What kind of welder should I get?

[Big Barn]

I'm looking to get the MM252. Pricey but worth it.

Good choice.

Terry

 

[antlers125]

I am considering the Eastwood Mig 250. Anybody have any experience w/ their welders? They seem to have some good reviews.


Eastwood MIG 25 Welder

 

[spursjingles]

251 is old but nice. The only feature i like about the 252 is the downward angled gun.

Sent from my SGH-I337M using TractorByNet mobile app

 

[Ehanson]

If I was starting out this is the machine I would buy without a doubt. You can do both Stick and MIG and even TIG if you want. http://m.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/Equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K3963-1(LincolnElectric)

It has great reviews and a cool interface as well. For 90% of the hobbyist Welders this machine would do everything you want forever.

The only drawback to it might be duty cycle if doing a lot of heavy fabrication.

I saw one of these on Kijiji the other night, $1400 CDN , Maybe I should have picked it up.

 

[Big Barn]

Ehanson-

I see you are from BC. The Lincoln 210 is only $ 1600 regular price at KMS. I'd wait for a sale or buy at retail rather than pay $1400 used.

This way you can use your credit card, earn air miles and have an option to return. IMHO of course.

Terry

 

[JK22]

I got a Miller 211 with autoset 120/230v from Cyberweld while they were running a winter sale for around $1200 (USD). Very happy with the machine and I like the autoset because it was one less thing to worry about and when first learning I didn't have to wonder it was me or the machine's settings that was causing any issues (I could reasonably assume it was me). I'm a certified tinkerer, and therefore I tend to think that machines must be tinkered with. Without autoset, I would have spent more time tinkering than actually practicing. With that said, I find Mig fairly easy. I read some books, watched a lot of YouTube and played with my welder for about 30 mins before taking a 3 hour class (try searching dabble for local classes). After laying a couple beads, the instructor asked me how many YEARS I had been welding... He almost fell over when I told him about 30 minutes. If you take the time to understand the fundamentals, you will get proficient quickly. The class was still very helpful for learning different techniques for welding at different angles and different materials and I do recommend that early on you get some professional instruction before learning too many bad habits. I have friends that grew up on farms and have been stick welding since they could walk and after taking into consideration their experience and the ugliness of their welds, I've concluded that stick welding is far more difficult to master. I did a lot of reading that said mig was easiest to learn. I personally think it must be MUCH easier to learn compared to stick. Holding that long rod looks so awkward. After going though a lot of crappy tools and spending twice the amount of money in the long run, I now always try to buy tools that will last and that I can grow into.

 

[rbtjr]

Thanks. Very good info.

 

[fatjay]

I was a stick welder 15 years ago for about 18mo, and got pretty good at it. Fast forward 15 years of office work, I picked up the Lincoln 125HD wire feed welder from home depot for $400. There were a couple reasons, first was price, second was I only have 15a 110v service in my shop.

The stick guys scoffed at the wire guys when I was younger, so I was skeptical. However I'll say, it is so easy it's not even funny. Point and shoot. Make little e's. You can fix your mistakes easily. I was worried about the strength. I achieved full penetration on some pretty heavy steal. I recently cut the steering shaft and welded on a new splined piece. Everyone said a butt weld would never hold, but I've pulled myself up onto the tractor a dozen times on that butt welded steering wheel and it has never budged.

 

[Teachu2]

I've run a MM210 for 15 years, a Lincoln AC/DC tombstone stick welder for 25+ years, and a Miller Bobcat 250 for over a dozen. The MM210 is what I grab 80% of the time - it's just in a class by itself. In a pinch, it can run off the Bobcat - made me $1800 one weekend that way.

I inherited a Lincoln ProMig 180 from my FIL that is sweet on 1/8 material, but the MM210 whips it on 3/16 and 1/4". Thicker than that, I'll stick with stick.