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Advice on buying a welder

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300 Mag

04-14-2008 19:07:17




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Hello

I am looking to buy a welder in the near future, and need some help deciding which one to buy. I have very little experience welding, and it will be used for simple repairs around the shop and farm. Any thoughts on Stick vs Wire welders?? I am leaning toward a Wire setup, and was wondering about the Migs that use gas vs the welders that do not use gas. Probably won't be welding thick metal, so I am not planning to get a very powerful or expensive setup. Any thoughts on brands? I know that Lincoln and Miller and others have been around a while and have pretty good reputations, what about some of the other brands that places like Harbor Freight sell?? Any thoughts and comments welcome, and thanks in advance!!


300 Mag

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300 Mag

04-15-2008 14:54:15




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
Thanks for all of your replies. I already have an oxy/acetylene setup, and back when I was in High School took several shop classes that had some hands on instruction in welding/cutting/etc. I will have to look around to see if there are any refresher courses nearby. I also have several friends who do welding, and maybe they will help me get started. After reading the replies and doing some research, I think the stick welder is looking more like what I will pursue. I didn't realize how much welding gasses went up in $$$. It has taken me about 7 years to go through my last tank refill on my O/A set, going to cost more than the last time to fill. Due to the extra cost of the MIG, I think I will stay away for now, maybe later.

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dr sportster

04-15-2008 13:45:48




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
Be careful about used:the welder will be fine but may be stolen from a jobsite.Get a receipt.



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duck64759

04-15-2008 11:54:26




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
Hey OLD, I never could get my beer cans to hold beer. Even fresh from the liquor store they seemed to leak out from the hole in the top straight into my mouth!



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jose bagge

04-15-2008 10:51:06




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
I have lived with both Hobart and Miller equipment and liked both. I don't think the "stick welding education" is required today with so many wire welders available, so I'd go right to a 220 welder. As others have said, the 110 stuff just doesn't have the capability of getting the job done.



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skybow

04-15-2008 09:08:27




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
I have a small farm and went down this road just a while back. I bought a cheapo 110 wire because I thought it would be all I needed for the occasional repair. DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON 110. it has no penetration and while you can weld very light stuff OK You will never trust any weld that you need. I sold my 110 mig on Cragislist to a guy doing body work. He loves it. I got and OLD dialarc 250 220 volt from a shop teacher for $100. I can weld both AC and DC with it. My welds are much better and I now have confience in them. Don't be concerned about the welder being old. ( mine was probbly built in the 60's or early 70's) There is really not much to wear out on those old welders. A new switch, a new fan- the windings go on forever if you keep it cleaned a bit. I love my old 250. ( I saw a Lincoln 225 on sale on craigslist here for $75. just yesterday)
The problem is that then you'll get the "bug" and have to have a gas tank set and then a cutting torch and then some tips then a rosebud..... it may never stop. Not that I would be addicted this way..... .....

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trucker 40

04-15-2008 08:46:08




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
Look around for a buzz box.Even an old 180-225 Lincoln.Just like anything else you get what you pay for.If you buy a cheap 110 volt wire welder from Harbor Freight,it might do what you want it to,but it could very well fall apart after trying to weld with it.Its all plastic gears,and even though its made like a toy,amazingly can weld,maybe.You have to know what you are doing to run one of them.It takes all you can do to make a minimum weld on 3/16 steel(which aint much).Different things motivate people in different ways though.If you want to stick things together and be reasonably sure they will stay together,get an old buzz box Lincoln,or other name brand that you can find,even Century.See if you can try it before you buy it.If it welds it could last a long time.Lots of people started with oxy-acetalene in the past,but its got to be kind of a lost art now.Its worth it to know how to weld like that,but being practical,it costs only a little more to get a good mig nowdays.You would need a torch to cut with,but a buzz box is your cheapest way to weld nowdays.Rods go up every time I buy them,so even thats not as cheap as it was.If you dont know a lot about welding,sticking stuff together with 6011 is better in my opinion than throwing a bunch of underheated wire in a curled over bead that isnt penetrated half way through from wire shot out of a 110 machine and placed poorly by an inexperienced welder and hopefully not being pulled down the road in a trailer hitch or something.My vote is for the buzz box and 6011.Torch welding has its own complex problems.

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lucas boy

04-15-2008 05:39:34




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  

i got the lincoln buzz box ac/dc when i started out . ac for heavier metal, dc for the thin stuff . i got 220 volt lincoln mig welder and i like it for sheet metal,but it just dont have the penetration for 1/4 inch and above metal. lucas



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Mike M

04-15-2008 05:34:36




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
I don't know why the others think 110V machines are junk ? I have a very early model Lincoln SP100 and it has been VERY good. Stay with a name brand like Lincoln or Miller. For MIG it is best on clean metal so for farm repairs it's hard to beat a stick machine like an old buss box or better yet on of the AC/DC buss boxes.



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hay

04-15-2008 03:37:15




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
like others said, get a oxy-acytelene torch rig first. light metal can be easily cut, brazed, welded or just heated and bent to your specs. i have even brazed old cast iron and it was not easy, but has lasted more than 20 years. after the torch is mastered, then look at electric machines, but stay away from the cheap 110volt models. they are just junk. invest in a good 220 volt machine wheather it is a mig or stick. i prefer stick. miller thunderbolt stick ac has done good for me.

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MarkB_MI

04-15-2008 03:00:23




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
If you don't already own an oxyacetylene rig, that should be your first purchase. You can gas weld or braze light metal, plus the torch can be used to heat and cut.

As far as welders go, if you're going to be working with material 1/4 inch thick or less, I'd get a 220V MIG setup. Either Lincoln or Miller are good; I haven't heard anything bad about Hobart, which is now Miller's cheaper line. Unless you're going to be working outside a lot, go with gas rather than flux-core, it does a nicer job. Stay away from the cheap 110V rigs (like Harbor Freight sells): these welders do not switch off the arc when you release the trigger, which is real aggravating.

