Any welders out there? I want to get a welder but am a rookie, Help!!

[pandemonium]

I am wanting to get a small welder i guess it would be for spot welding? i want to make a few uds smokers so it would be used to weld the valves on and other parts that could be welded to make the smoker so really i dont know what type welder i need? mig, tig, stick? hell i dont know? Thanks for the info!! ohh and would same one work for welding a heavyer steel smoker like a sfb type smoker?

 

[dennisdocb]

I have a MillerMatic 130 and love it. Very easy to weld with.

 

[smokeguy]

I've got a Hobart Handler MIG 180.  For my uses it's perfect.  It can go low enough to do thin metals that require little heat, but high enough to weld 1/4" steel in most conditions, and thicker steel in better conditions and more passes.

If you're new, the MIG welder is very easy to learn compared to some of the others although it takes practice practice etc to get those picture-perfect welds.  You can also use it with a gas for cleaner welds or by wire alone (different wires) if it's too windy or you're not around gas.  Mine will also run off of my 6500 watt generator if I need it too which is handy even though it's a 240 V.  The 120 would work on any household current so is generally more portable although the metals you can weld will be less thick.

Go to some of the major brand's sites and you can see some differences in the types, their pros and cons, and the costs/vs size differences.  Lowe's and TSC both carry name-brand middle of the road sized welders for "normal welders" so you might want to see them too.

 

[fftwarren]

I got the best lincoln mig they sell at the home depot and havent regreted it one bit. thing works great. I think it was around 550 after tax

 

[old oak smokers]

I picked up a Lincoln 3200HD mig from Home Depot about 7-8 years ago.  It came with the regulator and cart for about $375.  I have used it with and with out gas and it works great.  Never had a problem.  My latest build has been my biggest yet.  I use flux core wire.  It's messy with the slag but works good for me.  I get the 10 pound spools for $49 and they last forever.

 

[pandemonium]

Well i guess i need to ask differently? what welder would i need for welding on steel drums? Thanks for telling me what welder you think is good but i don't have a clue about welding, so telling what one you have doesn't really tell me anything? maybe I need to read up on this to get a better understanding, are there any good articles online that anyone knows a link to?

 

[stircrazy]

mig is your best bet, but if your only going to do a couple UDS, then rent one.  if you have a need for one other than a couple builds then buy the best one you can afford.  Welding valves to the drum is going to be the hard part as you first have to use normal steel valves and it will be a little tricky figuring out how to get a good weld into the valve with out burning through the side of the drum.  get something to practice on first like a chunk of a garbage drum and a hunk of heavy wall steel pipe (cheeper than practicing on a good drum and a real valve)

I have been welding for 25 years and I still find hunks of scrap the same thickness I want to weld to dial in the machine befor I start welding on good stuff.  doesnt help I just bought a reconditiond Miller DVI which is fun concidering most of what I did was stick and not mig.

Steve

 

[tom37]

I just did a quick search and found a reconditioned unit made by hobart.

http://www.toolking.com/hobart-500521a-factory-reconditioned-handler-125ez-welder-a-stock

From forum post on welding sites I have heard nothing but great things about this little welder. There is several professional welders that carry this machine for the little light weight stuff they come across. Its also very handy to grab and go.

This is a flux core only machine, which means you will need no gas, also meaning welding outside is not a problem. I started with a cheep harbor freight unit and picked it up very fast BUT the Chinese machines are much tougher to use with good results.

Like stircrazy said look around and pick up scraps of what ever you can find and play with it. The drums can be tough, they are exactly what I learned on.

The flux core wire does cost a tad more but its a all in one deal. Kind of a keep it simple thing.

I would defiantly stay with a major brand (miller or hobart) just for the simple reason that you can take it to a local service center/welding supply if it ever happens to need work.

There is enough people here that weld, you get a machine, lay down a couple beads and take a pic or two and we can point you in the right direction.

I would think after the price of the machine, you could spend around 100 bucks, auto dark helmet, cheep grinder from harbor freight, gloves, cutter disc and grinding wheels, and wire wheel. The only reason I would say to spend the money for a AD helmet is that it will cut the learning curve way down.

If ya have any other questions feel free to fire away.

Tom

Here is the miller how to site. BTW more or less miller and hobart are somewhat the same, hobart is the home use and miller is comericial if i dare say it that way.

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/improving-your-skills/mig/

 

[pandemonium]

Thanks Tom very good info there, i was looking at harbor freight to see what they had and as far as tools that i know how to use their stuff has been realy good so i am not agaist buying their stuff but welding seems to be a different monster so i would not want to learn on one that is hard for pros to use.

 

[morkdach]

just my 2¢ get good little mig machine as in hobart , lincoln or miller try to stay away from your low cost brands as they cost more to repair if you can get parts for the them. i have been a repair tech on these for years .

try to get into a mig with gas  and you can start out with flux and work into gas later .

my choice for the best at lower cost would be hobart.

 

[stircrazy]

one last thing, avoid a fluxcore only machien, get one that at least has the guts so you can change to gas feed later.  the quality of weld between gas and fluxcore is night and day, plus running on gas means no cleanign up welds after saving you a lot of time and work.  you can still weld outside although if it is windy you might have to set up a wind block.  or just run flux core on the times you have to weld outside.

