Welding Equipment

[yankeepac]

I believe I have been inspired by Wildfire to start my foray into welding for shop / farm needs. From what I have read so far, I think I will be going in the direction of MIG welder. Anyone have any advise / personal experiences with their own welding and recommendations on a good beginning machine?
I will probably look to a 110v initially due to not having 220 wired in my garage at this time.

 

[Fastest1]

I personally have a MillerMatic 211 MVP. It has a dual voltage plug so if you ever do get 220v, you will be ready. Till then 110v. Nice rig, bought mine used. Recommended for work to 3/8".

 

[lsmurphy]

You'll regret 110.


Lincoln 180.

20' extension hard wired to service panel. You can make the same type of cord with dryer plug at one end and use the dryer service.

 

[cgutenschwager]

I believe I have been inspired by Wildfire to start my foray into welding for shop / farm needs. From what I have read so far, I think I will be going in the direction of MIG welder. Anyone have any advise / personal experiences with their own welding and recommendations on a good beginning machine?
I will probably look to a 110v initially due to not having 220 wired in my garage at this time.

I teach welding and machining at the local high school - our latest machine is a miller 212 with autoset and a spoolgun. My students love this machine, and we can weld steel, stainless, and aluminum (great for repairs). It was around $3000 and uses 220V. I agree that you will not like a 110V machine, unless you just want to do small jobs and bodywork. I also have a Lincoln175 and the millers weld circles around it- the kids dont like it either, just my 2 cents.

The Hobart brand isnt bad either, just not as indestructible for a school shop, but i have a 210 at home and used it to build my logsplitter!

 

[Stubbyie]

Go with a 220-vac unit; you'll find the 110-v unit too small as you expand your abilities.

Miller beats Lincoln in MIG. Make sure the gun you get uses commonly available (auto parts houses, Tractor supply) tips and shrouds. Don't know about now in their full line but for a while Miller had proprietary setup that wouldn't interchange with aftermarkets.

Use anti-spatter gel in can and dip snout religiously for maximum clean welds and to keep spatter off gun snout.

Much better using shielding gas than without. We use 0.030-flux core wire AND gas and get superior welds.

Get the seller to throw in the different size wire-drive rollers so you can change wire size without additional expense later. Same with regulator(s): Buy with machine as package; buying later will be much more expensive.

Get longest hose assembly possible.

You can pick up 50-amp RV-type extension cords by haunting CraigsList and classified ads---I've got maybe a hundred bucks in 200-ft of heavy heavy 4-prong 50-A extension cords that let me go anywhere with the little Miller roll-around.

Aluminum stock is expensive and the cost to have an aluminum wire setup (and possibly different gas) usually just isn't worth it. We've got the stuff and rarely use it.

If you have to go with alumunim, might be better to get a 110-v unit and just keep it rigged ready to go while primarily using steel with bigger unit.

Hobart is Miller's low-price line, effectively same machine in many respects but when it comes to customer service "Miller" responds better than "Hobart".

If you use any type extension cord/cable to the welder build yourself a "break-out box" that has multiple 15-20-amp 'household' receptacles and also a 30-50-amp for the welder. You can use lights and drill and grinder alongside welder without stringing additional wire. We used a mil-spec ammo can to mount surface boxes and do all the wiring inside. Handy thing to have and not much cost for the convenience.

Post back and let us know how you proceed so we may all learn.

 

[Apogee]

The previous advice given by all is right on the mark in my opinion.

I used to do ornamental iron work. Do yourself a favor and buy yourself a 220v Miller. Yeah, blue is expensive...

One of the main things you need to look for in a machine is the duty cycle. The percentage listed is X% of 10 minutes. So, for example if you find a machine with a 20% duty cycle (Harbor Freight), it means that it can do 2 minutes of welding then it needs to cool down for 8 minutes. It needs this to prevent it from overheating otherwise it will die an early death. I don't know about you, but standing around waiting for a machine over and over gets really old, really fast...

The 220v machines will have better penetration on heavy stuff. Stick with the bigger brands and you will be very happy with performance. Also, most importantly, parts are readily available from your local welding shop.

I'd also recommend using shielding gas rather than flux core wire. It allows more flexibility with what the machine is able to do.

If you plan to do aluminum, then try to find a unit that includes a spool gun. You don't want to buy a spool gun later as it's expensive to get a good one. Aluminum wire doesn't push well through a long mig lead, hence why you need a spool gun. Plus, if you run a standard lead for steel and a spool gun for aluminum, then you don't have to deal with cross contamination issues.

Finally, I agree with watching Craigslist if new is out of reach. As recommended above, try to buy a package if possible.

Good luck!

Steve

 

[Wildfire]

I've always said that the greatest compliment I have ever received is when people post saying I've inspired them so that you very much for that.

You gotten some great advice here. Just make sure you get yourself a 220 volt unit. I'm partial to Miller. Their gear has never let me down. I'm not a welder by trade although you'd never say by the amount of welding work that comes in our shop but that's the same as machining and fabricating.
You can't go wrong with wanting to learn. You'll greatly benefit learning welding and when you do learn the basics keep practicing and you'll see an improvement each day.
Here's my mobile unit. Look closely at what's between the trailer and truck
Good luck and thank you!

