What's new
CK5
Register an account today to become a member! Once signed in, you'll be able to participate on this site by adding your own topics and posts, as well as connect with other members.

finnally ordered a welder: started floor repair. have a couple questions

metalneverdies

metalneverdies

1/2 ton status
 Premium
Joined
Nov 6, 2011
Posts
1,180
Reaction score
154
Location
oklahoma
I found locally all there is for sale is overpriced 110v and 220v mig units.

For the same price as the used units I can buy a new eastwood 135 mig and I have the piece of mind of a 3 year warranty.

For now I will only be doing sheet metal and exhaust work. Probably make a cart and nice work bench.

What Is required to do multi pass welds?

Should i look else where for a reliable, budget friendly welder?
 
Last edited:
Are you looking for brand name welders like Miller or Lincoln or is that not too important to you? I bought my 180 Miller autoset from Cyberweld.com. Hobart welders are good welders. It's Millers budget brand basically. Little less options on the machines but great welders none the less. There are plently of other good brands as well.
 
rdn2blazer said:
Are you looking for brand name welders like Miller or Lincoln or is that not too important to you? I bought my 180 Miller autoset from Cyberweld.com. Hobart welders are good welders. It's Millers budget brand basically. Little less options on the machines but great welders none the less. There are plently of other good brands as well.
Click to expand...

The only off brand i was considering was the eastwood. Otherwise I was looking for miller, lincoln, or hobart.
 
Well, a three year warranty is decent, I think my Miller was three years as well. Whats the cycle duty %? Thats the important part. If it's a low cycle duty you can only weld for a few minutes then you have to wait and let it cool. Does it have an auto safety shut off? My miller does. If I hit the cucle duty limit it shuts off but keeps the fan running to cool it down but won't let you weld any more until it's cooled down enough. Keeps you from burning it up. I would do a camparison and consider that into your decision.
 
I'm a Miller guy, but if your looking budget, i'd look at hobart... the 187 handler are good entry level machines... I'd have to guess Eastwoods are just a "marked up a bit" other manny welder..
 
The eastwood welders are a china knockoff from what I understand but I have a lincoln 180c and love it. I have even welded 3/8 for my winch bumper and boxed my whole frame, way over exceeding the duty cycle and never hit the thermal overload protection
 
K5 Jess said:
Whats your budget? This is the best deal on the market period! Mine runs like budda! And the welding shop I was at bought three of them after using mine:waytogo:

http://store.cyberweld.com/tharcfa18miw.html
Click to expand...

Pretty sweet set up.

Probably around $300-400 For a budget.

Found a hobart handler 140 for $300. May see if I can get time to check it out tomorrow.

Im super iffy on buying a used set up. Especially not knowing how to test the unit. This will my my first time welding.
 
metalneverdies said:
120v outlet and 220v dryer socket. No clue on dryer socket max amps. I would also need a 25+ foot extension cord for using the dryer socket
Click to expand...



So I could get my welder out to my truck to do my cage I made a 50' heavy duty extension cord. Welder still welds great. Not much loss of power due to cord length.
 
metalneverdies said:
Pretty sweet set up.

Probably around $300-400 For a budget.

Found a hobart handler 140 for $300. May see if I can get time to check it out tomorrow.

Im super iffy on buying a used set up. Especially not knowing how to test the unit. This will my my first time welding.
Click to expand...

Ive got this one. Great little welder for what you wanna do and your price range. That thermal arc one looks bad freekin a$$ though :waytogo:
 
metalneverdies said:
120v outlet and 220v dryer socket. No clue on dryer socket max amps. I would also need a 25+ foot extension cord for using the dryer socket
Click to expand...

I can tell you how to make your own extention cord with about $30 of material from lowes. And I know you have a budget, but if you can. Land a 220 machine! :waytogo: the 220 outlet is prolly 30amps.
Look at the outlet itself. There should be some stampings on the face thatll tell you what should be coming out of there. U should test it first though.
 
Yea 220 is the only way to go I also made a 20ft extension cord really easy and works great
 
K5 Jess said:
I can tell you how to make your own extention cord with about $30 of material from lowes. And I know you have a budget, but if you can. Land a 220 machine! :waytogo: the 220 outlet is prolly 30amps.
Look at the outlet itself. There should be some stampings on the face thatll tell you what should be coming out of there. U should test it first though.
Click to expand...

