First welder suggestions

[SEV22XS]

So I looking at getting a welder for the garage/house. Wonder what would be my best bet I'm leaning towards a tig but I know everything has to clean clean to weld but I like the localized heat and ability to do precision work.

That leads me to think mig all though louder dirtier. It is overall quicker and easier to just ground and burn.

And but have a suggestion which type of machine and a machine suggestion size wise

 

[zkling]

What do you want to use it on?
What is your budget?
What power do you have available for hook up?

 

[dr_clyde]

Zkling has excellent questions that need to be addressed for a better answer.

Just shooting from the hip though, for TIG I'd recommend a Miller Syncrowave 250. Buy one off craigslist for about $1500. Will weld anything you want, and is a decent stick welder to boot.

MIG I'd say a MillerMatic 211. I have one, and for light fab it does fine. I'm comfortable welding up to 3/16 in a pass with it. It says 3/8" but that's with a lot of joint prep and multiple passes. This is probably the best welder for a beginner to wire welding. Plus it's an inverter, so it's small, power efficient and can run on 110v or 220v.

The next step up is a 250 class machine. The workhorse of the small fab shop. Millermatic 251 is my favorite here. Current model is the 252, but I like the older one for some reason. These have a much better gun than the smaller machines and have a better duty cycle. If you're planning to fab things 1/4" and thicker, this is your machine.

For heavy wire welding I prefer a separate power source and a feeder. Generally these power sources will have more grunt and can handle spray transfer and thicker wire. I doubt you will want one this big, or even have the power to run one. This is the industrial welder class, Miller Deltaweld, Lincoln PowerWave and so on. If you've got 3 phase power and want to weld 1/2" plate in a single pass, the Deltaweld 451 won't bat an eye.


Anyway. Buy a syncrowave and a 211 and you'll be able to weld most anything that your want to deal with in a home shop. I just got on a bit of a tangent.

 

[zkling]

Just shooting from the hip though, for TIG I'd recommend a Miller Syncrowave 250. Buy one off craigslist for about $1500. Will weld anything you want, and is a decent stick welder to boot.

MIG I'd say a MillerMatic 211.

Exactly my suggestions as well, between those two a person could weld about anything. But I figured I'd refrain before gathering more info. Although not sure if I would agree with DECENT stick welder.

 

[Bobcatter]

Yes, I agree, those are great choices. A person might get started with lower cost machines, but those are the ones they will always wish they had a couple years down the road. But, yes, check for used, your money will go farther so you can buy more welders...... and so it begins ..... lol!

 

[TheEquineFencer]

IMHO: If you have never owned a welder and are just starting out, I'd get an AC/DC Lincoln "buzz box" It's seems easier to learn to MIG and TIG if you know how to stick weld first. For some reason I've seen guys try to stick weld that learned to MIG first and they just seem to have the worst time learning. I started out with a plain AC welder, then moved to a using a friends ESAB Migmaster 250 a few times at his shop. I then bought a used L-Tec then bought a ESAB Migmaster 250. Than burned up in the shop fire and yesterday I ordered a Miller 252 with a spool gun to replace it. It was cheaper than another ESAB as they do not make the 250 anymore and seems to be a better machine. I do not TIG, so I can't really say other than what I've seen first hand and from the guys trying to learn at the local Community College where a couple of friends teach welding.

 

[SEV22XS]

It will be my first personal welder but I'm not new to welding. I don't weld for live but know how to weld. I have 220 at home to hook up the machine. I don't really care a for a stick welder at all. They have there place but I have no use for one. I'm wanting to do stainless,alummiun and mostly mild steel and variety of sheetmetal and up to 1/4 inch for now.

I would say 1500 -2500 is reasonable range I would like something that gives me room to grow without having to upgrade to soon down the road.

 

[Rated ///M]

I bought the Miller 212 and couldn't be happier with it. Has the better torch setup and will accept a spool-gun to do your aluminum.

 

[IlliniJeeper]

Zkling has excellent questions that need to be addressed for a better answer.

Just shooting from the hip though, for TIG I'd recommend a Miller Syncrowave 250. Buy one off craigslist for about $1500. Will weld anything you want, and is a decent stick welder to boot.

MIG I'd say a MillerMatic 211. I have one, and for light fab it does fine. I'm comfortable welding up to 3/16 in a pass with it. It says 3/8" but that's with a lot of joint prep and multiple passes. This is probably the best welder for a beginner to wire welding. Plus it's an inverter, so it's small, power efficient and can run on 110v or 220v.

