Been considering purchasing a welder for some years now... the local welding school says I should get an automatic for around $1,000 for something decent. #eek

My handy neighbor, who is working on a VW Passat that needs some work, uses rods and he tells me he’s just fine with that.

What do you have and are you content with it?

 

I have 110v Lincoln Handy Mig and it does everything I need it to do at home, which is 75% exhaust work. I did use it to weld a new rear shock mount onto my frame after I ripped the old one off at the track when my axle shaft u joint exploded.

What are you planning on using it for?

 

Thanks. Ah, of course... what would I use it for.

I don’t think it would see a ton of use. Welding brackets, exhaust, fixing domestic items, fabricating the occasional tool, welding nuts on broken bolts...

 

ive got a few welders
2 lincolns, ones a 110 volt unit the other is a 220 volt and I've never needed to use the 220 unit. I also have a big Hobart stick welder I used for welding trailer frames. I've used the 110 on metal just over an1/8 inch thick and to repair trailers and snow blowers. And it can blow through mild steel that thick easily. Its older has only 4 heat settings and variable speed but isnt setup for a spool gun which is what you want for aluminum.

As for MIG vs TIG vs Stick. MIG is the easiest because youre pulling a trigger to feed and only need one hand. You can use shielded wire so you dont need gas which is a bonus

Stick is one handed too but you need a lot of practiceto feed the rod consistantly and choosing sticks take some knowledge and practice.

TIG is like artwork. You need 2 hands, a steady feed and if your using a foot pedal for amperage its more practice and coordination and welding gas. I still havent tried it yet, just watched.

If your doing exhaust and sheet metal, a 110 mig will be fine if your not going to need perfect beautiful welds. TIG would be ideal but you need a lot of practice and time.

For a full automatic welder I picked up one of HF newest offerings. The Vulcan 220 omnipro. Its quite amazing,....... digital readout, programmed and programmable. MIG< TIG <STICK and SPOOL GUN capable.
I used it on my exhaust work set at 110 and some other projects and I love it so far. And the price is just under the $1000 dollar mark plus they have some good discounts available. It isnt as mobile as the smaller single design Lincoln but I can do more with it and sell of my 220 mig and stick welders.

IF your budget isnt that high get a good Lincoln or Miller unit ( still around $600) that can use a spool gun and you will be able to tackle most welding jobs. Just check the duty cycle which is the time you can actually weld for, before the unit overheats and you have to let it rest. The lower the duty cycle, the less time you can continuously weld and the cheaper the cost. I like 40% or higher

Since I got the big Vulcan I brought the little lincoln to my work at the middle school and use it on small projects all the time.

 

for what it' worth,I like that Lincoln welder.(again for what it's worth,I retired after almost 50 years of being a certified weldor,fabricator)Lincoln has been around a long time and makes a quality product.As far as the duty cycle goes,don't worry about it.For what your doing your going to weld a little( maybe 10 or 15 seconds then stop,set something else up and then weld another small amount.You're not going into production and weld.weld weld.That 20% is at 70 amps,less amps means higher duty cycle.You realize you can weld aluminum and s/s(change polarity for s/s) just need different gases.c-25 steel,argon aluminum and tri mix for s/s. throw the flux core away and just use the hard wire.Look at it this way,for $300 you get your feet wet and you could upgrade down the road if you like it or get bigger things to do.That machine would be an easy sell for a used machine.If you don't enjoy doing it,sell, and your loss is minimum.

 

ThermalArc 211i
does TIG stick and MIG, all tensioner and roller and a massive motor for MIG, good control of scratch-lift TIG and good on stick... just wish it had freq for aluminum welding BUT I knew that when I bought it and it was about 1200.00 and freq units were another 500.00, had mine about 6 years and has been a great unit, never needed any service and I have logged a lot of welding on it

 

Use a Lincoln weld-pak 155 that was purchased gasless but then later convertered with the Lincoln kit to gas. Does everything I need in my little shop. Did all the chassis repairs with it and works great!

 

First thing to consider is what voltage do you want /have. Many of the 110 welders are more than capable units for anything short of heavy work.
I still have my 1st lincoln/century welder from 1980s(110 volt).
I upgraded years ago because of duty cycle mainly but i still have it and use it where 220 isn't available.
For a starter welder a 110 lincoln is great choice and a nice HD extension cord.
I purchased a cheapo HF unit last year(110 volt) and leave at a friends house. I've done a few projects(door jamb repair, made a gate amd a couple other things) with it and although not an awesome unit for under a 100 bucks can't complain (get a good helmet regardless of welder you get).

 

I chose to go with mig because it covered all of the bases that I will need as a hobbyist. After a lot of research I went with the Mig 135 from Eastwood and could not be happier. So far I have welded in frame replacement pieces, welded up brackets, and done small, detailed work on thin-wall tube. It is 110v so it is also super convenient to use. With the purchase of a ~$250 spool feed gun it will also weld aluminum which I have not done yet. Overall, I could not be happier.

 

I have a Millermatic 210 for MIG work and a Dynasty 300 for TIG. With some of the multifunction machines you can buy today, you need to ask yourself if you think you will ever get the itch to do TIG and MIG work. It would be cheaper in the long run to initially buy a machine capable of doing both rather than to buy a second machine later.

 

I bought the Lincoln 180, 220 volt mig welder. It works great. I bought a very old arc welder at a garage sale, a Montgomery wards 220 volt,probably made in the 70's that still welds great. The best advice I can give you is, practice practice practice.

 

I also have a Lincoln pro 180 mig unit. works very well for general use. I recently added a Lincoln 100 spool gun so I can patch holes in my aluminum boat. learned very quickly welding steel and aluminum are very different! only down side is needing 220 for power source.if I had to buy again I would stay with the highest amperage 110 mig welder just for portability.

 

This is the welder I have for home use and light industrial use, runs off 110 volt or 220 volt, uses gas or flux core, has the option to add a spool gun for aluminum. Contact tips and other parts can be easily found in your local farm supply store or welding supply store. It's basically a Miller at a better price.The only time I overheated it, I was on a 12' long weld on the 3/8" setting, for hobby welding, it's more than you will ever need, the duty cycle isn't high enough for industrial use though. For 100% duty cycle, you'll have to spend 3 times as much.

 

I have a 211Miller with the auto set. 110 and 220 volt. 90% of the time use it on 110 volt. I have one 220 volt outlet with a HD cord to reach around the shop if needed. Also have spool gun for aluminum. I've never used it.
I also bought the larger gas bottle along with a small gas bottle as a back up because you always run out on the weekend.

 

I bought this one new in 1990, use it nearly everyday, also has a spool gun for aluminum work. It was like buying a small car back then, but it has never had any problems and made me money for almost 30 years now. Parts are still readily available from most any welder supply house.
It was one of my better equipment purchases ever. Probably not as well built today......this one was made in the USA back then.

 

The other thing to consider is a good welding helmet. Auto darkening only with an adjustment for how much darkening.

 

Added info: do NOT get a new snapon welder /plasma cutter, at least one cycle back they used proprietary tips and were very expensive for said tips which are consumables. Nearly everyone else uses standard format.... why they think they need to be different who knows.

 

Snap-on ?!? I’m pretty sure I had a wet dream last night. It featured Snap-on tools and Baldwin Motion.

 

Lincoln 180 240v, found it on craigslist a couple years ago around Christmas time practically new for $450.

 

Miller makes a nice MIG. That's what I bought.... the second time.