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First time welder questions

scottishdave

scottishdave

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Ok So i need a welder, I need to learn how too. But that isnt what this is about. My NEED right of the bat for welding is sheetmetal work, so it needs to be good for that. And then i am sure i will branch into typical projects such as sliders, bumpers, general 4x4 fab stuff.

I have read around and i have figured out that 180amp, 220v Migs are probably the best for my needs and then some.

I have been looking at both a 180amp, 230v millermatic auto set and a Lincoln 180amp, 208/230v Power mig 180c. Both are very close in price.

I know it probably comes down to opinion, but i have read that millers have unlimited control over voltage where the Lincolns do not. As i am not a welder i have no idea if this would matter much.

Here are the 2 links...Tell me what you guys think

Miller
http://www.ramweldingsupply.com/products-view.mcic?s=3195
Lincoln
http://www.ramweldingsupply.com/products-view.mcic?s=3180
 
i love my millermatic 180 w/AS... i would suggest practicing with some thicker scrap to get use to laying bead... sheetmetal isn't the easiest to weld right off the bat...
 
Oh yeah, I intend to practice alot. But whatever i get has to be a good welder for sheetmetal. I have heard that some are not as great, and also that with the unlimited adjustment on the miller that it makes for a great sheetmetal welder. But i really dont know jack about welders, so....
 
The Lincoln has infinate variable too. The 175Plus does anyways. Both awesome welders. I have the Miller 180 w/AS and you can but an Aluminum Spool gun for 200 bucks for it, thats cheap to weld Aluminum. I know Lincoln has a setup for their welder but it's not as good a setup. I'm a Miller fan but the Lincolns are great welders.
 
I use both Miller and Lincoln MIG machines at school and it's sort of a preference deal. Our big TIG machines are Miller but that's just what they got a deal on.
At the machine shop I work at we use a mix of machines. Just to throw a wrench in the mix have you looked at Hobart? You can get a heck of a good machine for a reasonable price.

Shop local and see what you can get a better price on.
 
Hobart usually has the 'tap' set-up for voltage. You get 4 or 5 choices. It's a lower end, more basic machine.

Can't go wrong with either the Miller or the Lincoln. I prefer Lincoln, but own a Miller. They're that close in perfomance and features that I went with the better deal at the time.

Rene
 
Awsome guys, thanks....So are the two machines that i listed the type of welder i should be looking at for what i want? Or should i be looking for something more basic or one more capable?

I want something that HAS to be good for sheetmetal, and that can also do all the basic 4x4 fab stuff like bumpers, sliders, cages, crossmembers, etc...
 
Between those two I'd give the nod to the Miller. Yes, it will be fine for sheetmetal. For sheet metal work I would use the .023" wire though.

That machine will also be 'enough' for most automotive related fab projects, although you may need to move to the flux core for the thicker items. Should be OK to 3/16" with gas though (single pass). You might push that to 1/4" with a little pre-heat.

Rene
 
So although most people say that welding with the Gas is better, Flux Core lets you weld thicker steel?

Thanks for all the help, I will probably look for the best deal on the Miller i listed. The local Comunity College offers a couple month long Welding class for like 150 bucks. While there are plenty of backyard welders i know, i think 150bucks is welth worth a formal schooling on basic welding.
 
you'll find sheetmetal work to be much nicer with gas tho...
 
Thanks for all the help guys...After this christmas season i can start shopping for the welder.
 
scottishdave said:
So although most people say that welding with the Gas is better, Flux Core lets you weld thicker steel?

Thanks for all the help, I will probably look for the best deal on the Miller i listed. The local Comunity College offers a couple month long Welding class for like 150 bucks. While there are plenty of backyard welders i know, i think 150bucks is welth worth a formal schooling on basic welding.
Click to expand...

forgot to confirm for you that flux core is better on thicker steel. It 'digs' deeper than the gas shielded wire does. It's also not as aesthetically pleasing, but plenty strong.

Rene
 
For typical K5 type projects (bumpers, cages, sheet metal) would it be better to have the infinite adjustibility of a Miller 180 or the higher current of a Hobart 210 for thicker stuff? They are both about the same price.
 
i just had that exact choice last year.. went with the 180
 
ryoken said:
i love my millermatic 180 w/AS... i would suggest practicing with some thicker scrap to get use to laying bead... sheetmetal isn't the easiest to weld right off the bat...
Click to expand...


As usual I agree with Ryoken. I have a Millermatic 180 with Autset and it is piss simple to use. I did the entire floor of my K5 (leaky windshield rotted out the entire floor but the rockers were still perfect). I wanted to see how good the AutoSet function worked so I spooled up some .030 set the autoset for 16ga. and started tacking in the sections. I ended up turning down the Autoset a little bit for the aftermarket panels (I bought floorpans from LMC so they were paper thin) but the sections I fabbed from 16ga. were welded with the Autoset dialed to 16ga. Temp and wire speed were good enough for floor panels but I would have like a slower wire feed and or .024 wire if I was doing body panels.

I really like my 180 but a small annoyance was the 50A plug it comes with. The max output for the machine is something like 24A so since I don't have 50A service in my garage I contacted Millere who told me I wouldn't run into any problems if I wanted to swap the cord to a 30A plug. Which I did with an appliance cord from Home Depot that cost $10. (The bonus with this is you can always plug it into a dryer outlet at a buddy's house if need be). I eventually put the stock 50A cord back on and just made a 30' extension cord with a 50A receptacle on one end and a 30A twistlock on the other so I can move it around the garage and out onto the driveway.

Quick edit. For bodywork I would always weld gas shielded. Nice clean welds. Remember if you are going to switch to flux core or gas you need to reverse the polarity of the welder as it is opposite from one to the other.
 
You also have the option of a double shielded wire, basically a flux core wire that requires a shielding gas, awesome for out of position, fast freezing flux
 
I have a miller 210 that has 7 setting and I don't even use the highest to weld 3/8. It is overkill for most of the stuff I do but at the time it came with a free spool gun so I went with it.
 
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