120 Volt Mig Welder recommendations

[petie6464]

I am going to take a 20' shipping container and turn it into a storage/garage shed. I want to get a portable 120volt mig welder for welding in doors and windows. I want a small unit as I have be able to move it around easily and take it on the roof as well. Looking @ a Miller (millermatic 140) and will be using 75/25 gas. Anyone have hands on experience with this unit or have another that they would recommend?

Thanks

 

[Gokart]

I have a Miller 140 and it is great doing sheet metal on 120V. If you ever want to upgrade to a 240V unit, these small units are easy to sell. The best advice I can give is go to your LWS and see what advice they can offer you, and get a feel for their pricing.

 

[41ratrod]

THEY WORK GOOD used one to build a 18X20 car port to store tractors
used 2x2x14 gauge steel.
use a good extension cord I had a problem with voltage drop using a 100'
cord.
I've got a Clarke 130 at home that works good.

 

[dittle fart around]

Got a Lincoln Weld Pac 3200 from Home Depot. Works with Argon. Nice and light works great on sheet metal.

 

[ibedayank]

gas mig is not for outdoor use ... the wind blows the sheilding gas away and then it turns to bird droppings
Fluxcore wire or arc for outdoors
secondly thats pretty thick to be trying to weld with a 120 volt welder
the bigger welders will do a much better job on the thicker metal that a container is made out of

 

[ibedayank]

Got a Lincoln Weld Pac 3200 from Home Depot. Works with Argon. Nice and light works great on sheet metal.

steel in a container is a far cry to the thin sheetmetal like .250 inch that a container is made out of

 

[RangerDaleXp]

I am going to take a 20' shipping container and turn it into a storage/garage shed. I want to get a portable 120volt mig welder for welding in doors and windows. I want a small unit as I have be able to move it around easily and take it on the roof as well. Looking @ a Miller (millermatic 140) and will be using 75/25 gas. Anyone have hands on experience with this unit or have another that they would recommend?

Thanks

Any of the Lincolns or Millers are good as well as the Hobarts. I also have the Northern tool 135 I use in the field and it has been great for well over a year now. It is my only 120 volt welder and all my other welders are 240v Lincolns....

 

[petie6464]

steel in a container is a far cry to the thin sheetmetal like .250 inch that a container is made out of

Where I will be working the sides and top) are 16 gage, the thickest material I will be working with is .125. The machine says it will go up to 3/16 with flux core wire, that sounds a little ambitious to me but 1/8 are the max I will need.

I think that the 211 is going to be a better choice it is 120/240 so it has the ability to weld up to 3/8.

 

[ibedayank]

petie check the hobart dual voltage machine same basic machine as the 211 just a few less optons and its made by miller

 

[sanddrag]

If you really need portability and don't want to fuss with wire, why not one of those cheap little inverter arc welders? Also known as a "bread loaf welder" because they are about the size of a loaf of bread.

 

[DoyleDee]

I have a Lincoln 125 and I love it for a 120v welder. I was building a pipe fence, and needed portability. I would have gone with a 240v, but I didn't want to have to make up an extension cord for it. I think it will weld up to a 1/4"..... the pipe fence I put up was partially taken down due to road expansion and that was where a large water line was to go.. so I was able to look at the penetration of the pipe (they cut where I had welded) and it seemed to penetrate well into the pipe.

 

[Jackfre]

I have a Miller 135, the predecessor to the 140 nd it is an excellent little machine. I also had (just sold), my Synchrowave 180 for stick and tig. I don't care for flux-core. If I have much to do outside and it is windy, I will put up a wind barrier and I'm ok with the standard wire. i like my welding machines to be Miller or Lincoln. To me it depends upon the local dealer and what support he will offer me. You can sometimes rent the machine you want to buy from the local guy to trial it first.

 

[diggerrick]

I still love my Lincoln Handy MIG. It's a nice little welder that uses flux core or solid wire, and comes with a regulator.

http://www.google.com/products/catalog?hl=en&sugexp=gsihc&pq=lincoln+125&xhr=t&q=lincoln+handy+mig&cp=11&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&biw=1280&bih=530&wrapid=tljp131013288453902&um=1&ie=UTF-8&tbm=shop&cid=15317058125087451864&sa=X&ei=pQoXTqnlPMbLgQfszPDWBA&sqi=2&ved=0CE4Q8wIwAA#

 

[kmacht]

I bought a hobart Auto Arc 130 off of amazon last year for around $400. I have used it mostly for working my my classic truck. It has had no problem with the 3/16" frame or the thin sheemetal. The welder with fluxcore got decent penetration on the frame. 3/16" would be about the limit though. For sheetmetal I switch it over the 80/20. The $400 kit on amazon includes a stand, mask, starter wire and the gas regulator. You just have to add the bottle. I looked at the hobart handler and a few other machines but couldn't find something with the same features at the same price. This is the same machine that miller used to sell as the auto arc 130, just manufactured with the hobart name on it now. The one I bought even still had the miller blue colored case.

Keith

 

[Steevo]

I would buy the highest amperage Lincoln, Miller or Hobart you can run on 120v.
The one I have is the Lincoln 140HD, which has the gas regulator included. I use mine constantly, but it does require a 20A outlet/breaker or it will trip.
These little wire welders are awesome for small jobs and will do some surprising work on even 5/16 or 3/8 steel with good preparation and proper layering of the welds.

Remember to buy a good auto-darkening hood as well. The toy hoods that come with the welders are useless.

 

[brownbagg]

On the internet nobody going say anything bad because somebody will come back and start a fight. so, I have the miller 135, nothing wrong with the machine, but it and other 110 units are very limited on metal thickness, they are mainly sheetmetal welders, the small 90 are joke, so considering what you might need years to come, think about the 110/220 units they are usually around 185/220 amps. now any brand with name like lincoln, miller hobart, there another brand cant thinkof it,its own by lincoln are good unit

Esab I think that it. anything sold at harbor freight stay away from.

 

[BigMike782]

It sounds like a 110 mig fit your needs.....for now.
I would suggest spending the extra bucks and get the 211.......very nice welding machine.

"petie check the hobart dual voltage machine same basic machine as the 211 just a few less optons and its made by miller"

Yes,the Hobart is a nice machine but Hobart is Hobart(made in Troy Ohio) and Miller is Miller(made in Appleton Wisconsin) both are owned by ITW.

 

[shoot summ]

My Lincoln Weldpak 3200 does very well on steel for a "sheet metal welder". I use it with flux core wire on 1/8", 3/16", and 1/4" steel with excellent results. For the price I paid($200 at HD on clearance) it is an outstanding machine. It welds way better than I can... ;0

 

[Mecheng76]

I have a storage container too. There is nothing on it my Hobart 140 MIG can't weld as long as the metal is clean. If I were to consider a new welder I'd give the new dual voltage Miller 211 a serious look.

 

[MarkG]

Hobart Handler 140 will work, but get a bigger one. You'll want it eventually anyway.

 

[RacerRick]

I have a Lincoln Wed Pak 10 that I bought when I was 16 years old. I still use it all the time and it is a great machine. I have used it for everything from structural welding on cars to light body work. Just remember to prep properly, and practice.