I presently have a gasless 80 century wire fed welder which is great and all for the small stuff, but lacks the heat to do anything thicker than sheetmetal really. I want something that can handle rusty parts when necessary and thicker metal up to probably 1/4". I don't want to spend an arm and a leg either is my problem. I'm not a fabricator and I can deal with short duty cycles etc... Thoughts please?
help me out here welders
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Is Hobart Miller or Lincoln?
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14,286 Posts
I don't know what the 110V Lincoln I have is... but it work's F'in awesome. We have welded 1/4" with it... but it is tough.
Edit: Hobart sucks... it's a cheapened up Miller. Miller is good though :thumb:
My buddies Hobart was a POS after a year... he keeps having to tape the handle back together, jams in the machine (not the tip) etc...
Edit: Hobart sucks... it's a cheapened up Miller. Miller is good though :thumb:
My buddies Hobart was a POS after a year... he keeps having to tape the handle back together, jams in the machine (not the tip) etc...
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8,161 Posts
Hobart is owned by Miller, they generally offer a few less features than the similarly numbered Miller, and also use things like plastic rollers rather than metal.
There's quite a bit of talk about the entry 220 welders in pirate4x4's tool section.
There's quite a bit of talk about the entry 220 welders in pirate4x4's tool section.
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7,921 Posts
Hobart= cheaper Miller
I got the DVI Miller, pretty slick setup.
I got the DVI Miller, pretty slick setup.
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12,844 Posts
I wouldn't buy a stick welder... buy a wire feedI had seen this one which seems ok for the price but still hunting.
And before the question is asked, what is prompting this is the recently droppage of tailpipe that apparently didn't hold its bead worth a crap. Need more fire
Oops, I forgot to look at input. Yeah, I want a 110v if its worth it. a 220v aint bad either since I have an outlet I can move that I don't use which was for a stove.
Still looking for places that carry what I'd like. Every store seems to have a particular favorite which aint mine.
Still looking for places that carry what I'd like. Every store seems to have a particular favorite which aint mine.
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7,921 Posts
Check out the DVI, it is 110 and 220, very flexable.
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IMO, for you, buy a 135a 110v Lincoln. You can buy tips at home depot at night on the weekend when the welding stores are closed.
For up to 1/4", that will work just fine. Use 0.035" flux core.
You reall yonly need more if you are into heavy fabrication. I used my 110v lincoln for 6 years, then upgraded to a 220v lincoln, which I've used for ~2 years now, 0 problems with either unit. I've built 4 vehicles with these, and have not had a failure.
Did you see my post about that bent driveshaft? That was done with a 100 amp 110v lincoln. That 1/4" tube bent, my welds are fine. These days, you can get a 135a 110v, which gives a touch more power.
Don't get me wrong, a miller is nice, but *you* are paying about $300 more for blue paint and a name.
Now, if you were doing heavy fab and/or lots of fab, I'd have a different answer for you.
Besides, if you spend $350-$400 on one now, and you want to upgrade later, you'll be able to sell that one for a very good price.
For up to 1/4", that will work just fine. Use 0.035" flux core.
You reall yonly need more if you are into heavy fabrication. I used my 110v lincoln for 6 years, then upgraded to a 220v lincoln, which I've used for ~2 years now, 0 problems with either unit. I've built 4 vehicles with these, and have not had a failure.
Did you see my post about that bent driveshaft? That was done with a 100 amp 110v lincoln. That 1/4" tube bent, my welds are fine. These days, you can get a 135a 110v, which gives a touch more power.
Don't get me wrong, a miller is nice, but *you* are paying about $300 more for blue paint and a name.
Now, if you were doing heavy fab and/or lots of fab, I'd have a different answer for you.
Besides, if you spend $350-$400 on one now, and you want to upgrade later, you'll be able to sell that one for a very good price.
That's what I'm thinking Haggar. I doubt I'd go bigger though. FWIW, this is what I'm finding online as an average for the 135A:
http://www.weldingmart.com/Qstore/p001647.htm
http://www.weldingmart.com/Qstore/p001647.htm
i wouldbuy a stick welder, for half what the wire feed cost you can get twice the machine, is WAY more versitile, more durable and the weld profile is beter in all meadeums, you can get rod/clamp/stinger at home depot, and you will have a much more trouble free unit
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X2 i have the lincoln electric i think 100, and it welds 1/4 pretty good. from what ive heard a lincoln will last you forever. because my buddies uncle worked for lincoln electric doing quality testing, they threw them down stairs, imersed them in water, etc. and they still worked. he has a "Miller Killer" banner in his garage. and both home depot and lowes carry lincoln electric welders and stuff
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2,094 Posts
You mentioned wanting to weld rusty metal. Forget it. The cleaner you get the metal, the better the job. Migs do not tolerate dirt and rust as well as a stick. Get yourself a decent stick welder, then use it to power a wire feed unit later on. I would shop around for a used wire feed to add on.
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713 Posts
A wire feed is almost idiot proof. Anyone can learn the basics on a wire feed in about 2 minutes. That being said, I have a wire feed :sonicjay: I have a Millermatic 250 that will weld all the way up to 1/2" mild steel, in almost a single pass, and almost no limit in multiple pass. Remeber, for a 1/4" weld the "bead" needs to be a 1/4" vertical height and a 1/4" horizontal height, not at it's widest point, in order for it to be as strong as the material you are welding. I payed about $1,800 a number of years ago for mine, but I will never find anything that it can not weld and being an ex fabricator, I wanted the best. As far as a stick welder, they are awesome, if you know how to use it and prep the material. It is definitly cheaper, but a lot of people who buy them do not know how to use them. Stick welding is the only method approved for structural field joints for our ironworkers at work, in fact Mig or wire feed is not even recognized. Both are good types of machines/methods, if you know how to use them. What ever you get, weld up some scrap steel and test it, before something else is on the line! Good luck.
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1,599 Posts
I got the Miller DVI as well, for any type of fab work I am doing at my house it will do the job. It welds up to 3/8 inch plate on a single pass.
I got mine off ebay brand new for less then you will get it at a store.
Over $1k is way too rich for my blood. Hell, this one is nice and still a bit pricey for what I can afford:
http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/equipmentdatasheet.asp?p=2515
http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/equipmentdatasheet.asp?p=2515
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