WOW, you guys never disappoint. Thanks for all the great advice. Sounds like I definately want a true MIG not flux core. I still wanna stay with 110V though.

I will start looking for a brand name and see if I can stay in the $300 range. I'll let you know what I come up with.

 

You will be alot happier with a small 220v welder. I built a racecar a few years back with a 110 welder and it was horrible. Be prepare to stand around and wait for the welder to cool down with the crappy duty cycle they have. I used an extension cord from my house to the garage for a while to run 220. If your garage is within a reasonable distance you might want to consider it. A length of 12-3 romex would probably be all thats needed depending on the size of welder and distance.

I agree with everyone else stick to Lincolin or Miller or Hobart (same as Miller)

Just My Opinion

 

I have a 110v Lincoln MIG (bought new)and a 220v Miller "Thunderbolt" Stick (bought used). Good combination... I looked at the el cheapos.. But its a machine that needs some quality in order to function well (the mig) Have tanks and torches as well, always comes in handy...

 

I use a Hobart 140 115V machine with gas. IMHO opinion it is the only 115V machine I'd consider. It uses standard 8" wire spools as well as the 4" hobby size so you can buy wire more economically, and with more choices of wire (I use Esab EZgrind wire and highly recommend it!) it comes with the gas setup no extra gas setup to buy except the tank; it can use .024 and .030-.035 wire, the smaller size wire is what you want for sheet metal, the larger size for heavier work, and the largest is fluxcore; It uses standard size stinger tips same as Lincoln etc so tips are readily available at Home Depot etc.; it will weld up to 3/16" MIG and 1/4" Flux core (I have welded much thicker non structural by grinding the edges to a V and filling with bead without a failure), it is a lugable size (when I first got mine I was working outside, and it lived in the corner of the kitchen between uses). It uses a 4 position heat range switch, but haven't found it to be a deficit, and if you really need an in between setting just use the next higher and plug the unit into a 100' 12ga extension cord. The voltage drop is just right to give an in between setting.
It is the best bang for the buck, < 500.00 with free shipping from Northern Tool (Mine arrived in 3 days) and is often on sale for 475.00 and/or with a free cart.
You can spend less, but you will soon be highly dissappointed and/or it will cost more to set up the smaller machines for gas by the time you buy the add on kit, and the smaller machines only take the 4" wire spools a MAJOR drawback IMHO.
The less expensive self darkening helmets are getting much better with a quicker response time, and no one should be welding without one. By the way the Hobart 140 comes with a REAL welding helmet that is not self darkening but useable. The other units come with a joke of a faceshield "on a steek!" (with a handle on the bottom you have to hold in front of your face like a holloween mask) wich ties up one of your hands. Mig welding is best done two handed, for holding a piece for tacking or steading and guiding the stinger for cleaner more even welds!

 

I bought my welder and cart from the Summit catalog. I got the bottle from my local welding supplier shop. The helmet is a HF auto-darkening. I added up all my receipts and I have about $600 into this system. It has served me very well. https://www.ford-trucks.com/user_gal...142742&width=2

 

I'm running the Millermatic 135 and I love it! I bought it several years ago and I think I spent about $500 with the gas bottle and everything.
When I decided to buy a welder I looked at the small Lincoln, the small Hobart (the Miller company owns Hobart) and the small Miller. I chose the Miller because it had the infinately adjustable controls. The welders with detent controls are equally good welders but I wanted the fully adjustable so thats what I bought.

My advice, make sure you have gas and buy what you want. Spend the extra bucks and get a nice unit that you will be happy with. There is nothing worse than being pissed off about using a crappy piece of equipment everytime you want to get some work done. The extra bucks are worth it

Bobby

 

I agree that with the cost associated with switching a flux core to a gas shield unit, you may as well purchase the gas unit to start with. Although I haven't done this myself, I purchased mine used from a local farmer for $100.00 it is a Lincoln Weld-Pak 100 HD that the PO had switched over to a gas shield unit. He said that to switch it over cost him an additional $150.00, not including the bottle. He was running the smaller 4" spools but since I got it I had an aluminum spool adapter made and the unit easily accepts the 8" spools, it just needed the larger spindle adapter.

