What do you use for a welder?

[Daren Todd]

I started out with a Chicago electric 110 mig for the house. Not real happy with how it works. Fairly decent for thin metals. Got back into stick welding and realized I'm better with stick welding. So I picked up this beauty today.
1975 Montgomery Ward. Got it for free to a good home guy still has the original receipt and book

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[hodge]

There are a number of good welders available. I started out with an old, worn out Lincoln SP135 mig welder, and a Lincoln AC/DC tombstone. It didn't take long before I moved up to a 240 volt mig, and I chose a Hobart because of the value in relation to my needs. I have moved up to a bigger Hobart, and I have been extremely happy with both of them. While they aren't a professional line like Miller or Lincoln, I run mine every day, and I have had zero trouble out of them.

 

[PHPaul]

I'm a self-taught junkyard welder. I took a couple of Adult Ed classes to get started, then bought myself a Lincoln SP135 Mig with the gas regulator. Did quite a lot with that, learning as I went.

Then I went to work for a fish cannery and got to play with some REAL welders. Got a lot of stick time, learned a lot, got a little better. MIG/Stick/TIG work on steel, stainless and aluminum.

Long, LONG story, but I wound up trading labor for an old Miller DialArc 250 with a TIG attachment. Needed some work but I was able to find the parts and get it running and it has been my go-to welder since. I still have the Lincoln and use it occasionally for light projects.

 

[skeets]

What do you use for a welder?

Me?? I use my brother

 

[Diydave]

Usedta weld with a M/W 230 about 1980 vintage. Traded up to a lincoln with AC/DC, and RP capability. Then bought a miller 2500? mig welder. Still use the old stick welder on windy days.

 

[RCW]

I'm interested in this.

Been looking at mig's, but only have 120v in garage. One circuit is just outlets I use.

For 240v, would have to use a generator. I have a 5.5kw continuous that has worked great during outages.

Been thinking of Hobart or Miller that are dual voltage 120/240, but they are a little pricey.

Not building bridges, so I don't need to deal with 1/2" stuff. Probably 1/4 and less. Just don't know if a 120 mig will do, or if I should look at something 240, and try to run it off the generator.

Math says my generator would be marginal for 240, but I've read the first arc on the welder will freak the genny out, possibly causing damage to genny and welder.

Still researching... any suggestions, please throw them my way!

 

[cerlawson]

How many of you guys built your own? Back in 1954 I salvaged two junk power transformers and used that wire and the core plates for building two welders, stick type capable of current of up to 120 amps or so. An article in Popular mechanics showed how. many years later I upgraded to commercial MIG type and gave mine away to a step son. The second one was a gift to my brother who used it up to his death a few years ago, building trailers capable of carrying large antique engines (6 ft. flywheels). In my use of the first one there was no project i could not do with it, including a 50 ft. self supporting tilt over ham radio tower (designed by me a civil engineer).

Moving recently from a large place to a small city house I then gave away all large tools to step sons and one son. Then i found I still needed to weld on a length of chain to a tractor tire chain. Paid $100 for a small wire feed welder from harbor freight. Not much like what I was used to but it works, sort of. If I have to I can go and use my former welders.

 

[Daren Todd]

Cerlawson, do you have any pictures of the one you built? Would love to see it

 

[aquaforce]

In the welder discussion I started out with my dad's Lincoln stick welder and did very well. I could weld rust together and make it hold because my old Vega was all rust and I put in some more rusty plates to keep the rear axle under the old rust bucket.

Then I went to work for the gas utility company and I had to do mig. That was a Miller unit and it was so strange to me learning mig.

Then I bought my own Lincoln HD3200. This little 110 box is very impressive burning with wire for light stuff and flux core up to 1/4 and even a fudge over 1/4.

I'm interested in this.

Been looking at mig's, but only have 120v in garage. One circuit is just outlets I use.

For 240v, would have to use a generator. I have a 5.5kw continuous that has worked great during outages.

Been thinking of Hobart or Miller that are dual voltage 120/240, but they are a little pricey.

Not building bridges, so I don't need to deal with 1/2" stuff. Probably 1/4 and less. Just don't know if a 120 mig will do, or if I should look at something 240, and try to run it off the generator.

Math says my generator would be marginal for 240, but I've read the first arc on the welder will freak the genny out, possibly causing damage to genny and welder.

Still researching... any suggestions, please throw them my way!

I have welded the bucket on my FEL with this little HD3200 Lincoln and it did great only using wire which is for light stuff. It burned all the guages of metal on my FEL and it is holding perfect.

I put in some flux core wire and welded with the gas for dual shielding and I turned this box up to max and did some great welding on iron grates for my fireplace and some plate on my JD450 track loader. It has a 20% duty cycle so if it gets too hot it will shut off till it cools down but it sure will burn nice on heavy stuff.

This model does great with heavy 1/4" material and it will even push it a little more than that. I recommend looking at this for your projects for a 110V welder. If you need to go heavier then a gas powered Miller would be better than trying to run a gen and welder.
Just my .02.

 

[ShaunBlake]

DT, what a score! Oh man, I am so happy for you!