The next step up is a 250 class machine. The workhorse of the small fab shop. Millermatic 251 is my favorite here. Current model is the 252, but I like the older one for some reason. These have a much better gun than the smaller machines and have a better duty cycle. If you're planning to fab things 1/4" and thicker, this is your machine.

For heavy wire welding I prefer a separate power source and a feeder. Generally these power sources will have more grunt and can handle spray transfer and thicker wire. I doubt you will want one this big, or even have the power to run one. This is the industrial welder class, Miller Deltaweld, Lincoln PowerWave and so on. If you've got 3 phase power and want to weld 1/2" plate in a single pass, the Deltaweld 451 won't bat an eye.


Anyway. Buy a syncrowave and a 211 and you'll be able to weld most anything that your want to deal with in a home shop. I just got on a bit of a tangent.

Before dropping that kind of money, I'd suggest waiting a few weeks and seeing what the Lincoln Power MIG 210 ends up being. It's being launched in October.

Here's a link to their product page.

It's supposed to be able to do MIG, Stick, and DCEN TIG and is only $1k *new*. They're putting it up against the Millermatic 211 and punching them in the nose. Should be interesting.

 

[kazlx]

It will be my first personal welder but I'm not new to welding. I don't weld for live but know how to weld. I have 220 at home to hook up the machine. I don't really care a for a stick welder at all. They have there place but I have no use for one. I'm wanting to do stainless,alummiun and mostly mild steel and variety of sheetmetal and up to 1/4 inch for now.

I would say 1500 -2500 is reasonable range I would like something that gives me room to grow without having to upgrade to soon down the road.

I agree with the Sync 250. If I could only have one machine, it would be a Tig. Definitely not the fastest thing, but you can weld damn near anything. I love my 250. Paid $1200 off CL with a cooler, two bottles and a bunch of stuff. You already have 220, so it's a no-brainer to me.

 

[kf4zht]

We have to know what you want to use it on

If you are an offroad guy and need to build bumpers, cages, etc then I would go MIG. Easiest to work out of position, you will be using almost all steel and the initial cost will probably be a little lower.

If you are building race cars or airplane parts with exotic materials then a TIG is needed.

If you are machining parts that will be built on a table then TIG is a strong contender.

If you are looking for something to weld up the crack in your tractor bucket then get a stick and add a scratch start tig rig

The power can be handled as long as you avoid anything that needs 200 amps or 3 phase.

Also what you you have for tools now? That will affect your budget. If you buy a sync 250 but have no way to cut metal, no table to work off of, no grinder to clean up then you will miss alot of the machines potential. If you buy a used 170-215 class mig and it gives you the budget to get some of the support tools you can sell it later when you want to move to TIG

 

[kkroger]

The Hobart 210MVP is similar in most respects to the Miller 211MVP, without the Autoset functions and with taps instead of continuous voltage... The 211 is a transformer machine not an inverter... So is the 210MVP... I have the 211 and it does exactly what it says it can and 3/8 is a single pass.

 

[kazlx]

Mig shouldn't be a reason to get out of prep, that always seems to be the main reason people's welds look like ****.

 

[dr_clyde]

The op wants to weld stainless and aluminum. That calls for a TIG unless you want to fuss around with spool guns and trimix gas. And then welding thin sheetmetal is out.

If you can find a miller shopmaster, you can do all three AC/DC.

 

[kazlx]

For a do it all machine, you can't beat a TIG. Does require more seat time to get proficient though...

 

[steve in nj]

How about for a novice attempting auto body patch panels and and a frame rail end?

Apologies if this is a thread hijack.

Thanks you.

 

[kazlx]

How about for a novice attempting auto body patch panels and and a frame rail end?

Apologies if this is a thread hijack.

Thanks you.

110V mig set up, no flux core, use gas.

http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/lincoln-power-mig-140c-mig-welder-pkg-k2471-2

http://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.com/miller-millermatic-140-auto-set-mig-welder-907335

or equivalent.

 

[Stooge]

if you can find a used 250, definitely go for it. if your buying new, a syncrowave 210 will do 1/4 and can be had new for $2500 not including the bottle. the 210 is what i've been eyeing for awhile but for me, everytime im about to buy, something else needs my moneys more than another welder. for my uses, i can probably get away with a diversion 165/180 and save some money since it will only do 3/16.

How about for a novice attempting auto body patch panels and and a frame rail end?

Apologies if this is a thread hijack.

