Bought My First Welder - Newb help

[BrandonB]

Found a deal on a NIB Lincoln Weld Pak 140hd and picked it up today. $260 brought it home! I stuck with 110v first because A)good deal on the price B)No 220 outlet in the garage...(yet)

I was playing around with a friends Weld Pak 100 the other day and decided it was time to get my own. Now to just find a nice helmet and some gloves. Any suggestions?
Any tips or links you care to share? In the next few weeks I'm going to go through the cart pictures on here and see about making my own. I've got a nice stainless roll around that would be nice, but I really don't want to cut it up for a bottle.

I'm pretty excited about it, I was sweating it out thinking I'd be spending 600+ on a new Miller or some such. Finding a deal like this works for me though.

 

[stricht8]

I have a weldpak 100 and have had it for over 10 years. Its been a good machine. I use it mainly to weld up sheetmetal and it fares well. The 140 is probably a more versatile machine.

 

[jbbies]

Im also a Brandon B. ... I would get a decent auto darkening helmet makes life easy especially when your trying to learn. It takes some practice flipping the lid and keeping your gun in the correct place. Good luck welding is a lot of fun been doing it for years and it never gets old.

 

[Kev442]

Just upgraded my Weldpack to run with gas, so I'll have to learn all over again myself. I bought a HF auto darkening helmet and gloves and although they have very little use from me, they seem to be just fine.

 

[jbbies]

Gas is the way to go...for sure

 

[Paullew]

Shade 10 on the welding helmet lense. If the welder is at your home, dont let your insurance company see it.......especially if you have a fire claim.

I have had all the auto darkening helmets etc. I always go back to my regular Jackson helmet that cost about 30 bucks at the welding supply.

 

[BrandonB]

Are there downfalls to the auto darkening helmets?
Am I correct to assume the higher the number the darker the lense?
I'm not afraid to spend money on a helmet. I only have one set of eyes, and 20/10 vision that I'd like to keep.

 

[Paullew]

Helmet is personal preferance.
Yes, higher the number the darker. Never go under shade 10.
Anything over 12 is too dark. My opinion.

 

[econoaddict]

If the welder is at your home, dont let your insurance company see it.......especially if you have a fire claim.

Ask your insurance agent about welders at the house, do it via phone with out a name if your worried.

My home owners is fine with it as long as it stays in the garage and not used inside the actual living areas.

Heck my welder is listed on the policy just in case we get robbed etc....

 

[35mastr]

I prefer the Miller Elite Digital helmets. I have had quite a few and that is the best one by far that I have purchased. I just could never really see clearly out of the other ones that I have purchased in the past.

 

[jeepnut24]

I like my Weld pack, but I shouldn't have gone 220. Im regretting it now that I need it.

 

[mkdive]

As far as welding carts go, Its not the best by any stretch of the means but you can find this cart at HF on sale for $19.99. A custom cart would definitively be nice...but this one is functional and for the price not bad.

 

[back2class]

As far as welding carts go, Its not the best by any stretch of the means but you can find this cart at HF on sale for $19.99. A custom cart would definitively be nice...but this one is functional and for the price not bad.

It's hard to justify making one when you can buy that one for so little and "improve" it if needed.
You will be quite happy with the 110v unit. I have the same Linclon and like it fine. I am only using flux core with it now. I have had gas in the past and flux core works better for my needs.
As for gloves. I almost never wear them. Not saying thats a good idea but just the reality. Any insexpensive glove will be fine. I have a Linclon old style helmet and a generic auto dark. Both are fine though I think the auto dark has a little too slow respose time but I just close my eyes for a split second as I strike the arc. For the limited amount of welding I do that is fine for me. If the quality auto darks have a faster response time I can see the added value but I don't know if they do have that.

 

[rickairmedic]

I will toss out a Beginner Auto Dark Hood . Hobart from Tractor Supply usually under $80.00 and it has great optics ( especially compared to any HF auto dark hood ) . I graduated to a Miller Elite Big window ( only due to getting a killer deal on it ) .


Rick

 

[speed bump]

I would tell you just to pick up a Jackson Halo-x and put in a gold Shade 10 lens. Generally unless i'm doing heavy stick welding I just weld in whatever leather gloves are handy at the time.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

As far as welding carts go, Its not the best by any stretch of the means but you can find this cart at HF on sale for $19.99.

Really? I thought the lowest price they went forwas $59.99 - which I thought was a great price as it was. I just bought a used Hobart 140 and need a cart. Anyone know the cheapest source for a gas tank and who is generally cheapest for the gas?

 

[speed bump]

Really? I thought the lowest price they went forwas $59.99 - which I thought was a great price as it was. I just bought a used Hobart 140 and need a cart. Anyone know the cheapest source for a gas tank and who is generally cheapest for the gas?

Call around and ask. It generally depends on the area. I think I paid $35 for my last big bottle of 75/25 but some people have said they can buy it locally for $20 a bottle.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Oops, double post.

 

[Dan in Pasadena]

Thanks SpeedBump. I meant to buy the bottle itself? Can you buy a used one? I hate to ask such basic questions but I'm just starting.

 

[Griff93]

The Kobalt auto darkening helmet is a good economical autodarkening helmet. I have one I've used for several years and know two other people that have them. It's so much clearer than the HF one. I like to use a Tig glove on my right hand so I can feel the trigger better. This still provides some protection against spatter while letting me control it better. I use a regular welding glove on my left hand cause it sees a lot more heat normally. I do the same when I'm doing a bunch of plasma cutting. You've just got to remember you can't grab hot stuff with your right hand to move it around. I've been keeping a pair of cutters and a pair of pliers with my welder for quite a while now. I use the pliers to grab hot stuff. The cutters of course are used to trim the wire. I've found I get better results if I trim the wire before every weld. I don't always do it but having cutters handy makes it easy if I want to.

 

[ZRX61]

Don't get the Horrible Fright auto-darkening helmets, they have a habit of switching on & off as you weld.....

 

[Brad54]

Well, everyone has pretty much given their opinions on the auto-dark helmets. I agree... much easier for first learning. I don't have one yet though! I'll have to check out that one at Tractor Supply. Dang that'd be nice.

It doesn't hurt to have a nice one, and a cheap one... you need a "Buddy Helmet" for when friends are over. I have one for my son... Ooools "Stove pipe" style.

For gloves, just get the ones at the welding store... heavy. I've also got some leather sleeves that I use in the summer, when I'm working in short sleeves T-shirts.

For a cart, I got a '50s or '60s Craftsman roll-around tool box. I keep the consumables, spare tips, my gloves, copper backing tools (for filling holes... one store-bought, one home-made from flattened copper tubing), a wrench for the bottle, tape measure, sharpie marker and BIG gauge 25-foot extension cord in the drawers. The leathers and the hoods are kept in the big storage area at the bottom of the box. The tool box keeps shop dust, grime and dirt off my stuff, keeps it orderly, and all in one easy-to-reach spot.
Plans are to put the box on a new chassis, with bottle holder, better wheels, and then add a fire extinguisher and some other upgrades.

-Brad

 

[TheGrooveking]

I've noticed when I use an auto-darkening helmet when welding for long periods, like 4 to 10 hours I have bad headaches, were as if I were my normal Lincoln with a #10 lens I am fine. So for me, the fancy expensive auto darkening stays on the shelf.

TheGrooveking