Arc vs Mig vs Flux

[bigcountry]

Hey I need some help deciding what machine to get. I've never welded a thing in my life. Hence my question of what would be best to get a 120 amp Arc welder, a 90 amp flux welder or a 120 amp Mig welder? I'm planning on doing things like a roll cage, tube bumpers, and maybe some Axle gussets. I'm also debating on bobbing the truck bed.

Any suggestions or insights would be great.

[Seeds]

are those your only choices?

Mig, for me and a lot of others is easiest ( you dont have to adjust your gap while welding and it isnt as messy), but more expensive. the unit, sheilding gas, the bottle, the wire tips, its gets more pricey. A simple stick welder is really cheap and you dont need gas and most of the parts dont need to get replaced, it is pretty maintenance free with lots of penetration (no that is not what she said, so dont quote that)

I would suggest looking at the hobart 187 handler if money isnt an issue or you plan on welding a lot. its a 220 mig, cheaper 5-600 i think, maybe cheaper, and it is good. Ive had mine for a while. I do have issues with the heat setting switch, but welds nice enough for me and its small.

I suggest 220 over the 110 stuff, sometimes you just need the heat and it is adjustable

For learning I suggest taking a class or at least investing in a good text and reading the theory first and looking at the pics. You really should have someone and somewhere to have your welds checked and give you advise on how to fix issues. there is more than meets the eye to welding, though it is relatively a simple concept, you need to learn technique and theory.

Hope that helps..good luck

my vote. Mig

[4RunnerChevy]

Go with a 220 Mig machine, you can always run flux, if your without gas, but you definitely want the option.

[santa cruz crawler]

I have a Lincoln mig135 argon gas .025, .035 wire
I will say 110 volts is not enough heat , 220 volts weld real , miller or Lincoln , Hobart also
All are great welders!

[bigcountry]

The 110s run off of a normal wall socket vs the 220s run off of an appliance outlet right?

If so I'm limited to a 110 due to living in an apartment with a detached garage.

Should I look for the highest output 110 Mig I can find? and as far as monetary limitations, I'm not looking to make a big investment...

[Sparkplug]

Do you have a dryer in your apartment?

[bigcountry]

Yeah but on the 2nd floor, with the detached garage 35ft from the back door.

[Sparkplug]

damn, looks like 110 is your only option, They are on criagslist alot. I think there is a 110v 135 amp one for sale on here right now.

[Seeds]

Yeah but on the 2nd floor, with the detached garage 35ft from the back door.

I ran a 50 ft cord ( i think it was 50 ft, or close to it) from an electrical box to where I was working. It was a fat cord, you would have to do the calculation on draw and length and diameter of the cord needed, but it is bought in lengths off a spoool at the hardware store, then you just buy the connections. Sometimes your dryer connection isnt the same as the welder, my dryer has a different connection than my welder (you can change the connection though). However my cord cost me over 100 bucks for the length I needed.

But I agree 100%

220 mig all the way, you wont be looking for more and if you are like all of us, you are gonna weld way more than you think once you start. You will use it, but its an investment. Get a decent one.

[Sparkplug]

I rn my welder off a 50 ft cord all the time, off my dryer. Works fine for me? I got the second biggest cord you caan get at home depot, 10 strand thick or something like that? Works fiine for me, cost like 40 bucks total to make the extension cord and the ends.

[bigcountry]

I should be able to run the cord out of the bedroom window down to the garage. I'll need about 75ft of cord to do that. Thanks for all of the advice!

[2manytoys]

There are calculations for cord length and gauge. If you think about it though, most homes only have 12 gauge wire in the walls on 15 amp circuits. Some might have 10 gauge and 20 amp circuits.

I have been using a 10 gauge ext cord for years with my 110 volt Miller.

I made a 6 gauge ext cord for my 240 volt stuff. Real expensive but, I got lucky. HD had a 30ft piece left on a spool that they wanted to get rid of. Gave it to me for $10! Bought the socket and receptacles for about $10 each.

Another option is to get a dual voltage unit. Pretty handy I think. Portability and more power if you have it available.

[junya92toy]

If you have a good 110 GMAW( not mig) Its just fine for that stuff.

[bigcountry]

I'll talk to my father-in-law. He's an electrical engineer and knows more about circuitry and wiring than I could hope to know about anything at all 

[junya92toy]

So he knows how to weld?

[bigcountry]

He says he does. I've never seen him weld or seen anything he welded. He doesn't have a welder either.

[junya92toy]

So whats his career have to do with welding?

[Quick Draw]

I think he was talking about calculating what exactly he needs for the hookup, which is something that an electrical engineer is perfectly qualified for.

I personally picked up a stick welder for free about 4 years ago.  Shortly after, I got a few welding certifications at a local community college, which was pretty much a waste of money.  But at least I got some good practice.  I have since used that welder for everything, including thin sheet metal.  It is definitely not easy, and not always pretty, but I have gotten some great welds out of my old welder.  If you feel that you are an extremely patient (and cheap) person, then get a stick welder.  If you just want to get started and be welding that day, get a wire feed.

I have found that I can do just about everything I need to do with a cutting torch, oxy/fuel welding tips, a grinder, an abrasive chop saw, and my stick welder.  My total investment in all of my fabrication tools is like $350.    

Oh and if you can stick weld, you can easily transition to flux and MIG.  A really good stick welder is a master of puddle control.  And when you move on to bigger and better machines, it just gets easier.  And the same goes for oxy/fuel welding.  If you're good at that, TIG is easy.  So they're both good places to start, especially if you're on a budget, in my opinion.

[emsvitil]

You could do a ghetto 220 in the garage if there are two 110 circuits that are opposite phases...............

[Seeds]

You could do a ghetto 220 in the garage if there are two 110 circuits that are opposite phases...............

Yea, do that. Like this guy  

[junya92toy]

or just put in a 220, they are very simple to wire

[bigcountry]

His job doesn't involve much welding. He does custom circuit and device builds and fabricates all kinds of things in different ways. But QuickDraw was right. I'm going to go to him for the extension cord calculations.

There's a total of 3 outlets in the garage, one of which is on the ceiling for the garage door opener.

Since it's an apartment, I can't just drop in a 220 line. And I certainly won't ask my landlord (who is also the constructor that built the apartments) because I've seen the corners he's cut with some wack circuits and sub-par materials. He'd likely burn the place down.

I think I'll go with a Mig and the extension cord. I'm not known for patience so I think the stick welder would just infuriate me.

[junya92toy]

Mig is not magic either, still takes skill.

[Seeds]

x2

stick welding, though "tougher", forces you to learn how the arc works, how to watch the puddle and gap closely, paying attention to detail. Sort of like learning the hard way, it isn't as fun but you learn the lesson well!

[ryan_ackerman]

go with a mig .030 or .035 wire with a 75/25 Argon/ CO2 mix. stick is especially tougher on thinner material. flux core is gonna burn hotter but is a lot dirtier and a little bit more challenging to "correctly" weld with it

[BadnewsBob]

I do most all of my welding with a 110 MIG works great with plenty of heat, 220 is better but I have built a lot of stuff with my 110 and nothing has come apart yet.

I want a 220 thou.

[ryan_ackerman]

i just cant trust anything with 110 power... thats just what happens when you weld for a living

[junya92toy]

If you can weld, you can do it with a 110.

[ryan_ackerman]

you cant do it if its I beam welded to 2 inch plate. 110 just doesnt cut it for me

[ryan_ackerman]

and GMAW and MIG are the same thing. Metal Inert Gas, Gas Metal Arc Welding