1st welder

Today I saw an add in the paper - 300 amp arc welder, 220V. -$150 Would this be suitable?

I'm planning on taking a night course - welding for farmers at the local college. What other tools would I need to compliment the welder, like cutting torch, etc? How difficult is it to make a loader? Or is this all just a wild dream?

Basic equipment is a grinder, a chop saw, clamps, and a vise stand or work table. You'll need protective clothing: hood, gloves and more.

Stick is great. If the welder you're looking at for $150 works and you have a power outlet for it, how can you go wrong? Practice is important, and how can you practice without a machine?

$0.00 Fabricators' and Erectors' Guide $4.00 Arc Welding Instruction for the Beginner $5.00 Metals and How to Weld them
$15.00 Procedure Handbook "Fourteenth Edition"
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$23.00 + S&H

• Knowledge in books

As to the torch/welder question that one is a little like the chicken and the egg. I would suggest a welder first. Using a torch to do anything other than heat parts or cut takes a steady hand and a lot of skill. You can cut with a stick welder but you need at least 250 amps and it leaves a really rough cut.

Another piece of equipment worth considering if you want to do some equipment building would be a saw of some description (chop saw or metal bandsaw). These make fit up of metal 100% easier than trying to fit and weld rough torch cut edges.

Sound like you maybe have some lofty goals for projects. A loader is doable but even with used iron you probably wont save much money over buying a good used unit and having a welder to fix it when it breaks (remember you have to buy all the hydraulic bits also).

As for welder selection just this spring I got my dream stick welder. A older (1976) Lincoln Idealarc 250. This unit replaced a AC/DC buzzbox. These units typically sell used in the $500 plus range and a new one is $2500. I used some of these in high school and college and finally after ten years out of school I broke down and got one for myself.

If you got it with a TIG setup with the high-freq box, again I ask why? I'm not trying to be a jerk here, but you could get a Lincoln Squarwave 275 for under $2500 that has a built in high freq arc starter.

Now, in my opinion, and again opinion ONLY, the best stick welder I personnaly have used so far is my Miller Trailblazer 251 NT. 3 phase multiprocess welder. Sure it's engine drive, but like I said, it has the best stick arc I have ever used.

Branden

As for the 300 amp 220v unit you mention, I would be very cautious and have someone check it out before you buy, as Franz says. To me it sounds too much like a "dumping" of beat up commercial equipment. It may also need 3 phase power which you may not have available...or require a heavy load circuit that you may not have.

By the way, MIG is nice...but be prepared to spend some REAL money for decent equipment!

Good luck.

Rod

thanks

I also got an arc welder first, then got a MIG, and then a Torch outfit, and may get a Plasma cutter. If I had to do it again, I would have gotten the torch first, as you can cut and weld/braze, cutting is very important, as you can't weld something together if you can't cut it out cheaply and effectively in the beginning. I would also buy a big Mig, 200 or 250 amp. I have found them more handy and user friendly than an arc, also they work on thick and thin metal!!!

Here's what I would buy
Smith Cavalier Cutting/welding Torch outfit(with Tanks)
Clarke 180EN, a 200Amp Mig welder OR
Miller 210 Mig welder- also 200 or so amps

Rod