Mig welder help!!!

[niklid05]

I am wanting a new welder to do light projects, ie welding subframe connectors, exhaust manifolds and exhausts, welding control arm boxes, fixing sheet metal, etc etc. And maybe the occasional heavy stuff. I have been eyeing up Lincoln 135's, they are going for 400+50 shipping or so on ebay, without the cart, and for 550 in stores with the cart. I wouldnt mind getting one without the cart cuz then I can just practice, and build my own.

Eventually I want to get a gas bottle, but I would rather use self shielding right now, and I think you have to set them up for either one. Is this true? My dad, brother and old boss weld for a living, and do incredible work(well dont know about my brother lol). So they can prolly teach me quite a bit, I just want my own personal welder to do stuff without having to go to them.

I wouldnt mind having the Lincoln 100 if I can find a deal on it. I am seeing them go for 340 buy it now, on ebay. Is that a good deal? I can go to my local Lowes and get a Lincoln 125 for 370 plus tax...

Basically I want a good welder, that will weld automotive metals.... Give me some opinions on what you like, what you use it on, and how often you use it.




Thanks for the help.

 

[niklid05]

WOW!!! im stupid as hell.... Can someone move this to talk.

 

[Aryan15]

I got the lincoln 100 with the flux core wire and its okay, but I want the bottle. The flux core wire spatters too much but I was told all the lincolns do that. I tried doing 1/4" steel but couldn't get much penetration, even with multiple passes. I think 3/16" is max IMO. Its a good starter mig.

 

[Shakerhood]

Hobart makes some decent Welders.

 

[dragnazz5.0]

most mig welders cant weld over 3/16 steel. if you are gonna get a welder get one that uses gas. the gas makes the weld look cleaner and also helps with penetration. ive never heard anything good about a hobart welder from my buddies (chassis fabricators for DEI) but miller makes good welders and so does lincoln. just get one with gas and preferrebly a 220 welder not a 110.

 

[millhouse]

most mig welders cant weld over 3/16 steel. if you are gonna get a welder get one that uses gas. the gas makes the weld look cleaner and also helps with penetration. ive never heard anything good about a hobart welder from my buddies (chassis fabricators for DEI) but miller makes good welders and so does lincoln. just get one with gas and preferrebly a 220 welder not a 110.

FYI, all of Hobarts components are infact Miller components as Hobart is owned by Miller. The guns are the same, the feed mechanisms are the same etc. One of the major differences you'll find is while Hobart has pre-set voltage adjustments the Miller counterpart has infinite adjustability. Now…while this may seem like a big deal, I have heard from many over at weldtalk (http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/) that the Hobart has plenty of flexibility for the hobbyist…and with the exception of the most skilled welders…none will notice the difference.

Oh, to add to that my HH180 is capable of welding 5/16" steel in a single pass.

 

[85ragtop]

WOW!!! im stupid as hell.... Can someone move this to talk.

Got you covered.

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

What ever you do, invest the money into a nice Lincoln 110 welder with a shielding gas. Flux core welds are very brittle. 110 welders are fine for chassis work. Unless your welding some serious frame rail a 110 volt welder will be just fine.

 

[backfocus]

If you are just starting out and looking to learn to weld I would go with one that is a little more forgiving, has decent adjustability, and is has more capacity than you will use to start out with. Because as you learn more you will want to do bigger jobs. For working on you car at home a 110V welder will be fine. Many will say the duty cycle isn't long enough, but unless you are welding a rollage or something heavy like that the gun will not be on long enough to screw you up will a shorter duty cycle.

Hobart and Miller are 2 of the best and as said earlier the same company. After that Lincoln is a close 2nd in some regards.

Yes the Lincoln will be cheaper than the other 2, but the Horbart and Miller are very adjustable and will be a little easier to learn with. My problem with Lincoln's is that I have had 2 before and they don't last, with the small amount of time they are used at home, a welder should be a 1, 2, or maybe 3 time investment in your lifetime. I currently have a Miller 210 and Clarke 130EN, definatly don't recommend the Clarke for starters. Here are some others to look at.

Lincoln SP135
Hobart 140
Miller 180, DVi, or 210

You definatly want the ability to use shielding gas, as Flux produces too much slag. And if you plan on doing bigger jobs than the car in the future look toward a 220V welder.

 

[MAC'n89Blckstng]

I just welded a frame rail and upper apron on a PT cruiser. Ran a continous bead on the rail butt joint about 4 inches long with a little 110 Lincoln welder and got one of the best welds I've ever done. The frame rail was I think 14 gauge steel, and the plug welds were I think 20 gauge steel.

 

[88_GT_5_oh]

i borrow my buddies Lincoln welder, it says "MIG Pak 10 Wire Feed Welder" on it. mig welding is easy to learn but get gas for sure, the welds spatter alot more and look sloppy without the gas especially when you are just learning. i made all of my turbo cold side with this welder with no problems at all, like said above i wouldn't go over 3/16 with a 110 volt welder

 

[87Mustang351]

if your goin to use a mig or flux core... your going to want at least a 220, with blueshield 8, with flux core your goin to get spatter no matter what, its a dirty weld, alot more smoke and harder to see than the mig. MIG is a much cleaner weld, and if u have a good machine u can weld up to half inch plate with it, but i highly reccomend gas or the welds wont come out half as good....i jsut finished my first year basic welding trade so i know a lil

 

[carbed87]

I got the lincoln 100 with the flux core wire and its okay, but I want the bottle. The flux core wire spatters too much but I was told all the lincolns do that. I tried doing 1/4" steel but couldn't get much penetration, even with multiple passes. I think 3/16" is max IMO. Its a good starter mig.

dude what the hell is your avatar....it looks like some ugly ass greek chick

 

[carbed87]

What ever you do, invest the money into a nice Lincoln 110 welder with a shielding gas. Flux core welds are very brittle. 110 welders are fine for chassis work. Unless your welding some serious frame rail a 110 volt welder will be just fine.

definately not brittle enough to matter though, your still not going to break it. flux core works great once you get the hang of using it and throw down some decent beads. i (as everyone else) though prefer SMAW (sheilding gas) welding, it's a lot cleaner, looks nice but the only problem is that youre screw if it's windy lol depending where you are the wind can blow your shielding gas around causing your weld to have porosity

 

[Mustang928]

I own the Hobart 140 and love it... have built 2 DIY turbo kits with it, see my advatar, used it to fab that heat shield on that turbo.... don't how I did without for so many. Best investment I have ever made.

 

[Aryan15]

dude what the hell is your avatar....it looks like some ugly ass greek chick

Thats my girlfriend

 

[carbed87]

Thats my girlfriend

ah ****, maybe its just how small the pic is man, do you have any other pics that can do her justice maybe

 

[niklid05]

Well Im leaning towards the Lincoln 125, or 135. It all depends what I can get a deal on. the reason I asked about self shield is because I dont know how much its gonna cost to get a bottle and to have it filled. My brother said you can rent them, instead of having to go get it inspected every 3-5 years.

He also said I could talk to my old boss(he used to work for him too) and when he gets his big bottles filled, I could pay him to get an extra one. Then when the bottle is empty I could just take it over to him when he is getting ready to get his bottles filled.

The problem is I dont want one of those big bastards, I want something portable that I can put in the back of my car and go somewhere without bottoming out the shocks lol.

So how much would it cost to get one of those 2-3 foot bottles, and filled with gas?