I'm looking into learning how to weld and am in need of help choosing a welder to start with. I don't want anything too expensive because I don't want to destroy a welder that cost me hundreds of dollars. I've been looking through the Harbor freight website and they seem to have lots of welders to choose from. I also need something that I will be able to use to weld some pieces on my 78 Camaro, what do you guys recommend for a beginner?

 

well I have done allot of welding and the "harbor freight" welders you could say you get what you pay for

Miller, lincon, are nice ones, you could get away with a nicer line in Hobart but I would make sure to get one that has the shielding gas hookup at the very least.

Get yourself a nice auto darkening helmet right away, remember you only have one set of eyes

make sure on the power hookup as well the 220v ones will be a better welder but make sure you have access to 220v wherever you plan on welding. They do make so nice 110v welders out there that are good up to 3/8" plate

 

I have a Sears Craftsman 220V MIG welder made by Hobart. I like it for all my basic welding purposes and had no problems getting repair parts (user errors :o) and replacement parts like tips and shields. I bought the "outfit" that included the cart, tools, etc.

There have been times when finer power control would have been nice. Basic Hobarts have 3 settings. I've seen 5 settings on others.

I agree that a GOOD auto darkening helment is a necessity. I like my Miller helmet.

You can practice with flux cored wire, but I would not use it for welding projects. Use CO2/argon gas (MIG). The only exception for is is when I need to weld outside where the wind messes up the gas shield. I was using a 20 cf tank for a while, but the gas didn't last long enough. I recommend a 40 cf tank unless you are going to weld for long periods of time often - then you might want an 80 cf tank.

 

I'm gonna have to do a little more research.

 

Here are my suggestions:

Stick to a size that's about 135 amp or higher. That will give you the ability to weld sheet metal, and thicker steel, in the 1/4 range when you need it. If you think you will get into 5/16" and higher much, consider a larger 220v machine. Chances are you won't be doing much welding in that range, so a 135A machine would be a good fit. Also I'd get one that uses gas. You get better welds. I got nothing against flux core, and you can start out using flux core, but there will be a day when you want to go with gas ...so get one that can do it right away so you don't have to buy a new welder.

I haven't used a Harbor Freight welder so I can't say how well they work. Harbor Freight seems to have higher quality control of their import items, and truthfully I wouldn't have a problem buying one. They have consumables (tips etc) and you CAN parts for Harbor freight items ...just takes a couple months. There are places on the internet that specialize in repairing Chinese welders/plasmas so I wouldn't even worry about repairing. But they really don't have a welder that's in the 135 Amp range. Their 90A welder I can't imagine what you're going to weld with that other than sheet metal and some really thing stuff. They have a 120A welder that is more like it but again, just a little smaller than I'd feel comfortable with as an all-in-one welder. They have a 160A unit that would be a good unit to consider (#93793). I have the Harbor Freight Plasma cutter and it works well.

Ideally a Miller or Lincoln 135-ish welder would the best bet. Century welders I've used were pretty good and less expensive than the Millers/Lincoln. I never used a Clarke. As for gas, I just bit the bullet and went and bought a 125 C/F cylinder of CO2/Argon mix. Yeah it cost some money, but then it's done and I don't have to worry about it.
For learning, there are some good books that I bet your library ...or Amazon has. DVD's are a great way to lean.

Good luck,

Mark G

 

If you decide on a MIG welding machine w/ gauges for the gas hookup, and if you are also cost conscious (like me) ... find out where you can get your Argon/CO2 gas bottle refilled. I looked at 20, 40, and 80cf bottles, and found the refill cost of the 80 to be the best buy.

 

Most welding supply shops have an exchange service - exchange your empty tank for a full one. Costs vary by tank size. Check the yellow pages and give one or two a call.

FYI, Sears has a 120V 140A MIG welder with gas valve and gauges for $400 is you want a ballpark price. Check your local Craig's List for used ones if new isn't a requirement. People who buy a 110V welder often upgrade to 220V later.

 

I have been wanting to pick up a welder for quite a while now. I would like to have the Lincoln 180 for the heavier stuff and longer duty cycles.I would go with the Lincoln 130 but not sure if it will do everything I want it to do. I would like for whatever welder to have a gas hookup. I really have no big need for a welder but would like to have one for little projects. I have always thought that welding the frame seams solid would be good thing to do to make the car a little more solid feeling. Adding a few gussets here and there would help some too.

