Welders.....Need some help

[Caddis295]

Greetings fellow garage dwellers....

I have been looking at purchasing a welder set up for my garage. It has been a very long time since I have used one and that was an arc/stick welder.

I am leaning toward the Eastwood Mig 175 Welder. The welder package is quite nice and it appears to have good reviews.

Could really use some input.



Dino

 

[HAP]

Why?

 

[brownbagg]

welders are like women, there is not one best one for everybody, the only tip i can give is buy a well known brand, lincoln, miller, holbart. stay away from harbor freight and the box stores, and one more thing, just my preference , don't buy anything that run off 110v

 

[HMCFab9]

Miller has (had) a promotion that gives you 15% off.

 

[chrisa7164]

I agree with brownbagg..stick with a name brand because you will need to buy consumables for it and don't settle for a 110 volt machine. Go bigger than you think you will need

 

[c4cruiser]

I found this regarding Eastwood welders. Read Post #6 as it's a reply from Eastwood but everything is from over 3 years ago.

One thing I have found out is to stay away from Airgas for supplies. Lowe's and Home Depot carry Lincoln wire and tips at a much lower price. Airgas prices at my local store for C25 is a joke; $185 to buy a 80lb bottle and you have to even pay for the first fill.

 

[Tazzie]

I an not sure why they would tell you to stay away from 110 volt. Anything up to 1/4 inch they are the way to go. Have been using a 110 volt miller for the last 4 years and burn anything that I need. Just buy a name brand and not from a box store there is a difference. Good luck

 

[jonski]

We just bought a Miller Multimatic 200 that runs both 110 and 220. Very nice machine. Stick, tig and mig.

 

[Jackfre]

I sold my Miller 135 to a friend and bought a Miller 211. 110 an 220 v. Mig only but a nice machine. Buy 220 v if you can afford to do so. Definitely a better machine.

 

[ZRX61]

I found this regarding Eastwood welders. Read Post #6 as it's a reply from Eastwood but everything is from over 3 years ago.

Was reading through that & someone asked the Eastwood rep about the sheetmetal clamps they sell. Eastwood are about $30 for 4, you can buy about 20 of them for that price from Harbor Freight & they are EXACTLY the same.

 

[92GreenYJ]

I agree with brownbagg..stick with a name brand because you will need to buy consumables for it and don't settle for a 110 volt machine. Go bigger than you think you will need

This to the letter. Love my Miller 175. Does everything I have ever needed it to and can do heavy stuff if and when the need arises.

 

[01ss]

I love my Lincoln 110v 140A machine. I do wish I had a 220v but at the time I bought it, it suited my needs well and has never let me down. In all my years of welding professionally, nothing has compared overall to Miller machines. My next purchase will be a Miller. For a hobbyist, get the one you listed, it will be fine.

 

[turnpikecrusier]

i have both 220v and 110v both Millers, great machines. I like the 110 because its easy to load and take to a buddys garage . Buy the best in your budget , parts are easy to find for any machine.

 

[NUTTSGT]

I an not sure why they would tell you to stay away from 110 volt. Anything up to 1/4 inch they are the way to go. Have been using a 110 volt miller for the last 4 years and burn anything that I need. Just buy a name brand and not from a box store there is a difference. Good luck

The reason guys are telling other members to stay away from the 110V stuff is experience. Chances are they've already bought one (smaller 110V) and wished they went bigger or have already bought bigger.

Some guys will get along fine with a 110V welder while others want the larger 220V welders. A welder is something you want to buy once and most of us are going to have that welder for many years.

It's simply a matter of buying once and being done, investing your money right the first time.

 

[PCO6]

i have both 220v and 110v both Millers, great machines. I like the 110 because its easy to load and take to a buddys garage . Buy the best in your budget , parts are easy to find for any machine.

I also have both (Lincoln) and I agree with this. There are times when I prefer one over the other. The off site portability of a 110v has come in handy and it's great for small jobs when I don't need shielding gas.

 

[rockinacummins]

I'm a miller fan personally. Couldn't go wrong with lincoln though. As posted above try to run 220. Happy welding!

Cacy

 

[sgs]

I have never had a wish I hadn't moment if I buy something of quality.

Look at the Miller 211. Not huge but substantial. Dual voltage which is handy. Auto set option. High quality and easy to get parts or service everywhere.

