Welder questions/advice

[themangeraaad]

So I searched around and found a number of threads on welder advice but hell, i wanted to be special and start my own!... or more I wanted to get advice on specific welder(s).

I found a millermatic 135 mig welder for sale and I am lined up to buy it. It comes with cart, C02 tank, regulator, etc for $500; and I talked the seller into including the oxy/acetylene tanks/cart he was also selling in the 500$ price. So essentially getting a small set of oxy acetylene tanks for "free".

I have been shopping around and I know miller makes a real good welder, but I feel like I have seen [new] lincoln welders for the 500$ price that weld up to 1/4" in a single pass. The lincoln 140 only claims to do up to 3/16".

Would you all say the lincoln is over-rating their value? or is miller under-rating their value? or are they accurate? I was hoping to get a welder that does up to 1/4", but if the miller is good enough I suppose it will do. Granted the new ones dont come with a cart and tank in that $500, but still.. they are new. Oh, and one requirement is that the welder has to run off of 115VAC.

Looking for advice on this. Is the millermatic 135 (advertised as lightly used, checking it out later this wk though) worth the $500 or is there something else you would recommend for the money?

 

[Beezil]

i've known lincoln for quite a few years now, and I'd say that he is definitly over rated. Although in the mornings I'm sure he could make about an inch.

 

[90Blue_XJ]

Bought a Millermatic 140 Autoset new for $700 so that makes $500 a real good price, especially with the other stuff thrown in. My tank was seperate and mine is Argon mix.

 

[themangeraaad]

Yeah, its probably a C02 argon mix.. if not it will be sooner than later. I just wasn't sure how much of an upgrade the 140 is (i know it does aluminum wth some modifications, but otherwise idk the differences)

 

[Bryan C.]

i've known lincoln for quite a few years now, and I'd say that he is definitly over rated. Although in the mornings I'm sure he could make about an inch.

I think an inch out of lincoln is overly optimistic. Even with a full flux core I doubt hes got more than 3/4".

 

[Matthew Currie]

I have a Millermatic 135 MIG welder. I use CO2-argon mix, which is pretty standard for this rig. It's easy to switch to flux core when you need to work outdoors as well. It is a joy to use, and I recommend it highly if you're in the market for a welder in that general size range.

edited to add, as far as I know it would do aluminum all right too, but you need pure argon for that, I think, so I've never tried it because I'm too cheap to buy another tank.

 

[RCP Phx]

While you can do aluminum,youll need a new second gun/liner or better yet a spool gun kit.Dont even bother with your steel liner!

 

[logdog]

i've known lincoln for quite a few years now, and I'd say that he is definitly over rated. Although in the mornings I'm sure he could make about an inch.

Holy s#!t......do my eyes decieve me???? is it really BJ??

 

[themangeraaad]

Alright, got the welder & tanks, pretty nice setup in good shape. wire feed works and all, just had nothing to try it on so thats tomorrow. Apparently it is 100% CO2 which (after some digging around) I realize works fine, just not as clean as argon/CO2.

Question is: Can you put an Argon/CO2 mix in a CO2 tank or do you have to get a specific tank for the mix? Probably need it labeled as argon/CO2, also I'm not sure what the pressure differences are. Anyone know if I can get the CO2 tank i ahve filled with mix or will that be another investment at some point?

 

[heyhar]

As far as I know, gas shops will not fill a tank with something that shouldn't be in it. Our Hobart 140 has a blue tank for the argon/CO2 mix, and the torch kit has green-oxy, and red- acetylene tanks. Any welding supply shop will help you out. We got a welder last Christmas, a Hobart Handler 140 with valves and a nice auto-darkening mask for $479 at Tractor Supply. The Hobart is a Miller with fewer features, but for newbies is great.
Also, check out the Weldtalk threads at Hobartwelders.com. Great bunch of folks, they welcome novices, and say the only silly question is the one you don't ask!

 

[themangeraaad]

Alright, thanks, ill check that forum out. I gotta pick up a mask one of these days. I was somewhat dumbfounded that the cart had all sorts of stuff on it, extra tips/shields, and other stuff I didnt go through (just noticed those two in particular). It had those along with a few pairs of tinted safetly glasses.. i really hope the previous owner was smarter than to use those..

I figured I wouldnt be able to fill it with anything other than CO2, just being hopeful. Good to know the Acetylene tank is red, i thought it was brown, damn red green color deficiency (i could tell the green oxygen tank was.. well green. Its light enough. Hussah, I could tell the color of something! ::Sigh:

 

[kastein]

Autodarkening mask = best thing ever, including sliced bread. You want one. Check eBay, Home Depot, Lowes, Harbor Freight et al. I am pretty sure I would have pitched my welder off the back porch trying to learn without one, and it still helps me out a lot.

 

[themangeraaad]

haha, thats my next purchase. The first time I was welding I was under the XJ welding the exhaust.. without an autodarkening mask. I pretty much gave up pretty damn quickly. Muffler mender works wonders, just gotta refill those holes each year hte night before inspection

 

[kastein]

haha yeah I learned to weld on my exhaust, it's probably why it's such ugly welding... luckily I had an autodarkening mask for it. At least it's just the exhaust, it'll rust off in a few years anyways so I don't care that it's ugly.