Anybody do any welding? Machine for all-around use?

[Mitchell Andrus]

Time to gear up for a bit of metal work. It's been 30 years since I've had an oxy/act setup, but I'm thinking of looking for a setup that's a bit more versatile and capable of handling some thicker materials. Materials might range from medium duty shelving rails and work bench legs to hot rod chassis.

Anyone do any mig, tig, xyz...? What machine do you use and would you be happier with something else?
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[Keith Outten]

Mitchell,

I own three welding machines.

My first is a Miller Thunderbolt 230 buzz box stick welder I bought used for fifty bucks. It is so old that it has a copper transformer.
I use this machine for general welding in my shop, stuff like machine stands and repairs.

My second machine is a Hobart Mig, portable 110 volt.
I mig weld most of my wrought iron projects and sign hangers since they are mostly thin material.

The third is a gas driven Miller Bobcat 250 welder/generator that I just mounted on a road trailer.
The Bobcat is for remote welding and the generator keeps the lights on and provides power for the SawMill Creek server when our electrical utility burps.

I love em all :) I wish I had a plasma cutter to love :)
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[David G Baker]

I have two buzz boxes and a Hobart Mig 110 (if I was going to start over I would have purchased the 220 volt Hobart with higher amperage). Mig welding has a shorter learning curve and can be versatile. Stick welding generally is better for thicker metals. I also wish one of my buzz boxes had DC capabilities.
Keith,
I too would love to have a plasma unit. I have a lot of steel just waiting to made into projects but cutting heavy steel can be difficult by hand. :D

[Steve Leverich]

I've had an acetylene rig since '73 and a 250 amp ac/dc stick machine since '77 - only thing I've used the gas for since getting the arc is heavy cuts and heating/bending.

I too lust after plasma, mig and a Bobcat 250 - may never get a plasma (even small ones run over $600, and for heavy stuff (1/2" and more) can run up to $2k or more) - for cutting heavy stuff I just use a guide and cutting torch. Lighter stuff it's a metal cutting bandsaw or a chop saw.

Downside of just a stick machine - light stuff. I've managed to find 1/16" 6013 rod locally for 14-16 gauge stuff, but it's still kind of a crap shoot for quality (partly because I don't do welding on a consistent basis)

Because I already have 250 amp capability, I will probably get a smaller wire machine than I would otherwise - Miller makes one that runs on either 120 or 240 volts, IIRC it'll do about 100 amps running on 120 and 170 amps on 240 volts. You just switch an adapter on the power cord and plug it in.

If I didn't have the stick machine (and wasn't a confessed toolaholic), I'd probably go for a Miller 252 or similar and be reasonably happy.

If you're rural, the Bobcat makes more sense than almost anything - it'll stick weld anything reasonable, has a 10 kw generator, and the generator could also run a small wire machine for the really thin stuff. There are at least two gas powered models, on one the generator can produce both single and 3-phase power at 10 kw, and it's the SAME PRICE as the single phase model. Most people probably wouldn't use this, but at the same price the resale would probably be better since things like a 7.5 horse 3-phase irrigation pump could be run this way in a pinch.

Best purchase to date - a Jackson large-window auto darkening helmet. Just got it, shoulda done this YEARS ago :confused:

One of the best places online for welding stuff - cyberweld.com - free shipping on nearly everything they sell, and competitive prices.

HTH... Steve

[Dave Johnson29]

Anyone do any mig, tig

Hi Mitchell,

I have a 110v Lincoln WeldPak I think it is called, it is about 6 years old. I use it for flux core and MIG depending on where and what I am welding.

I have a HF TIG which I have modified slightly to give a slider arc adjustment. That is about 2 years old.

I have a 220v Lincoln 255 I think it is (too wet to go to the garage at the moment) that is used for MIG on steel and aluminum. That is 5 years old.

I know this is not a welder but I also have a HF Plasma cutter that does the job very well.

All above are good and do the jobs they were designed to do.

[John Coloccia]

Miller just came out with a medium size TIG welder. Very nice for an occasional welder. I'm thinking of picking one up myself. I wish I could remember the model.

[Logan William]

I'd probably look towards a MIG welder, something like a Miller 140(or comparable). Should be good up to about 3/8" material in a single pass, if you need strength out of something thicker you can lay multiple beads. But if you don't have a generator and would like one a Bobcat is a very nice option as well.

[Mitchell Andrus]

Found this at Miller welding:

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/helpmechoose/

A guide to get your thinking clear.
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[John Coloccia]

Yes, the Diversion was the one I was thinking of. I believe it comes with a wheel on the torch to control the weld, but I also think you can get a foot pedal like every other welder on the planet. I didn't like the hand control at all.

[Matt Meiser]

I've got the Hobart Handler 180 which has been replaced with the 187. I really couldn't ask for any more. My brother has the 110V one that several of the others have mentioned and he loves it too. Miller owns Hobart, or they have the same parent or something to that effect. But certain parts actually have the Miller logo on Hobart machines. And at least a couple years ago, there was a co-operative for welding supply shops that had a house brand (Weldmark?) that are Hobarts. That's actually what my brother bought.

I've done some really thick (1/2"?) brackets on my brush hog with good success and multiple passes.

My dad bought a much, much more expensive machine in the 90's from a company that's no longer in the MIG business that both my brother and I learned on. The Hobarts work so much better its unbelievable--mainly the wire feed. I suspect that's mostly technology improvement.