1/3 more in price but ×3 or more in quality = value.

Gordon S.

 

[erty67]

If any of you want to sell your Miller 220v for $300 or less, let me now. I'll gladly buy it from you. I gotta say, I laugh any time a "welder" thread gets posted. You would think Miller pays for the advertisement. Depending on the use, there are many good options for less than what a Miller would cost. I agree they are awesome welders however not everyone needs one. I personally think the new Hobarts are very nice machines. I have a Lincoln Pro-mig 100 at home that I bought for $100 on craigslist and I love it! Yea, it's little but for repairs around the home it has been a great lil unit. It all comes down to what you need it for. As for Eastwood, people who have actually bought one all seem to love them. They're inexpensive and seem to serve their purpose.

 

[mountainman72]

I bought a Hobart 190 two years back and it has worked well for me. I picked up a bottle for very little from an HVAC company going out of business and had it filled at my LWS. I've only welded what I would consider easy material to weld - mild steel 16g-1/4in, but it has performed well.

Brett

 

[The Gambler]

if your going arc welding id recomend a lincoln tombstone their common and usually can pic them up for a 100

 

[brucer]

Check out the Thermal Arc 181i its a dual voltage 110v or 220v will mig, tig, stick, and even spoolgun ready... They also come with a free Tweco hood voucher and its a pretty good auto darkening helmet.. They run around $850...

I seen someone on another forum link to a Tractor Supply sale for a Hobart 210mvp which is a dual voltage machine also.. price was like $850 ,that is a lot of machine for the money.. Its pretty much the best deal going right now that I've seen..

If you want a 250amp class machine, look at the Hobart Ironman230, they run about $1500 and that is a damn good deal for a 250amp mig machine..

You want a 220v machine, dont waste your time and money on a 110v unit..

I bought a Thermal Arc 211i a few months ago, it cost me like $1300 with the tig torch, and got the free helmet with it.. I really like it, its the most versatile machine I've ever owned..

 

[chrisa7164]

I had a 110 volt Lincoln that was capable of both MIG and flux-core. some of them aren't..no gas solenoid. I used it for years and yes it worked fine on fence gates and exhaust pipe,sheet metal, small thin gauge stuff. I now have a Miller 211 DVI (dual voltage input) and so glad I got it.

 

[03HD-F150]

I can comment a little on the Eastwood 175. I have that same unit, and it has been very good. Now, I've only had it for a year and used it a handful of times, but a 175 with spool gun for under $500 (which was my budget) was hard to beat.

 

[stonewellmark]

What Brucer said. I, also, got a TA 211i last month and LOVE it. Would Highly recommend it for a home shop/light Fab shop.

 

[neonnblack]

I found this regarding Eastwood welders. Read Post #6 as it's a reply from Eastwood but everything is from over 3 years ago.

One thing I have found out is to stay away from Airgas for supplies. Lowe's and Home Depot carry Lincoln wire and tips at a much lower price. Airgas prices at my local store for C25 is a joke; $185 to buy a 80lb bottle and you have to even pay for the first fill.

Damn, thats cheap they quoted me 210 for a 40 cuft bottle.

 

[marinusdees]

Miller and Hobart are both owned by Illinois Tool(IT). Miller is their top line machine and Hobart is built to be more price competetive. Lincoln is a separate company. You pays your money and you takes your choice. If price is no problem, buy Miller and discuss your needs at the local supply store or do your research online. If your local store supports the brand you want to buy, corner someone and ask about repair policy and frequency.

 

[Caddis295]

Thanks to everyone for the input. It appears I have a bit more homework to do before my big purchase. I am still leaning toward the Eastwood unit as even with this unit i have exceeded my budget of $500.


Dino

 

[Racecarl]

One thing to remember is that you can always dial a big welder down to do thin material but you may not be able to dial up a small welder to adequately weld thicker material. I do quite a bit of welding from time to time, so I bought the biggest welder I could get at the time, which was a Millermatic 251. The best deal I found was from www.cyberweld.com. My welder also came with a 30A spoolgun for welding aluminum. I didn't think I would use the spoolgun much, but it has made me more money than welding steel. Almost everyone can weld steel but not nearly as many can weld aluminum.

A $500 budget will make your search a little harder. You might be able to pick up a good deal on a used machine at an estate sale. I would highly recommend sticking with a current name brand, although some of the older discontinued machines are often very good machines. Getting parts might prove problematic, but most of the consumables like tips, liners, and even the mig gun itself can be sourced from an aftermarket company like Bernard or Tweco.