If you have 220 power you can plug it into get a 220 machine also.. they can weld just as thin material as 110 units but have the capability to weld much thicker.. also they seam to run a more stable weld.  I always though my buddies little 110 miller flux core was good, then I got the DVI and it was kinda like moving from a kids toy to a real tool.

Steve

 

[silverwolf636]

I've been welding for a couple of decades, (Ugh, givin my age away), here's the welder I purchase a couple of years ago and love it.

The Lincoln 140c. It's what I use to build my smokers amoung other things.

--ray--

(0||||0)

 

[lennyluminum]

hey everyone I have been pondering this idea for a while now too. I have been wanting to build a smoker on a jetski trailer i have so i can tow it to our camping spot a few time a year.

anyway.... how thick of metal can this Lincoln 140 weld?
 

I've been welding for a couple of decades, (Ugh, givin my age away), here's the welder I purchase a couple of years ago and love it.

The Lincoln 140c. It's what I use to build my smokers amoung other things.

--ray--

(0||||0)

 

[silverwolf636]

hey everyone I have been pondering this idea for a while now too. I have been wanting to build a smoker on a jetski trailer i have so i can tow it to our camping spot a few time a year.

anyway.... how thick of metal can this Lincoln 140 weld?
 

 

I have welded up to 1/2 inch steel.  I beveled it out and preheated it. The piece was for a tractor. I used .035 inner core (gasless). 

I have built a few smokers with it and have fixed car, jeep and truck frames with it also. 

I've welded since the mid 70's everything from oil rigs to trains to pipeline to lawn mower decks. My philosophy was that if the welder wasn't atleast 220v then it wasn't a welder. A friend of mine opened a welding supply store and sold these. He had one in his shop and kept bragging on it. I used it and ended up buying one. It's a 110v.  They are great little machines.

--ray--

(0||||0)
 

 

[pandemonium]

the only one i see close to that number is like 500$ ouch!! Is that right Silverwolf?

 

[walle]

Pan, not adding much at this point, but agree with a 110V wire feed (mig) that has the ability to go both gas or flux core wire.

I picked up a little Hobart Handler a few years back, and use it 99.9% of the time.  If I have a big job, I crank up the o'l Miller AC cracker box and burn, baby burn!

As mentioned above, if you have to weld outside as I do, go with flux core wire - not as pretty, but you can get fancy and buy spray that keeps the platter down.

You'll be more than good up to 1/4", and anything bigger, just bevel and lay down a bead, grind, repeat.  I would have to think long and hard before parting with mine.

Good luck on your selection.

 

[stircrazy]

the only one i see close to that number is like 500$ ouch!! Is that right Silverwolf?

yup, thats about what a good little mig is worth.  got to watch thoes little ones as it only has a 20% duty cycle at 90 amps.  not saying this is bad or good, you just need to decide what kind of welding you want to do.  for me sitting around 80% of the time is not a option, so I wanted something that would hit 100% in the sizes I most commonly do.  that way I can just lay bead and not worry about how hard I am driving the welder.

another way to get something is to look for places that rebuild welders, they always have ones for sale it seams.  I picked up a Miller DVI for about 800.00 there and 3 or 4 years ago it was a 2500 buck unit.  what I likes about the DVI is I can run it on 110 15A, 11 20A , or 220 50A.  At home I use it on the 220, but some times I have to load it in the truck and take it to some place that only has 110.

don't let people confuse you with flux cor and such as any mig I have seen that can run gas can also run flux core, you just have to change the polarity and make sure you have the right size liner in the gun (costs about 30 bucks for a liner and takes 2 min to change) .  so I always say get one that has the ability to run gas built in. 

also when it comes to welders here are some pieces of wisdom that was told to me years and years ago

"buy more than you think you will need, because you will use it.

and , you can always crank a big mig down to small mig levels, but you cannot crank the small mig  up to biger mig levels "

so like so many things in life get the best that you can afford. if you have 220 available in your shop then get a 220 unit, if you don't then get a good 110, I am partial to miller for mig, but there are lots of others out there that work.

Steve

 

[pandemonium]

would either of these be ok for what im wanting to do?

http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/mig-flux-welders/90-amp-flux-wire-welder-98871.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/weldin...0-amp-230-volt-mig-and-flux-welder-97503.html

and which one should i get the small one is 89$ and the bigger one i can get for 149$

the smaller one would be ideal because the 120 volt supply but i can add 240 volt outlet for the other one.

 

[ak1]

Get the bigger one, you won't regret it.

 

[stircrazy]

would either of these be ok for what im wanting to do?

http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/mig-flux-welders/90-amp-flux-wire-welder-98871.html

http://www.harborfreight.com/weldin...0-amp-230-volt-mig-and-flux-welder-97503.html

and which one should i get the small one is 89$ and the bigger one i can get for 149$

the smaller one would be ideal because the 120 volt supply but i can add 240 volt outlet for the other one.

if you can easily add a 220 outlent get the bigger one.  the harbour freight welders are not the best but there are lots of mods people are doing to them to make them weld diecent, but for ocasional use they will probably do fine.

Steve