And be prepared for all the extras. Clamps, grinders, metal cutting bandsaw etc. Most of those I've purchased from Harbor Freight except 1 good Dewalt grinder for heavier work than the HF ones were up to but they are great for most stuff and cheap. Next you'll want a plasma cutter. :)

[Kevin Groenke]

We've had a Handler 140 since 2001, as long as it's steel, the Handler has been able to do everything we've asked of it: 24ga-1/2". The thermal overload will go off if you run it VERY hard, but I usually can't weld fast enough to make it happen. We're set up MIG, tried flux core wire but it was pretty messy and the welds w/gas can be beautiful so worth buying the tank and reg. I'm thinking of putting a spoolgun on it for aluminum at the moment.

We also have an ESAB 161 tig. The control and quality one can get with a tig is pretty phenomenal, but they're spendy and require a bit more skill to run well.

The speed and ease-of-use make the mig the go-to machine most of the time.

-kg

[James Rambo]

I also have the Hobart 140. I have used it for 3/8 steel and I am currently using it to replace body panels on an older chevy. It is a great all around mig.

[Cary Falk]

I have the Hobart Handler 187(220V MIG). I am happy with it. I have had it for about 2 years with no issues. I use it mainly for mobile bases and such. If you are going to weld hot rod chassis, I wouldn't go with anything less then a 220V welder.

[Al Willits]

What types of metal are you planning on welding and how much do you want to spend?

Used to make my living welding and each machine has it pros and cons, Stick is great for heavier metals, but not so for thin, Tig is great for most welding but takes more skill and is costly, 110v MIG machinces are rarely any good for serious welding so, if I had to pick one, it'd be a 220v mid range MIG machine.

Although there's been a ton of good welding done with a set of torches...:)

Al

[Rob Wright]

I have the Hobart Handler 187(220V MIG). I am happy with it. I have had it for about 2 years with no issues. I use it mainly for mobile bases and such. If you are going to weld hot rod chassis, I wouldn't go with anything less then a 220V welder.

Cary - what size circuit do you have your 187 on? 50 amp? I haven't been able to fine info on that. Thanks!
-Rob

[Matt Meiser]

My 180 is on a 30A circuit. Somewhere I found in the documentation that that was adequate. I made an extension cord for it from 10ga cord (RV extension cords are 10ga) with the receptacle that matches the plug that came on the welder on one end and a 30A twist-lock on the other.

[Cary Falk]

Cary - what size circuit do you have your 187 on? 50 amp? I haven't been able to fine info on that. Thanks!
-Rob

I have been using mine on an existing 20A circuit and haven't had a problem. If you are running new, I would go at least 30A. I think 50A is overkill even though that is the plug that is on it.

[Matt Meiser]

If I remember correctly the plug that's on it is a range plug. Since Hobart is targeted at homeowners/farm users/hobbiests I wonder if they do that since its a plug found in most homes? The only reason I didn't cut it off is that I didn't want to do so while it was under warranty.

[Cary Falk]

I made an extension cord instead of cutting the cord also.

[Scott T Smith]

Anyone do any mig, tig, xyz...? What machine do you use and would you be happier with something else?
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Mitchell, too bad that we're not closer in NC (I'm outside of Raleigh); I do a little bit of all types of welding.

In addition to oxy-acytelene, I have a Miller Syncrowave 250 TIG with pulse, a Miller Trailblzaer Pro diesel powered welder, a Miller Suitcase MIG, a Miller AC/DC crackerbox, Miller spectrum 2050 Plasma torch, and a carbon arc torch.

Also have a lot of welding accessories such as mag drills, Ellis Band saws, porta band saws, etc.

I'm not a pro - just an extreme hobbiest and farmer.

As Al and others have indicated, the ideal welder to own depends upon what type of welding that you need to do. I find that most of what I do is either stick welding (I like the greater penetration that it gives me as opposed to MIG - but MIG experts may disagree with this comment), followed by my TIG. Most of the welding that I used to do with an acytelene torch (exhaust systems, etc) I now use the TIG for. One nice thing about TIG welding, if you are well versed on using a gas torch for welding then the technique is very similar and the learning curve reduced.

MIG works well for a lot of people; I'm old school and learned on gas and stick welding. TIG can be just plain fun in terms of the attractiveness of the beads as well as the versatility.

For the items that you mentioned, personally I would lean more towards TIG (with MIG as the 2nd choice). TIG will allow you to achieve a level of artistry in your welds that is often seen on high end hot rods (although it can take a lot of practice...), MIG is fairly easy and well suited for shelving and steel frames/chassis work. If you go MIG, you'll have more attractive beads if you use gas shielded as opposed to flux cored wire.

[Rob Wright]

Matt/Cary - thanks. I have only a 60 amp sub in my garage/shop and have a bunch of 30amp 220 outlets for my tools so I am glad to hear that 30 amp is enough. That's a great idea to leave the plug on there and just make another extension cord so the warranty is not voided.

Now the next ? I have is that I can get a 180 in overstock for $530 with warranty or the newer 187 for $590

I really can't see the difference between them.... but $60 is $60 :)

[Matt Meiser]

The difference is more voltage settings. I was kind of bummed when the 187 came out right after I bought mine, but honestly I've never found a case where it just wouldn't do what I wanted because I needed something between.

The cord is so short, you pretty much need an extension cord anyway.