Any input on the pros & cons of the low/middle price range wire welders would be appreciated. Century 125GL, Linclon Weldpac 100,
and similar. For sheet metal & light fabrication. Thanks, Bob

 

I got a Hobart Handler 175 (made by Miller). Comes ready to weld with flux core wire but also includes the gas regulator for MIG for the same price as the Lincoln which requires you to buy the gas kit separately. I haven't used it very much so far but the little I have done I like. If you pay more than $550 you're paying too much.

 

How many amps is a welder like that? What thickness of metal can you weld? I want to try my hand in welding, i've even thought of a career in it. In the short-term i want to build a frame for a go-kart and do some body work on my F-150 and have no idea what kind of welder to buy. I've read that mig welders are better at thin stuff and make prettier welds while arc welders are good on thick stuff but make messy welds and are harder to get the hang of. Welders of the bbs, please give me advice.

~eriC

 

The size welders I was asking quest about, are the 100 to 125 Amp range. I have a 225/160 Miller AC/DC for heavy work. I'm thinking of a small 110 VAC that is easily portable. Will weld with either gas(if I evr get to a place where I can weld out of the wind) or flux coated wire. Thanks, Bob

 

wire-welding is easier to get the hang of, but for thick metal I use an arc-welder. If you want the 110 wire-feed, I suggest you buy the heaviest unit that is made in 110, because you can always turn the power down for the thin stuff

 

The Hobart Handler 175 is well...175 amps. It's a 220V welder and can handle up to 1/4" thick metal in 1 pass.

 

I would advise against the 110 volt model as it easily used almost anywhere it has nowhere near the power of the 220 model of those tiny little lincoln models, i have used both and they are suppose to be the same but the 220 has alot more power and can weld just about anything short of a boiler tank, the hobart 175 unit is a decent looking unit no experience with it, but our miller dial arc heli arc welder is a good welder and we also have a lincoln that runs 1/8'' wire up to 600 amps now thats a welder, i would stay away from century but who knows they may bea good welder on the cheap

 

i love them for smaller applications. use a stick welder for the big big stuff, but for bumpers, shocks, etc. stuff like that i love the wire welders, but dont go on stuff too thin cause it will burn through it. good luck

-Jacksland

 

Ok, i'm confused. I thought an arc welder and a wire welder were the same thing? If not is a wire welder a mig welder?

~eriC

 

Tecnically speaking, they are all arc welders, but most folks (myself included) use the term "arc welder" to refer to a stick welder.

A mig welder is a wire welder, but not all wire welders are MIG welders. Both use wire. Wire welders come in MIG (metal inert gas) and gasless types. A MIG welder uses a shielding gas instead of flux on the electrode wire. A gasless wire welder uses a wire electrode which contains its own flux. It's called flux-core wire.

So, you have stick, Mig gasless wire (and a few others)- but they are all arc welders.

Nate

1964 F-100 Custom Cab 292 V-8 3 spd
1964 F-100 292 V-8 3 spd
1990 F-150 5.8L
http://www.geocities.com/revnate64/Revnate.html

 

"Stick" welding is technically known as SMAW (Shielded Metal Arc Welding) and uses special welding rods covered in a shielding material while wire welders, commonly known as MIG (Metal Inert Gas) use a seperate source of gas to produce the same result. Most wire feed welders are also capable of using a process very similar to SMAW by using a special wire called flux core. In all 3 cases the goal is to keep oxygen away from the arc to prevent the weld from being compromised by oxidation during the welding process. The MIG does it by injecting a pressurized inert gas such as CO2 or Argon (or a mixture) through a nozzle which surrounds the wire. The SMAW and flux core use the heat from the arc to vaporize the shielding material or flux and create the oxygen free atmosphere around the weld.

 

Everyones input is real interesting, but I must have missed the part about which one of the small 110 volt wire welders you guys like or don't like. I don't need a 400A rig. I can use my AC/DC rig for heavy work. Solar 80, Lincoln 100 or SP 100, Century 125GL, Hobart 135 & Miller 130 are getting bigger than I need.
Thanks for anymore input. Bob

 

OK, I use a Miller 130 wirefeed welder, it is 110 volt, but it needs a 20 amp circuit. I use shield gas c-20? It has great power for a 110 volt, many times I have to turn down the power to keep from burning through sheetmetal. It was easy to learn on, it came with an instructional video, and an exellent manual.I use the welder for My Demo-Derby hobby, welding bumbers to brackets, welding doors shut, welding safety bars with heavy pipe and 1/4" plate steel. The versatility of this welder has served me well, I have no complaints at all!
My nephew who also does Demo-Derby bought a cheap welder at the Farm store, around $250 and they wore it out in about 5 years. My experience with the flux core wire, is that it is messy, with lots of pops and voids in the welds, and it is more expensive to buy. If you can weld inside a shop, the shield gas is the way to go. Very clean welds, as long as your metal is cleaned good to begin with. Anymore, I can tell from the sound that my welder makes if I am getting good welds or not.
Good luck, Greg58

 

I use a Lincoln 100. Honestly, I can't think of many automotive applications where you'd need more power. I just welded up the 1/4" plate steering adapter for my '76 F250, no problem. I had it stuck together by a professional welder using a stick unit. Other than mine being not so pretty, the penetration looked identical. It works great on sheetmetal, down to 22gauge with no problem. Thinner than that and it shouldn't be on a truck LOL.

 

I purchased a Hobart Handler 110V unit about 10 years ago and used it for several years. I am not a professional, but I like sticking metal together. The Handler was good for thin to medium thickness metal and I never had a problem with it....I would highly recommend it. However, the main thing to remember with MIG welders is that the metal needs to be clean and free of rust for a good weld..plus, a good ground connection is very important with a MIG. I sold the Handler last year, only because I got a deal on a used Lincoln 220V MIG welder I couldn't refuse. The 220V unit has quite a bit more punch, but you really only need that with the thicker metals. I also have an old Forney "buzz box" (AC stick welder) that I use to weld thicker metal.........works great for fixing farm machinery that might be a bit rusted or dirty. The 110V Handler did everything I wanted it to do and was very reliable. I would recommend steering clear of the ultra-cheap MIG welders....some of my friends have them and they have not been as reliable as a more expensive unit. The arc does not appear to be as consistent in their units and the wire feed mechanism malfunctions more often (birdsnests).....you get what you pay for. Also remember that, with MIG's, you get a "pretty" bead, but looks can be deceiving...the penetration might not be as deep with a MIG welder as with a stick welder....so you might want to use a stick welder for heavier applications. So, that's my two cents worth!