Welders

[The Dark Side of Will]

I'm looking into buying a welder.
I want a nice welder that's going to last a long time.
I want to be able to weld aluminum.
220V is fine.

I was thinking that I'd start with a wire feed and get an aluminum spool gun if necessary. I've heard that aluminum filler can be run without a spool gun by straightening out the tube/hose/whatever, but I'd rather not run an "iffy" setup and I won't always have the space to do that.

If there's something on the market that can do Tig as well as Mig, then I'll take a look at it. If necessary I'll buy both.

I'm going to have close to $3000 available, although I'd rather not spend it all unless it's quite necessary.

What do those here who are experienced suggest for a good welder? What are the features I should look for?

[Shaun41178(2)]

Howard has a Tig he might sell ya

[p8ntman442]

Wire feed mig is great if your doing a lot of welding and pretty isnt high on the list (although it can look good). Tig looks beautiful and you can do aluminum/steel by grabbing a different filler rod.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I'd like a mig for speed, versatility and shallow learning curve.
I want a tig for when I'll be able to do work that befits the tool.

What features do ought I to look for?

[whipped]

Aluminum needs a lot of heat, especially if it's think and cast. When it comes to that, the pro's go for a MIG. Beyond that, your guess is as good as mine.

Nothing beats a TIG for thin stuff though.

[eHoward]

It is SOLD! i'd recommend he gets something that is semi-portable and not the 500pound destined to sell for scrap copper rig that i bought.

Howard has a Tig he might sell ya

[slow'n'steady]

I used a Lincoln Electric SP175 Plus in school and decided tha twoul dbe a good welder for me. I bought one pretyt much new form a shop that went under pretty quick and i am very happy with it!! It is on the cheaper side at about $1K so that would leave you some money for a nice tig.
In school we used a Precision TIG 255. I absolutely LOVE that machine! I personaly did pretty decent but the instructor laid some of the SEXIEST welds i have ever seen in my entire life, T.V. or otherwise! I believe they are around the $2K mark.
I am debating giving one of those TIG/ARC/plasma cutter deals a try. They range from $2K-$5K+ for the REALLY nice ones. Personaly i am going to just head to all the estate sales, shops going out of business snd stuff like that.

[eHoward]

You probably should buy both.

If there's something on the market that can do Tig as well as Mig, then I'll take a look at it. If necessary I'll buy both.

[teamlseep13]

Will, get a TIG. You don't regret it. It is slower but the control and versatility you have makes the speed seem like not an issue.

If you can oxy actel weld, then TIG will take you a few weeks to really get good.
Contrary to popular belief MIG is the hardest to master of hand held welding processes. It is messy and you don't have near the control of TIG. It is faster for sure but that isn't really an issue unless time is money for your welding.

[Nashco]

I prefer MIG for the large majority of projects I work on. When you're working on a car/trailer/truck and don't feel like taking a jillion things off, it is soooo much nicer to toss a MIG wand in there and shoot away than to try to get both hands in there to TIG. Sure, if you're working on smaller parts on a bench, or something you can work around, TIG isn't much slower, but if you're trying to fix a crack in a muffler on you free civic daily driver, you can't beat the MIG.

When it comes to MIG, unless you want to do some really heavy stuff, I'd recommend a 115V unit that is pretty portable. It's really handy to take the welder to your friend's house, race track, driveway, basement, etc. when you have a need. Having a welder is like having a truck, you never realize how much you needed one until you get it, then the solution for 90% of your problems is the welder.

If you want a TIG, most definitely get something with a foot pedal and something that doesn't use scratch start. I've like the Lincolns I've used the most, but I haven't used anything from Miller or Lincoln in a few years to compare them, they're probably both still your best value though.

I've got a Snap-On branded 115V MIG/TIG unit that I stole from my dad. The MIG works pretty well on it, has stitch/spot/continuous settings, and is very easy to dial in. The TIG is DC only, which is fine for most metals, but if you go by the book AC is needed for good aluminum welds. It'll make aluminum stick to aluminum if it's non-structural, but for strength it's strictly steel, stainless, etc. TIG is handy because if you can weld pretty much anything with it by buying small quantities of weld rod, while MIG requires you buy a whole spool of it, and even small spools can be pretty pricy and harder to find compared to a couple sticks for TIG.

I've only used a spool gun for MIG once, basically the same as steel MIG, just a little more bulky since you've got the spool in the way. I've never had any aluminum work to do where the spool would be an issue, but if you did much work to repair boats and stuff, I could see where the spool would be a hassle. Then again, I'd take a spool over having to fit two hands in like you would with a TIG.

Enjoy, no matter what you end up with welders are fun. One thing is for sure, good equipment makes a big difference, good weld prep makes a HUGE difference. Even with a great welder, you'll still see huge improvements in weld quality when working with new and/or well prepped metal. Weld on old crappy car stuff for a while, then go to a tube frame and you feel like you're the best welder in the world for a while.

