Welder question

[vaj70cruiser]

Anyone know what is a good or best welder for minior welding ...like suspension, winch plate, and bumper to frame or tubing etc...for example if i would to buy a hobart MIG welder, how many amp. and volts do i need to complete the tasks or any other welder???  any advice appreciated...

[prang11]

220 volt
I dont think a mig is needed unless you plan to weld stainless or aluminum, but I may be wrong.
Migs cost twice as much as your normal wirefeed 220v for welding steel. Atleast thats what I have seen.  I dont know enough about welders to give a ton of information.  Hopefully a real experienced person can fill us both in.

[wa4x4]

MIG's are wire feed.

[TrikeKid]

Prang, I think you're confusing MIG (wire feed) with TIG (Uses a torch and rod style setup). I agree that going with a 220 volt is the way to go. Getting more than you think you need is a good thing when it comes to welders.

[CRSHROX]

I went through this very dilema 3 years ago. Finally after about 6 months of research I ended up buying Craftsman Professional series 200 MIG welder. and havent regreted spending the money at all. Be sure to factor in the cost of having your garage properly wired for 220 V . Buy it once. Make sure you get at least 2 sizes of wire because you dont need .035 wire for light stuff and .023 is too light for heavy stuff.  I recently bought a Lincoln 135 Power mig (110 v) to keep the .023 wire in so I didnt have to keep changing the spool on the big welder. Good luck

[freds40]

Check out the Millermatic 175. Pretty versatile machine (sheet metal-1/4") and not too bad on price. Hobart is made by Miller so you might look for an equivelant Hobart machine if you like that name. It'd probably be a little cheaper too.

[FIREBALL]

The Hobarts usually are a little cheaper and have a little longer warrenty. They are basically the same machines, but the Hobart is marketed more towards the home do it yourselfer, where the Miller is marketed towards professionals.
While a 220 machine is very desireable (and i wouldn't mind having one myself) a 110 machine will do anything you want on a yota. You have to remember, welding a 1/2 plate bumper to a yota frame is like pad locking a shower curtain.
You can weld heavier material with a 110 unit, you just have to do multi pass.
BUT if you can afford the 220, definetly go for it.
Just make sure you get a setup that uses gas. Welding with CO2/Argon makes you're work so much cleaner and easier.

[brc]

I weld alot.  I wouldn't go less than a 175 on gas.  Think of it this way you can always turn it down but you can only go so high.  Also, as was said in an earlier post ensure your shop/garage electrical is capable of running a welder ask me how I know? 

I have a Miller 210 mig and it is awesome.  I also bought a Lincoln 135 for sheet metal and lighter material. 

This spring I just purchased a Miller Syncrowave 200 tig.  I bought it for aluminum and stainless function.  When I retire from my present military career I want to start my own fabrication shop full time instead of just working on everyones stuff when I can.

Take your time and make sure you are going to be happy with what ever you buy and it will meet your needs now as well as in the future.   

[tt21]

Hobart 175 hander, or the Hobart 180 handler...both are 220v and they are right around 700-800 bucks, have only heard good about them

[prang11]

Woot, I was wrong again.  Nothing new.

[FATB0Y]

All I have is a 220v Lincoln stick welder.

[vaj70cruiser]

What about this one, DUAL MIG WELDER 151 from harbor freight. Has anyone tried yet...?

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=6271

[CTENG in KS]

I gots the little 110 HF wire feed...works just fine for everything I do, you just have to be more careful about prep work and proper setup.

whole thread about it here:
http://board.marlincrawler.com/index.php?topic=10580.0

[Brandon]

a little one will do the job, just make sure whatever buy comes form a WELDING STORE, not kmart or home depot or sears or...

The best bang for your buck will be hobart, I ran a hobart 135 for a LOT of work, recently upgraded to a 210 and love it but it was a difference of like $300 to like $1500 so depends on your budget...

[derek]

my hobart 140 does everything i need on my rig.
i dont weld enough to need more than a 110 units duty cycle.

derek

[derek]

brandons hobart 135 built half the stuff on my rig, and its still welded together after years of wheeling.

[Brandon]

brandons hobart 135 built half the stuff on my rig, and its still welded together after years of wheeling.

I don't think there is a better "tester" out there so if that doesn't say something I dunno what will :p

[RABIDYOTA]

MY SANP-ON 115 KICKS the crap out of the lincon 110v i use to have and can almost do as good of job as the miller 220 i used in high school. look for a higher duty cycle that usaly meen a beter quality welder.

[80crawleryota]

i have a lincoln 175 and it does a great job for me i got it at lowes for $650, and it came with the gauges so all i had to buy was a bottle and i prefer welding with gas over welding with the shielded wire. 

[Duffil]

Anyone know what is a good or best welder for minior welding ...like suspension, winch plate, and bumper to frame or tubing etc...for example if i would to buy a hobart MIG welder, how many amp. and volts do i need to complete the tasks or any other welder???  any advice appreciated...

Just wondering why you consider things like suspension and winch plate/bumper "minor welding"? WTF??  Those items are going to see quite a bit of stress.

