Hello All.
I would like to buy a small 120v welder for doing floor pans, exhaust and other thin sheet metal work. I have welded a LITTLE 20+ years ago. Was not pretty by any means by held long enough for its purpose.

What would be a good beginner welder to purchase?

Knowing some of the parameters to look for would be helpful. I may go used (pawn) or new if not to high in price. Would $80-120 be enough for new or would that get me a used one past it life cycle?

I figured starting with the floor pans would be a good place to start. If it warps, all well, it is the floor and under the mat/carpet.

Store options. I have a Tractor Supply, Harbor Freight, Blows, Home Desperate, Menards and 2 local welding supply house. Neither one really wanted to talk to me because I'm not already in that trade.

Thanks for reading and any advise. Chris

 

I bought one of these 5 years ago and couldn’t be happier. https://www.eastwood.com/eastwood-mi...-and-cart.html
It has done a LOT of welding and it has exceeded expectations in weld quality and reliability for such an inexpensive welder.
You DEFINITELY want a gas welder not flux core. Probably another $100 for initial expense getting set up with the bottle of CO2/argon gas. You’ll also want to get the cart and and an auto darkening helmet if you don’t have one.

 

I don't think you will be spending $80 to $120 if you want a decent welder. I think I paid, in total (helmet etc.), around $1100 for a Miller 211 about 5 or 6 years ago. I still have not used it as my Brother confiscated it to weld in my new floorpan halves. He still has it. The floorpans look great so I guess it works well.

It is around $1300 now and doesn't seem to have a cart anymore. https://www.weldingsuppliesfromioc.c...SABEgIkcPD_BwE

Dennis

 

1st question is your shop wired for 220? If so, then get a wire feed w/gas regulator that runs on 220 and have at it. Can be $$, but with 220 heat you can weld all sort of stuff heavier stuff like frame, trailer hitch ect... and turn it down and get all the lighter stuff with no problems.

If NO 220 and 110 only, then check out a Lincoln Weldpack 100 (wire feed) with gas regulator (for cleaner welds) and stick (no pun intended) to thin stuff for less $. Well if $550 is in your opinion of less.

https://www.lowes.com/pd/Lincoln-Ele...Welder/1072945 Now there are alot more options out there and your welder guru's will hopefully chime in, I use what I got and it works for me.

I have an older Craftsman one and its great for floor pans, rust cut out weld back in panels ect. but you have to be careful and not try to weld to thick a material. You will have booger welds. lol

What ever you get, get some JY auto panels scrap metal the same gauge you are going to weld often and relearn/learn your heat and wire speed settings. Wire feed beats a drag the ol stick welder any day IMO. Until you have to crack open the wallet. I do have an older 220 stick welder for the heavy stuff.

New versus pawn shop used, new comes with a warranty. Them 2 welding shops and that none business like attitude just said NO to getting any of your money. But remember that you will need to get gas bottles from some where.

 

I'm thinking about this very thing. I need to weld in a wheel arch, a front cab mount, and eventually a new bed. What gauge steel should I be using to get some practice in?

 

What ever your local JY has for scrap along the lines of a 73-79 Ford truck fender or hood is nice to practice on. I think a inner wheel well arch and cab mount are a little thicker material than a bed side??

So I read floors are 22 gauge, so I'd guess 16 to 22 gauge should cover it all?

 

Here is a link to a helpful thread about welders and floorpan welding https://www.ford-trucks.com/forums/1...-estimate.html

 

If you just want a cheap welder it still need gas hook up and at minimum your looking at $350 , thats a good beginners welder from places like a Lowes or Home depot , places like that and I know Lowes carries Lincoln which is a good welder , you will still need to add a tank for gas so your looking for a complete set up for around $500 ,,sometimes you can find a deal at a welding supply house that is selling a complete setup at a fair price , just shop around but if you buy some cheap $100 welder then you will only be learning how you should have spent more money,,of course check craigslist and you might find a used welder at fair price,,Personally like most here I would buy a nice welder and learn with it and its a better investment ,,mine is a Millermatic 252 and can weld thin or thick

 

I purchased a Lincoln 180C for 900.00 came with a spool gun for welding aluminum it also can be set for 220 or 110 so both in one package but I think all but the cheapest models can do that.I love this welder even if I can't weld something with it one of my buddies can meaning my skill level stainless for example crazy stuff to weld when it's thin.I had everything else I needed so just the 900 for money,but I think you would be wise to buy the best you can afford so you dont have problems, even harbor freights aren't all bad I have 2 friends that weld with them 1 tig and 1 mig and love them as long as it's not there chicago electric version can you say JUNK! I knew ya could. The vulcan is the one they bought.

