looking for a welder

[cherokee Wheeler10]

i am looking at buying a welder and want to know what you guys think about this one????
http://www.weldingmart.com/Qstore/p000013.htm
is it a good Buy or what one would you recommend i am looking in this price range can really go any higher.....

 

[BADSBRD]

Stick welders are a little more difficult to use. I would look for a used MIG. You can probably find a Hobart 135 or 175 for around the same price

 

[cherokee Wheeler10]

but wouldent the stick be alot stronger????? i was told that a stick would be stronger slitly harder to use but alot stronger... is that right ??? is the 135 going to be strong enough because i was told also i would want atleast 220v???

 

[PstrKd4BrthCntrll]

I'm looking into getting a Hobart Handler 180 because it will weld what I want it to. 1/4inch steel and the price is right. 550-ish on ebay.

http://www.hobartwelders.com/products/handler180.html

 

[cherokee Wheeler10]

see but i can get that lincoln stick for 250 from lowes.... and if i remmeber something the guy at sears said that i could put a mig gun on it...... have you herd that....

 

[PstrKd4BrthCntrll]

The only thing I can think of is checking the Lincoln website to see if they have a gun for it. Plus you would have to get a wire feeder for it too.

 

[BADSBRD]

You cannot put a MIG gun on a stick welder. MIG needs gas being pushed through the gun, and a wire feeder. Stick is stronger only because they are higher output welders, but you are going to need A LOT of practice to make a nice looking weld. A properly sized and setup MIG will make better looking welds that are just as strong.

I run the Hobart Handler 175, which has been replaced with the 180, and I love it. I have a few guy come from another shop that use older Millers, and they like mine better. I think part of that is I know how to set mine up correctly.

You want some suggestions go here: http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard
There is a ton of experience on that board, and its not all Hobart. Lots of Lincoln, Miller, Esab, etc users as well.


What are you looking to weld with this? Bumpers? Cage? Body panels? Another thing is that a stick will not do thinner materials well.

 

[cherokee Wheeler10]

i am looking at building some rock sliders, bumpers, roof rack, radius arms, alittile welding where i cut my sheet metal for tj flares, maybe a cage if i get good at it....and brackets on the frame for radius arms... stuff like that...thanks for your help
JJ

 

[jeepinandy]

it mainly depends on what you are planning to weld. i have heard also that stick welders make stronger welds (they burn in deeper) but i dont have much knowlage of mig welders.. do some research to help you out (if your not to sure) and decide on what you will be making with it and decide from there

 

[BADSBRD]

You can do all of that with a Hobart 180. I would shy away from the stick unless you are going to be using something thicker than 3/8". Stick welders are good for thick steel because of the higher amperage they run at. The higher amperage creates a deeper puddle and better penetration.

MIG welders can run at higher amps as well, they just cost more. A 250 Amp MIG welder will run $1,000 +, where you can buy a stick welder for $200. The MIG will be way more versatile for you.

 

[ChuckD]

http://www.weldingmart.com/Qstore/p002031.htm

That's why I picked up this one. You can use gas, hook it to a DC stick welder and with 3 12v batteries you can weld 3/4". Also batteries have a 100% duty cycle. Like I mentioned on the SC board, you can take it on the trail.

I was able to get mine off Ebay for under $400 and it still comes with the 2 year warrenty.

 

[devildog0]

They make self-contained mig guns that have the wire spool on the gun itself. It's a little more awkward to use but does the same job. You do NOT have to have a gas setup to use a mig welder. You can use flux core wire which will shieild the weld the same as a stick welder with the flux over the conductor. But then you have to chip the slag off the same as a stick welder. I personally prefer stick welders due to simplicity and ease of maint. However the above people are right mig welders are much easier to use.

 

[Matthew Currie]

They make self-contained mig guns that have the wire spool on the gun itself. It's a little more awkward to use but does the same job. You do NOT have to have a gas setup to use a mig welder. You can use flux core wire which will shieild the weld the same as a stick welder with the flux over the conductor. But then you have to chip the slag off the same as a stick welder. I personally prefer stick welders due to simplicity and ease of maint. However the above people are right mig welders are much easier to use.

Not to be too much of a stickler, but "MIG" means "metal inert gas" and a flux core wire feed welder is not MIG. You can set up any mig welder for flux core simply by changing the wire and switching the polarity, but if it's set up initially for flux, it might not be so easy to retrofit for mig.

If you do a lot of your work outdoors, stick or flux core might have the advantage, because mig doesn't work well in the wind. Mig is very nice, and versatile too, but you can do an amazing amount of work with a stick welder too. There are lots of old-timers out there who have used nothing but an AC buzz box for the last 50 years. I think if my budget were very limited I'd prefer a good stick welder to a poor wire-feed.

 

[Jeepsterboy101]

I think if my budget were very limited I'd prefer a good stick welder to a poor wire-feed.

I second that.


To the original poster....how much welding experience do you have?

 

[BillR]

Mig is very nice, and versatile too, but you can do an amazing amount of work with a stick welder too. There are lots of old-timers out there who have used nothing but an AC buzz box for the last 50 years. I think if my budget were very limited I'd prefer a good stick welder to a poor wire-feed.

VERY true!
I like my stick welder, although I do have a wire-feed also. I use the stick for the stuff I need STUCK! :laugh3: