Learning to weld...

[sberry]

I had a busted job in yesterday. It was from the snowmobile club and it was a faulty factory weld as much as anything,,, from a good shop, they just missed one. It was on a big machine, took about 18 inches of bead to fix it so I reach outside the door and used stick.

I could have done it with a compact mig. The only reason I used another option is I could. It was easy pull up, didn't need to move any equipment, for half a dozen rods I can be neat. They can spray some more paint on it and never notice the repair.

My legitimate expertise is in stick welding, its what I learned on, I use it today due to the fact I can,,,, but,,,, when the OP is confused,, asks what machine is right for him any salesman that doesn't drag him to a compact 200 feeder is doing him a dis service,,, no matter which way they train weldors, forward or back.

I know a couple guys pretty good wire weldors, couldn't weld themselves inside a box with a stick. I know more than one career weldor never touched either a mig or a tig, in my world 99.9 % steel work other than irrigation equipment most people don't have and a couple alum brackets on golf carts that could have been bolted just as well.

 

[sberry]

I was in an Airgas a while back and let the manager/salesman work on me. I started fondling the 200's and he comes, asks me a couple questions and I peg him about a 215 they didn't have in stock. I wanted to hear the upsell which he did very well.

I gave him a reason and he was right,,, if I was interested in a 215 he would order me one but if the price difference didn't scare me a 255 was the right machine for me.

This is from a guy doesn't know a thing about welding. I have seen some Tractor Supply guys that don't know a dam thing about it do a pretty good job of up selling the right machine.

Sometimes the customer has his heart set on it, you gort to give them what they want too. The upside is a guy willing to buy all the accys for a 140 will often buy a second, trade up, the guy that buys the 85A farmhand fluxcored never buys another thing. They last and get used into about the second roll of wire.

The second ideal machine is the used AC/DC buzzer that comes with extra lead. Bar none the best financial tool deal in the world. Aint a professional welder in the world worth a pinch of **** cant make that work. Granted there are cases bigger is better in a specialized world but home. farm. small biz its a ticket for equipment repair at times.

If I was buying new, the Hobart Stickmate is a super machine but given the price difference would have to look inverter first with MVP, I hear the thermal 3/1 iss good,, persomnally have a Maxstar 150 but its pricey, the Thermal might save a lot of money, the tig could care less about but being able to run a 1/8 6011 and 3/32 lo hi from 20 is super ubber sweet.

Its just plain so convenient. I did buy 25 ft of lead and connectors though for working on projects, when I first got it built some big shelves and I was used to being able to hop with a stinger. With the factory you got to move machine, power cord and ground lead. Not bad and even nice on a single point repair though, its the ultimate remote control.

There are a couple 120v knockoffs of inverters, that little Forney can be had for 100$ but its junk. It trips a 20A breaker, I suspect the green machine and maybe Longevity might have a 200% model that might work???

Eastwood by reliable reports has a couple feeders that work but by the time all is said and done a Hobart isn't that much of a stretch away. The new ones are spool gun ready if that matters.

 

[sberry]

This little red one, never seen so much as aluminum dust, made thousands and thousands of welds. You can buy it for the same dollars it sold for 20 yrs ago.

 

[Openboater]

Thanks everyone for chiming in on this subject. I've gotten valuable information from your posts. You can all go back to sleep now... Ha ha. tom

 

[zkling]

Thanks everyone for chiming in on this subject. I've gotten valuable information from your posts. You can all go back to sleep now... Ha ha. tom

What did you decide on?

 

[Openboater]

I'm going with oa, Z. The two guys who can teach me in town are old gas welders and have the equipment we can start with. Small investment. And I guess I just like the idea of fire. What can I say? Thanks for asking. Tom

 

[lilredex]

Good choice...have fun.

Old weldors make the best teachers.



*http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/showthread.php?29218-quot-Welder-quot-or-quot-Weldor-quot&

 

[MarkG]

No matter what you plan to do with welding or at what level, there's no substitute for a qualified instructor. It will speed up the learning process considerably and keep you from developing bad or just wrong habits when you have a pro looking over your shoulder.

If you get a 'YouTube Education', make sure it's from an expert source and not some kid who just bought his own welder a week ago and wanted to show the world on YouTube!