Before you spend money on a welder that you'll only use once and not be happy with, I'd
#1 - Look in local Want-Ads and other such classifieds, you may just stumble on a useful machine somewhere that will fall into your price range. (I hate EBAY or I'd recommend that, too.)
#2 - Make a friend. You have to know somebody with a welder that's willing to help you out. It might only cost you the price of a cold beverage.

That'd be my first thought. But honestly, for my $$$, I'd take the sucker to a local shop, and have them tack it on for ya, won't cost you very much at all ($20 around here, less if you're nice to the guys), and you'll be done with it, once and for all.



Now, with that said..

Calm down man, most of us aren't rich either, a lot of us spend the majority of our time turning wrenches on our own junk. We're not attacking you, or trying to make you feel bad. Anyway, good luck, let us know how you make out!

 

reason I own only 3 welders at this time is because I sold the other wire feed for more than I bought it for. I have been stick welding for about 40 years now, I think my Lincon 225 may be that old too. I have that thing set up so I can use it anywhere, in the gerage or the driveway. Sounds good, huh? It rarely gets turned on. I have a little 20-80 amp 110 volt buzz box I got at habor fright for about 70 bux about 6 years ago that gets used all the time. It has been dropped off a latter, strapped to a gas genarater for "field repair" even had a horse fall on it, I extended the leads a few years ago and the casing is cracked. And it works every time I plug it in. It has built fences, repaired carports, done body work, and when my youngest daughter was taking a welding course, it even did "homework". I think the price has gone up a bit snice I bought mine, but they are still within our price range. If it works check here;

 

HEY REW -

That Utility Arc 1400 certainly sounds like JUST the trick! Couple of questions: Why do you use it more than the Lincoln 225? Harmening just about had me convinced to save up a bit longer for one of those.

2nd question: what is the trick with the Utility Arc 1400 so you don't melt holes in body work as someone warned about farthr up the page?

Thanks VERY much for your post!

 

225 is a great machine, if you have a 220 outlet within range. Another problem is it has to be the right kind of outlet. I admit, I have built adaptor's so I can use it with a dryer outlet or a range outlet or most of the others. But one thing I can't do is pick it up, walk across the street and weld on a new mail box post for the nice lady that lives there. And I don't think I could have talked the horse into luging the thing up a mt. either. As far as the bodywork is concerned, you just need the right rods, and keep the Amps turned down. Homebase sells a good book on welding that will help out a lot. I bought one for Tammy when she was in school. This thing is not an industery standerd unit, but it works, and is a tough little guy. I have been using the same set of cheap tap and dies for years now, just took care of them. I decided to reply when you said you had a cheap set of wrenchs that you have used for so long, I know the feeling brother.

 

What is homebase, is that like Home Depot? Can you post the title of the booK? It 's been a LLoooooong time since my High School welding! I have probably forgotten more than I ever knew in the frist place! I can always order one from the Barnes & Noble bookstore getting built nearby. Thanks!!

 

we used to have a place here called "Homebase" and yes, it was very much like a "Home depot". It's gone now and Home Depot is were I got the book. I don't remember the title, again sorry, but there are lots of books on welding. I'd suggest the public library, they are lonley places these days, but still have a lot of info. Good luck with what ever you decide to buy, welding is a right handy skill to have.

 

15% duty cycle is not for the 70 amps! That welder at 70 amps (maybe 1/8 thick metal depending on the wire) will probably give about two minutes (max.) welding before it overheats and shuts off. To weld 3/16 you need about 120 amps at 115 volts using a MIG welder (my experience).

Stick welders are great, just be prepared to blow holes in a lot of sheet metal. The cheaper ones are usually rated at 40-100 amps, you can not turn them down to weld something really thin.

www.northerntools.com
You can buy an ARC welder for $100 and a MIG welder for $200 (says 1/4 inch steel).

It is very easy to blow a hole in sheet metal or warp it with an ARC welder, like others have mentioned I would either go with a MIG or better yet (as mentioned before) buy a good brand name MIG used for $130.00. Best thing is buy used from someone that will demo it for you.

Buy a good welding book and follow all the safety stuff. FWIW: I think it is a lot easier to kill or injure yourself with an ARC welder than a MIG welder.

 

will go through 4 sticks before it shuts itself off. But ya know what, when it does, I go get a beer, light a cigar and give it a brake. I'm not makeing a living with this welder. I don't think 54Guy was asking for a welder to put up a new world trade center. Also, if your welder won't blow holes, how much penatration are you getting? If I'm welding half inch steel plate, I make more than one pass, what ever welder I'm using. I don't really care for the wire feed welder's, I still have one, but I have trouble seeing the puddle with that big darn tip in the way. BTW wire feed or MIG is still an ARC welding system. I also weld and braze, and solder with oxy/fuel, but mostly for gunsmithing or plumbing. The welder I suggested will do what he wants, last a long time and not cost a bundle. It will not build new liberty ships. I have a feeling that is not what he had planed.

 

ARC welding is less forgiving and requires more skill. You can get a CH ARC welder for under 100.00. The CH MIG welder is better for "IDIOTS" (It Doesn't Include Operator Training, Stupid) but will run you closer to 200.00. Take a class and buy the ARC welder. As one of the other posters said however, don't try doing detailed body work with it.


My personal opinion, if there is a certification process for it, then maybe, just maybe you should not try it alone the first time.
Wouldn't want to weld your wedding ring to your exhaust pipe now would you?

 

I vote to look around the used market. I bought an old 225 (has the crank on the front) Lincoln stick welder at an auction for $50.00 and that included a stack of rods and a helmet, thought I got the bargain of the day until I had to carry it about a 100 yards to the truck, weighs about 125 pounds without a handhold. But then thats why it will easily last another 30 years or so. I keep it for heavy welding and bought one of the el cheapo wire feeds (garage sale - $65.00 with full CO2 bottle) to do sheet metal and take to the field to plug into my little generator.

 

OK, I found a used Pro-Arc 1150B welder at an incredible price, its pretty smalll, about 10 years old from Sears originally, and been in a storage locker most of that time. It's 115 volts and varies from 25 amps up to 100 amps. From 25 to 50 amps the duty cycle is 100%. From 50 on up to 100 amps it drops from 100% down to 20% when it reaches 100 amps. Now - any tips on how to weld sheet metal with it? Settings and so on? I bought a couple boxes of welding rods at the hardware store 30-80 amps, 3/32 size. One box of rods says produces deep penetration, the other says medium to low penetration.(Forney Superweld, Forney Super 60 rods). I searched a local super book store, but no books on arc welding and little specific info online either. I know one person said to try a bigger diameter rod to sort of dampen down the amps, but isnt 25 amps low enough? Please give me any worthwhile tips you might have on using an arc welder for bodywork. Thanks!

 

Turn it down as far as it will go and attemp to run a bead on a pice of scrap. Slowly increse the amps till you can keep the arc going, pratice, pratice, pratice.

 

Try it on a lot of scrap.

 

dont try to run a solid bead on the sheet metal you will warp it. tackweld it skip a couple inches tack it again when you get to the end let it cool a little start at the begining again and do the same tack it in between the first tacks just keep repeating till it is a solid bead be carefull when you grind the excess off it can also over heat and warp the sheet metal.

 

Super advice! I will try that. Any specific safety issues I should know about before I turn it on and try it? Rubber shoes or something? I assume I shall lose some arm hair from the sparks? I know I'm supposed to use heavy gloves. It's been about 35 or so years since I last did this. I don' t remember much.