Mig welding/ welders
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 483
Likes: 1
That thing is a absolute piece of junk. It looks like it has 2 wire feed settings and rather poor output. They advertise infinate voltage settings and then give tapped for wire speed, really backwards. The technology that drives a feeder is different than a hammer and there isnt really any way around spending enough on one to get one that is going to work well. I hope the guy building bumpers that is welding 3/8 with the Wal-Mart mig isnt pulling anything. Just a few more times of something coming loose on the hiway and we are all going to have to be certified and have to have engineered designs. The fact that you are using fluxcore helps some but that machine was not intended to do that work and anyone qualified to build a bumper would know that. That isnt intended to be rude but its just a plain fact. In a lawsuit situation you wont get any help, a lawyer would find that machine and it would be all over. Its one of the reasons that on certain things the DOT and the racing people do not allow the use of wirefeeds, next thing you know someone is in the backyard with 100' of extension cord and a walmart feeder atempting critical work.
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
http://www.sears.com/sr/javasr/produ...subcat=Welders
what about this one compaired to the craftsman
what about this one compaired to the craftsman
Postmaster
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 2,654
Likes: 0
From: Bossier City, LA
If you can find, one a millermatic 35 (they don't make them anymore) probably the best home/ shop wirefeed welder ever made. Very simple by design, not much in them to break. The millermatic series of wirefeeds (220v) rank #1 next would be Hobart, then Lincoln, then Esab. Any of the Miller, Hobart, Lincoln are your best bet, Esab, which used to be Linde, then L-Tec has had a lot of lineup changes, as well as consumable changes, which makes it hard for an occasional user who bought an L-Tec welder 9 years ago to find consumables.
Stay away from inverter welders period. They are great when they work, but when they break, look out pocket book.
Stay away from inverter welders period. They are great when they work, but when they break, look out pocket book.
New User
Joined: Dec 2004
Posts: 13
Likes: 0
I would agree that the Wal-Mart machine isn't exactly top quality, nor does it have all of the nice features of a Hobart, Lincoln, or anything else 5 times the price. As for the ability to do the job, it does just fine. Say what you want about the equipment, but the fact is a mediocre machine in the hands of a capable welder is a hell of a lot better than an expensive machine in the hands of a novice. I know what my rig is capable of, and I make sure not to exceed it. As for the DOT, have you gotten a good look at the "bumpers" of todays modern cars? They're plastic and bolt-on! I never intended my jeep to travel at NASCAR speeds, but they do fine for the hunting trails. In fact, I was at a bone yard a couple of years ago, and found the jeep that I had built. According to the owners of the yard, it was a recent accident in which the driver was t-boned on the front end doing about 30-40 mph. My bumper was the only usable part left on the front of it. I tried, but they wouldn't give it back to me! They wanted me to purchase it.
Andy
Andy
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 4
From: Western Kentucky
The HH 125 you are thinking about is a good welder and will do a good job on lighter metal and every now and then on heavier metal. I have one and also a 300 amp ac dc Miller for heavy work an dI love it. But you do need to add the gas valve. Tractor Supply has them for $309.
Laughing Gas
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 769
Likes: 3
I am looking at buying a Hobart Handler 140 from Farm And Fleet would this be a good Mig welder. I am just learning to weld and want to do bady panels with it... Thanks Alot for any input. It is on sale for 450 with a cart...
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Joe Kucinski
Fleet Mechanic
Joined: Jul 2004
Posts: 1,455
Likes: 4
From: Western Kentucky
You want be disappointed with the HH140 on body panels, if you use C25 gas and .024 wire. And it is rated for up to 1/4" metal one pass, and for occasional thicker stuff you can allways multi pass it.
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 225
Likes: 0
http://eastwood.com/shopping/product...ProductID=1287
this a clarke 130 amp mig welder and i can get one for less than 300$ has ant one heard any thing good about them
this a clarke 130 amp mig welder and i can get one for less than 300$ has ant one heard any thing good about them
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 483
Likes: 1
A decent welder in this class from the big 3 is about 5-600 dollars and is a good investment. The rest are basically junk in comparison. There is no way around it no matter how hard you want it to be or how hard you try. These machines are a couple of steps above a hammer in technology and it takes a certain amount of dollars to put the things in that make them work well. Cheaper machines skip this to lower prices and still try to make a buck.
Senior User
Joined: Jun 2004
Posts: 401
Likes: 0
From: indiana
i wouldnt but a clarke welder if you want a welder get a hobart lincoln or miller
i have a hobart loadhandler 135 works great
i also have a miller aead gas powered welder that welds like no tomarrow
buy cheap buy twice i would go with the big three on this as well parts are very easy to get.
i have a hobart loadhandler 135 works great
i also have a miller aead gas powered welder that welds like no tomarrow
buy cheap buy twice i would go with the big three on this as well parts are very easy to get.
Tuned
Joined: Sep 2003
Posts: 483
Likes: 1
For body work there is 2 common machines, maybe 3, Hobart HH140 or better yet 180, they have great low end and were designed with this in mind as body panels are getting thinner all the time. The other choice is the Lincoln SP135+ or the 175+. These machines operate very similar, the Lincoln is slightly more adjustable but it wouldnt make much difference, the Hobart is cheaper and has the best support in the industry. BTW, I dont think Lincoln is doing themselves any favor pimping out the name to a lower line of machines. They should let Clarke and CH make crappy welders. When you lower price beyond a certain place to make sales you still need profit, where you going to make up the difference at ?? Its going to be in the internal parts. Most of the guys that will buy a Wal-Mart machine dont have anything to compare them to. It makes sparks so it must be working right.
Last edited by Sberry27; Dec 13, 2004 at 03:12 AM.
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Senior User
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 225
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You know it kills me how people in these forums all ways say get the best of every thing and say they to have it but we all know good and damn well that we and they get the best they can on their own budget not on some rich basterds budget now i work a pizza hut part time making 5.50 and hour get about 25 hrs every 2 weeks not one but every 2 weeks. now i come here asking if the licoln handy mig would be good for AMERATURE body work not freakin PROFESONAL now what does every one think about the LINCOLN HANDY MIG not the freakin hobart, miller, the expensive lincoln because im going to do good to spend 250$ and i just can not afoard a 6 billion dollar welder .
sorry but this just ****ed me off
sorry but this just ****ed me off