Welder recommendations for the novice welder...

[jomobco]

For $400 I'd buy this: http://www.usaweld.com/MIG-130-s/116.htm
I haven't used this small of product from them but their big ones work great.

 

[MichaelP]

Indeed, just wanted to note that the Hobart 187 is also spool gun ready, right out of the box...

Not really. HH210 is.

However, I still prefer using a separate control box for a spool gun. It can be used with any MIG. Even with the "spool gun ready" HH210 it's just too much work to me to switch between regular and spool guns. When you have a separate control box, both of your guns stay connected and ready to be used right away.

I had a spool gun with control box when I owned HH187, and I still use the same setup with HH210 despite it having the control circuit inside.

P.S. By the way, I liked HH187 more than HH210. It had a somewhat smoother, more pleasant arc over the whole range. Something about the feel of it.

 

[chevyforlife502]

I got a Hobart 187 and love it great size and it has a pretty good range.

 

[rwhite692]

Not really. HH210 is.

However, I still prefer using a separate control box for a spool gun. It can be used with any MIG. Even with the "spool gun ready" HH210 it's just too much work to me to switch between regular and spool guns. When you have a separate control box, both of your guns stay connected and ready to be used right away.

I had a spool gun with control box when I owned HH187, and I still use the same setup with HH210 despite it having the control circuit inside.

P.S. By the way, I liked HH187 more than HH210. It had a somewhat smoother, more pleasant arc over the whole range. Something about the feel of it.

Thanks, I stand corrected, only the 210 is ready for the spool gun out-of-box.

 

[dmeadow]

Like to know who OEMs the Eastwood welders - 180 amp with spool gun for $500 is a killer deal. They look a bit like blue Hobarts.

See this thread:

http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?t=41965

 

[transplant_wi]

I bought a Miller 211 - like you I am a novice and am very happy with the results so far. I like the continuous adjustments, rather than specific settings, and bought it with some heavier (3/8") work in mind on some farm equipment. I don't expect ever to have to upgrade, a happy customer.

 

[MichaelP]

Like to know who OEMs the Eastwood welders - 180 amp with spool gun for $500 is a killer deal. They look a bit like blue Hobarts.

$500 for a Chinese welder designed by a recently formed company with no track record is not a killer deal by any stretch of imagination. Even if they look like blue Millers.

 

[rickairmedic]

$500 for a Chinese welder designed by a recently formed company with no track record is not a killer deal by any stretch of imagination. Even if they look like blue Millers.

Eastwood is not by any stretch a recently formed company . I would almost bet I have been getting their catalogs and buying their products for at least 15-20 years . I actually just double checked and they have been around since 1978 I would say their are not a " new company " .



Rick

 

[MichaelP]

OK, let me rephrase. "...welder designed by a company with no track record due to its very recent involvement in this field".

Check the link given by Dmeadow.

Personally, I don't like to be a beta tester or guinea pig for chinese manufacturers. Especially, if I'm the one who pays for the testing. There are better ways to spend $500, IMHO. I guess I'm just a bad gambler.

 

[bugdust]

What is a good welder for you depends on a lot more than the amount you have to spend. What do you want to weld? What do you have for a power source? How often will you use it?

I'd say if you are an "average" person that is going to weld mild steel once in a while in your home garage then a 115v unit will work fine. I'd recommend sticking with Lincoln, Hobart or Miller. Get one with gas capability. I have a Hobart Handler 140 and I use it for 90% of my welding (mostly restoring old Volkswagens). Any of the 140 size welders will work fine.

If I have to weld anything thicker I use my Lincoln 255c. It's a 230v unit with spool gun capability. If you plan on welding aluminum, get a 230v unit with spool gun. Stay away from stick welders and you probably don't need a TIG machine.

Buy a new one from your local weld supplier if you can afford it. They sell industrial grade machines. If you just want something to do a little welding, the Lincoln 3200HD (Home Depot) will work. If you can't afford new, look on craigslist. I bought my 1999 Lincoln PowerMig 255c off ebay in 2002 for about half price. I've never had a problem with it. I bought my Hobart Handler 140 off craigslist (2 yrs old, seller had receipt) for $300 (retailed for $479 but was on sale the day I bought mine for $439...I compared the day I bought the used one).

Buy a good automatic welding hood, too. Stay away from Harbor Freight for welding supplies. I buy stuff there on occasion but not welders, hoods or wire. Buy name brand wire (Lincoln, Forney, etc)

For the record, I was a certified welder from 1993 to 2007. I trained welders from 2005-2007. I can weld stick, mig and tig, sheetmetal to 4" plate and pipe, too (although I did fail my last 6G test because I didn't want the job (was already doing industrial design work)

 

[Rich1028]

ok
I get some of this stuff,but what is duty cycle??

Duty-cycle - The minutes out of a 10-minute period an arc welder can be operated at maximum rated output. For example, a 60% duty cycle @ 300 Amps means that the welding machine can be used for 6 minutes (at 300 Amps) and then must be allowed to cool with the fan running for 4 minutes. This reduces the chance of heat damage to the system.

so the Hobart Handler 140 Welderhas a Duty Cycle : 20% @ 90 A,

so whats that mean??

 

[AMCguy]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say, if you don't already own one and you are just getting into welding, get an oxygen-acetylene welding and cutting outfit. It will be a very valuable asset to your shop long after you have learned the basics with it.

 

[bdkruger1]

Just some FYI, Hobart is owned by Miller.

 

[fefarms]

ok
I get some of this stuff,but what is duty cycle??