Thanks you.

i used to have a hobart 140, great machine for most needs and budget friendly. i would definitely recommend it and i only ever hear positive sentiments about them from people.
http://store.cyberweld.com/hobhan135wit1.html

 

[zkling]

Before dropping that kind of money, I'd suggest waiting a few weeks and seeing what the Lincoln Power MIG 210 ends up being. It's being launched in October.

Here's a link to their product page.

It's supposed to be able to do MIG, Stick, and DCEN TIG and is only $1k *new*. They're putting it up against the Millermatic 211 and punching them in the nose. Should be interesting.

The marketing folks at the welding equipment manufactures really need to start putting AC tig capabilities on their basic multiprocess machines. I'd be willing to bet if you took a poll of end users the #1 reason DIY level welders get into tig is for aluminum which is typically done on an AC output. That is just another DC only multiprocess machine. Probably to compete mostly with the TA fabricator series.

 

[LS3]

For stainless and aluminum i would get a used sycrowave. You always have the option to stick weld with it on something you would rather not tig, like a trailer or a snow plow.

But for just general purpose home repairs and auto body i talked my buddy into the millermatic 211 and he could not be happier!

 

[jinotown]

Check out the Thermal Arc Fabricator series units. The 211 would be excellent. It would be a while before you out grow it's capabilities as your skills improve. They will stick, MIG, and dc TIG. Add a spool gun and it will MIG aluminum very well. I have the larger brother (252i) and can't be happier. It is also very light weight compared to the transformer units. Victor Technologies owns Thermal Arc and is currently very aggressive with pricing. The big brands don't really have anything that compares with price vs. features.

 

[jinotown]

BTW, make sure to look at the different package options. Spring for the complete setup if possible. The accessories (TIG torch, cart, flow meters, spool gun) are top quality and would cost a fortune if purchase separably.

 

[ClintNZ]

The op wants to weld stainless and aluminum. That calls for a TIG unless you want to fuss around with spool guns and trimix gas. And then welding thin sheetmetal is out.
.

Yup. I love the versatility of my 200A AC/DC TIG, plus changing to a different metal is just a flick of a switch & a change of tungsten. Especially given 'precision' work is one of the requirements, can't beat a TIG with a foot pedal for that. As a long time hobby stick welder I have found the TIG quite easy to get the hang of. But...

How about for a novice attempting auto body patch panels and and a frame rail end?
.

...for out of position auto body stuff a MIG is the tool. I can TIG thin sheetmetal on the bench no problem but crammed in under a wheel well with no way to get the join perfectly clean... give me the MIG. The odd little patch I'll do with the TIG but bigger jobs I borrow a MIG, would buy a little one to keep the TIG company if I had a major body repair project to do.

Cheers
Clint

 

[Tronyadorable]

Sit tight. Lincoln just released the Power MIG 210 multi purpose-dual voltage inverter. $1000. It'll be in the welding supplies in days.

http://lincolnelectric.com/en-us/equipment/multi-process-welders/Pages/power-mig-210-mp.aspx

 

[sberry]

Nice. priced right.

 

[RPH]

Most decked out unit money can buy.
That way somebody here has a shot at a smoking deal when you decide welding isn't your thing.
Really, others have given great advice.

 

[SEV22XS]

Yeah good luck with that I never buy stuff new and I look for smoking deals and then still talk them down.

Most decked out unit money can buy.
That way somebody here has a shot at a smoking deal when you decide welding isn't your thing.
Really, others have given great advice.

 

[duhicky]

the Lincoln spec sheet reads dc tig only. Need AC for tigging alum.

 

[shawnspeed]

What ever happened to a good old GAS welding set up...very similar skill set required for TIG...portable, power...no problem..and if you can gas weld you can weld with just about anything...just my 2C Shawn

 

[SEV22XS]

Yeah that flat ***** it would be nice to have a reasonably priced multipurpose machine for sure.

the Lincoln spec sheet reads dc tig only. Need AC for tigging alum.

 

[SEV22XS]

So can somebody clarify the difference in a transformer tig machine and an intverter. Is one better then the other other then the size and what. Pros/Cons ?

 

[dr_clyde]

Transformers are older technology. They are heavy, have less features and aren't as energy efficient. On the plus side they are relatively inexpensive and are dead nuts reliable. Cheap to fix if they do break, and are easy to find used. Examples would include the syncrowave series, Lincoln precision TIG, miller goldstar, Lincoln idealarc, esab Migmaster, the list goes on.

Inverters are a more modern welder. They have computers on board that do the power processing for them. As a result, they are small, lightweight, energy efficient, have lots of fancy features, and are expensive. They are IMHO better welding machines. Not that the older ones are bad, but man, after you weld with a Dynasty for a while, it's hard to go back to the old Hobart Tigwave. It's very nice to be able to adjust things like AC frequency and have features like lift arc and arc ramping.

