Welders?

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I bought a autoarc at tractor supply for 300 it does everything I want to do I got gas for it 60lb tank filled for 175 Its made my miller hobart you would be happy with it a blind man can use it.
 
I would stick to one that runs on 110 volts for what you are going to use it for. It is so much easier to hook it into 110 outlets instead of 220. I had a nice Hobart 220 but traded it to a friend for his Lincoln 110 volt. It is 140 Amp and will weld floor pans and thin stuff well and for thicker material I use stick welder. Get a auto darkening helmet and have fun. I would stick with a major brand like Lincoln, Miller, or Hobart which is made by Miller,Joe
 
I am with the other guys. I have a 120 unit from Cummin's tool (out of business), that was 300 bucks, bottle was another 150, but refills are only 45.00 bucks. Small stuff and sheet metal are perfect. Auto darkening helmet is a huge help.
 
68GTconvert said:
Doesn't this one plug in a regular 110? What do you think? Should I get a mig?

http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...10053&langId=-1&keyword=welders&storeId=10051
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i would stay away from the welders at depot and lowes. i bought the lincoln pro mig 180 at home depot, and it was junk. i spoke with a few of the local welding shops and they told me that they were not the same units that you would get from a dealer. he said that they used cheaper internals and would not give the output of standard unit.
 
I run a mig, Millermatic 135. It will weld with or without sheild gas. Sheild gas is a cleaner weld for finished products. I could say nothing bad about it.
If I have to get another, I will probably get a combo unit that will do both mig and tig. I'm not sure I can tig, shaky hands, but it is easier to work the panel when it comes to finishing work.
 
I've got a 110 vac Hobart 140 mig welder. I use it mostly with flux core wire, for welding 18 and 16 ga. cold rolled steel, and it does a great job. With argon I weld aluminum's and heavier gauges of cold rolled, hot rolled, and galvanized steel .

I've used it on everything up to 5/16" thick mild steel, and it's worked fine.
 
Thanks. I'm thinking about a Lincoln weld pack 125 or 140. I probably won't use it but for a few small projects.
 
Hate to disagree with some of the other posters, but I'd stay away from 110 units, they just don't have the power to weld THICK material.

If all you're going to do is sheet metal work, they are the IDEAL welder, they will weld sheet metal better than a 220 welder primarily because you can really slow down the wire speed and put very little heat into the metal. For example, Miller 110 and 220 units both have the same initial voltage, but the 220 units slowest wire speed is 60 inches per minute, while the 110 unit will go as low as 15 inches of wire per minute. Thus, both machines claim to be able to weld 22-24 gauge sheet metal, but since you can really slow down the wire speed you'll have a lot more success with the 110, as you won't blow as many holes in the material.

If you plan to install roll bars or weld in subframe connectors, I think you'd be a lot happier with a 220 unit. One way to mitigate the higher wire speed in a 220 unit is to us .023 wire instead of .030. .030 wire is the do-all wire, but in a 220 unit this thicker wire will put a lot more heat into the material.

Finally, if you can take a class at your local community college, it will be time well spent.

Regards,

Joe Dokes
 
But also to if you need to weld anything more then a 1/8th inch to a car i think your doing something wrong. A 110 unit would be just fine. The 140 would be a good welder. Get one and start practicing. You Tube Videos can help too. Mine is a mig/flux core. Which with the MIG side I do sheet metal and what not. But thicker stuff like spring relocation boxes i use the flux side. IMO a versitile welder. Mine is a Clarke 140.
 
Joe Dokes said:
Hate to disagree with some of the other posters, but I'd stay away from 110 units, they just don't have the power to weld THICK material.

If all you're going to do is sheet metal work, they are the IDEAL welder, they will weld sheet metal better than a 220 welder primarily because you can really slow down the wire speed and put very little heat into the metal. For example, Miller 110 and 220 units both have the same initial voltage, but the 220 units slowest wire speed is 60 inches per minute, while the 110 unit will go as low as 15 inches of wire per minute. Thus, both machines claim to be able to weld 22-24 gauge sheet metal, but since you can really slow down the wire speed you'll have a lot more success with the 110, as you won't blow as many holes in the material.

If you plan to install roll bars or weld in subframe connectors, I think you'd be a lot happier with a 220 unit. One way to mitigate the higher wire speed in a 220 unit is to us .023 wire instead of .030. .030 wire is the do-all wire, but in a 220 unit this thicker wire will put a lot more heat into the material.

Finally, if you can take a class at your local community college, it will be time well spent.

Regards,

Joe Dokes
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I don't disagree with your comment about the benefits of 220v. welders, and I have a couple of them, my self, and they work great. No argument there.

However, I regularly weld 16 and 18 gauge steel with a 110 welder with no problems at all.

I have also welded up to 5/16" mild steel with a 100v. welder with out issues, have gotten very good penetration, and strong welds, and have done that repeatedly, also. No failures.
 
younggun2.0 said:
i would stay away from the welders at depot and lowes. i bought the lincoln pro mig 180 at home depot, and it was junk. i spoke with a few of the local welding shops and they told me that they were not the same units that you would get from a dealer. he said that they used cheaper internals and would not give the output of standard unit.
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I also was told the same by local welding shops and more knowledgeable people...stay away from home depot & lowes models as they said they use cheaper transformers and other internal parts even though they are big brand name models....

