A MIG Welder Lament

[MarkG]

MarkG, can you give an example of projects where the 140 is coming up short on please?

Hello, zkling---As I said in the first line of my initial post, I like it-----it hasn't come up short on anything yet, because I know it's limits and stay within them, but that means nothing over 3/16" and a low duty cycle.

It's everything it's supposed to be and what I expected------it's just that eventually, I know I'll probably want to weld something thicker and for a longer period of time! I'm completely happy with the machine within it's rated uses and my currently available power supply.

 

[rslaback]

I wish I had something to offer besides the fact that nobody ever complained about buying too big of a 210v unit. I use mine for structural steel all the way down to body sheetmetal.

I'll be your first actually. I bought a big *** 100% duty cycle Linde VI-200. It's first life was welding up cherry bomb style mufflers in a factory all day. That damn thing is huge and fugly. If I thought I could get somebody to trade me for a smaller machine I would jump all over it.

 

[silentpoet]

For me the 140 is adequate to my needs right now. I am working on fixing up my 1968 caddy. It will do all that I need it to do for that. Since I don't have a 220 outlet in the basement, it fits that limitation too. Yes eventually I would like to have a more powerful unit, but I ain't going to kid myself and say I what I have now is a piece of junk. I am aware of the limitations of my machine, but it'll do for now.

My plan is to eventually add a Lincoln tombstone for thicker stuff and maybe run a 220 line for it and a better compressor.

 

[ckpitt55]

Running into the same thing currently with my HH140. I've had it for approx 3 years and have used it for various sheet metal fab / autobody jobs, and for that it's a tremendous little machine. I have it set up on solid 0.024 wire and it has performed flawlessly. Relatively inexpensive to get into, and a great machine to get started welding with.

That being said, it really lacks the grunt to punch through thicker stuff. Getting into heavier fabs requires more juice - it can weld 1/4" with proper wire and an open corner joint but forget about ****, lap, or fillet welds at that thickness. Even with the open corner I weld both sides for penetration...arrived at this through trial and error using my press to load up the joints. But on other joint designs I find that it doesn't wet the base metal enough and you get pretty mediocre penetration - convex welds shapes instead of a concave shape that would suggest you're burning in nice.

Probably going to end up with the HH210 - I don't feel like the autoset feature and a blue powdercoated case command the $200 premium in price that a millermatic 211 carries.

As far as tig, I've been eying an htp invertig 221 for all my stainless / aluminum / precision welding needs. Probably will get that somewhere down the line here.

 

[Adam McLaughlin]

I ran my Lincoln SP 175+ for ten years without a complaint or problem....
I did use a 140 for a while, and ONLY ran it to the top rail when trying to patch a Blazer frame with some 3/8" plate
( K5 people know what I mean )

And at that time I was popping the 15 A breaker on the machine when doing a high heat / slow wire pass to get the weld down flat.

Adam

 

[zkling]

Hello, zkling---As I said in the first line of my initial post, I like it-----it hasn't come up short on anything yet, because I know it's limits and stay within them, but that means nothing over 3/16" and a low duty cycle.

Hum, sorry I wasn't trying to state the machine is bad in anyway, it is a great machine, for a specific application. I just gathered from your first post that you are maxing the machine out. Hence I asked what you are trying to weld that needs more amps aka "Falling short on".

First post

but MAN I wish I would have got something with a little more juice!