Need a welder

[Tropicalcats]

Need some recommendations on getting my first welder. I will use it for what I see right now to be a small repair in the trunk about the size of a baseball. Or would it be better just to farm out something that small instead of investing in a unit?

[Chryco Psycho]

I like the Miller & Lincoln mini Mig welders , you can get them for approx $300 & they weld very well , they are availkable in both 125v or 240 v & are easy to get parts for
Do Not BE tempted to buy a Cheaper mini Mig , you get what you pay for & cheap welders do a terrible job
 As for wether you should buy one you have to decide how much you can use it , I say buy it , $300 in labor for body work will add up very quickly 

[Steve]

I have the Lincoln SP-135. With the tank and everything, I spent a little over $500. Both Lincoln and Miller offer 120V units. The base model units have a limited number of settings for temp and wire speed. The upper end units have continuous settings so you can dial in exactly what you need. You'll probably be surprised how much you'll use a MIG. It seems like I use my MIG for as much non-car stuff as I do for the car!

[CudaNut]

If this is the only time you will use it some rental places will rent them. I have an older Millermatic 35 (its huge) that I "invested" in many years ago. I woukd not take anything for it as it has never let me down. If you buy one get a quality unit and treat it like an "investment" because thats what it is....It's a tool that you will find many uses for!!! There are many good units made by Miller and Lincoln that would do the job without breaking the bank.

[rusty dodge]

i have the craftsman unit that was 300.00. It came with a stand but no gas. I added the gas to it. The gas regulator was about $75.00 and a tank of gas was $60.00. You will need gas! Works very well.

It all added up with a helmet, .023" wire, gloves, ect., expect to pay about 500.00. So for 1 hole, maybe farm it out.

[moparnut]

I have 3,an ac/dc lincoln arc,a old harbor freight 220 mig(dont buy a cheap one)And i just bought a lincoln sp-175 220 mig on ebay.After replacing my trunk floor and rear window filler panel on my cuda last weekend,I'll never buy a cheap one again.In fact the new one is on its way ups now.Be careful on the 120v units,they need 25-30 amps to run correctly for thicker steel and no one has those size breakers in your house,better to put in a 220 plug and buy a 220 unit,my 2 cents worth.PLus you wont be limited to thin steel like the 120v,you could do almost anything with it.

[Steve]

I have the SP-135, which is a 110 unit. For sheetmetal, it is perfect! For thicker metals, say 1/4" up to 3/8", I can make it work. I think it is rated at 20 Amps. If you run long cycles on a standard outlet (which is typically 15 A), you will trip the breaker, especially if other stuff is running on that circuit. What I did was install a dedicated 20A outlet and I also picked up a very heavy extension cord. No problems running long cycles. If you keep the cycles short, a standard circuit will do just fine. The advantage of going with a 110 unit is that you can take it with you wherever you go without worrying about power. I've used mine on the back porch and stuff like that. Of course, the 220 units are smokin' awesome, especially if you do heavier stuff, but they are more expensive, physically larger, and definately not as portable.

[Plum6Pak]

Mines a Miller, it works great and I've used the death out of it. If you use an extension cord, be sure to use a heavy duty at least 12 ga and be plugged into at least a 20 amp breaker. You should be able to get into it for less than 500.00 but well worth it if you ever plan on using it again. I'm sure glad I got mine!

[moparnut]

I have the SP-135, which is a 110 unit. For sheetmetal, it is perfect! For thicker metals, say 1/4" up to 3/8", I can make it work. I think it is rated at 20 Amps. If you run long cycles on a standard outlet (which is typically 15 A), you will trip the breaker, especially if other stuff is running on that circuit. What I did was install a dedicated 20A outlet and I also picked up a very heavy extension cord. No problems running long cycles. If you keep the cycles short, a standard circuit will do just fine. The advantage of going with a 110 unit is that you can take it with you wherever you go without worrying about power. I've used mine on the back porch and stuff like that. Of course, the 220 units are smokin' awesome, especially if you do heavier stuff, but they are more expensive, physically larger, and definately not as portable.

Thats what a good generator is for,since i live in the mountains and can lose power i have one ready.PLus the fact i have 220 plugs at the house and my shop with a 50' 6 guage extention cord i made,works great.I just used the 2 50 amp 220 breakers that were freed up when i switched my stove from electric to propane.For 3 years i had it wired into to stove breaker,just didnt use the stove while i was welding

[lime 70]

I have A Lincoln SP-120 its about ten years old I bought it new and I love it I would recomend it to anyone the welder works awsome. It is 120V unit which is nice because you can plug it in anywhere I would definitly go with the gas the nongas unit do not work well. I am using it now to weld up the rocker panels on my dads De Soto, couldn't do it without it :thumbs:

[Mt.St.BigBlock]

Hi, I have a Century 110v model with the gas kit and it works good. It has 4 heat(amp) settings
and if I had to do it again, I'd look for something that was continuously varible from minimum
to max. There's been a few times when I wish it had a setting inbetween max and the next
step down for welding thinner material with intermittent spot welds and plug welding. HTP has
a dual voltage unit that looks interesting but pricey. Good luck!  Jeff

[Cuda Cody]

Any thoughts on TIG welding?

[Chryco Psycho]

tig is great but requires a machine that will cost around $2000 or more

[Cranker]

You need to first figure out what you are going to weld with it. If you are going to just weld 3/16 and under then you can get away with a 120v machine how ever i would recommend that you get the gas for it not just the flux core wire. If you are going to weld heavier gauge metal then you need to step up to a 220v machine. i have both the 120v and 240v hobart , also 240v miller thunderbolt arc for the really thick stuff. I have a $1000 in the hobart 240v with gas. Since i got that i have not used the 120v at all. If you can afford a bigger machine get one you wont be disappointed in the long run. Tom

[jvhodges]

I'm looking to buy a welder also I need to replace some floor pans and trunk pans, whats the main differance between using flux or gas is it really a big deal? Just wondering.