What welders do you all use for restoring your trucks. I'm more thinking about patching panels and some frame work. I have been looking on ebay and some local places but there is so many choices and not being experienced with welding other that using a cutting tourch I decided to go to the Experts here.

Also, what are the specs that I should be aware of when shopping for a welding rig.

Thanks again.

 

I use a Lincoln 175+ for most of my heavier MIG work and a HENROB for the finer work, including aluminum, stainless, and potmetal repair. If you are buying a MIG unit be sure to get one that will handle the thickness of metal that you are going to weld...this is dictated by amperage rating and gauge of the wire. It's also nice to have the capability to reverse polarity so that you can weld aluminum. Don't waste your time on flux core wire...get a MIG with a gas bottle and you will never regret it.

 

I have a Lincoln 100 HD (welds up to 1/4") with a gas kit. Does a real nice job.
For frame repair I would want something heavier duty like a tig setup.
Ed

 

Howdy,

I bought a Miller Synchrowave 180SD about 2 years ago. (Replaced by the 200SD) It's not as fast as a wirefeed but I can weld just about anything from sheet metal up to 1/4"... SS, Mild steel, Aluminum, etc.


I wouldn't trade my wife for it (well maybe I would!!)


Cheers,

Rick

 

Hi I'm lucky enough to have my own engineering workshop but would offer the following advise,With a TIG welder (About 200amp ac/dc model so u can weld Ali) with practice u will be able to weld mild steel 1/16-3/8 thick approx, steel Stainless 1/16- 3/8 , Ali up to about 1/4 thick and only need ONE type of gas bottle!! (saves u $$$ over time) Mig welding is easier to learn and "tack" weld with i think, but requires different gases for some materials and is a harder weld than tig welding (important when doing panel work in my opinion!) and requires more grinding etc.
I live in New Zealand so i'm not 100% sure how gas bottles are rented/owned where you are, anyway hope i've helped you out abit.

 

low...

your decision on a welder should depend on its intended use... If you plan on doing primarily heavy welding (1/4" and up...farm equipment, heavy plate and angle iron) then a stick welder will serve you well, although a hi amp wire machine will work also. You're looking at the 200 amp and up work there
If you plan on light gauge projects, sheet metal work, body repair then I'd say a MIG machine would serve you better. Light gauger tubing, 1/8" plate... body repair... that type of thing..

thickness will also determine the amperage you need.. for all light gauger work like body sheet metal and such you can do with a 110 volt machine 90-110 amp welding current.
For 1/4" and down anything between a 100 - 200 amp machine will serve you well.
Heavy stuff... 200 or better..

As far as imports…i.e. Harbor Freight Cheap import junk..look elsewhere. Although you can get good deals on name brand tools sometimes, but basically they deal with low quality tools... the cheaper wire machines (read import... farm store.. flea market ... Sears are basically flux core machines and although some can be converted to gas operation...most don't perform well...

Stick with a name brand... Miller, Hobart, Lincoln... you can always get replacement parts...even on weekends and they have good service reps... try finding a replacement tip or liner for a Chicago Forge welder on Saturday afternoon ????... even Home depot or Lowe's will carry some replacement parts for the Welders (usually Lincoln or Hobart) that they carry

Anything from around 90 amps up will serve you well for sheet metal…but a machine rated higher will usually dial down to a usable range. Up to a point !

I have a Hobart "suitcase" welder, 100 amp 110 volt for light stuff and it does a great job using either gas or flux core. For larger material I have a Millermatic 200. A 200 amp 220 volt machine that will handle anything else I tend to stick together.. I normally run both on GMAW..(gas shielded).

I only use flux core for outside windy conditions. (the wind blows the shielding gas away). Flux core wire needs more clean up than GM AW (Gas Metal Arc Welding...gas shielded) It tends to splatter more. Splatter shield sprays help some in this situation...

I also have a Lincoln 225 amp ac/dc stick welder that I haven't turned on for several years since I bought the wire machines.. I think wire welding is a lot easier to master than stick and much easier to see and control your weld puddle.

TIG is another option... an expensive option. It does truly beautiful work in qualified hands... it requires a lot of attention to weld prep... it uses a different shielding gas... and in my opinion is harder to master... but if you do, nothing can match it... It takes a level of coordination that I don't have.

I bought both of my machines used.. from welding houses that had leased them out the refurb'd them and sold them... you can get some really good deals if you're patient (?). Check with some of the supply houses ...tell the counter man what you're looking for and how much you can afford... he might know of someone with a trade up machine, and watch the "Machinery and Equipment" column in the classifieds.