If you think you're going to routinely weld heavier stuff than quarter inch, then you probably need a stick welder. With the popularity of MIG and TIG, used buzz boxes can be picked up pretty cheap.

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T_Bone

04-15-2008 04:41:52




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to MarkB_MI, 04-15-2008 03:00:23  
Hi 300mag,

Marks got that right. Understanding metal fusion is best learned with a O/A torch as it will make you a better overall welder in the future.

Using O/A you can weld almost any metal, steel, copper, lead, aluminum, SS, brass, etc; where as with a electric weldor you will have restrictions welding on those metals.

Take a Vo-Tech course on welding as then you won't have to break your bad habbits you learned while teaching yourself. This will also give you a chance to see what machine you need to buy and why. This will be the best $150 you ever spent.

T_Bone

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Jerry/MT

04-15-2008 07:48:27




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to T_Bone, 04-15-2008 04:41:52  
As usual, great advice from T_Bone! I did that about twenty years ago and forgot a lot of what I learned but it helped me get started with welding and equiping my shop. I regret not learning to O/A weld and I"m thinking of taking the course again to refresh my memory and learn the O/A welding that I missed last time.



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dlplost

04-14-2008 23:40:22




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
MIG - Hobart 140 Handler. TSC has them about $475.

Stick - The old Lincoln Buzz Box, I've seen them go for $25 at yard sale, and $250 at auction, don't matter how old or what it looks like they allways seem to work and just never die.



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135 Fan

04-14-2008 22:35:30




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
Get a name brand! Don't buy a 110 volt welder unless you want to do a lot of cursing. Small wire can and will cause more problems. Try to find a good welding supply with a demo booth and a knowledgeable sales person. For an overall machine that's the most versatile, I'd choose a stick welder. Preferably DC. A better machine will make it way, way easier to learn how to weld properly. Look for a good used Lincoln Idealarc 250 AC/DC or Miller Dialarc 250 AC/DC. The Lincoln is a little better but both are good. Try them out first. $500 would even be a reasonable price for nice one. Just my opinion. A course on welding would be a good idea as well. Dave

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Tim B from MA

04-15-2008 09:54:06




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 135 Fan, 04-14-2008 22:35:30  
I second Dave's suggestion about finding an old Lincoln AC/DC Idealarc stick welder.

If you are anywhere near a population center, it would not take long to find one craigslist for a few hundred bucks - I've seen them as cheap as $150 - $200. I also agree that spending up to $400 - $500 would be a decent deal.



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rockyhawaii

04-14-2008 22:16:06




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
My vote is for the AC/DC stick welder. I'm not a pro by any means but on DC I can produce some pretty fine welds.



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old

04-14-2008 21:32:57




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
For the $$ its hard to beat a good old lincoln buzz box. For a good mig welder your looking at $1000 plus if you don't spend that much all you get is junk. BTDT and I'm a retired welder that did mig, tig and stick and I only have stick now and will never look back. At one time I could weld a beer can and have it hold beer.

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Bob Huntress

04-14-2008 20:55:46




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
At work, I often use the miller TIG with the wet cooler, or the MIG welder. Around home, I use a Lincoln 225, the old red buzz box. Most of my work is heavy enough to value a good stick welder. Gates are about the thinest metal I work with, and my artifact welds fine on it. If I am doing some fabricating with new metal, I throw some 7018 into an old toaster oven for awhile, and I have no problems. Old welders, however are not very energy effecient. To be bluntly honest, if most of your projects are thinner metal, I would recommend a wire welder. If most of your work is heavy steel, you may want a stick. If you have to, sheet metal can be spoted with a stick and some small rods, but you won't want to do most of your welding like that. If you weld alot in the open air, remember that wind can blow your gas away from your work. For this you will want to keep some flux core around. You probably wouldn't want to do auto body work, as it splatters more than MIG, but for farm repairs it works great, even in heavy winds.

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Bruce Hopf

04-14-2008 19:48:18




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
If you can afford it, I would go with an AC/DC Stick welder. My first welder was strictly AC stick, something that I could afford at the time. I had it a few years, for light welding, off the farm. But when I moved back onto the family farm, I experienced that the AC welder was too light to do some of the heavier type repair work, that needed different position welding. It was a constant struggle to try different position welding. Since then I purchased Purchased a Lincoln AC/DC stick welder, about 4 years ago. I have no problem welding any position welding with this machine. For lighter work, and flat welding, I use AC. For the heavier welding, and other position welding, I use the DC.
Wire welders, with gas is for medium welding, is OK for some jobs. I bought a Lincoln Wire welder with gas 2 years ago. Its real nice to work with, fort light to medium welding, and for most jobs. But some of the work you require a heavier welder, that's where your stick welder comes into play, especially with a DC welder. You can really turn up the heat, for good penetration with a DC welder. You also can turn up the heat with a AC welder for doing some cutting, if you don't have a cutting torch. If it was me, being having both, I'd get the AC/DC welder before a wire feed, because of its varsity. My opinion any way.
Bruce.

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glennster

04-14-2008 19:17:22




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 Re: Advice on buying a welder in reply to 300 Mag, 04-14-2008 19:07:17  
metal thickness will prolly determine what welder/price range you'll get. if its light gauge sheet metal, a 110v wire feed will get you in the game. if its around the farm, and you'll be welding angle iron, fixing machinery, and fabricating up to 1/2 inch thick, go with a 220v stick welder. look for 225 to 250 amp, i would get a name brand welder, miller, hobart ect, when it comes time for parts or service, its easy to get with them.

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