Welder Advise Needed

[red vette mike]

I completed my shop a couple of months ago. I am doing some restoration on some muscle cars. I have a 70 SS Chevelle and a 74 Pontiac Trans Am that I am now working on. I need a welder but I need help in getting the right one. I am doing mainly body work on these old cars (I went to a community college and took a couple of semesters in auto collision tech (body shop)-this after 30 years in the general insurance business. I hate to admit that I don't even know how to weld but I plan to learn. MIG? TIG? Stick? What would be you good folks' recommendation for a welder? Miller? Hobart? Good retailers of such?
Thanks for any advise.
Mike

 

[REFLEXX]

Pick a color (red or blue), Pick your biggest household current (110v or 220v), Pick your budget. Easy.

I have a MIG= Lincoln 175 (for outdoor or rough work, trailers and such)
Just got a TIG= Lincoln PrecisionTig 225 (for alum or tubing or fab work)
Also have a Plasma= Cutmaster 38 (for cutting metal, what else!)

all are 220v single phase. all will do superb work for anything up to 1/4" thick steel. Mig is easy, but messy. Tig is beautiful but not for beginners or the impatient, plasma is like a hot knife through butter.

You can do all you homework or search a dozen forums, or just buy the ones I did and be happy for a long time.

 

[mikeatrpi]

MIG, with a bottle of c-25 to go with it and 025" wire. For only bodywork look at the 110v machines.

However, I'm going to call your bluff and say once you get a welder you will be doing other things- frame rail patches, light fab work, etc. Therefore, you owe it to yourself to check into 220v machines too.

I have a Lincoln SP100T. Its a 110v welder I bought as a refurb, but it came with the full warranty and looked brand new to me. I absolutely love it for the body work that I do. Similar machines are the Millermatic 135 and Hobart Handler 140. By the way, Miller makes Hobart- differences are in features and some of the internals... and price!

Entry level 220 machines are so called "180 class"... Millermatic 175, Lincoln SP175, Hobart ironman 180. More than entry level gets you into Lincoln 215 and MM210 range. You can look up these items and do some research. Your budget will also play a role in which welder you choose.

Anyway- make sure the welder will take small wire- 025"- for body work. Make sure to get the argon regulator and definitely use the shielding gas. Consider purchasing an autodarkening helmet- mine is from harbor freight and I love it- but a/d helmets are a whole other debate. Buy a good pair of leather gloves, wear long sleeves, and keep a fire extinguisher handy.

 

[PAToyota]

Just to add to the advise above - don't even think about stick welding for bodywork...

Most bodyshops are likely using MIG. If you can draw a straight line with a pencil on paper you can likely MIG weld. But your custom shops are likely using TIG. Much more versatile - if you have the time and patience to learn it.

Like Reflexx, I have a Millermatic 250X MIG, Miller Syncrowave 250DX TIG, and a Hypertherm 1100 plasma. Each has its use. And the TIG has the setup to do stick welding if I really need it.

 

[mike944]

I prefer TIG. Especially if you're planning on doing a lot of thin material. My new machine can weld everything in thickness from 2 razor blades, up to 1/4" plate. With multiple passes, the thickness is unlimited. There's less heat input with tig, and therefore less chance of distortion. The process is much more versatile. You can weld any weldable metal, with no parts changes, only electrical adjustments to the machine. One other advantage, is no weld spatter, which is good if you have an epoxy floor.

But, the disadvantage, as others have said, it's more difficult to learn, and tig machines are more expensive. Also, you can't weld as fast with tig as you can with a mig, but unless you're in the business of welding, the speed difference probably won't matter to you.

I've recently replaced my very old (and falling apart) mig with a Thermal Arc 185TSW tig machine.

 

[TNToy]

TIG is first choice: Slowest, most expensive machine & consumables, and by far the hardest to learn. It's also the most precise, and best for welding thin materials, aluminum, S.S., and so on...

MIG: You NEED shielding gas for thin material, and .025 diameter wire for the machine.

Go ahead. Try to be cheap and weld sheetmetal with a cheap 110V unit, and .030 flux core wire w/o gas... I did. Everyone does.

You're still retarded for trying. A good 220V welder with .025 wire and gas makes life 100X easier when you need to weld thin things to other thin things.

 

[Coach James]

Before you buy a welder, giver serious consideration to taking a welding class at your local community college. I did before I bought my welder. Much more beneficial than learning on my own or having "someone" show me.

By taking the class, I also got a 15% discount on welding equipment for one year from out local welding supply house.
Coach

 

[PAToyota]

Coach has a good suggestion - also that in a class you will be able to try gas, stick, MIG, and TIG and therefore better be able to make your own judgements. Plus you'll know a bit more about what you are looking for in a specific welder. I started out by buying a 110V MIG and learning on my own. Then I took a class - not only did it teach me what I was doing wrong but after having a "full featured" MIG I knew what I was missing out on with my cheapy model.

 

[RCAutoworks]

I'm new to the site, but saw this thread. I'm a welder, all I do is weld on some days. Here are some pics

Check out more pics here
http://www.rcautoworks.com/AndysCar.htm

Anyways feel free to email me since I don't visit this site every day. If you have never welded before, you probably will want to pick up a mig unit.

 

[eschoendorff]

I'm new to the site, but saw this thread. I'm a welder, all I do is weld on some days. Here are some pics

Check out more pics here
http://www.rcautoworks.com/AndysCar.htm

Anyways feel free to email me since I don't visit this site every day. If you have never welded before, you probably will want to pick up a mig unit.

Geez! Them welds sure are purdy!

 

[toolfreak]

I would go with mig for your first machine and always buy bigger than you think you will need. If you will be welding sheetmetal set the machine up with c-25 and .025 wire. Look at getting a welder that has unlimited adjustabilty for the amps. I have a mm251 and love the digital readout because it is so easy to fine tune when welding 22 guage sheetmetal.

 

[red vette mike]

I appreciate the responses. I built this garage (31x54) with a 200 amp service and two 220v outlets with the thought of getting a 220 capable welder. I need to do the community college welding class and am negligent in signing up. My retired hot rod buddy brought a plasma cutter by here today and that thing sure is nice (I had cut the rusted trunk pan out of the Chevelle with a cut off wheel and that was not much fun-or too precise either. Thanks for your help.
Mike

 

[red vette mike]

Northern Equipment sells a number of welders made by various mfgs. They sell a brand called "Clarke". Have any of you folks had any experience with this brand? Is it ok? Thanks.

 

[brianpgriset]

You'll probably find that most people (myself included) would recommend staying with one of the "Big Three" in welding equipment, namely Hobart, Lincoln, or Miller. With 220V service in your shop, and if your planning on staying at/below 1/4" material thickness, I would suggest the new Hobart Handler 187. From what I've seen and heard its the new cadillac of the 180 amp output welders. Lincoln just came out with a new unit as well, may be worth taking a look at.

One of these will allow you to weld mild steel from 22 gage to 1/4". Do some shopping around and see what prices you can get. Home Depot and Lowes both carry the Lincoln PROMIG175 or equivilent, which is one of my welders, and it is very capable. I've also seen the Handler 187 for $650 shipped on some online websites which is a sweet deal. It may sound a bit steep at first, but once you get into it youll be happy i bet. Alsodont be afraid to go to your local welding store to see what they carry and what kind of prices they can give you compared to internet dealers. Some of them are willing to meet or beat the online places.

PS - I have personally done bodywork on my bug with my lincoln, very thin steel, with good results, just takes some time and patience, and most of all, practice!