Safety equipment.. A good helmet with the proper shield.. You can get away with lighter gloves with wire welders... but with stick, get some good heavy welding gloves. A fire extinguisher close by and readily accessible is a must as well as a bucket of water for cooling your welds. Clamps, pliers, vice grips and a BFH are almost a necessity. Wear long sleeves and long pants that are not tucked into your boots.. no sneekers... hot metal goes thru them like...well hot metal !!

additional costs to consider... if you go with gas shielded, you need to find out what bottle rent or purchase cost in your area... it's usually not that expensive and a bottle of shielding gas will last a hobby welder a longing time.

Also consider your wiring... if you go with anything over 175 amp you're probably gonna have to have a 220 volt circuit... not a major deal if you do your own wiring... but an electrician will charge you almost what your welder cost for the work.

I would hardily recommend a automatic helmet. they let you see your weld area until you strike an arc... where as standard helmets have to be dropped with one hand or a hard nod and you'll sometimes loose your start point doing this... if you''re a new welder they are a real bonus to good welding.

THEN plan on lots and lots and lots of practice before you can get respectable results on thin sheet metal... it will take a while and I recommend finding an old door or hood to provide some sacrificial panels to practice on and get your settings right for what you want to do...

You might also want to check into classes at the local vo-tech or j.c. in the area... they offer low cost night classes that will let you use the equipment, master the technique and figure out what you want before you purchase... you can get some good instruction from both the teacher and the students also.

hope that helps..

john

 

What Niolon said.

I have a Lincoln Handy MIG welder (110 volt). It's my favorite tool.

 

I have an old Miller 300/300 AC/DC setup with a water cooled tig (or stick). I bought it used for cheap $. It is a big machine however.

 

I've got an old Lincoln stick welder. Works great. Can't do thin material like sheet metal, but for $50. I can't complain.

 

Good advice above, but don't forget about the torch option. Most versatile. Not the best choice for chassis work, but will do everything with practice.

 

I imagine that I will be doing mostly body/sheet welding and I would also probably be doing some frame modifications as well at some point. Is there a welder that would be good for both or would that be something better served using two different type welders? I would prefer to have one unit that can do both for a resonable price.

Also, thanks John for all that information and for the other responses as well.

 

millermatic 185? I was thinking the same thing, but this is as close as I could get. I opted to get a lincoln stick welder and haven't decided on a wirefeed yet.

 

I bought a harbor freight 220 mig a while back. It's ok, but just ok. I'm a decent welder with it, but I'm a good welder on a miller. I'll keep it until it breaks and I can't get parts, then I'll buy a lincoln or miller. I'd suggest starting with the best machine you can afford, there is a difference. You can produce good welds on the cheap machines, but the quality machines do it so much easier. Btw, I just bought a set of Victor torches, don't have the bottles yet, won't need them often, but when you need them, you need them.

 

Ok, I have been looking at the Lincoln sp175 plus. I intend to do some frame work and some body patching as well on my 54 F100. I'm wondering if the sp 175 would be over kill or would something like the sp 135 be good enough and save me some money. Also, with the 135 I wouldn't need 220v current, although I have a friend who is an electrician so I could get it installed.

One other question is if I did go with the 175 would that also be good for doing patch panels? I've read some posts where people have a heavy duty welder and also a lighter duty one for sheet metal work. I would rather get one that will do all if possible.

As always, thanks in advance.

 

Low,
Several years ago I bought a Miller 135 mig. I love it! I looked at the 135 and 175 and thought I'd never need the added capabilities of the 175 so I saved a couple hundred and got the 135. If I had the chance, I'd go bigger. The 135 will weld sheet metal and up to 1/8" easily. I've been told it will do thicker with flux cored wire, but haven't tried that yet. The point is, I've had the need to weld some thicker stuff lately and the 135 is not quite up to the task, so I have to dig out my old stick welder. Since I don't weld all that often, I'm much better with the mig than with the stick.

Sooo... my advice is to buy the larger welder if you can afford it. The sales guys told me that the 175 would do sheet metal just as well as the 135, when the heat settings/wire feed were set correctly. I see you're in TX. If you're anywhere near DFW, the Goodguys show is next weekend. Lincoln and Miller always have displays that you can try their products. My buddy bought a TIG last year at Goodguys and saved $300.

Good Luck!