 

its hard to beat the lincoln from home depot...its a mig something like mig 125 or mig 135 get the gas set up and have fun. anything less will just not be enough when you get going

 

MN80Vette ... I'm using an exchange service. The way it works, I had to buy my 80cf tank. When it's empty, it will be exchanged for the cost of the Argon/CO2.

 

All good advice, my experience is with my Millermatic 140, it's great. It's hard to screw a "good" mig up, that being a good brand like the ones mentioned. You quite possibly could be screwing with the wire feed of a cheap welder constantly. It's better to spend the extra and not buy cheap. Most 120v welders will do anything you want once you learn how to use it right.

It only cost me $900 CDN with a nice cart.

 

I have the big snap on 220v and also miller I like the miller better.I also have a little hobart 140 something in my shop and it works good will agree with above. get the shield,get the gas no flux core save your eyes and your time! unless you want to spend over $600 the hobart should be fine with gas $400.00 at tractor supply not much luck with stuff from harbour fright as in tools.

 

I have a Lincoln 110 volt .035 fluxcore that I have been using for the last 15 years. Never really needed anything else. Welded an entire front clip on my van with it, did patch panels on my '55 Chevy, welded frames, made motor mounts, exhaust, fabricated steel up to 1/4" thick. Hasn't failed my yet. Not expensive to buy, fluxcore wire is cheap well. Not quite as good as mig. I'm told that the fluxcore welds look as good, but are not as strong as mig, but so far I've had good luck with it.

 

I took a night classat the local post high school career center, did all types of welding, TIG, MIG, OXY/ACT Straight Arc... i think it was 175$.. it was way back when... but they do offer them..

 

Good advice. I would always try to get a 220V if at all possible. You can probably plug in at your dryer or oven. The 220V ones have a longer duty cycle and can weld thicker stuff than their 120V counterparts. May never need it, but nice to know that you can if you have to. Hobart is owned by Miller now, my Hobart has a Miller gun. If you have a Tractor Supply, they have Hobart stuff too. I bought mine on Ebay from "weldingsuppliesatioc" they had a great price and fast shipping. I made the cart as my first project. I am kind of partial to Hobart as I have an old Hobart stick welder and it is by far the best stick welder I have ever used, even though I haven't used it since I bought the MIG. I would definitely get one with gas, it is SO much easier and nicer than the flux core type. I have an auto-darken helment from Harbor Freight; same one I have seen in Chip Foose shop. Auto-darken is much easier than flipping a shield, but nothing wrong with that either.

 

I purchased a Miller 135 with the gas kit, cart and exchange bottle of gas for 625.00. It's a great welder for small jobs like what was described above. I looked at the HF units and decided to spend a little more and get a reliable quality unit.

 

I have the Millermatic 175 for most of my welding, I do have a cheap 110Volt MIG that kept blowing DIodes until I changed all that and it's a good machine for body panels. I just bought a Miller Maxstar 200 to do TIG & stick.

 

I got a Daytona MIG 160 for $400 with a bottle of argon on ebay a couple years ago. Works like a nut. Had to teach myself how to use it, Still not a master but I can get the job done. Check ebay, there are some pretty good deals out there on "Previously Loved" stuff

 

you should check out some one elses mig set up .....when you start welding 22 ga with no splatter it will make you a real beleiver and you will buy the gas set up......now if you are doing welding outside the fluxcore is good stuff and the wind does not blow the shielding gas away.

 

I agree about the wire feed. The wire feed is everything on a MIG welder and this seems to be what is made more cheaply on off-brand welders. I worked in a shop years ago that had a cheapo MIG welder. The tolerances on the rollers were terrible. The rollers were out-of-round and the wire groove was inconsistent in depth. The tensioner was crap as well. I had to fuss with that thing constantly.

When it came time to buy a welder for myself I bought a Hobart 175 from Northern Tool (the current equivalent model is a 187)http://www.northerntool.com/webapp/w...8799_200328799. This thing has served me well for almost 10 years with no problems. I have used it to weld everything from ¼” plate to thin sheet metal. I am sure the Miller and Lincoln units are just as good.

I would go with a 220v unit.