Teach me about welders

[isuhunter]

I've always thought it would be fun to teach myself how to weld. I have a little experience from high school & FFA but I would still consider myself a beginner. What would be a good home use welder for a guy who could be making the following things - lawn art, weight bracket for lawn mower, rebar tomato cages, and work benches.

I've seen a lot of different opinions out there. Most of my time would be spent in the evening or weekends so the option of getting gas refilled likely wouldn't be available which draws me to a fluxcore capapble machine. Likely 1/4" would probably be the thickest steel I would be looking at using.

Miller, Hobart and Lincoln all seem to be common picks. What would you guys look at? A freind of mine has a Lincoln 125 HD and he has built farm gates, rewelded a scraper bar on a bucket, made a weight bracket among many other things.

 

[Bobcat753]

If you have the cash I would get the Lincoln 210MP. I have one and love it. You can do every type of MIG welding along with Stick And TIG welding with it.The other nice thing is it is dual voltage so you could run it off of 110 or 220V.

 

[Uncle_Charlie]

If you have the cash I would get the Lincoln 210MP. I have one and love it. You can do every type of MIG welding along with Stick And TIG welding with it.The other nice thing is it is dual voltage so you could run it off of 110 or 220V.

The 210MP will do Al mig work, but not out of the box. You have to get the Al spool gun kit seperately. It's the same with the TIG. You have to get the TIG kit seperately. Out of the box, it will do GMAW, FCMAW, and DC arc.

 

[theoldwizard1]

2 recommendations regarding MIG welder

1. Get one that you can easily add gas to. You might not use it right away, but someday you probably will
2. If it is in the budget, get one set up for both 120V and 240V. Someday you will thank me.

 

[isuhunter]

2 recommendations regarding MIG welder

1. Get one that you can easily add gas to. You might not use it right away, but someday you probably will
2. If it is in the budget, get one set up for both 120V and 240V. Someday you will thank me.

Do I need to be concerned about the power supply I have at home? One garage I only have 110 w/ 20 amp service. The other garage has 110 & 220 with a 50 amp breaker I believe. I'll double check when I get home.

 

[Roberts210]

If you have or can put 220 in, get a Lincoln tombstone. Stick welding still rules!!
Here's to FFA. I spent many a happy hour in our FFA shop in High School. I am still using the 17 foot wide farm gate I made when I was 15... in 1962!

Here's mine. I got the AC/DC version of the tombstone because using DC reverse polarity and 1/16th inch rods I can weld pretty thin steel. For thick stuff I switch to AC or regular DC because weld penetration is deeper.

There are lots of Youtube tutorials on welding theory and practice.

 

[mray312]

I've always thought it would be fun to teach myself how to weld. I have a little experience from high school & FFA but I would still consider myself a beginner. What would be a good home use welder for a guy who could be making the following things - lawn art, weight bracket for lawn mower, rebar tomato cages, and work benches.

I've seen a lot of different opinions out there. Most of my time would be spent in the evening or weekends so the option of getting gas refilled likely wouldn't be available which draws me to a fluxcore capapble machine. Likely 1/4" would probably be the thickest steel I would be looking at using.

Miller, Hobart and Lincoln all seem to be common picks. What would you guys look at? A freind of mine has a Lincoln 125 HD and he has built farm gates, rewelded a scraper bar on a bucket, made a weight bracket among many other things.

+1 Lincoln 210MP

I just went through this myself. I picked up the 210MP when Lincoln was running a rebate. I spent a little more money that I had planned on but I don't regret it.

Check out a brief write-up at FamilyHandyman.com. It says it all...

http://www.familyhandyman.com/smart-homeowner/premium-tool-gift-ideas-that-any-diyer-will-love#2

 

[isuhunter]

Mray 312 thanks for your thoughts! That looks like a very nice machine. I need to find out who the dealers are in this area.

What do you think about a Hobart Handler 140?


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[zkling]

What be your budget?

 

[isuhunter]

I'd like to stay in the 500 ballpark.


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[zkling]

Yeah, that is kinda what I was expecting. The little hobart 140 is a good machine.

 

[isuhunter]

I would have a hard time convincing my wife we need more than that. But I have a really cool metal frame and bowling alley floor table for her new laundry room in my mind.


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[zkling]

Nothing wrong with the hobart/lincoln/miller 140 class machines. I have a even smaller lincoln 110v feeder (SP125?) that has made me a ton of money. I just find it a bit more helpful to see someones realistic $ outlay before advising.

Also realize that your gas bottle for the mig process rental/ownership is going to eat up quite a bit of that budget. Not to mention safety equip. I'd suggest looking for a used small mig machine, but they tend to really hold their value.

 

[isuhunter]

Zkling - I'm in no rush so I will keep my eyes out for sales and used equipment. I can slowly but the other supplies over time.

Thanks for your thoughts


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[mray312]

Just my my two cents...

A hobbyist could spend less money on a set-up other than the 210MP. But when the hobby frustrates you b/c you can't put down the weld bead that you want and the tool ends up a source of frustration rather not enjoyment - that is not money well spent. I've found that the 210MP is point and weld. It doesn't get any better for the hobbyist.

