What kind of welder to get?

[HarryJM]

That all depends on what you plan on welding. If you see yourself regularly welding thick steel plates for structural purposes, then you will want a stick welder. If you plan on doing aluminum or ornamental welding, then you want TIG. If you plan on bike frame work, say steel tubular, etc, then MIG is on the menu, although TIG will also work nicely. Oxy Acet I save for burning and brazing type work. If you held a gun to my head and asked me to pick only one, I would pick TIG as I can make it work for light gauge steel or aluminum up to respectable thicknesses, but this is based on the work I do. I have all including a plasma cutter. My stick welder sits most of the time and the last time I used it was to weld 5/8-inch steel angle iron for an antenna bracket. My mig comes out when I have not too precise steel work and I need a quick way to tack together some steel. My tig is used when I want to lay down a nice bead say a stack of dimes. Not that the mig cannot lay a nice bead, but tig is more forgiving for my limited welding skill/experience. My Tig unit is a Everlast 250EX complete with water cooler and water-cooled torch, my mig is a Hobart handler 187, my stick welder Hobart LX 235 and plasma cutter Hobart 40i. I put the stick/tig and plasma on one large wheeled cart complete with tanks, while the mig sits on its own stand.

Hey Blackjackjacques,

“What are you planning on ????” is a common response to my type of question. I caught the “buying old iron wood working and metal working machines” bug a few years ago after joining OWWM. So I'm sure my new metal working hobby will come in handy there. Sometimes I enjoy the journey as much or better than the destination.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[HarryJM]

You can do a lot of miscellaneous steel welding with a 110 volt wire feed using flux core wire. I find myself using flux core on the quick and small projects because it's so convenient. If you're welding a good bit then use a mig set up. You can buy a small Hobart unit and load flux core when you don't have a bottle available. Some models do everything. The Hobart/Miller welders are good choices, I get my Hobart stuff at Tractor Supply. I also have an El cheapo flux core $79 110 volt wire feed welder from Harbor Freight, at that price you can have a nicer Hobart mig set up on a cart for your most common stuff and have the $79 HF flux core set up as a quick pick up and go unit. I've successfully repaired farm implements with a wire feed, it's so versatile, I don't have a stick welder anymore.

Hey SSage,

Sounds like a MIG/flue setup would be just the right setup for me and will continue to research the Hobart/Miller welders.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[HarryJM]

Harry, I had another thought. A good tig welder is very versatile, can weld just about anything and welds about like Ox/Acc (you need to add filler, just a different heat source). Mine also came with leads for stick welding. Of course you still have a bottle of gas to deal with.
Of my 3 welders (oxy/acc, mig and tig) the mig is the one I use least. I even sold the mig spool gun when I got my tig and am now considering selling it (the mig). However, I am proficent with the other 2 and do all my welding in one spot so portability is not important.

Hey Groundhog,

Well looks like I need to do a little more TIG research.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[HarryJM]

GET A BLUE ONE!

Blue vs Red sounds to political.

 

[HarryJM]

Harry, you've gotten some good advice and I can't add to it much. I just wanted to tell you that you will WANT Tig, Mig and an O/A set up - who wouldn't. But what you NEED is going to come down to what you do.

I have an O/A rig with a standard Victor torch that I rarely use and a Meco Midget that I use a lot. It lets me silver solder stuff, gas weld and can produce welds in aluminum that rival Tig (although I need a lot more practice for that). It also allows me to harden larger tool steels that my Mapp gas torch won't manage. I also use it to heat steel projects that won't fit in my bender so I can bend it, and that is something to consider. I think an O/A set up is one of the most useful things a guy can have.

I also have a little Lincoln Mig. It's red, not blue, but it has worked flawlessly for over 20 years. For me, Mig is good because it takes the least skill to produce usable welds. It is also the fastest of the welding methods. When I need to make something from thin walled structural steel (work bench, machine stand, etc), Mig is what I use. I'm not anywhere near the skill of guys like @firestopper (Paco) but nothing I've built has fallen down yet. One of my close friends is a journeyman welder and he says of my welding, "Well, Mike, it ain't pretty but it's sound" - about as close to an okay as I'm likely to get! I usually only weld stuff up to 1/4" thick so I have no real need for a stick welder; if I do a thicker piece I can bevel it and make multiple passes so the Mig is really useful to me.

I WANT a Tig welder/plasma cutter/bigger mill/nicer this and that but I NEED a Mig and O/A set up. Your wants and needs may differ. Whatever you get, be sure to have the right safety equipment. Pay special attention to your optical protection gear and get the right gloves/leather apron/jacket/etc.

Life was simpler and cheaper before I started working with metal. Problem was, I couldn't do much back then. I can do more now but I'm poorer ...

Hey mikey,

While O/A is very appealing to me I'm really starting to lean toward MIG that seems to be very versatile and will probably handle any of the small projects I have in mind.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[HarryJM]

Where I am we have 240V 1-phase so have 50A. Got O/A. MIG, TIG & Stick,(AC & DC), but if I had to pick just one it would be O/A as there is not much you can't do with it. An option for occasional use that will do most things is a site welder. They are small, portable and will do 100A easy. A few like a friends Miller do DC TIG as well if you have gas and the torch.
OR......... You could say bugger he budget and get one of these: http://multiplaz.com/

Hey NortonDommi,

You member name brings back found memories of the 2 different Norton's I owned in the past. A 750 Interstate and 850 Commando.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[HarryJM]

I have a 110 v mig in my shop. It is an older discontinued Daytona MIG. Used it off and on for 20 years. Sits under the bench and I roll it out as needed.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Hey jdedmon91,

Sounds like the kind of welder I want.

Thanks,
Harry

 

[HarryJM]

Hey everyone,

I just want to say thanks for for taking the time to responding to my question.

Given that my soon to be converted storage shed to shop is a 14'x10' wood structure/floor I think a MIG/flux core welder would be, from a safety/fire issue, one of the safest option for welding inside a wood structure. And with enough practice it would be versatile enough for any of my anticipated welding projects and it does not take up a lot of floor space either, which is at a premium as is.

I do plan on having a least two appropriate fire extinguished installed, one at the entrance and one in the back. I will also invest in the appropriate welding safety gear as safely doing something is always one of my first considerations whether that be using wood working equipment, moving heavy objects, using a drill press/grinder/lathe/end mill safety, etc. I'm always thinking ahead as to what can happen along with what I plan on happening, in other words leaving myself a safely way to handle the unexpected.

Take care,
Harry

 

[Blackjackjacques]

Hey Blackjackjacques,

“What are you planning on ????” is a common response to my type of question. I caught the “buying old iron wood working and metal working machines” bug a few years ago after joining OWWM. So I'm sure my new metal working hobby will come in handy there. Sometimes I enjoy the journey as much or better than the destination.

Thanks,
Harry

LOL - I agree - the journey is frequently better and I also caught the bug. You probably already know this, but in case not - check out the youtube videos covering welding. There is so much great content, and my favorite is Jodie on WeldingTipsandTricks - but there are many great and inspiring presenters - many complete with projects. The overall technical content on YouTube is incredible and beats the devil out of broadcast (or even cable) TV. Good luck!

 

[Hawkeye]

I have a Hobart Handler 140. As mentioned repeatedly, it's a capable welder and will run on a 20 amp, 120 volt circuit, well within the proposed sub-feed. I loaned it to a friend and gave him a few lessons. My current unit is a Miller 211. It will run on either 120 volts or 240 volts. Has auto-set feaures. Really nice welder, but you won't get it for $500. You could, of course, let your wife talk you into it.