Best Welder
- Thread starter Golden
- Start date
Luckydevil
Well-known member
what is your budget?
Welder
I just purchased a Lincoln Pro Mig 175 from Ebay. New in the box for $460.00 + $50 shipping. That should be in your budget. I been shopping ebay for 6 months for the right welder and price. Took some time But I have more time than Money.
I just purchased a Lincoln Pro Mig 175 from Ebay. New in the box for $460.00 + $50 shipping. That should be in your budget. I been shopping ebay for 6 months for the right welder and price. Took some time But I have more time than Money.
Remi
Well-known member
What type's of metal do you want to weld, and how thick?
Your best bet is to get the highest amperage MIG (gas) welder you can afford.
Your best bet is to get the highest amperage MIG (gas) welder you can afford.
Luckydevil
Well-known member
bmwpower said:
Good TIG's start over $1,000. They are the best for most stuff (esp aluminum) but definitely not cheap.
whackygoat
Member
I just bought a 130 amp mig gas/no gas with a cart, 2 helmets, gloves, and regulator for the gas bottle for 390 bucks +40 for shipping. I looked around for a while before buying this one. it was by far the best deal I could find
http://www.autopn.com/store/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=195
http://www.autopn.com/store/pc/viewCat_P.asp?idCategory=195
Geo
Member
Check out your local welding supply stores. If they don't have/carry used welders, they may know where one/some are available. I got mine this way. I bought a Hobart Ironman 250 for $750, cleaned, tested, and some worn parts replaced. A couple of weeks ago I found the same welder at Northern Tool for $1,700!
kartracer55
Well-known member
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2005
- Messages
- 5,317
stick with the big 3... Miller Hobart and Lincoln. Just about all Mig welders can run fluxcore(no gas) wire simply by switching things around. Check out www.hobartwelders.com for some more info if you want to talk to some guys who really know thier stuff...
Jim
Jim
MadMax
Member
The millermatic 210 is probably one of the best all around machines out there IMO. It all depends on what you want to do though.
imported_banzaitoyota
Well-known member
Before you go get in a rush to BUY something. Take some $$$$ down to your local TECH School and enroll in a night course. Explain to the instructor your needs and me may let you wander off on your own, under his guidance. That way you can see what type of welding you are capable of before you end up with an expensive dust collector that you cant operate or wont do what you need it to.
krooser
Well-known member
I just sold a Millermatic 35 (150 amp/220V) and a Lincoln SP 100 (converted to gas)...the Miller was an older machine that worked good but I didn't want to keep it 'till it became a dinosaur and didn't have any value...I sold it for $450.00. The Lincoln I bought last yeat for $150.00..it was a flux machine and had only been used once...the gas conversion really made that little sucker weld nice..in fact, nicer than my big Miller (on lighter gauge stock). I ordered a new Miller 175 (220V) on Saturday that will replace both older units..paid $650.00 plus a new bottle of C-25.
My own experience has been with a Miller all the way. I'm suprised at some of the prices I'm seeing you guys mention but I bought my Millermatic 250 roughly fifteen years ago and it is still kicking ****. However, back when I bought it I was working for Penske and we had an older but basically the same model Miller 200 that I enjoyed so that is why I went with the Miller. However, based on my experience with the one at Penske it had a Twego gun on it that made a big difference on "feel".......so when I bought my Miller I put the miller gun in a box as a spare and immediately bought the Tweco gun and expect to get many more years of use out of it...........I think in 1990 I paid almost 1800.00 for the welder and gas............ Keith
krooser
Well-known member
Just sold my Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 mig and my Millermatic 35 mig...bought a Miller 175...160 amp...220V...$650.00 (show price)...not hooked up yet but it should do a good job..
SteveL
Well-known member
Is it true that you really should have a TIG if you want to work with aluminum???? I have a budget of $300-400 but would like to work with some aluminum if possible. A TIG is not in my price range, so what should I do?
sberry
Banned
Yup,, and save your money,,, a 3 or 400$ welder ist much good, double that and you can find something acceptable.
cunninglinguist
Active member
Isn't oxy/acetelyne the best all around welder?
sberry
Banned
OA has its place, it will weld and braze but with the advet popularity of wire feeders it isnt use as much for welding anymore. It is part of any shop though, for cutting and heating. I would be totally lost without one. I agree with the Miller or Lincoln choices and there are a lot of them. I am not a big fan of 120V units, the small 230V in the 175 class will do most things in a car shop on steel. For exotic metals
TIG is used and I am not as familiar with all of the models, I would likely go with Thermal Arc, TA185, probably around 1500 but its substancially less price of the next similar setup and works very well. You can use a cheap wrench or hammer but the technology that drives these machines is different and in order to make cheap machines they cut the things that the major players use to make them to work well. There is more than price at a certain level,,, its how well do they work, that comes with a certain price.
TIG is used and I am not as familiar with all of the models, I would likely go with Thermal Arc, TA185, probably around 1500 but its substancially less price of the next similar setup and works very well. You can use a cheap wrench or hammer but the technology that drives these machines is different and in order to make cheap machines they cut the things that the major players use to make them to work well. There is more than price at a certain level,,, its how well do they work, that comes with a certain price.
cunninglinguist
Active member
Golden said:Hi Guys, just wondered what you lot thought was the best all round welder, I'm thinking a Gas/No Gas Mig but wanted to know what you lot thought?
I can't afford a big AC inverter Tig
We need to know more. It's like asking what the best car is. What are you planning to weld?