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Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some "?"'s

Silver84k5

Silver84k5

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Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

i really dont know squat about welders, this morning i found a millermatic 220amp? Stick welder, he said it is in great shape, hes asking $150 for it. I know the difference between wire feed and stick, but are there different jobs that are better for each welder? Please hook me up with some info. TIA
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

Stick welders require more talent/skill in my opinion. (neither of which I have). They also leave a scaly weld that has to be cleaned, chipped, etc to make look nice. They make a lot more smoke and sparks. I'm sure a real welder will chime in and give some good advice.
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

Skill comes with practice so im not worried about that, i just want to make sure that it will be good, for welding Shock mounts, welding Bumpers, basically starting to Attempt at fabricating things.
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

A stick welder is good. I use a stick welder myself...Lincoln AC225. If you ever need any help, I can always come over and show you some stuff.
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

I have not tried stick welding, but I have seen a friend do it.
I have a MIG and like it a lot because of the flexibility and the easiness. My grandmother could weld with this thing if I gave her 5 minutes of instructions.
I am NO professional. I really like the MIG.
Remember - you can not do any bodywork with the stick. All you can do if heavy-duty 1/4 stuff and the like.
My two cents.
-- Mike
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

the guy we bought it from said you can put it on the lowest setting and use a real small stick and weld sheet metal... Not true? or.......
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

don't mean to hi-jack here but. could one of the 4X4 IRON do-it-yourself bumper kits be done with a MIG? it's a lincoln 125 i think.
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

I use a Lincoln stick welder for heavy iron like bumpers and skid plates and such.And a Lincoln mig(nothing fancy it came from Lowes)for sheet metal,exhaust,stainless steel and aluminum.I have used a small stick and low power for thin stuff before when I didn't have a mig.Sometimes it turns out okay sometimes not.With a mig on thin stuf its always okay.Migs are also better if you use them indoors too cause the slightest wind effects the sheilding gas.
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

Stick welders have their place just like migs. You can weld thin with a stick, but it is difficult. 3/32 6010 and about 65 amps will get you pretty far on the thin stuff. I use mig only now, but had used stick for 15yrs prior to the mig. I think stick is easier to see the "puddle" on especially with 7018's. If you are going to weld 1/8 and thicker a stick will work just fine. You will have slag to clean off, but if it is a good weld it will virtually fall off anyway. If you mig and dont use gas, or use dual shield wire you will have the slag as well, so that is not really an argument for not getting stick. For the price I say go for it. Worst case you have a stick welder for $150.00.

As for the bumper kit yes you can weld it with a small mig like that without problems /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

You can weld sheet metal with an arc welder, but the electrode will tend to stick to the work and it will be hard to start and maintain the arc. Also, you may have to stop frequently so the metal can cool and you won't burn a hole in it. This can be helped some if you put something(metal) near the weld to act as a heat sink.

I would go with an arc welder over any other kind, as there is almost nothing to break. It's a lot easier to change electrodes for different jobs than to change a spool of wire. It's not as pretty as MIG or TIG, but you can always grind it smooth.
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

IMHO I would go with a 230 volt mig. Mig is much easier to learn and is alot more forgiving. I just bought a Millermatic 175 for at home and at work we have both Miller and Lincoln mig's. If you want to spend alot of time practicing then a stick will be ok once you get used to it. Some of the best deals on welders I found is at Cyberweld. That is where I bought mine from. Here is a link to their site.
http://www.cyberweld.com/index.html
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

first off that sounds like a good deal, if it is a dc current welder jump on it for sure. if you never welded before don't expect to be able to stick weld right away, it takes a little skill. if you get the welder go buy some scrap and 7018 and 6013 rod, make sure you get the right rod for ac or dc depending on what the welder is. practice because it takes alot of practice to learn especially if your teaching yourself, the first welder I bought was lincoln 135 wire feed I paid like 450$ for it at home depot the skill to wire feed is minimal but for 150$ miller is the best in my opinion and you can't go wrong as long as it works /forums/images/graemlins/thumb.gif
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

Theres a lincon electric i believe 175 amp ( mig ) 230 volt at home depot.Hoping to get that for christmas...then maybe that linked/coilover race suspension wont be so far off /forums/images/graemlins/rotfl.gif
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

Yeh,the weld pak 5000hd, I just bought one myself thinking it was like the sp175 without a gas solinoid, it works well but it doesn't have as many amprege settings as the sp175. out the door I paid $530 the sp 175 at my local airgas is about $750 the gas kit is $100 at the depot so you save about a $100, so far it has worked well, on the box it says it welds unlimited steel thickness, I don't think so, it is truley only 130 ca(continuous amps) but that is all you well ever use on automotive fab work
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

I have been welding with Stick and Mig for twenty years. However I just got turned on to Somthing new. Look up Henrob2000 on internet. It allows all to be done. Welds Alm,Cast Iron, Stainless and cuts like a Plasma. At the end of the day it is less expensive than all the others. Oh and if you are new at Welding its a lot easier to use. Jesse James uses it to build his choppers. Ck it out! /forums/images/graemlins/burb.gif
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

looks like a fancy gas outfit, have you ever used this stuff? I'm kind of intrested on how it works, especially for alum.,and stainless
 
Re: Need help on Choosing a welder, i think i found one, got some \"?\"\'s

I thought that the millermatics were Millers mig's and were not a stick welder. I bought a saddlebag miller wire feed welder that attaches onto a AC/DC welder to turn it into a wire welder.. It worked great when I used it (someone stole my stick welder) so I havent used it much since. Mig is great for thin or light weight welds, I still like to use a stick when it is something thicker. But yes they can both do the others work....But why. I use an arc welder for penatration. Mig is cleaner and is easier to grid and shape. I want to find another Miller Dialarc 250 AC/DC welder
 
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