Help selecting a MIG to buy
 

First, me: beginner stick and gas welder 30 years ago. Five years ago used the company's Hobart 250 with good results.

I want to do: weld in floors, floor cross members, build seat supports...sheet metal to 1/4" mild steel. No aluminium or SS.

I want to spend <$1k for the whole set up (tank and all). I've decided what I need is a Lincoln or Hobart 190. But, I run into larger, older machines which will be cheaper. E.g., Linde 225 with big tank for 500.

What I want: ease of laying down a quality bead for a beginner.

Anyone with experience with older MIGs and new 190s care to comment about ease of use for a beginner?

Thanks,

Roy

i looked at a lincoln power mig 200 last year for $800. when i got there the guy was pointing out all hte options. he said it has this, but i don't know what it is as he pulled out a $1600 spool gun.
the machine was his fathers, and the father gave it to him when he moved out of country to take his sick wife back to Portugal to die in her home land 8 years before.
i was not looking for anything fancy either, but was glad i bought it.
the 220 volt welder works 1000 times better than the little 110 volt unit i had been using.

so don't be afraid to look on your local craigs list for older welders.
try it, and if it works you should be good to go.
and remember, you can never have too big a welder, just too small.




and don't turn down a machine if it has the spool gun either.
3 weeks ago the step on the aluminum fuel tank on my mack truck broke off. that unwanted spool gun saved me a lot of money by being able to weld the step back on myself.
anywhere i would have took it would have charged me at least $250 to weld it back on.
i had it fixed in under 1 hour.

Thanks. Yes, shops, compressors, welders...can't have too much.

I am just worried about ease of use of the older/larger machine relative to the newer/smaller.

it takes a bit to get used to. the bigger machine has a very sensitive trigger, and welds so much better i had to reteach myself how to weld.
it makes it so much easier once you use the bigger machine that you kinda have to forget "fighting" with the small machine to get things done.

Thanks. I have budgeted plenty of time and gas/wire for practice.

I'm not a expert welder.
I am a good body shop welder. A lot of experience with large commercial machines.

And at home I have a older Miller 110 mig that is great for sheet metal and other auto related stuff.



Just buy a good quality machine. Stay away from the China specials.

Thanks. I ended up buying an older small commercial machine (60% at 200 amps). Welds great, and it came with a big pile of good stuff (big bottle, lots of wire, and such).

Roy

The smart buy!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!