Undecided on mig welder

[bcradio]

Equip your small mig machine to weld stainless, mild and aluminum. You'll have at least 2 guns, 3 wires and 3 tanks of gas. For all but the non casual fabricator, mild steel is becoming less and less common.

If I was to do it it again, my money would go first to a nice tig machines, followed by a compact 110/220 mig machine. I listened to those that said mig was the place to start, not for me.

Disagree.

Go with a mig to start and if you start seeing a need for other metals, then get a tig.

 

[KTMrider]

Mine, the newest is the 210MP very sweet for under a grand.

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

[bumblebee]

Well I got some gas today and tried it. There is a small gas leak where the nozzle hose joins the body of the welder. I took it apart and there are 2 o-rings. Do I need special o-rings or can I just match some up from my local car parts store.

 

[BikerDad]

In an automotive setting, you don't come across much thin aluminum.

Yet. The government mandated fuel economy standards are going to push more aluminum sheet metal into cars. I don't know for sure whether the sheet metal on the new beer can F-150s qualifies as "thin" as you're using it, but expect more beer can body panels throughout the automotive industry.

 

[nikerret]

I got a small wire feed and while it does fine, I wish I had got a dual voltage machine. The Hobart Handler 210MVP is what I wish I had bought. I would really like to have an even nicer machine, but those are all 220v and I have a few projects where 120v is necessary. I'm not looking to string 75' of 220v extension chord.

The Hobart 210MVP is the cheapest of the decent (or so I've heard) multi-voltage machines.

You also might look into the multi-process machines, which offer a ton of bang-for-buck. I took a tech school welding class and found I do not like lift-arc, run-what-you-brung TIG. I haven't got to use a normal TIG, but I don't see how it wouldn't be better, for a guy, at home.

 

[sberry]

Stringing 75 ft wouldn't be a deal breaker occasionally. There is no doubt the bigger machine is better.