I made a 15 foot extension cord for my 220v compressor. The wire and outlet terminal cost me $65!

How does one make a 50' cable for around $30?

I guess I will keep searching for 220v welder. Worst case if I go with a 120v would you guys go for the Lincoln 140 or go for the Hobart 140? I like what I have see for the Hobart. Dont know much about the Lincoln.


I also found a Clarke 130EN welder on CL. asking $200. Might pick it up if he will go down to 150. Its like an hour drive away though.
 
metalneverdies said:
I made a 15 foot extension cord for my 220v compressor. The wire and outlet terminal cost me $65!

How does one make a 50' cable for around $30?

I guess I will keep searching for 220v welder. Worst case if I go with a 120v would you guys go for the Lincoln 140 or go for the Hobart 140? I like what I have see for the Hobart. Dont know much about the Lincoln.


I also found a Clarke 130EN welder on CL. asking $200. Might pick it up if he will go down to 150. Its like an hour drive away though.
Click to expand...
Cant remember the gauge of the cordage. I think it was 8. Length was around 30 ft I believe. I think with tax I cam out to about 34 bux. Im a lincoln guy, C.S is top notch. I have that exact Clarke machine. It was alright, just didnt have enough nutz. I switched it back over to flux cored and Im gunna practice with it a little and go after a structural cert with it next year. I think I paid 200 on cl also for it. Depends how much your gunna weld with it. Mine was FUKKIN super picky! It didnt like welding anything out of position. Weldin vert, it had to be dialed in perfect and my lead could hardly have any bend in it. Overhead was a GAWDAYUM NIGHTMARE! Needless to say, when I got my new machine I was in heaven! :haha:
 
K5 Jess said:
Cant remember the gauge of the cordage. I think it was 8. Length was around 30 ft I believe. I think with tax I cam out to about 34 bux. Im a lincoln guy, C.S is top notch. I have that exact Clarke machine. It was alright, just didnt have enough nutz. I switched it back over to flux cored and Im gunna practice with it a little and go after a structural cert with it next year. I think I paid 200 on cl also for it. Depends how much your gunna weld with it. Mine was FUKKIN super picky! It didnt like welding anything out of position. Weldin vert, it had to be dialed in perfect and my lead could hardly have any bend in it. Overhead was a GAWDAYUM NIGHTMARE! Needless to say, when I got my new machine I was in heaven! :haha:
Click to expand...


P.S. the air hose is really funky and tiny. But works, just trust it.
:waytogo:
 
IMO theres two ways to look at the 120vs210 argument. You can view it as short changing yourself by getting a 120v machine or you can go in knowing that you're going to buy a 220v eventually after the 120v and accept that you'll have two different tools for different applications.

Im very close to buying a 220v machine. I hit the wall with my 120v but would never get rid of it. If you've ever read any of my threads you can see the large amount of **** Ive done and built with a 120v hobart handler 140amp machine with flux core. It just started coming up short when I began doing custom brackets and mounts on frames and suspension but worked great for everything else. Hell I built my flatbed and my entire tube frame for my new truck with the thing.

That being said when I do buy a 220v machine I will not sell the 120v. The 220v will run gas and solid core wire, the 120v will remain fluxcore and super portable for transport to fix things on site. Friends house, broken in the field with a generator, customers house for a job, etc.

If you do go with a 120v machine expect any quality machine to top out at a 3/16 to 3/16ths material weld with fluxcore and you may even require a preheat then. My Hobart welds 1/8th to 1/8th fast and beautifully and will do 1/8 to 3/16ths at a moderate speed. 3/16ths to 3/16ths is slow.
 
As stated earlier, duty cycle is important if you have a good amount of material tacked up and ready for full weldment. I've used many different brands on high rise building construction. Lincoln, Miller and Hobart, 220, 440 and 110 for small hand rail work. You can't go wrong with a bigger power supply. Just depends on how much welding at one time you are going to do.
 
I guess a better question is what amp range would work best for what I want to do?

Future work plans are:

Floor crack / bracing repair (sheetmetal)

Some .5 - 1" square tube welding

Make a work bench

Stuff like that. Maybe eventually do some sliders or bumpers / roll bar.

Would the handler 187 be powerful enough? I want to run gas mig.

The hobart 190 seems like a good deal. Says 26 gauge is lowest it will weld though. Is that too powerful for sheet metal?

http://m.cyberweld.com/hoha190migwe.html
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Latest Posts

Top Bottom