I guess it is kind of like Lowes now selling John Deere riding mowers....Did anyone take a close look at the quality of those ....Certainly doesn't look like "standard" John Deere quality to me
 
We ran a ($80 on sale) harbor freight flux core welder and literally replaced, cut up, and welded every panel on our entire B-Body. Just be sure to have a grinder handy! My father started out just purchasing it as a learners tool and to do some slight metal work, but it got the job done and operated great for over a year of restoration (I would not believe it if we didn't do it). If we do another restoration, we will probably invest in a much higher quality welder and save the heartache and hassle of spending countless hours of grinding' the trail it leaves behind.
 
I ordered this Hobart 130. Flux and Gas it gets great reviews and it supposably made by miller. $327 free shipping. I am excited to use this on the dart after I practice up. I looked at the lincoln at home depot but you guys spooked me about crappy transformers etc. Plus the 125 weld pack was only flux and it was $425 plus tax.

[ame="http://www.amazon.com/Hobart-500549-Auto-Wire-Welder/dp/B002VECKTC"]Amazon.com: Hobart 500549 Auto Arc 130 Wire Feed MIG Welder: Home Improvement[/ame]
 
If you know what you are doing you can weld 1/4" Plate etc with a good 110 Machine. I have been doing it for years. When welding anything thicker than 3/16 I switch out to .030 Flux Core wire and it gets Plenty Hot enough for anything you will do to your car. Shortening Axle Housings or whatever....

One thing to remember when going from Gas/wire to Flux Core Wire is "Don't forget to Reverse the Polarity inside your machine"!
 
Mad Dart said:
If you know what you are doing you can weld 1/4" Plate etc with a good 110 Machine. I have been doing it for years. When welding anything thicker than 3/16 I switch out to .030 Flux Core wire and it gets Plenty Hot enough for anything you will do to your car. Shortening Axle Housings or whatever....

One thing to remember when going from Gas/wire to Flux Core Wire is "Don't forget to Reverse the Polarity inside your machine"!
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Exactly, I have access to anything from 110v machines to 480v 600 amp machines and use the 110 for anything around the shop 1/4" or less. And another tip from a guy who has been doing welder repairs for 20 years. If you are going to use an extention cord on your welder use no lighter than a 10 guage cord. Anything else will give you a voltage drop to the machine and reduced output that will drive you nuts. The longer you weld the crappier it gets. You picked out a decent welder and should be happy with it.
 
Sweet5ltr said:
We ran a ($80 on sale) harbor freight flux core welder and literally replaced, cut up, and welded every panel on our entire B-Body. Just be sure to have a grinder handy! My father started out just purchasing it as a learners tool and to do some slight metal work, but it got the job done and operated great for over a year of restoration (I would not believe it if we didn't do it). If we do another restoration, we will probably invest in a much higher quality welder and save the heartache and hassle of spending countless hours of grinding' the trail it leaves behind.
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+1 on the Harbor Freight 110v 90amp. I like it. It has enough bite for pretty much any car project. I got the new black one thats made by a new manufacturer. It a little bit better built and seems to have more bite, than the previous blue one and it feeds smoother, and has a kill switch wired into the trigger that keeps it from accidentally sparking on you. Its far from frustrating to use. You will need to get a grinder because you will have to grind any weld you do.

My advice is get a auto-dimming helmet, it will help you a whoooooole lot.

Oh if you do any body work on the exterior, be sure to cool your welds down with air. Flux core runs a bit hotter than the gas/tig process.

There is 2 camps on this subject, the frugal, just to get it done for a project or two, and light usage. And the investment, planning on keeping it around for years and years, car after car, project after project. You'd want to drop some coin on a welder, make it a good one with a 220v and gas hook up.

On this topic, there is a plethora of more information via the 'search' function, and don't forget about Google.
 
I tried that crappy blue harbor freight welder and couldnt get a good bead out of it.
 
frankie i have the same hobart model you have and thanks for info on what it can do.havent had thev time to use it rehabing from a lower leg amputation.
 
You can do anything to a car with a 110 volt welder, but it needs to be a MIG and NOT a flux. You need the gas regulator with it so you can have the Argon/Co2 shielding mix. Don't let anyone talk you into a 220. It's overkill for an at home hobbiest. Pay attention to the duty cycle. The higher the duty cycle, usually the better the transformer and internal components. You'll also want one that uses the common Tweco torch tips so replacements are easy to find.
 
I have had the $90 Harbor Freight non-gas wire welder for ~3 yrs. It does work. Have welded exhaust pipes, sheet-metal, 3/16" steel. I fixed a $400 Mercedes into a nice driver by welding a cracked K-member. As others say, it spits and leaves a ragged trace with more slag than a gas type. You need to grind more and it will burn thru sheet metal if not careful. But it has served me well, and I couldn't justify a $500 welder.
 
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