[KYOTA]

.
Migs cost twice as much as your normal wirefeed 220v for welding steel. Atleast thats what I have seen. 

  I dont know enough about welders to give a ton of information. 

The most important things to look for when shopping for a welder is
capacity and DUTY CYCLE!!!

[kneedownnate]

This is my junk.  I can't find anywhere a duty cycle rating, but from experience I've never had to stop or wait, just keeps going.  Sucks though, cause you need a gasoline powered welder for your power, and I only have access to one at work.  If I could find one cheap enough local I could just put them both on a trailer and have a bitchin portable unit!

http://www.jandrweldingsupply.com/store/S32P.html

[FIREBALL]

Just wondering why you consider things like suspension and winch plate/bumper "minor welding"? WTF??  Those items are going to see quite a bit of stress.

That's true, they see a lot of stress. But why buy a top of the line 220V welder to weld to an 1/8" thick frame. It's more about engineering and proper welding and gusseting techniques than welding big thick stuff to wimpy thin stuff.
Like I said before, if you can afford a bigger 220 unit and have the wiring to support it, great, if not, a good 110 will build yota's all day long.
I've had the same Hobart Handler 120 now for about 10 years and I can still blow holes through a Toyota frame if i'm not careful.
This little welder has built 8 or 10 rigs and I don't now how many little home projects and it's still kickin. You can't go wrong with a Hobart.

[Stinky]

duty cycle is definitely one of the most important things to look for when buyin a welder....the duty cycle is how long u can continuously use the machine before the machine over heats n you eventually burn up the machine....example: most small 135 amp welders are about 30% duty cycle....so out of a ten minute period, u can use the machine continuously for 3 mins n should wait the remaining 7 mins WITH THE MACHINE ON BEFORE USING IT.....but thats if ure runnin it maxed out.....but having a 220 amp machine is good b/c u can always turn it down...but if ure usin a 135 n need more.......enough said.....i go to college for welding n all the machines we have in the shop can run all day long maxed out, w/ out problems...their all heavy duty industrial machines....but we are taught about watchin the duty cycle....b/c once the machine gets over heated n ya keep weldin....you've ruined the machine...granted it will prolly still work but never as well as it did or should........but u must take into consideration that if ure doin sheet metal at about 40-65 amps....its double the duty cycle since its only usin half of the machines potential.....just a lil bit o info fer yall noobes.........

[Brandon]

duty cycle is definitely one of the most important things to look for when buyin a welder....the duty cycle is how long u can continuously use the machine before the machine over heats n you eventually burn up the machine....example: most small 135 amp welders are about 30% duty cycle....so out of a ten minute period, u can use the machine continuously for 3 mins n should wait the remaining 7 mins WITH THE MACHINE ON BEFORE USING IT.....but thats if ure runnin it maxed out.....but having a 220 amp machine is good b/c u can always turn it down...but if ure usin a 135 n need more.......enough said.....i go to college for welding n all the machines we have in the shop can run all day long maxed out, w/ out problems...their all heavy duty industrial machines....but we are taught about watchin the duty cycle....b/c once the machine gets over heated n ya keep weldin....you've ruined the machine...granted it will prolly still work but never as well as it did or should........but u must take into consideration that if ure doin sheet metal at about 40-65 amps....its double the duty cycle since its only usin half of the machines potential.....just a lil bit o info fer yall noobes.........

I'd have to say welded quite a bit with my HH135 and I NEVER hit the duty cycle limit - so I wouldn't even factor in duty cycle..

[Stinky]

I wouldn't even factor in duty cycle..

hahaa well..if u wanna burn a machine up quick...thats the way to do it...some machines have a shut-off...some dont.....if it doesnt it just slowly burns up the inners of the machine n doing that over n over will completely ruin a machine.....its in the books the teachers preach it...its not bull man....

[Brandon]

hahaa well..if u wanna burn a machine up quick...thats the way to do it...some machines have a shut-off...some dont.....if it doesnt it just slowly burns up the inners of the machine n doing that over n over will completely ruin a machine.....its in the books the teachers preach it...its not bull man....

how often do you weld a straight 3 out of 10 minutes? Maybe you do, generally your not building a bridge and parts are small so you weld, stop, weld...

in other words I have never had a problem, guess it comes down to your use..

I have a MM210 now and it has a much higher duty cycle but once again, never hit it that I know of..

[ZukIzzy]

how often do you weld a straight 3 out of 10 minutes? Maybe you do, generally your not building a bridge and parts are small so you weld, stop, weld...

in other words I have never had a problem, guess it comes down to your use..

I have a MM210 now and it has a much higher duty cycle but once again, never hit it that I know of..

At least once a day.

Wayne

[Brandon]

At least once a day.

Wayne

well then a 110 welder is not gonna cut it for you and the 220 versions have a better duty cycle..

[Stinky]

well then a 110 welder is not gonna cut it for you and the 220 versions have a better duty cycle..

YES...GENERALLY THE BIGGER THE WELDER THE HIGHER THE DUTY CYCLE....AND TH MORE EXPENSIVE ONES HAV A HIGHER DUTY CYLE ALSO...