys 50$

2) lowes portable kit 280$
2a) misc supplys 50$

3) HF 130A ac/dc stick 80$

4) 3 in 1 longevity-inc either 160 or 200A tig/stick/plasma 600-1k
160 ac/dc =1k or 160 dc @600 800 for 200A dc
helmet 50-70$

I would prefer to buy once and never need again... but i dont have the money to just throw at it. Im really tempted to go with the 160A dc and then add in the portable oxy later when I get some more money in. its also tempting to go with the cheep portable (tanks included) and the HF ac or ac/dc stick for now sinced that would end up around 500$ now and I could possibly save up to get a 1.2k ac/dc 3 in 1 a year or 3 down he road. should I just go and buy the expensive 3in1 and or will the cheaper one end up costing more in the end?

Current projects
qa plate & hay attachment 15mm steel to be welded to make qa plate. (if i get the steel for it under 70$ can buy a qa for 120$) and angle iron for the rest of it.

truck bed flat. medium duty c channel or deck plate being the thickest.

body work on vehicles and straitening/cuting-welding toungue on hay wagon.

future project
build tracked gater for steep slope usage and mowing.


any suggestions on which way to go would be appriciated.

That HF welder is junk--I know from personal experience.
Get yourself a Hobart LX AC/DC stick welder and learn how to use it. 7000 series drag rods (7014, 7018, 7024) are the easiest ones to learn on. Once you get proficient on stick welding, the wire feed stuff will be easier to learn to do right.

 

[gauthier]

You can do two types of welding with any decent dc stick welder[tig and stick],any dc stick welder is a tig machine....

If you want a generator also thats 10,000 watts,,they have many generator welders that produce 10,000 watts,,for instance,miller makes one called a bobcat,book says 9,500 continuous,11,000 peak,its constant current/constant voltages[meaning you can mig/stick/tig with it],around 3,500 dollars,,time you buy your welder and generator,,you'll probably have more in them than that,, if you get a decent welder and generator.

Lincoln makes a simular one called a ranger 225,,costs even less than the miller.

 

[Oliver1655]

- Don't be afraid to buy an older used stick welder. I picked up a Hammett AC 200 amp for $25 at an auction. I have used it for years with no problems. While a DC welder is handy, with practice, you can weld in any position with an AC. I use mainly 6011 for 1/8" or thicker and 6013 for welding as thin as 18 ga. (I move the rod fast using a 100 amp setting.)
- While I agree the HF welders are only good for the home owner who only welds small occasional projects, I have had excellent service from their auto darkening solar powered cheap helmets. I see them on sale for $39.99 regularly and periodically for $35.95. I know several others welders who have purchased this model helmet who are very happy with it as well.
- If you start with the portable torch set which includes the tanks, you can always purchase larger tanks later and use the regulators from the portable set on them.
- As far a metal chop saws go, I have purchased 2 Dewalts, a Ryobi, and 2 HF saws over the years. The HF saws have held up the best! Believe it or not, the Dewalts have had the shortest life span. I have also had the same experience with the Dewalt 12" wood miter saws, three of them. The armatures keep failing before the brushes are even 1/2 worn. I have given up on Dewalt miter and chop saws. I can buy HF saws for the cost of replacing the armatures/shipping and they are only 1/3 to 1/4th the cost of a new Dewalt saw.
- For angle grinders, a Black and Decker 9" Wildcat would be my choice hands down! For the 4 1/2" grinders, I have B&D industrial, Dewalt, and $10 HF cheapies. The HF grinders sound like they may fall apart at any time but have lasted well. The B&D and Dewalt are basically the same grinders with different colors and work very well. I have been told the Dewalt has better bearings, but I can't tell a difference. (I have grinders with cup wire brushes, wire wheels, cut off blades, and grinding disks.) The wire brushes which are knotted (groups of bristles twisted together) definitely last longer!

The satisfaction of designing and building can be awesome! Have fun!

 

[Kendrick]

hehe I grabbed a 7" 12A HF magnesium angle grinder a while back and have not had any complaints. worst issue was having to put a 4" wheel on it to grind of a rusted bolt holding a strut on a car... impact wrench and heat didnt even touch it. even the air hammer didnt do much 10 min after i brought the angle grinder in 3/4 the nut was gone and the rest would freely turn.

Gauth I found an electronics safe 9k/10k generator head for under 1k after verifying the wave on it id much rather go with a seperate gen & welder. not to mention I cant afford 3k for both. its going to be hard to part with 1k for welding equip right now unfortunatly.

 

[gauthier]

Well,that money only goes so far I know.

I have a generator welder,its small enough that on its wheels,I can push it around,it puts out 6000 watts ac aux,all I need,,bigger ones need to be in back of a truck or trailer,but you got a gen/welder in one,not only that,with the models I listed,you got a mig machine,a stick machine,a tig machine and a flux core machine.

And don't think I'd want a three in one or 4 in one or whatever welder,,but like I said,any stick dc welder is a tig welder,,just need to hook stinger up to torch connection block,hook up argon hose to torch,run on dcen,,won't have high freg,,scratch start but welds are made every day and x-rayed with that set up.

Don't think I'd want a pto gen. either,where would I park tractor,,what if tractor breaks,etc.

But thats me,,just giving you my opinion,to each his own.

 

[yomax4]

Bernzomatic Heavy Duty?? is there such thing? Is it a good torch because it is $80.00 or because it is a Victor " Style " Does it have built in Flash Arrestors like Victor or is it just Gold in Color. This is the most dangerous piece of equipment in your shop and you are buying a " Look A Like " . Not in my shop.. Save until you can buy real equipment and you will never regret it. :thumbsup:

 

[Kendrick]

I found the kit at another site which wen out of stock but this what it included
BurnzOMatic - OA4000KB Oxygen Acetylene Outfit - Cutting, Welding and Brazing Torch Kit - Oxy-Acetylene Outfits - BZM019295
would take me a bit to find it.

Gauther I got really excited about this one till i noticed you would have to buy 4 other machines to hook to it @ 1k a piece
Miller - Engine-Driven - Trailblazer 302

 

[gauthier]

Well,you would have to buy a wire feeder and flowmeter/bottle of gas of your chosing, for mig/fluxcore,,than for tig,you'd have to buy tig rig/reg/flow meters,argon tank and hose,,for stick you'd need to buy leads,stinger/ground,,,but no new machines,,,you'd have to buy most of that regardless of what you bought,,,cheap stuff or good stuff. Where did you get this new machines stuff???

Trying to save you a buck and get you set up,,please don't listen to me..

 

[gauthier]

Course I meant trying to help you spend your money