Bryce

[Series8217]

If you do get a MIG setup, don't bother trying to do weld aluminum without the spoolgun. I've tried it. You're going to waste a LOT of wire and it sucks to feed it back through the whole cable every time it breaks at the feed wheel.

[The Dark Side of Will]

That's what I've heard... it can be done, but it's a pain in the ass. I'd rather shell out a bit more for equipment that will just work and not frustrate me into an early grave.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I used a Lincoln Electric SP175 Plus in school and decided tha twoul dbe a good welder for me. I bought one pretyt much new form a shop that went under pretty quick and i am very happy with it!! It is on the cheaper side at about $1K so that would leave you some money for a nice tig.
In school we used a Precision TIG 255. I absolutely LOVE that machine! I personaly did pretty decent but the instructor laid some of the SEXIEST welds i have ever seen in my entire life, T.V. or otherwise! I believe they are around the $2K mark.
I am debating giving one of those TIG/ARC/plasma cutter deals a try. They range from $2K-$5K+ for the REALLY nice ones. Personaly i am going to just head to all the estate sales, shops going out of business snd stuff like that.

The SP175+ is... (stick? Tig? etc.?)
What's a TIG/ARC/Plasma cutter deal?

[The Dark Side of Will]

When it comes to MIG, unless you want to do some really heavy stuff, I'd recommend a 115V unit that is pretty portable. It's really handy to take the welder to your friend's house, race track, driveway, basement, etc. when you have a need. Having a welder is like having a truck, you never realize how much you needed one until you get it, then the solution for 90% of your problems is the welder.

Define "heavy"? The heaviest stuff I foresee dealing with is 1/4". Can a good 115V MIG handle that?

If you want a TIG, most definitely get something with a foot pedal and something that doesn't use scratch start. I've like the Lincolns I've used the most, but I haven't used anything from Miller or Lincoln in a few years to compare them, they're probably both still your best value though.

That's the kind of info I'm looking for...

Another big cost I need to deal with will be all the ancillary equipment necessary to make a nice garage welding shop.

[Nashco]

Go to lincolnelectric.com and you can get the specs pretty quick from them. It looks like their best 120v MIG will do 5/16"...I've never had to weld anything thicker than that so never needed a 220v unit, which is good because they're usually a fair bit more bulky.

A good helmet is another thing you should factor in, it's money well spent and for $100 or so you can get a good one.

Bryce

[slow'n'steady]

I used a Lincoln Electric SP175 Plus in school and decided tha twoul dbe a good welder for me. I bought one pretyt much new form a shop that went under pretty quick and i am very happy with it!! It is on the cheaper side at about $1K so that would leave you some money for a nice tig.
In school we used a Precision TIG 255. I absolutely LOVE that machine! I personaly did pretty decent but the instructor laid some of the SEXIEST welds i have ever seen in my entire life, T.V. or otherwise! I believe they are around the $2K mark.
I am debating giving one of those TIG/ARC/plasma cutter deals a try. They range from $2K-$5K+ for the REALLY nice ones. Personaly i am going to just head to all the estate sales, shops going out of business snd stuff like that.

The SP175+ is... (stick? Tig? etc.?)
What's a TIG/ARC/Plasma cutter deal?

the SP175+ is a MIG welder. and at only $1K or so you would have enough for a good TIG as well...

This is the combo i was thinking about tryin as i want a TIG and a plasma...
http://cgi.ebay.com/160Amp-Tig-MMA-ACDC ... dZViewItem


If i where to have $3K to spend and only wanted a MIG and TIG, I would get ahold of this seller and tell him I will buy one of these TIG welders IF he throws in one of his MIG welders for $200...
http://cgi.ebay.com/LINCOLN-PRECISION-T ... dZViewItem


Or you could get one of his combos...
http://cgi.ebay.com/LINCOLN-PRECISION-T ... dZViewItem

[The Dark Side of Will]

This is the combo i was thinking about tryin as i want a TIG and a plasma...
http://cgi.ebay.com/160Amp-Tig-MMA-ACDC ... dZViewItem

That's a SWEEET gizmo. I also wanted a plasma cutter eventually... if I can get all three at the same time, that would kick ass...

[Honest Don]

This is the combo i was thinking about tryin as i want a TIG and a plasma...
http://cgi.ebay.com/160Amp-Tig-MMA-ACDC ... dZViewItem

That's a SWEEET gizmo. I also wanted a plasma cutter eventually... if I can get all three at the same time, that would kick ass...

looks like a 1500 dollar paperweight that might shoot a few sparks now and then


Seriously though, watch out for those chinese jobs. their quality is spotty at best and replacement parts are difficult, if not impossible, to find.

[slow'n'steady]

good advice, there are better units out there, i just linked the first one I found.

[The Dark Side of Will]

I don't mind (and in fact WANT to) spending money to get good stuff. I just haven't had the chance to research on my own since I've been working like crazy (118 hours on this time card and I'm off today, but out of town for the weekend).

I'll have to call Riland and ask them where their shit's made. They have a 1 year warantee, but I want a machine that will be good for more than a year.