 

I bought a Millermatic 130XP 20 some years ago, it is 120V and has welded everything I've ever needed to weld and then some. I bought it because it was 120v and I could use flux or gas, at the time I needed something portable I could take up on roof tops of buildings where there usually isn't 220. Finally had to buy a new cable as the gas wasn't flowing and the wire was sticking, and now my welds don't suck anymore!
As said earlier, get scraps and practice, practice,, I keep an old milk crate full of scrap pieces, use them to brush up my skills on similar size metals before I weld what I want to look good drives my buddy who's a welder nuts, but as I explained to him, I don't do it every day like you do, I'm ok with wasting a little wire and gas to practice, just like shooting, it's not wasting if you're practicing and getting better.

 

Some are advising, and I would agree, if at all possible to buy a welder that you can grow into. I had an inexpensive wire feed welder that gave me headaches. The wire was always jamming and it severely limited my ability to make a decent weld. I thought I was a terrible welder until I bit the bullet an bought a Miller. I discovered that it wasn't all my fault, and it wasn't worth the aggravation. Even though your only welding sheet metal, I would say that's even more important to have a quality unit that will allow you to control the heat and penetration to minimize warping. "Stitching" your weld will really test the wire feed ability of your welder and clogging and jamming isn't any fun. Plus, once you have a decent welder you will find no end to things that you can fabricate and repair. Do it once and do it right. Dual voltage Miller, if possible.

 

I started out with oxy-acetylene for sheet metal plus a stick welder for heavier materials. I eventually became quite proficient with them. I now have more modern 220 MIG and TIG welders. Regardless, experience is what will make the difference so practice, practice, practice on things that don't matter to you. When you can tolerate the quality of your work move on to the stuff that matters.
As for inexpensive equipment, inverter technology has been a great equalizer. Harbor Freight and Eastwood offer surprisingly decent DIY welding equipment these days and do so at an amazingly low price. Pros whose living standard is at stake will understandably stick with Miller and Lincoln. Pros have the time and motivation to seriously study and master the more sophisticated controls.
Eastwood has a series of YouTube welding videos that highlight their gear but also provide excellent tutorials.

 

Thanks for all the replies. Im thinking just a small portable 120 unit. (Something you could plug in the dinning room). Small unit. Definitely portable.

What is the difference between gas and flux? Is one better than the other OR each made for a different function?

What other features do I want? If I find one on craigslist or garage/estate sale.

Thanks again for all the help.

 

Most of the newer inverter units will work with either 110 or 220. Beware used stuff unless you can test it knowledgeably before paying. My bro-in-law bought a no gas wire welder from a pawn shop which turned out to be a POS. He paid more than the same thing from Harbor Freight new.
Welding requires the creation of a gaseous envelope around the arc. Flux core wire contains chemicals that create that inert gas envelope. This is very similar to an arc welder where the electrodes are covered with flux. The "I" in MIG and TIG stands for inert. Inert gas is supplied from an attached tank and this envelopes the arc as you weld. You use flux core wire with no gas and plain wire with gas. The gas welders are vastly superior in enveloping the arc with the best environment for welding. The only drawback to gas is that you need to work away from wind or even a stiff breeze.
Bring someone who can properly test the welder before you pay.

 

The difference between gas and non-gas first is the type of wire to be used with either.
Then you have the weld. They both can lay down a good weld if the user is skilled and the machine is set up right but the big thing is the weld finish.
Non-gas will have a lot of splatter and you need to clean the weld with a wire brush and maybe a pick hammer before you can lay down another weld.
Gas you don't have the splitter and most of the time don't need to wire brush the weld before another pass is made.
Gas you can not use if there is a lot of air movement so no outside work and no fan blowing to keep you cool when welding. The air movement blows the shielding gas away and you end up with a crappy weld.
If you do some welding out side then a small spool of flux wire and a change of - / + wires inside the machine and you can weld outside.
As has been said go for gas machine. You can run flux wire in a gas machine but not the other way around as the gas part is built into the machine.

I have a Lincoln 135P 110volt with gas I have had for about 10 years.
I bought it to do sheet metal repair work on another project. Started with flux as that is what came with the unit - NEVER AGAIN will I used flux if I don't have to!
I have also used CO2 as a gas, it was free, and it works better than flux but the Argon mix it the best.
I have done floors, rockers, cab corners, lower inner & outer left door and used a metal ribbed floor to replace the wood floor on my 81 flare side to look like it was a factory job.

I have also cranked it up and welded the axle tubes to the center housing and beefed up the spring mounts on my drag car rear axle.
I also just finished doing mods to the front & rear bumpers on my 81 F100 so I just crank in up again.
Thing is when running it at the upper limits you have to limit the weld time and add more cool down time for the machine other wise you can burn it up.

The other thing to know even if you get a name brand machine like Lincoln from one of the big box stores a welding store may not be able get parts for it say like a transformer or the wire drive motor as them machines are built to spec for them stores. My first Lincoln with gas was bought at a big box store but walked when I had work done on my house.
The 2nd Lincoln with gas I bought from a welding supply store. Gave me a great deal I also got an auto dark helmet, welding gloves, cart and a sheet metal plasma cutter.

May also want to check out some of the welding sites for this too.
Dave ----