 

[92GreenYJ]

If any of you want to sell your Miller 220v for $300 or less, let me now. I'll gladly buy it from you. I gotta say, I laugh any time a "welder" thread gets posted. You would think Miller pays for the advertisement. Depending on the use, there are many good options for less than what a Miller would cost. I agree they are awesome welders however not everyone needs one. I personally think the new Hobarts are very nice machines. I have a Lincoln Pro-mig 100 at home that I bought for $100 on craigslist and I love it! Yea, it's little but for repairs around the home it has been a great lil unit. It all comes down to what you need it for. As for Eastwood, people who have actually bought one all seem to love them. They're inexpensive and seem to serve their purpose.

Bottom line is there is a reason everyone says Miller. They are among the best machines out there in my book. The biggest reason I prefer Miller machines to Lincoln, Hobart, etc is the flexibility they offer. Any of the, what I would consider home and hobby size, machines from Hobart and Lincoln don't offer much adjustment. You get a knob or switch with two to three positions for both heat and line speed. The Miller machines are far more finely adjustable which makes it far easier to get dialed in to the exact right heat and line speed you need for a given project. Three settings does not cover the wide range of thicknesses and materials you will encounter when you get into welding. And trust me, once you own one you will find more projects and things to do with it than you ever imagined. Love my Miller plasma cutter too.

 

[HAP]

Thanks to everyone for the input. It appears I have a bit more homework to do before my big purchase. I am still leaning toward the Eastwood unit as even with this unit i have exceeded my budget of $500.


Dino

Once again, please tell us why you are leaning to this particular welder. Everyone here is offering recommendations and you offer no other details...

 

[split150]

I've also been looking for a budget minded machine, but never gave Thermal Arc a chance. That 211i sounds worth looking into, thanks for the heads up from those that own it.

 

[erty67]

Bottom line is there is a reason everyone says Miller. They are among the best machines out there in my book. The biggest reason I prefer Miller machines to Lincoln, Hobart, etc is the flexibility they offer. Any of the, what I would consider home and hobby size, machines from Hobart and Lincoln don't offer much adjustment. You get a knob or switch with two to three positions for both heat and line speed. The Miller machines are far more finely adjustable which makes it far easier to get dialed in to the exact right heat and line speed you need for a given project. Three settings does not cover the wide range of thicknesses and materials you will encounter when you get into welding. And trust me, once you own one you will find more projects and things to do with it than you ever imagined. Love my Miller plasma cutter too.

Oh I don't disagree they are great. I think I said they are awesome. I just don't think they are the only option. The OP is on a $500 budget. Let's help him find something that suits his needs. At $500, Miller is not the option to go with.

 

[sberry]

With a 240V unit you can draw twice the wattage thru a circuit likely over engineered for the machine connected to it vs 20 on a 12 wire or less who knows how long. Its just math.

 

[sberry]

Thanks to everyone for the input. It appears I have a bit more homework to do before my big purchase. I am still leaning toward the Eastwood unit as even with this unit i have exceeded my budget of $500.


Dino

I don't think there is a lot of risk in this. By some reliable accounts they work. If its a sit on the fence question you cant wait forever and could easily return the cost on a couple backed up repairs you havnt done cause you aint got a welder.

While tig is great its not something you need to get going and is expensive all its own. Although I own a tig aluminum spool gun has replaced it for equipment repair,,, which is a need more rare than one might think. A 175 wire feeder is the most simple one shot, most use welding tool for the hobby crowd as well as general maintenance.

We could do almost all our welding with one of these simple units and really do for the most part, the demand is only exceeded due to the fact I am a long career welder, farmer and rigger from hell.

You don't usually face this kind of thing in a common garage but you could weld attachments to the tank with that kind of machine. Anything steel on car or light truck apps and brackets etc.

 

[Hiball]

Thanks to everyone for the input. It appears I have a bit more homework to do before my big purchase. I am still leaning toward the Eastwood unit as even with this unit i have exceeded my budget of $500.


Dino

If your not in a Real big Hurry, Zoro tools has been known to have some fairly good Deals around Black Friday/Christmas and offer 30-40% off coupons. That's gets you fairly close to your $500 dollar budget and into a Hobart 190

Just food for thought.

