Questions about some tools

[daveinwestland]

You guys are so much nicer on this board, so I thought I would ask you...

Is a chop saw, or cut off saw essentially a power miter saw with an abrasive cutting wheel on it? If so, could I just get an abrasive wheel for my 12 inch compund miter saw? Where is a good place to get them?

Are Clarke welders any good? I was looking at 110 lincoln mig welders for 600 bucks and saw a clarke 110 mig for 389 at my local tool store.

I bought an Ac/Delco engine hoist which I am very impressed with, the also make a pretty tough looking engine stand for 129. Are there better deals than this?

Is a good used set of torches a good investment?

I love this board and respect most of the comments I hear here so thanks in advance.

 

[78jeepstang]

Basically, yes, a chop saw is just a miter saw with an abrasive blade. However, the motor is usually sealed to keep the abrasive dust and metal dust from the cutting operation out. As far as I know they do make abrasive blades for normal miter saws, but that is a very good way to kill your nice saw quickly. Picture what would happen if you dumped a handful of sand in the motor....

In my experience, Clarke welders are *adequate*, but not great. My friend has one and while it works, he uses my Lincoln at every chance. The other problem with Clarke's is that they run weird consumables -- requiring you to buy their branded stuff, not a good situation when you need to get the job finished. I got my Lincoln 175 for 600 out the door at Lowes, if you're getting prices that high on the 110 models you need to keep shopping. At Lowes, the Lincoln 135 was ~450, while the 175 amp was ~650. You can find 10% off coupons online pretty regularly.

 

[-lecroix-]

no ... they are not the same ... look at the RPM and torque ratings on a metal cutting chop saw vs. a wood-style miter saw ... they will not be the same.

A metal cutting saw requires MORE torque and less RPM's versus the wood cutting variety.

 

[eschoendorff]

I was shopping for a 110 welder not too long ago and ended up with a Hobart Handler 140. I got mine at Tractor Supply Company, and I highly recommend you check them out before you buy. For about $70 more, you could have a really nice welder with a miller gun.

 

[the intimidator]

yea have a look at the hobart welders made by miller one of the top names in welding I have a lincoln but it's a long story, I got it from a friend for 300$ (retails for 650$ up here) a weldpak 110 I think it is. It is a great little machine but the duty cycle ***** it has a bit of a hard time on thicker materials then their is the duty cycle did I mention that? lol do you're self a favor buy a bigger unit up front even if it means putting it of for a couple months while you save. the duty cycle on these small machines is a pain in the **** when you are trying to get stuff done you weld for 2 feet then stop for 5 minutes sort of thing

I also highly recomend you get you're self a good auto darking helmet they make a world of difference and you're eyes are worth the extra cost I am using a miller elite cost a fair penny but well worth it

The chop saw needs to run slower to cut steel and needs a sealed motor as was mentiond

And the torches if you buy a good pro grade model you will be able to have them rebuilt good as new fairly cheap if they need it. hope that helps you out we try to be nice over here lol

 

[kartracer55]

No, they are different. Abrasive cut off saws usually have a metal gaurd on them instead of plastic. My understanding is that a steel miter saw blade is un likely to shatter, the gaurd is for fingers and wood chips/splinters. An abrasive shop saw is much more likely to shatter, and obviously it gives off sparks, so a plastic gaurd could not stand up to the sparks, but I also question how well it could handle a cutoff wheel grenading.

Clarke welders are supposed to be sub-par when compared to the big 3, and Id believe it, but Ive never used one. Honestly, I wouldnt risk the $$$ on one. Maybe a cheap wrench, not a cheap piece of machinery... its an expensive mistake ya know?

Good used torches are probably better than cheap new ones, but thats just a hunch.

 

[daveinwestland]

Thanks for all the responses guys, I am definetly going to hold out for a better welder. What is the absolute best 110 mig I can buy? I am going to be welding up to 1/4 inch. Some of the projects I would be doing are welding up frame pads for motor mounts andfabricating tansmission mounts.

Maybe I could look for a good used one.

 

[Vicegrip]

IMO -Miller. I have an older 130 and a Syncrowave 250 and still knock out a lot of the steel welding with the MIG.

 

[jhn9840]

The shop I used to work at used Lincoln products only, and they were really realiable. But if you can afford it, Miller is the way to go now a days in my opinion. You can not go wrong with a set of Victor Torches.
jhn9840
John

 

[78jeepstang]

Personally, I am a big fan of Lincoln welders. In my experience, they have a smoother arc than Miller products. Other than that, all of the big 3 (Lincoln/Miller/Hobart) make good machines that are relatively easy to find and keep running.

 

[Flathead Youngin']

don't short change yourself on the welder....you'll always wish you had gone with one of the others......

as for a clarke chop saw, i used the **** out of my father-in-laws....never gave a moments trouble.....could probably have used some more power....

i bought all of my cutting torches at swap meets and flea markets........when i finally got the one i liked and the one i had the most attachments for ( variety of tips, rose buds, gas welding tips, etc) I took it to a local industrial supply place and told them i wanted a complete kit for it (available on the net too) i bought the fella in the back a can of pop and he showed me how to put it in and gave me a bunch of tips....