 

I am using a Miller 185 which is 220v. I am not a welder but have good success with all heavier metal but have really struggled with sheet metal. It will not feed .023 and according to the Miller rep .030 is the smallest that it is designed to use. It has too much ampreage for the smaller wire. I am still working on being able to weld sheet but I am working at setting up a Cobra for sheet metal and cutting. Actually it is an old Dillon. I have everything but the tanks and low pressure regulators. I hate to spend the dollars for the tanks.

 

See if your welding supply leases tanks. I lease all mine at the store and at home with the exception of the MC and B sized Ac tanks and 40 cuft Ox tanks that I own, but the supply still exchanges them. The large tanks cost me ~ 65.00 a year/tank for the lease. I just pay for the gas when I exchange them. Don't make the mistake of getting a small tank of shielding gas, you'll use more than you think. My tank is the size of an average welder's Ox tank, ~ 4' tall and 9" in diameter.

 

I have the Hobart 187 Handler. No problem with .023 wire. Found it new on 'bay for $400, but that's the exception - figure $550+. Plus tank. It's 220 volt. I wouldn't go any other way, if you have two 120 legs in your garage/shop, you can put in a 220 outlet. I have used several name-brand 110 volt machines, and don't even begin to compare with the 187 Handler. I would buy the same one, at full-price again, in a heartbeat!! I love it!

R

 

Ditz - what kind of problems are you having with the sheet metal welding. Burn through, penetration, porosity? Check your settings in the feed system and you may be able to tighten down the feeder. You would also need to change the tip to suit the size of wire you are using.

By the sounds of things you are using flux core and the range you can use for you particular welder is 0.030-0.045. If you were to switch to gas then you could use 0.023-0.035. I would say that any potential issues you are having with welding sheet metal with your welder has nothing to do with the fact that it is a 185 and more to do with the fact that you are using flux core rather than gas.

This time size truly does not matter.

Here is the owners manual for your unit incase you los yours
http://rmweldprod.com/miller/tech_ma...t1313g_mil.pdf

 

ditz,
I agree with what Kusto said, you shouldn't have any problems with the lighter guage materials. Ive used my brother-in-laws Millermatic 175 (220V) on thin stuff without a care in the world. (I can't remember the wire size)

Diddle with your settings, use a shield gas, practice, practice, practice.......


Why is it that when you are running a weld in an area that no one will ever see it always comes out beautiful, but in the areas that are out in the open for all to see it looks as if a gaggle of chili eating Albatross wandered accross it???

Bobby

 

kusto and bobytnm
Guess I should have been more specific. I do use the 75/25 gas and solid wire. The .023 wire I bought at HomeDepot and I did change the tip to a .023. The problem I have with the .023 wire is that it will not feed thru the cable. It gets almost to the tip and it starts balling up where the wire feeds into the cable just past the feeder rolls. The Miller rep that I talked with at the Nats in Louisville told me that the machine has to much ampreage to use the .023 wire and to go to a .030 wire which I have since did. Even after going to .030 wire I still tend to burn thru on sheet metal or I just move too fast and don't get good penetration and we all know that good penetration is desireable for many activities. I just can't seem to find a happy medium with the .030. and the .035 is just to big to work with. I am just a begginner but it seems that I can not slow the feed enough when using the .030 nor can I lower the amperage enough on the .023. ( I only got it to feed the .023 one time ) afer that it always just balled up as described above. Other than sheet metal I really like my miller.

 

If you can, wait a little longer so you can save a little more money for a good welder. I think you will be looking right around the $500-$600 range. Also, some welding supply places rent units. I was able to rent a Lincoln 175 TIG welder for a month and it only cost $50. You might check into that as well, if you can get all your projects done in a few weeks.

There are a lot of online places. This place has the Lincoln SP135T for $458 with free shipping. My first welder was this same Lincoln unit (older model). I now just use if for sheet metal jobs.

http://www.weldingmart.com/

 

Make sure your tip is in decent condition. Any bit of slop between the tip and the wire will make for poor arcing characteristics. The fit should be tight. I have always considered tips to be consumables. You can usually get them for about $1-$2 each. I usually buy them in a 10 pack. Also, insulators tend to go out, too. But, should you touch your nozzle to your base metal when welding and it sticks, the insulator is shot.