Gentlemen:
I'm looking to purchase a welder for home projects. The maximum weld
material will probably be 3x4 angle steel (iron?) for trailers. Possibly
something a bit thicker, but not much. Arc vs. Mig? Your assistance is
appreciated.
Jack
i use a lincoln ac/dc buzz box for home shop work . its been
a good,easy powerfull machine to use .the dc is good on thinner stuff..
but i know a 220 v mig is pretty much the cadilac nowa days . i got a
115v lincoln mig for thin stuff. i like lincoln welders. lucas
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I recently purchased a Lincoln SP-180T, and I have to say I'm completely
impressed with it. It is a wirefeed welder, very easy to use, fits on a cheap
Harbor Freight MIG cart (unlike a Hobart Handler) and the gun uses common Tweco
parts. It is physically a small welder, easy to store and move. Like all MIG
welders, you have to know what you're doing a little, but that basically means
you have to run it hot enough. This welder takes 220 power and has a 30% duty
cycle at full rated current. If your angle is 3/16" it can do a full penetration
weld in one pass. If the angle is thicker then you'd have to do multiple passes
to get a 100% weld.
If you want a stick welder, I like and often recommend the Miller Thunderbolt
AC/DC. I've had two of 'em, and only sold the first one because my buddy begged
me. I like the ones from a few years ago, the ones with the detachable leads.
They store easier. If you do get a buzzbox stick welder, find a way to put it on
wheels. I made a cage for mine so it's easy to lift and roll around.
Grant
A small MIG can operate from household 120VAC 20A outlets. You may
need to add a 240V outlet for a stick welder everywhere you plan to
use it. A larger 240V MIG can do just about anything if you can
justify the $$.
I think a reasonable cost-sensitive plan is to start with MIG and add
a stick welder later if you outrun the MIG's capacity, which isn't
hard to do. The MIG will still be useful for autobody, building up
worn-down tools, working outdoors on an extension cord or at someone
else's house, etc. If the MIG has a gas kit it's less offensive
indoors, but flux-core is better out in the wind.
OTOH if the wiring isn't an issue an AC stick machine will weld
thicker metal for less investment. I have trouble striking an arc with
a small buzz box and would get at least 125A capacity; 225A is common
and plenty for most home use.
Don't expect to learn welding from a book or video. They help but a
pro can show you how to recognize and correct whatever mistakes you
make. The nuclear-certified instructor at night school easily welded
3/16" steel in one pass with my cheap little 75A Century MIG. That
doesn't mean I'd recommend such a small welder as your only one, I
already had a stick welder and bought the little one to fix old cars.
At my low skill level gas shielding is necessary for thin sheet
metal.
Jim Wilkins
If you are talking low end $$ (less than $300 or so) your choices are a
120 volt mig with flux core wire or a buzzbox for stick. For the $700
and up range, a 240 volt wire feed is very nice.
A 120 volt wire feed with flux core welds 1/8" just fine, 3/16" with
good prep, anything over that is multipass. 120 volt input is a plus,
portable is a plus. Most of these can be converted to gas with a $100
kit. Learning to use it is fairly easy.
180 or 225 amp stick welder (buzzbox) will weld much heavier stock, 3/8"
in one pass is easy with decent prep. The DC option is a plus if you
have a choice. Plus side of these is that there are a lot of different
rods to choose from: high strength rods, nickel rods for cast iron, hard
surfacing rods, high fill rods, etc etc. Down side is the need for a 240
volt circuit. Don't even think about a 120 volt stick welder, they are
just terrible to use. Learning cure is a bit longer than wire feed but
we usually get passable, hobbist level welds after a couple hours of
practice.
If your target material is 3"x4" x 1/4" or 3/8" angle, you will need the
stick welder. The 120 volt wire feed won't cut it.
My local craigslist.com has a constant stream of 225 amp buzz box
welders for anywhere from $50 to $150. I've paid as little as $5 for
one, but it was missing cables, stinger, helmet and had a broken
amperage adjustment nut.
Jack King wrote:
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