Duty-cycle - The minutes out of a 10-minute period an arc welder can be operated at maximum rated output. For example, a 60% duty cycle @ 300 Amps means that the welding machine can be used for 6 minutes (at 300 Amps) and then must be allowed to cool with the fan running for 4 minutes. This reduces the chance of heat damage to the system.

so the Hobart Handler 140 Welderhas a Duty Cycle : 20% @ 90 A,

so whats that mean??

The term is pretty well defined above, so I'm guessing that you want to know the practical impact to you.

Most home/hobby machines have a low duty cycle when run near their max capacity. There just isn't enough metal in the chassis nor a big enough fan/heat sink to allow the lighter duty machines to actually deliver that "140 amps" implied by the model number..

The Hobart Handler is only rated to weld at 90 amps for 2 minutes out of 10. This can be one continuous 2 minute bead, or 8 separate 15 second beads. If you exceed this you risk damaging the machine. If you cranked it all the way up to 140 amps the duty cycle probably falls to 5 percent, or even less. Figure a 30 second bead, then stop welding for 10 minutes to let it cool. It's a little bit like those supposed "5 horsepower" air compressors running on 115 volts.

Many welders have some sort of thermal protection built in, and will shut the welder off if you push the duty cycle too hard, but you shouldn't rely on this.

As you turn the output down from the max, duty cycle rises rapidly until it is no longer a factor. At 50 amps or so, the Hobart can probably run all day (100 percent duty cycle). For sheet metal and light duty fab work you'd never run into the duty cycle limits.

Another factor is that as an individual doing hobby work, it takes you time to set up the pieces to be welded, and to position yourself and the weld nozzle before you pull the trigger. Often you are running only short beads and the trigger is held for only 10 seconds or so. The machine can cool off anytime you are not holding the trigger down, which is a lot of the time. You usually don't need the kind of high duty cycle that would be required in an industrial environment, where the owner expects the welders to be actively welding, not farting around.

I have a Lincoln 175 amp Mig machine, and only tripped the thermal cutout once. I was running a 5 foot long fillet bead between two pieces of structural steel, with the machine turned up fairly high.

 

[D.J.]

I learned how to join two pieces of metal back in the sixtys on a large AC/DC Forney stick machine with all the black recepticles in the front of the unit, but would never call myself a welder. My joining looks like a flock of birds flew over and craped on the pieces but normally hold long past some of the prettier stuff other people put out. Having deep penetration is a good thing in my opinion. Please save up and buy quality machines so as to not be disappointed. I agree with the gentleman above who suggested to start out with a oxy-acc torch with a wide variety of tips and some scrap metal and some coat hanggers and practice. Just my $. 2

 

[E.Marquez]

This topic is as specific to personal needs as "what color should I paint my car" and as opinionated as "what is the best oil for my car"

With that said, my opinion.. As you can not really "upgrade" a welder, you just buy a new better welder.. The decision starts with an honest self assessment of what you want the welder to do, now, and possibly in the future.. Then buy a welder that fits that future. ie, buy the biggest and best you think you will need, and buy only once. Wish I had understood that when I bought my first welder.

For me, after working though a 220v miller buzz box, and Lincoln 110v flux core, and a 110v miller ,, I finally bought a Hobart IronMan 250. It has the duty cycle I needed at the time (100% at 150 AMP and below, 60% at 200 amp) the ability to plug and play a spool gun, which I have used many times over the years, spares are available in many places... and other then a gas powered stick for field work and Miller 180 TIG I have never needed to buy another welder, nor will unless the Iron man 250 dies.

 

[Rich1028]

The term is pretty well defined above, so I'm guessing that you want to know the practical impact to you.

Most home/hobby machines have a low duty cycle when run near their max capacity. There just isn't enough metal in the chassis nor a big enough fan/heat sink to allow the lighter duty machines to actually deliver that "140 amps" implied by the model number..

The Hobart Handler is only rated to weld at 90 amps for 2 minutes out of 10. This can be one continuous 2 minute bead, or 8 separate 15 second beads. If you exceed this you risk damaging the machine. If you cranked it all the way up to 140 amps the duty cycle probably falls to 5 percent, or even less. Figure a 30 second bead, then stop welding for 10 minutes to let it cool. It's a little bit like those supposed "5 horsepower" air compressors running on 115 volts.

Many welders have some sort of thermal protection built in, and will shut the welder off if you push the duty cycle too hard, but you shouldn't rely on this.

As you turn the output down from the max, duty cycle rises rapidly until it is no longer a factor. At 50 amps or so, the Hobart can probably run all day (100 percent duty cycle). For sheet metal and light duty fab work you'd never run into the duty cycle limits.

Another factor is that as an individual doing hobby work, it takes you time to set up the pieces to be welded, and to position yourself and the weld nozzle before you pull the trigger. Often you are running only short beads and the trigger is held for only 10 seconds or so. The machine can cool off anytime you are not holding the trigger down, which is a lot of the time. You usually don't need the kind of high duty cycle that would be required in an industrial environment, where the owner expects the welders to be actively welding, not farting around.

I have a Lincoln 175 amp Mig machine, and only tripped the thermal cutout once. I was running a 5 foot long fillet bead between two pieces of structural steel, with the machine turned up fairly high.

thank you for the reply,and the great explanation!

 

[Vicegrip]

I have welded for an entire day on tap 4 of a Miller 130 burning through four rolls of wire and never hit the thermal. Little ****** paid for itself that day. Most of the time when welding you weld, move, weld, reset a clamp, grind out a tack, move the light, move the body and the like. Rarely are you just standing there laying a bead without any stops.

I would take a used name brand machine over a new import any day. They are long life machines and unlike computers, one made today will still work well 30 years from now. Getting consumables for an off brand import like tips shields, liners and the like in 20 years is going to be questionable at best. It will be junk and the name brand machine will still be welding away.