Hey I m looking for the best welder to perform most if not all the work on my 53 ford f-1 and was wondering what you all are using.In your information try to keep price in mind as I also have a tight budget.DJ

 

Rosa,

you didn't mention your welding skills but since you don't "own" a welder, I'm assuming you're a beginner... and if you are a welder, you probably wouldn't be asking the question.

Several choices... stick welders are great for heavier material... serious frame work, plate welding and pipe welding... but for light gauge material...1/8" and less... you've really got to have some experience to do good work without warping panels and burning through. For the most part stick welders are not for automotive work...

Oxy/Acetelyne.. gas welding is great, but again for the experienced user... you can do beautiful panel work with little distortion and warp... but it takes years of practice... Ox/Act torches are really nice to have to cut away old metal and to fabricate new 'stuff' for your ride..

Many body men use tig welding... it's at the top of the list... confines heat to small area, makes good workable welds but it's time consuming to learn and practice and expensive to buy..

I think your best overall choice for a beginning welder with a limited budget is wire welder... and gas shielded not flux core.. flux core will do what you want but it does splatter more than gas shield.. there are times when flux is better, if you're welding outside where wind is a problem blowing away the shielding gas..flux core is the better choice... but any good wire welder will do both. One good feature of wire is that it is easier to learn to use than stick... less problems starting and maintaining an arc... fewer problems choosing electrodes and knowing what to use for what job.. Wire machines have turned a bunch of 'stick daubers' into decent wire welders

Most of the welding on 'trucks' will be with material 1/8" or less and a wire machine rated over 100 amps will do what you want... now the higher amperage (output amperage) the better when welding frame pieces or fabricating engine mounts, etc... but for body work and panel work the low amperage machines will do all you want...

I'd also recommend stick with a name brand,... Miller, Hobart, Lincoln, Linde... the discount welders will work but are sometimes frustrating with wire jams and short duty cycles.. you get what you pay for...

I'd look for a good used Miller or Lincoln.. I bought a used rental Hobart Handler (100amp) unit from a local welding supply house.. it's what they call a 'suitcase' welder and has served me well... It's 120 v so it will go anywhere you want to go...( also read.. will plug in anywhere)

but now I'm looking for a heavier amperage unit ( to supplement my smaller welder)...probably a 200 amp machine... has a longer duty cycle and a little more heat for heavier work ( 1/4-3/8" and up) this size welder usually requires 220 volt service... another expense if you can't do your own wiring

I got my 100 amp for $300 and a new one will probably cost you about double that...you didn't say WHAT your budget was so I'm assuming you're like me and you aren't made of money... if you can afford to save up or sell some stuff or beg the wife for early Christmas money...what ever... save for a good used name brand unit... or new one if you can gather up enough coins.. It will be a good investment long after the truck is on the road...

It's one of the best tools I've ever bought... and a bunch of fun to use

watch the classifieds, check with the local welding supply houses for used or trade ins... there are welding sites ... www.hobartwelders.com or www.lincolnelectric.com and many others where you can find good deals on new and used... heck, you might even find one on www.ford-trucks.com if you let it be known you're looking...


one other thing to consider with wire machines... you have to supply the shielding gas... that's gotten from a gas supply company like AirGas or any other... usually the tanks are leased and you pay for the refills... a refill will cost you 20-30 dollars a tank depending on size...but last a good long time unless you're welding all day every day... I usually get a year out of a medium sized tank..

hope this helps

john

 

Rosa,

Not to take anything away from John - he wrote an excellant response to your question and obviously put some effort into it. However there is a l-o-n-g and detailed thread on picking welders, etc in the Garage and workshop forum as well that you should check out.

 

good advice.... I forgot about that thread.... and it's got input from people who actually know something about Welding !!!

thanks

john

 

thanks to both of you.DJ

 

i had the same problem with what type to go with i bought the lincoln mig pack ten from summit it cost 5 bills came with everything but the bottle which i bought at my local welding house for about 1 bill filled. i am totally happy with it i have welded the frame and some sheet metal so far the only thing i didnt like was they sent a hand held shield vice a helmet but you can pick them up for 20 bucks or so just my input also check the pawn shops in your area you might get lucky

 

I bought a Dayton 110V arc welder at a flea market 30 years ago for $50. It has served me well and I have built a number of cars with it and I will use it again to build my F-3. I can't weld sheet metal, but I can weld metal as heavy as 1/4 inch plate and as light as exhaust tubing (as long as I don't hold the stick in one place too long).

 

I can't add anything to the above comments regarding welders. I have limitted experience with all except the TIG set-ups. I will tell you that the best $100 I ever spent on welding supplies was for one of those "auto-darkening" welding helmets. For me, it was like having a third arm! Highly Recommended!

BTW, I was in my local Tractor Supply this weekend and saw a Hobart Handler 175, with cart and auto-darkening helmet on sale for $588, regular $649 without helmet. All you would have to add is the gas bottle. I am trying to be very good for Valentine's Day and maybe I can go get one!

Good Luck

 

Kent,

I've been wanting one of those helmets ever since they appeared on the market. Where did you find one for a 100 bucks? All the ones I've seen are closer to $150 or higher.

 

For ease of use, Mig welders seem to be very popular nowadays. In fact you can get a Campbell Hausfeld welder that will weld sheet metal as thin as 24guage and steel as thick as 1/4". It can even do stainless steel and aluminum. It is the WG3060. You can get a great deal on the factory refurbished ones and if you check out my post in the garage forum you can get a discount and a free gift from them as well. For price per feature you can't beat Campbell Hausfeld. I have yet to be dissappointed by any of their products.

Good luck with your decision,
-Ron

 

Vern,
I purchased my auto darkening helmet several years ago through the local junior college auto restoration class. I have since seen the same model, Jackson auto-dimming #11, in the Eastwood catalog, and other places for $99-$129.
I have also used the Morsafe model sold in the Northern Tool catalog for $99. It works good, but is a little too dark for me for mig welding at #14.
Both of these are the "economy" models and do not have adjustable dimming or other features of more expensive units. They do switch at the same rate as the more expensive models (0.000025 second for Jackson, 0.00004 second for Morsafe). I am truly a hobbyist type of user and feel fortunate to dust mine off once a month. If you are going to do more, you may want to consider more options.
BTW, one set of dead batteries taught me very quickly to always look at a shop light prior to striking the first arc! Safety first!

 

I found a single shade solar powered at Harbor Freight for $79.00 on sale... watch their ads and they run them pretty regularly... very pleased with mine and it is better than a third arm..

later

john

 

Well, thanks for the tips, guys. I'll be looking for a sale. I think I might even have one of those Northern Tool catalogs somewhere.

 

Folks,
Heads Up! I stopped in Harbor Tool and they had one of their auto dark helmets on sale for $49 ($99 regular price). I believe it was on sale for the next week.
Happy Zappin'
Brett

 

Brett,
checked my local Harbor Freight today.They had a $159 helmet on sale for $129 and one other one for $119, so I guess they all don't have the same pricing.