what type of 110V welder to get ac/dc/mig/tig

[lostcause]

The good thing about a 120 volt welder is it introduces one to welding. An introduction is usually all that's needed to make one want to learn more and do better. That usually means picking up a BIGGER welding machine later.

fixt.

i'm sure you didn't mean it that way, but it's not fair to consider a 120v welder to be of a lesser quality because it only runs on household current. it's just designed to operate under different conditions on lighter material. there are good and bad quality welders out there in all shapes, sizes, and input power ranges.

 

[_RaT_]

I thought Harv's original post said "better" welding machine and I would agree with that to the extent that a 240V machine can weld thin material as well as thicker material and typically with a higher duty cycle. On the other hand, if portability is a consideration then maybe the better machine is indeed the smaller, lighter 120V welder. Obviously price is going to be a criteria many will have to consider as well. I was quite impressed with Millers Passport machine. Super lightweight, 120V or 240V with the downside of costing $2000.

Edit... OK, I see where you said fixt.

fixt.

i'm sure you didn't mean it that way, but it's not fair to consider a 120v welder to be of a lesser quality because it only runs on household current. it's just designed to operate under different conditions on lighter material. there are good and bad quality welders out there in all shapes, sizes, and input power ranges.

 

[merrickvilleguy]

Ya, my budget is under the $1000 mark ... **** I saw some for $400 that seem like they are sturdy (lincoln in particular)

Altho ... a generator driven one for $3600 seems like a neat toy ... but thats a good chunk of change

 

[zman007007]

If you do have 220 volt power available, for the $1,000 bucks you are talking about , I bought a Lincoln 180 amp mig welder that works with flux core wire and also it comes with hose and gauges for hooking up the mixed argon gas if you want. I purchased it from Lowes about a year ago for $700. I had never used flux cored wire before, but after doing some welding on my tractor, outside in the wind, I changed my mind about adding gas to it. It is supposed to weld up to 1/2 metal, which all you would have to do is buy the roll of .045 wire which costs about 10 to $15. The .045 drive wheel was included with the welder. It also included the little hand held face shield, which I didn"t need . I also have an old Lincoln 225 amp stick welder if I want to get down and dirty. LOL Good luck on whatever you choose and happy welding. zman:thumbsup:

 

[zman007007]

Lostcause, even if it is flux cored wire, it passes through a mig gun, and if its not a mig welder what is it? Just curious what it should or would be called then if not a mig, just a different type of mig. zman:confused2:

 

[/pine]

FWIW...
this seems to explain it adequately...

One type of FCAW requires no shielding gas. This is made possible by the flux core in the tubular consumable electrode. However, this core contains more than just flux, it also contains various ingredients that when exposed to the high temperatures of welding generate a shielding gas for protecting the arc. This type of FCAW is attractive because it is portable and generally has good penetration into the base metal

Flux-cored arc welding - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[_RaT_]

The welding process would then be fluxcore or innershield. There is also fluxcore/innershield that uses gas. The gun is not called a MIG gun, it would be a wire feed gun if nothing else.

Lostcause, even if it is flux cored wire, it passes through a mig gun, and if its not a mig welder what is it? Just curious what it should or would be called then if not a mig, just a different type of mig. zman:confused2:

 

[zman007007]

ok but in the real world ain"t the mig gun also a wire fed welder? LOL

 

[Yankee]

Lostcause, even if it is flux cored wire, it passes through a mig gun, and if its not a mig welder what is it? Just curious what it should or would be called then if not a mig, just a different type of mig. zman:confused2:

The fact that a gun is used to deliver wire doesn't define MIG. MIG is defined as a process that uses a combination of bare wire, fed as the electrode, WITH the delivery of shield gas. Flux core is the delivery of flux filled wire, also functioning as electrode, where the flux provides the shielding. While there is overlap in use and while some machines can accomodate both, they are very different processes, intended for different conditions.

MIG is MIG (Metal Inert Gas welding) or SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding).

Flux Core is also termed FMAW (Flux-Core Metal Arc Welding).

So it's the combination of electrode type, filler metal delivery, and shielding that define the process.

 

[lostcause]

ok but in the real world ain"t the mig gun also a wire fed welder? LOL

mig stands for metal inert gas. the procedure that mig comes from is technically called gmaw, or gas metal arc welding. using a flux cored wire indicates the fcaw, or flux core arc welding process. both use similar (and in many cases, identical) equipment, but unless the welding machine makes use of an inert gas, such as co2, argon, or similar, then it is NOT mig welding.

many wire feed welders are mig capable, but not all of them. it's one of those relationships you learn as i kid in school - all mig welders are wire feed welders, but not all wire feed welders are mig welders.