When you add up the 210MP, gas, consumables, cart and welding table (from Harbor Freight) you're looking at an easy $1500. But to have a set-up that is fun to use and powerful (welding on 110 stinks). A set-up that will make you smile every time that you use it. To me, that is worth it.

 

[Scotts1200]

Buy a eastwood from eastwood
You get 30 days to try it out or ship it back for a refund.
3 year replacement warranty
I have the a Mig 175 with a spool gun. Cost me 433.00 shipped to my door.
It works as well if not better then any small miller/hobart or lincoln.
Before i get jumped on I own one.
And yes its made in china.
Oh yeah so is cheap millers/hobarts and lincolns.
Take it from an owner that has no affilation with them, except experience.

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[Thumper68]

I just went through this with a buddy, he has a Lincoln 140 machine that he has been trying to learn with, He came out to the shop for a day to get some pointers and practice with my equipment.

Quote from him "My god this is so much better"

I had him running practice beads with the Idealarc sp250 and the 210mp.

I then powered up his machine, and while it would be fine for sheet metal and body work it was truly under powered for anything over 10 gage.

I can honestly toss my vote for an older 200+ amp machine (My Lincoln Idealarc sp250 is over 25 years old) or a new 210mp, miller 211, esab rebel, or whatever hobart machine is in that class.

A more powerful machine is going to make learning so much easier.

Buy once cry once comes to mind.

 

[Bruce Amacker]

I haven't touched my stick welder since buying a small Miller 110v mig, I've welded up to 1/8" with it without issues.
Practice/learn on plate steel, sheet metal is 10x harder to weld than plate.......

 

[theoldwizard1]

Do I need to be concerned about the power supply I have at home? One garage I only have 110 w/ 20 amp service. The other garage has 110 & 220 with a 50 amp breaker I believe. I'll double check when I get home.

Sound good to me !

 

[isuhunter]

Appreciate all of the feedback guys. I'm in no hurry to purchase and have no problem buying used items. I'll keep my eyes open on craigslist.
A couple other questions I have:
- What do you think of refurbished machines?
-Of the 200+ Miller/Hobart/Lincoln what would you recommend?
-Any other Eastwood experience?

 

[ovrrdrive]

If all you ever intend to weld is what you put in your OP then a 120V welder will do fine for you. As mentioned look for one you can add gas to. It really makes a difference.

However, if you think there's a chance you are going to enjoy building things and might eventually end up wanting to do a lot of 1/4" or better you should be looking at either the 240V class of machines or better yet a dual voltage 120/240V machine you can use at home and the garage without having to redo any of the outlets.

I found a closeout Miller 180 Autoset for $650 a few years ago that has been perfect for me. It isn't dual voltage though so it might not be good for your situation but it's a great welder. I spend most of my time welding in what would be the upper limit of a 140V machine, but with the extra amperage available it just cruises through it. When I do need to do something thicker it's nice to have a dial that spins further to the right. There have been a few times I could have used the next step up but you can get by with a generous bevel and a few extra passes for once in a while work.

Personally I like infinitely adjustable wire speed and voltage, not the stepped one's. I'm a relatively new welder myself and even I can see the difference in a small bump to the dial every once in a while. This topic is a can of worms though as there are a bunch that prefer stepped. I just can't for the life of me figure out why. I guess it all depends on how much you pay attention and how **** you are. Just something to keep in mind.

I had an Eastwood Versa Cut 60 for a while that was a good machine. No issues with it at all and each time I ordered stuff from Eastwood for it it came at a fair price and was quick to ship. I got rid of it before I needed to use the warranty though so I can't speak to that. The only reason I got rid of it was because I built a CNC table and needed a plasma that wasn't HF as they interfere with the electronics. I replaced it with a Hypertherm. I would not have an issue with buying a welder from them for a hobby. They are a good company.

I'll stop short of making a recommendation though as you're looking for a different welder than what I have experience with. There have been a bunch of great suggestions in the thread so far that would work for you. I just wanted to give my opinion.

Personally if it's in my budget I stretch a little further for an American made machine but I don't have a problem buying quality imports if the savings is great enough. No matter which you choose be sure to look up and subscribe to ChuckE2009 and weldingtipsandtricks on youtube. They will get you started in the right direction. Good luck.

 

[Scotts1200]

I have had a linde 300 Price was around 2500-3000 nice for commercial work.

2 hobart 140 handlers nice machines when they worked. together they almost lasted me 4-5 years.
Most of the parts said Miller or had Big M logos on them.

Down side was the 4 or 5 power taps. To adjust power between taps move closer or farther away from weld. Lincolns are the same way. Those Company dont adertise there made in China but they are.

Had a Century Brand 120 volt mig with auto feed control.
Which I loved lasted 15 plus years.

I took a chance on the Eastwood because it has infinite power and wire feed.
It does everything I want in my garage. With the included spool gun. A $200 freebee......
Was less then half the price of an equal Hobart.
Plus the Eastwood doesnt have power taps.
Its also made in china.
But Eastwood is good with warranty...



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[Adam.C]

Bought a Snap On frame welder for $500. It's a very strong 110v machine. Model no FM-140A. You can find great deals on Craigslist. I think my machine listed for $2000. Ok, maybe not worth that, but it's one hell of a welder for the money I paid.