What kind of welder should I buy?

[JB4310]

There's another option that is often overlooked, Oxy/Acetylene. It is a lot slower to gas weld, but the advantages are you can weld thin & thick metal, braze, heat up metal to bend it, and especially, cutting. I have a 110 mig welder and 2 oxy/ actytelene set ups, each with advantages & disadvantages. The small portable unit that can be carried around is very handy, and of course, you don't need electricity. Most Vo-Tech schools offer inexpensive evening adult ed. courses in welding if you would like to take one.

Good point, but as Pete elluded to there is a learning curve involved with gas welding, I've never figured it out and I have all the necessary equipment that I inherited with my oxy/acet outfit long ago, even got several pounds of brazing rod, new in the bag some one gave me recently.
I know an old timer who's been running an excavating company all his life that gas welds all the time, using coat hangers in a pinch, he told me he can gas weld with no filler material at all on certain jobs?? maybe he's just pulling my leg.
Like Pete said MIG is easy, the first time I tried it I thought to myself this is like caulking with molten metal, I also use the gas with my Hobart handler 135, only problem is if your trying to weld outside and there's any wind your shielding gas gets blown away, Ive never tried the flux cored wire yet.
I would still pick the AC for my rough needs, I kinda bought the MIG by mistake thinking it could do more than it actually can, but now the guys that work for me are always using it to patch up their cars, exhausts etc.
I know the night classes at the VO-Tech schools go a long way, I did the residential electrical class and rarely ever had to hire an electrician.
Here's a little fab job I did last week.

 

[texasjohn]

I argued with myself for a long time, read all the posts re welders, pro and con.

I settled on a 220V Miller 175.... it's a MIG welder with both shielded wire and gas capabilities. My generator will run it providing portability when needed. It is easy to weld with, as others have said... kinda like using hot glue... I think it would be exactly what you need.

I mostly do light welding, occasionally up to 1/4 inch or a little heavier. any smaller MIG welder wouldn't do the job, IMHO. And a buzzbox is, IMHO, much harder to learn how to weld with. If you just want to get started without a large learnin curve, I think that something in the MIG 170+ amp range would be just right. anything smaller and you are likely to run up against stuff that it won't quite do very well. Costs more at the outset than a buzzbox, simpler to learn how to use.

Regardless, get an auto darkening helmet .. those at Harbor Freight for $50 to $80 work well, many including myself have had good luck with them. An autodarkening helmet is MANDATORY, IMHO, and will account for about 50% of your initial success in getting started welding.

 

[300wtby]

miller maxstar 150,you can use 110 or 220 these are nice little machines,if your looking for a stick welder,about the size of a lunch box and only weight 13 pounds,go on the miller web site and check out the specs,pretty impressive,also have other models if you want to try tig...chris

 

[cp1969]

I know an old timer who's been running an excavating company all his life that gas welds all the time, using coat hangers in a pinch, he told me he can gas weld with no filler material at all on certain jobs?? maybe he's just pulling my leg.

No, he's not.

That's why it's called fusion welding. The filler rod is only added if it's needed. Tig is the same.

 

[bigdad]

Texasjohn,

Yep! Gotta have an auto darkening helmet! Include the cost in your welder budget.

I tried it without one and it wasn't pretty...... at least at first.

BD

 

[sandman2234]

I went with the TIG after stick in welding shop. Got reasonable with it and tried to move to MIG. The instructor told me to get my tuss back in that TIG booth, "cause he could teach a monkey to run a MIG gun". I never did learn MIG, but I really haven't tried. Maybe one day...
David from jax

 

[unreconstructed]

I have been "shade tree" welding for years. Bought a Miller/Generator gas model the other day. But I still use that little Lincoln cracker box.

By all means, go 220.

 

[Loogie]

Guys, Thanks for all the informative replies. I've come to one conclusion - I'm going to install 220v! I'm getting ready to start building my woodshop/garage building. It will have several 200v outlets on the main level for the woodshop so dropping a few down to the tractor garage shouldn't be a problem. I'm glad I asked. EddieWalker said 220v and 30-50amps, is that right? That's some serious power at 220v. I would normally wire the 220v for 15 amps. What should I really plan for? The building will have 100 amp subpanel in it.

By the way I can see myself welding angle iron or tubes to fab stuff, probably not sheet metal much but maybe - I'm not sure where the cutoff is in thickness between the definition of sheetmetal and heavier stuff. Like I said, I'm new this whole metal working thing.

 

[sandman2234]

A Lincoln "tombstone" 225 buzz box requires a 40 amp recepticle on 220v. I have mine running on a thirty amp circuit, simply because I am too, way too cheap to buy a 40 amp breaker. I have a bunch of Square D breakers, just not any forty's, so I dropped in a 30 and since I don't use it over 150 amp setting very often, it doesn't pop the breaker. Most people run them on a clothes dryer outlet, which is normally a 30 amp circuit. I would at least run wires rated for a 50 amp circuit, and then put in a 30 or 40 amp breaker to run the welder. This will allow you to upgrade to a bigger power hog later without having to run new wires.
David from jax

 

[Loogie]

Great, thanks!