What are you welding with?

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Craig Burriss

Craig Burriss

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I’m looking into getting a new welder. I currently have the smallest Lincoln mig available, and also 2 of the largest Lincoln multiprocess welders ever sold.
I’m self taught with Mig and stick and want to figure out Tig now.
What kind of welders are y’all using that can do Mig/Tig/Stick? I’d like something that can do sheet metal for bodywork, and be able to do up to 1/4” thick for frame/suspension mods.
Thanks.
 
What are these big Lincs and why can't you use them for tig?
 
I've got a Hobart mig welder, really like the quality and reliability. 65'
 
The Miller 211 has been great for me too. I also have a Lincoln 200 Square Wave TIG that I’m still learning to use. I still use my Victor gas rig for things like thin exhaust pipes on motorcycles. Since I got the 211, I very rarely use my old Lincoln 225AC “coffin top.”
 
I'd love an ac/dc tig so I can do aluminum. You also need a bottle of argon. I learned tig on a big machine which was no good for finesse work. I'd hate to give up my Miller autoset mig for a multi machine that wasn't good at anything (not saying that is the case).
 
Millermatic185 here,I think the same machine that became the 211 you guys talk of
 
I have a Miller 140 that I really like for sheet metal, Miller 350 TIG Runner, and an Everlast PowerTIG 250EX.

I have my Miller welders, but for the money you absolutely can not go wrong with Everlast brand welders. Everlast Inverter Welders Equipment - Welding Supply Company - Official Website

Very reasonable priced, 5-year warranty. Honestly I'll probably never buy another Miller for what they cost and if I need another welder it would be an Everlast.

Tom
 
I have an inexpensive no-name multi-process machine (arc/DC TIG/plasma cutter) but the only feature I've actually used is the plasma cutter. That works surprisingly well for a $382-to-my-door unit (Amazon sent me a $150 "coupon" in the middle of a Lightning Deal and I got both discounts). It came with all the TIG stuff except a foot pedal, which I want before jumping into it. If I got any good at it, I'd look into a proper AC TIG machine and go back to just cuttin' plasma with the Amazon special.
 
I have a Miller 212 wire feed with the spool gun for aluminum, a miller tig machine, an Esab 250 wire feed and a Hypertherm Plasma cutter All great machines
 
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Millermatic 210 with a spool gun for aluminum. A bottle of 75/25 for steel and a bottle of Argon for the spool gun. I run .023 for bodywork, and .035 for everything else. Absolutely love this machine. It's big, but has a great duty cycle. Scored it for a grand, and was barely used. Seller was leaving the province and could only ship the welder or the Harley.

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Well, if we’re having show and tell… I have an Everlast 80S plasma cutter I’ve never used. Picked it up with a complete Miller welding table setup, and a Miller 130XP and a bunch of other welding stuff, much of it never used, at an estate sale. I also have a 300A P&H tig setup I haven’t used in over 20 years. It has a water-cooled torch and a foot pedal that looks like it came out of dragster. I’d love to find a home for it. It needs a dedicated 100A breaker to feed if you want full power.

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azaustin said:
Since I got the 211, I very rarely use my old Lincoln 225AC “coffin top.”
Click to expand...
Ah yes, the old tombstone. Thats what we always called them. I got rid of mine when I bought my first mig many moons ago. The AC/DC ones still bring a little money but the AC ones seem to be dime a dozen. They never die, just get new owners.

For Tig I have a Thermadyne 185TSW. My plasma cutter is a Thermal Dynamics Cutmaster 42. I also have a vintage Thermal Dynamics plasma that it replaced because consumables were getting hard to find.
 
Miller XMT304 here. 400amp MIG/TIG/Stick. Works amazing and can weld anything I would throw at it, except aluminum as the conversion is very expensive. I just dont have the need. Can do that at work. Would be nice to have a small 110 welder set up for just sheet metal.
 
Just get a wire feeder for those machines you already have. Unless they are not AC for aluminium
It boils down to what your wanting to accomplish and what you want to spend
Those Everest machines look interesting and are cheap enough. A buddy just bought one and says he is satisfied, however I wouldn't want one for commercial work, in that case id go with Lincoln or Miller.
Even the inverter Lincolns or Millers are expensive to fix, the cheap machines would be throw aways
 
Hobart Handler 140 mig, it is affordable and works great from sheet metal to 3/16 off-road bumpers. Also, have a Miller Thunderbolt when stick is preferred
option.
 
Esab rebel emp215.
Mig arc and lift arc dc tig. After a few years of use i would say dont buy it.
It welds ok, but inconsistent.
Stick welds nice.
Tig,cant say much as im so inexperienced with tig.
Longevity 50 amp plasma cutter. Hard no.
Want plasma, get a hypertherm, nothing else comes close.

I used a miller at my old place of work, loved it. To start over,miller without a doubt.
 
I use a multimatic 255 90/10 gas with the ez-select gun. I have only used it for mig. I weld quite a bit ( about 2 44lb spools a month or more). Really nice machine and easy to use. With 90/10 i can switch back and forth between spray and short arc with a pull of the trigger. I also have an omnipro 220 but it just can't handle the daily use, does a fine job when setup correctly.
 
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miller mig 140, 40yrs old, and still welds great,
for remote/ fencing/light weight. I bought a "yes" mig/tig welder, 250A/ -110/220
dog gone , that thing welds good! trouble free, gasless. and can carry it anywhere, and run it off
my generator, (doing fences, couple miles from nearest 110v outlet)
 
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