 

[Stumpy]

Agree with everything posted so far. Miller seems to be the way to go for domestic welders these days. There is a foreign manufacturer called Everlast I've heard good things about. Their machines are a bit cheaper for similar capacity but do your homework and make sure the particular machine you want is reliable.

I'll add that while learning to make pretty MIG welds is much easier than the other two processes it's also much easier to get good looking welds with no penetration. Once you're comfortable making decent beads get a chunk flat stock, cut it into 2 inches sections, and then stitch them back together and break them apart with a good vice and hammer and pliers. Miller has a weld calculator on their website, use that (or if your welders manufacturer has one, that one) to get your starting settings and then tweak from there till you have a very hard to break weld. Ideally the metal around the weld will bend before the weld breaks. When you start making things you're going to use always do a test piece or two on the material to confirm your settings are good.

 

[DEW EVIL]

well it looks like a lot of good advice, I am too a Miller guy
bought the 211 MVP when it was the latest and greatest 2yrs later still one of the best units I have ever used. Nice to have 110v and 220v

Also have a 1994 Miller Bobcat 225g, gas powered stick mounted on trailer 2,900 hr on clock and still going

 

[Eric McCarthy]

I'd love to sharpen and hone my welding skills and find an affordable welder thats portable so I can take them onto jobs sites and fabricate up some awesome stuff with the landscape biz. But right now I need to focus on building the business back up and prioritize buying equipment.

 

[Wildfire]

I'd love to sharpen and hone my welding skills and find an affordable welder thats portable so I can take them onto jobs sites and fabricate up some awesome stuff with the landscape biz. But right now I need to focus on building the business back up and prioritize buying equipment.

It will all come in time Eric. Just need to think things out well. Is there much competition in the landscaping business in your area?
Although we are not just a welding shop and we do all types of welding we've built our own reputation out of being unique to other business's around and that's what's helped us stay here.

Since my wife and I opened 19 years ago we've gone from being a small engine repair shop to a full blown specialty automotive repair facility to even doing ship repairs. We've invested heavily in welding and all areas of our business but its worked out great. Being unique and diverse gives you an edge over your competition.
Here's an example of some of our ship repair welds.

 

[Stumpy]

*Sniff* That brought a tear to my eye. That's beautiful!

Rotary tables are nice eh?

 

[WFM]

Well, I was going to brag about running my own welding/sheetmetal business....but never mind. I also own three Miller machines and one Lincoln and like the Millers better.

 

[benben]

hello Stumpy
dont cry again!Wildfire is alergic to a crying stumpys and he give to those peoples a 14 days payd vacation incl.airplainticet and moore.

Benben

 

[Wildfire]

*Sniff* That brought a tear to my eye. That's beautiful!

Rotary tables are nice eh?

They sure are. I'm very happy with it

Well, I was going to brag about running my own welding/sheetmetal business....but never mind. I also own three Miller machines and one Lincoln and like the Millers better.

Hey go for it. I like looking at photos to so post a few. I just posted this (not to brag) but to show the OP what can be accomplished IF he has the will and interest to learn. As I always say "I'm not a trained welder" so if I can do it he can too.

hello Stumpy
dont cry again!Wildfire is alergic to a crying stumpys and he give to those peoples a 14 days payd vacation incl.airplainticet and moore.

Benben

How is my friend from the beautiful Provence of Quebec doing? Is there lots of Maple syrup this year?

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Oh yeah there's a far amount of competition in my area. Alot of guys mowing lawns and throwing down mulch and calling themselves landscapers. It's soo much more to the industry then just that. I want to sharpen my skill set a little bit more and become a true craftsman and not just a landscaper.

I've got millions of ideas in my head that I can make come to life, I just cant draw a anything better then stick figures.

 

[Wildfire]

Oh yeah there's a far amount of competition in my area. Alot of guys mowing lawns and throwing down mulch and calling themselves landscapers. It's soo much more to the industry then just that. I want to sharpen my skill set a little bit more and become a true craftsman and not just a landscaper.

I've got millions of ideas in my head that I can make come to life, I just cant draw a anything better then stick figures.

These days when you go to a cabinet shop or home improvement store they can draw out decks, kitchens... Via computer. Is there anything out there to allow you to put your ideas on paper or computers like that?
Its obvious your good with computers so that just might be the answer.

 

[Eric McCarthy]

Yeah there is landscape design softwear but that stuff runs a few hundred to almost a thousand bucks.

 

[benben]

yes yes yes a lot of maple syrup this year.
Wildi you make those people crazy now with all your welding stuff.I like all your stuff a lot but first make me my f.. shit I have order,or better come to my place I have a lot to do for you,and for your honey too.dont forget your new little baby...nice job with the rock.hmmmm you like to have everything nice ,but hey don't forget Stumpy ok.

Benben

 

[ipz2222]

To everyone that posts a picture of something they've built, fabricated, etc.. It's all good. One day, I'll be trying to come up with an idea and... bing>> I'll remember a post on here and a picture of how they did it. I can't wait for business to slow down so I can build a ((((( CLAW)))).
ERIC , go to gibbsgardens.com to see some absolutly fantastic landscaping. Might give you some ideas. You other guys in Ga,, take your wife there, just to show her you can still be nice..