What welder to buy

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sdolsay

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Hi guy's, my wife looked at the books and say's we have some cash for some tools and car parts (she's pretty cool) :)

I am gonna do the floor in my duster myself, and I have a few other projects, so my question is whats a good home garage welder (110 volt)?

I havn't welded in about 20 years so I'm looking for ease of use and decent quality, price is a concern too, am looking for the most bang for the buck.

Thanks for any suggestions,

Scott
 
Your pretty safe if you stay with the name brands, Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, Century etc. My 230v welder is a Hobart and about 2 years old and my 120v welder is a Century and is 20 years old. I have had to replace two circuit boards ($75ea) in those 20 years. If you buy one of the imports (china) it will be a crap shoot.
 
Go to cyberweld.com and check out their Hobart 140AMP MIG. Their pricces are great too and free shipping!

I have a lincoln 135 with a tap switch and it works great for everything you would want to do on a car. If you're trying to weld anything thick (over 3/16), just make sure you bevel the ends so you can get good penetration.

Goodluck!
 
millermatic 135 was my choice. its perfect for small jobs and is easily moved around, though the cart it came with is a little awkward. i'll just weld a pull handle to it and it'll be just right. ...my two cents...
 
That looks pretty small. I got a Lincoln 100 and it will do 1/4" just barely, but needs a 20 amp circuit to do that on high. Paid around 200-something for it at Home Depot without all the cheap tools and tips, etc, as I recall. That's what I'd consider the minimum for general car work. I'd pass on it.
 
Look at a 125 amp + model. get a mig bottle so your welds are cleaner (the flux core wire sucks, so does grinding). And use the thinnest wire you can like 020. don't buy a used one. I got a hobart 125 amp job at Tractor Supply for ~$225, their house brand which is a campbell housefeild is $85 less and they do the job good too.
 
I'm quite happy with my Lincoln Sp135plus. I like having the adjustability in between the settings. Unlike the T series which is a tap setup. It just gives you that fine tunability. After getting your welder make sure you get a hood that you like. I have a Miller auto darkening as it makes it much easier to hold things in place and and not get out of wack.
 
Hobart 150 works great on just about anything. It seems like a small wirefeed but I have done everything from patch panels to subframes even made 2 27 T frames with it.I have never had a subframe fall off the front of a car/truck or any frames break apart that I have used it on. Just get a big bottle for the gas and you will be set for a while.
 
Thanks for the imput guy's, I'll definitly check the tractor supply stores, heh, here in the Fargo area there are plenty of them:)

Scott
 
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