need some info on welders

PeteyAce · Dec 10, 2007

im looking to by a welder, this is primarily going to be used just for body work and and when i do my subframes. i wont be welding anything more then 3/16. I need an entry level one, i was looking at hobart welders on northern tool. I dont know what i would be looking for in a welder though. like i dont know what type i should buy (arc,mig,feed).

87foxstang · Dec 10, 2007

for that thickness i would not go to arc...I would go for mig. I have a miller mig welder and i freaking love it, no problems what so ever. Miller may be a little bit more money but its worth it IMO.

ttop88 · Dec 10, 2007

Miller and Lincoln both make very nice 110 migs.

bigcat · Dec 10, 2007

IIRC, miller makes hobart. the main difference is the warranty.

i talked to the local welding supply house. they said the hobart handler 140 is a very good buy. northern tools seems to have good prices normally, so i would imagine they would have a pretty decent deal on a welder as well.

PeteyAce · Dec 10, 2007

so whats the difference between a mig, feed, and arc?

bloopbloob · Dec 10, 2007

you want a mig for what you're doing. (metal inert gas welding). its a wire feed, with a secondary shielding gas supply. it is the easiest to use by far. its almost like drawing, just point, squeeze, and draw. it might take a while to learn how to set it, but other than that, its very easy.

backfocus · Dec 10, 2007

With the mig you will have more control over temp and wire speed. The mig feeds the wire to the end of the gun and if you have shielding gas it sounds the wire at the tip for a better weld.

The stick welder, if I remember correctly, is fed in a stick form by you. They usually have higher welding temps and less adjustably which makes it more suitable for thicker metal. There are attachments that you can buy for stick welders that make them easier to use with thinner metal, but by the time you buy the attachments you could have bought a mig in the first place.

I have had a Hobart, Miller and Lincoln welders in the past all work well, The Miller is better and American made, but as stated before the Hobart is very similar, just different warranty.

Unless you want to run a 220V line I would stay with the 110V powered welders. The main difference in most welders price wise is the duty cycle, which means how long you can continually weld with it, without stopping. Unless you get really good at welding automotive stuff you will probably not have to worry about that since you constantly stop a start for stop welding and staying away from heat damage.

Check your local Tractor Supply or Welding shop, they might beat Northern's price by the time you pay for shipping.

PeteyAce · Dec 10, 2007

thanks alot guys ill look into, from what i was look at there is a hobart feed welder for 299 wih free shipping, and with a 70 dollar kit you can make it a mig.

gregpro50 · Dec 10, 2007

You definitely want a MIG.

I bought a Clarke about 10 years ago and I absolutely love it. I've done quarter panels, floors, roof skins, and even put together a trailer with it. They sell them here: http://store.weldingdepot.com/cgi/weldingdepot/index.html?ref=google

bloopbloob · Dec 10, 2007

PeteyAce said:
thanks alot guys ill look into, from what i was look at there is a hobart feed welder for 299 wih free shipping, and with a 70 dollar kit you can make it a mig.

do you have a link for it? i'd like to check it out

have you welded before? for what you're doing, you dont need much of a welder. BUT i think once you learn, you may want to start building other things that require more power. just something to consider...
also, i have seen hundreds and hundreds of welding machines over the last few years, and 95% of them were millers or lincolns. miller is my personal preference, but they both are high quality. they're popular for a reason.

moterhead · Dec 10, 2007

backfocus said:
With the mig you will have more control over temp and wire speed. The mig feeds the wire to the end of the gun and if you have shielding gas it sounds the wire at the tip for a better weld.

The arch welder, if I remember correctly, is fed in a stick form by you. They usually have higher welding temps and less adjustably which makes it more suitable for thicker metal. There are attachments that you can buy for arch welders that make them easier to use with thinner metal, but by the time you buy the attachments you could have bought a mig in the first place.

I have had a Hobart, Miller and Lincoln welders in the past all work well, The Miller is better and American made, but as stated before the Hobart is very similar, just different warranty.