Some nice inverters are Miller's dynasty, maxstar, millermatic 211, Lincoln's invertec series and powerwave welders.

 

[Tig Master]

Inverters take way less power than a transformer.Inverters are very portable and can do some amazing welds.You will need a fair amount of available power to run a transformer.
Inverters are more pricy.But a nice inverter to start with usually only in dc.Next step up is an a/c d/c inverter.I have a miller dynasty 200 dx that is a real sweetheart to weld with,but you can buy 2 transformer machines for the price on a dynasty.But dynasty only weighs 40 lbs that makes it extremely portable.Uses 120 v 240 v or three phase all you do is plug it in and weld except 3 phase you need an extra plug installed for that.A dynasty as an example only uses hi freq for the start after that in ac mode all is done with on board computers that don't use high freq to keep the arc lit in ac.Transformers need high freq all the time to keep the arc established in ac.The list could go on and on,yes transformers are still made but aren't as smart as the new inverters out there.

240 volt single phase only requires 23 amps to weld,I don't know of a transformer will give you that.But it all comes with a price.A miller diversion is a acceptable entry level tig.But no stick welding with that model,a/c and dc available. You need to establish what you are willing to part with in dollars.A new dc tig inverter can be had for around 1500.00 but doesn't do aluminum.Duty cycle also comes into play.As you now see it is really not that simple to just ask what should I buy??? Tell us you budget and we can come up with some more ideas.I hope this helps somewhat.

T

 

[LS3]

Yes inverters are great! good explanations^^^^ my favorite machine is the miller dynasty 350, wayyy over kill for your needs. The Miller diversion is also a good machine as mentioned above, it has less features and settings that can confuse some one who is new to tig welding. Another thing to think about when looking into an inverter is that out of warrantee, if the board on one of those suckers goes out...$$$$$

 

[top drive]

dunno if its already been said but when you get your welder - get someone who knows about welders to come look it over and set it up with you.

i didnt - and it took me a while to realise something wasnt quite right with the set up from factory. Took it apart and rebuilt it properly - it was a different welder afterwards

 

[creativecars]

Sit tight. Lincoln just released the Power MIG 210 multi purpose-dual voltage inverter. $1000. It'll be in the welding supplies in days.

http://lincolnelectric.com/en-us/equipment/multi-process-welders/Pages/power-mig-210-mp.aspx

I think I want one!!
Around here all the welders less than 5 years old want new price or more.

 

[SEV22XS]

Good point I didn't think about it. But will defentily try to do that for sure.

dunno if its already been said but when you get your welder - get someone who knows about welders to come look it over and set it up with you.

i didnt - and it took me a while to realise something wasnt quite right with the set up from factory. Took it apart and rebuilt it properly - it was a different welder afterwards

 

[theknurl]

SEV22XS;

to learn, go get a transformer machine 300Amp on CL $500-800 complete
torch, pedal, cooler, regulator and usually the tank too

take a welder with you to test it

they were industrial machines not DIYS BS from Harbor Freight

my Lincoln 300/300 has been running for 38 years and only needed a $0.05 O-ring in the water solenoid

for aluminum and Mg you need AC TIG......

spool gun guys, try welding in dividers inside cylinder head passages

the other side of an old CC machine they stick like no other

ever do any hard facing?......you can get stick rod that comes out 92 Rc as welded..

TIG little things with it just clean the flux off

SEV22XS......and if you're done with the transformer machine


it still worth what you paid for it

 

[Tig Master]

SEV22XS;

to learn, go get a transformer machine 300Amp on CL $500-800 complete
torch, pedal, cooler, regulator and usually the tank too

take a welder with you to test it

they were industrial machines not DIYS BS from Harbor Freight

my Lincoln 300/300 has been running for 38 years and only needed a $0.05 O-ring in the water solenoid

for aluminum and SS you need AC TIG......

spool gun guys, try welding in dividers inside cylinder head passages

the other side of an old CC machine they stick like no other

ever do any hard facing?......you can get stick rod that comes out 92 Rc as welded..

TIG little things with it just clean the flux off

SEV22XS......and if you're done with the transformer machine


it still worth what you paid for it

Alum tig in most cases you need a/c but not all,But SS done in A/C nope D/C.

T

 

[theknurl]

Alum tig in most cases you need a/c but not all,But SS done in A/C nope D/C.

T

T you're right my oops