 

[sberry]

I will agree that some shopping could get a guy real close. The 180 mig from box stores with the 5 speed tapped adjustment is highly under rated also. It is a super machine. Its well tuned, cant miss got an arc with 030 about as good as in the business.

Only place for an adjustment is if a guy was doing a steady diet of vert up, here the operator didn't even change a setting to fill a 3/8 or so gap from a repair. It could have been done down but someone was probably playing with small wire, small machine and simply filled it up. It did need to be strong and no one cared about perfect pretty.

 

[Caddis295]

Once again, please tell us why you are leaning to this particular welder. Everyone here is offering recommendations and you offer no other details...

HAP, it is mainly a price point issue. I don't have a great deal of experience in welding, and while several folks have stated they prefer to have adjustability, I don't know if that is a neccesity to me due to inexperience. Perhaps as my experience expands, my need for those options will also.

I will use it mainly for light welding, boat trailer, panel replacement on the project car or go cart frame builds ect.....


I have 220v power in the garage. I can see the allure of the Miller & Thermal Arc products.

I can wait a while longer and save up a bit more to get me closer to the $800-1000 range.

 

[sberry]

Even as small as the 240 200 machines are you can make it hot for occasional work. The numbers often don't make sense but a 180-210 is twice the unit of a 140. The cost of the gas would be twice as it maybe could be done in a crisis by a skilled operator it would take twice as long,,, we could halve it again with a 250 class machine with double the wire and power from a larger cheaper spool and gas bottle.

Its so rare a homeowner class outfit needs to do it that a little extra time is not worth the investment of another layer of bigger equipment. The 200 A mig is the ideal first piece of welding equipment a guy should own. My neighbor,, a real pro mechanic has been here once in the last 10 plus years to weld something since he bought a 175. It was an alum bracket I think. He has a band sawmill a pickup truck with plow, a snow blower and a toto tiller, the usual stuff. He got a 120 bottle on it so he isn't chasing that around all the time.

 

[68 Coupe]

Check out the Thermal Arc 181i its a dual voltage 110v or 220v will mig, tig, stick, and even spoolgun ready... They also come with a free Tweco hood voucher and its a pretty good auto darkening helmet.. They run around $850...

I bought a Thermal Arc 211i a few months ago, it cost me like $1300 with the tig torch, and got the free helmet with it.. I really like it, its the most versatile machine I've ever owned..

Unless I am mistaken, the 181i and the 252i are only 220v. The 211i is however dual voltage.

After years of using Miller, Lincoln, etc., and after extensive research, I decided to try the 211i about a year ago. At the time I didn't know much about the brand, but I saw some good reviews and my brother had purchased a 181i and was happy with it. Thermal Arc's parent company is Victor, who also owns Tweco and several other well respected companies. Being an inverter, this machine packs quite a punch into a versatile, portable unit.

I went with the 211i for several reasons, dual voltage capability, small or large spool capacity, lighter weight and more power than comparable machines at a lower cost, digital display with inductance control, etc. I can honestly say that this 3in1 machine has performed better than I ever expected, and I am extremely happy with the investment! The only drawback I have found is that it is DC only which means that if you plan on welding aluminum, you will need to buy a spool gun (I purchased one at the time I got the machine), or feed your addiction like I did and order a Thermal Arc 186 AC Tig! The new 186 is scheduled for delivery tomorrow, and I can't wait to try it out!

That being said, I have used many good machines from Miller and Lincoln, as well as a few others like Hobart and ESAB, and most have performed well. My best recommendation, for what its worth, would be to do research on whatever models fall within your budget and needs, and try to test out the machines first if at all possible.

 

[LX-Markham]

Maybe I missed it somewhere, but I haven't seen what the OP intends to use the welder for? So many different welder recommendations for so many different types of welding.

I have a Lincoln SP-135 110V, and it works just fine for what I use it for: little jobs around the garage and car. The only thing IMO with the 110V units is the duty cycle. But I'm in no hurry, so i do small stitch welds and let the unit cool down. You can't run a long continuous bead of weld with this machine, but i don't care, it gets the job done. No issues with the quality of the weld.

One thing to look out for when buying Lincoln: the big box stores that carry Lincolns are hybrids. That is to say the welder itself is domestic, but the transformer is an import. I would recommend getting your welder at a quality welding shop.