Unless you want to run a 220V line I would stay with the 110V powered welders. The main difference in most welders price wise is the duty cycle, which means how long you can continually weld with it, without stopping. Unless you get really good at welding automotive stuff you will probably not have to worry about that since you constantly stop a start for stop welding and staying away from heat damage.

Check your local Tractor Supply or Welding shop, they might beat Northern's price by the time you pay for shipping.

All electric welders are arc (not arch). The arc is the bright light at the welding tiip. Mig, Tig, etc, are all variants of electric (arc) welders. I have both arc and gas (oxyactelylne).

bloopbloob · Dec 10, 2007

moterhead said:
All electric welders are arc (not arch). The arc is the bright light at the welding tiip. Mig, Tig, etc, are all variants of electric (arc) welders. I have both arc and gas (oxyactelylne).

hahaha do you actually oxy-acetylene weld???? other than in trade school, i thought that was pretty much obsolete!

PeteyAce · Dec 10, 2007

http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200127024_200127024 for my first welder im not looking to spend alot, even though i know i should spend enough to get something with more power, in the long run i would be saving more money, but im gunna be on a budget for a while and well,.....i want a welder now!

bloopbloob · Dec 10, 2007

that seems pretty good for the price. it uses thin wire which is good for what you want it to do because it won't have much heat and burn through the thin metal you will be welding. if you ever need to do anything more heavy duty, it won't be able to cut it. as sold, it's set up for flux core. i'd recommend spending the extra $$$ so you can run it mig. if you don't know, flux core is basically wire containing a material that insulates the weld from the atmosphere when it burns. mig is similar, except its just solid wire, and is insulated by a secondary source of shielding gas (usually a mix of CO2 and argon). you will have to buy a bottle of c-25 or similar, but it will leave a nicer weld, with no cleaning afterwards, less spatter, and less porosity. all in all, mig is much better for what you need.

i just had to throw this in here. i've worked with a lot of lifetime welders. until i started welding myself, i didn't really know what they meant, but now i do. many of them have told me this saying:
"anybody can weld. a monkey can weld. but a monkey can't set a machine"

the hardest part about welding is setting the machine for what you are welding, and adjusting to the different angles and many other variables. the actual welding is quite simple. you just gotta learn what works.

PUNISHER RACING · Dec 10, 2007

I have a HOBART HANDLER 185 Mig that stays in the shop I love it ....it will weld 1/4 all day long

millhouse · Dec 10, 2007

PUNISHER RACING said:
I have a HOBART HANDLER 185 Mig that stays in the shop I love it ....it will weld 1/4 all day long

+1

I picked up my HH180 3 years ago as a "managers special" at tractor supply for $583. Considering it included a $150 auto darkening helmet, welding cart, 20 cubic foot tank, 2 spools of wire, gloves, flux and wire brush....I'd say it was a hell of a deal!

Anyways, it has worked flawlessly for everything I've needed it for...primarily which was fabricating my turbo kit.

Keep in mind, as previously stated....the Hobart lineup is made by Miller, and uses most of the same components. Hell, the gun in my kit is actually labeled "Miller".

There is some good unbiased information here... http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/index.php

PUNISHER RACING · Dec 10, 2007

Hobart Handler FTMFGDW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!son

Shakerhood · Dec 11, 2007

PeteyAce said:
http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_6970_200127024_200127024 for my first welder im not looking to spend alot, even though i know i should spend enough to get something with more power, in the long run i would be saving more money, but im gunna be on a budget for a while and well,.....i want a welder now!

I would step up to the Handler 140 as Northern is giving you a Free Cart and Free Shipping.

backfocus · Dec 11, 2007

All electric welders are arc (not arch). The arc is the bright light at the welding tiip. Mig, Tig, etc, are all variants of electric (arc) welders. I have both arc and gas (oxyactelylne).

Correction Noted, my bad! I meant stick welder, I have just called them arc welders, out of habbit, and for some reason I put the "h" on the end. It was a long weekend!

And PeteyAce as Shaker pointed out the 140 is a better deal in the long run.

PUNISHER RACING · Dec 11, 2007

That seems like a good deal also and you can use 110 if thats all you got, Good choice!!

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