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Welder ??'s

kgblazerfive

kgblazerfive

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So need your opinions on a welder that will do sheet metal?

I have one, sort of, that will do all the thick stuff I ever need but it will not do sheet metal, it will not turn down too old to get parts for etc.

If it does thicker that's good, but no real need.

Oh and needs to be around $700
 
I have a Lincoln weld-pak 100. It is $200-$300 depending on where you get it. It can accommodate solid wire and run on gas for clean welds.
 
kgblazerfive said:
Hobart Handler 125, maybe
Click to expand...

My Hobart 140 does sheet metal well.

And I can also do 1/4" in shorter sections.


Buy a roll of .023 wire for the sheet metal and have at it. (Using gas with it, not flux core)
 
Love my Miller 180 220V unit. WOW! I just checked price on my same 180 welder, I paid $713 to my door for mine about maybe 9 years ago from cyberweld.com. Now they're going for $935 !!!

The 180, 220V unit.

http://store.cyberweld.com/millermatic175.html


But you're looking for mainly sheetmetal welder so this is your better choice as far as Millers go in that price range.

This 140 goes for $770

http://store.cyberweld.com/millermatic135.html


But, Today I think more budget minded, and I'd probably get a Hobart. They're Miller's Budget brand so it's still a Miller to me. Just with less features is all. I'd get either one of these, one is in your range and will do sheet metal to thick too, or you could save some money and go with a 140 Hobart for $585

190 220V unit. Bad ass welder.

http://store.cyberweld.com/hoha190migwe.html


140 115V unit. More versatility with the power source.

http://store.cyberweld.com/hobhan135wit1.html



Of course you can not go wrong with a lincoln either. Pretty much any brand name welder works damn good. ESAB, Thermadine, ThermalDynamics, you name it. Basically, pick what color you like. I like the Miller Blue, and a buddy's company has decades of experience with welders of ALL types. They used Lincoln for years. Then went to Millers ohh 20+ years ago. My bud has been a professional welder G6 certified pipe fitter for most his life. He owns nothing but Millers, so I went with his advise, and I love my Miller. Good luck with the decision and post up what ya get! YOU know we love sexy tool pics! :D :haha: Just keep YOUR ugly mug out of the picture lol! :haha::haha: :haha:j/k! :D
 
I have a MM 175, and it's quite suitable to most any sort of general fabrication. I wouldn't want a smaller 110V welder at all for a single welder. Though I did recently get a chance to use a MM 250 (I think?) that was really smooth, made me want to upgrade. I also recently added a Syncro 351 to the stable, but that thing is a beast requiring a dedicated 100A circuit. I'm definitely in the blue camp. Most of my family before me were boilermakers, pipefitters, and/or worked in ship yards welding in various capacities. They all had Miller blue in their veins, so I guess I just inherited it. I'll never have their depth of experience, but following their lead seemed the safe bet, and I've never regretted it. That said, at a good deal, I wouldn't turn down a Lincoln (or ESAB, etc) with suitable features, as long as I was confident of at least decent local support.
 
Best welder Ive ever bought, Milleratic 35. You can pick one up for half the cost your wanting to spend and weld EVERY piece of mild steel you can throw at it. I paid 300 bucks on CL with a full tank and regualator. The grandfather of welders.

1545927_10152169424251323_170082418_n.jpg
 
For sheet metal I prefer infinite adjustment on the voltage side of things, after that I want the best drive rolls and driver for consistent wire speed. My Millermatic 135 fits that bill nicely, is in the price range and will weld thicker stuff too.
 
Went the a welding supply store they sell Lincolns and Miller and Hobart. Smallest Miller they have in the catalog is the 140, where does the 135 get sold at?

They said the Hobart 140 is basically the same as the Miller 140 with a different color and different knobs.

Miller and Lincoln were $755 or so

Hobart $555 or so
 
Only difference imo is that the miller knobs are "infinate" where the hobarts have stepped settings. Never bothered me. IMO i dont know if its worth another $200 for a different dial.
 
Yeah me neither

Going to build a cart to hold both of them, when I buy the new one. Figure I can get a spliter for the regulator and run both welders from one gas tank. Save me the cost of buying another tank
 
kgblazerfive said:
Yeah me neither

Going to build a cart to hold both of them, when I buy the new one. Figure I can get a spliter for the regulator and run both welders from one gas tank. Save me the cost of buying another tank
Click to expand...


I would think a T and some barbed fittings on the low pressure side would work fine for that.
 
kgblazerfive said:
Went the a welding supply store they sell Lincolns and Miller and Hobart. Smallest Miller they have in the catalog is the 140, where does the 135 get sold at?

They said the Hobart 140 is basically the same as the Miller 140 with a different color and different knobs.

Miller and Lincoln were $755 or so

Hobart $555 or so
Click to expand...

The 135 ended up becoming the 140 a year or three ago...

For a lot of welding the stepped voltage knobs are fine, but when you get down to the really thin stuff the infinite control can dial the heat in much more accurately.

How thin sheet metal are we talking about anyways? The lions share of stuff I have done with my Miller is body work...so 22 gauge. It is finicky at that thinness so I like having the fine adjust-ability. Once you get to 14 gauge and thicker it isn't much of a big deal.

I will second the .023" wire too.
 
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