I suggest that first off, you get a new ground clamp. From coaching of an expert welder, you want a hefty one, like the thumbnail below.

Some excellent advice, and aquaforce astonished me with his experience with a two-strikes choice: 110v and MIG. (I've been taught: 220v stick, and if you must use gas, go TIG.)

One thing I would urge you to consider,RCW: run a separate, dedicated line of at a minimum 12gauge for your welder, and if you have to use more than 20 or 25 feet to reach a good place to set it up, step up to 10gauge. It's unlikely your current wiring would start a fire, but a 110v welder will give you better service, longer, if it isn't strangled.

Moderator note.. apologies to Shaun but removed color coding cause for some reason it was not working... viewers just saw jibberish coding around word(s) you were trying to highlight. Kept them bold

 

[Daren Todd]

DT, what a score! Oh man, I am so happy for you!

I suggest that first off, you get a new ground clamp. From coaching of an expert welder, you want a hefty one, like the thumbnail below.

Some excellent advice, and aquaforce astonished me with his experience with a two-strikes choice: 110v and MIG. (I've been taught: 220v stick, and if you must use gas, go TIG.)

One thing I would urge you to consider, RCW: run a separate, dedicated line of at a minimum 12gauge for your welder, and if you have to use more than 20 or 25 feet to reach a good place to set it up, step up to 10gauge. It's unlikely your current wiring would start a fire, but a 110v welder will give you better service, longer, if it isn't strangled.

I've had the mig for a couple months. And run a heavy duty extension cord for it. Got a sub panel in the garage that isn't being used. So the panels gonna be set up for both welders. With dedicated outlets for both. And fixing to swing by the electric supply in town this week for the stuff to make up some 8 gauge extension cords for them. Course the arc welder about broke my back getting it out of the truck So the arc will be parked, and I'm gonna get some extra long leads so if I need to, I can reach something outside the garage. Ground clamps are gonna be replaced on both, and new electrode holder on the arc while I'm at it. Then I'll have to figure out another project

 

[m32825]

I had no welding experience at all when I picked this up for $500 a couple years ago. It had a flat, needed a battery, and would run for a little if you jumped it and dumped gasoline down the throat of the carb while cranking. Works fine now, I love the roar it makes when started, very manly.

I use it mostly to create things that I can practice grinding on, though my latest project had two... okay, one and a half... decent first-pass welds!

-- Carl

 

[Tooljunkie]

I use it mostly to create things that I can practice grinding on, though my latest project had two... okay, one and a half... decent first-pass welds!

Thats just awesome! Talk about speaking the truth!
Arc welding, my only way to learn was run out of mig gas.
Didnt refill for almost a year.
I have less problems arc welding now.
My tiny mig is a clarke 100 en. With shielding gas. 110 volts. It does 3/16". 1/4" in a couple passes. Welds light stuff all day long. Not china made, but italy.

Have lincoln sp160. Works well. I weld a few hours a week,and for a few years i welded something almost every day.
The arc welder is some old prehistoric beast. Cables are 30 feet, and power cord is 50 i think. So i can reach far enough. As far as my air lines is good enough.

 

[Grouse Feathers]

I am thinking about a welder and I saw this one posted for a local auction in a couple of weeks. Does anyone recognize it and have an idea about value. There may be a description posted on the auction web site next week some time.

 

[Dan_R_42]

This is what I have to work with. I have had them for more than 25 years. I have been playing around with the stick unit recently to add functionality.

I am adding components to the stick unit to try to use it as a "scratch start" TIG unit.


Sorry; for some reason my 2nd photo does not load as it is saved. I am unable to rotate it to vertical.

 

[Ben S]

here is my welder, up to 150 amps.
suitable for stick welding and TIG scatch welding.

 

[RCW]

run a separate, dedicated line of at a minimum 12gauge for your welder, and if you have to use more than 20 or 25 feet to reach a good place to set it up, step up to 10gauge. It's unlikely your current wiring would start a fire, but a 110v welder will give you better service, longer, if it isn't strangled.

Good point. The circuit I have is overhead on the trusses, so it is pretty much dedicated, as I tend to just run power tools off it.

I didn't see a welder in my future when I put it in, so I ran 12ga. -10 would have been better. Or, I SHOULD have run a double-pole circuit to a sub-panel in the garage like Daren is doing. Hindsight is 20/20!

The wire alone now would be some big $$$$.

 

[Daren Todd]

Good point. The circuit I have is overhead on the trusses, so it is pretty much dedicated, as I tend to just run power tools off it.

I didn't see a welder in my future when I put it in, so I ran 12ga. -10 would have been better. Or, I SHOULD have run a double-pole circuit to a sub-panel in the garage like Daren is doing. Hindsight is 20/20!

The wire alone now would be some big $$$$.

Previous owners had updated the service into the house instead of changing out the breaker box, they added a sub panel next to it to accommidate the sunroom. Sunroom had 1 circuit run for a couple outlets and a 220 line to run a portable ac unit. We don't use the ac out there so I disconnected it sub panel is only running one breaker hooked to some outlets Whole thing was a bonus

 

[2grit]

I started out with a Chicago electric 110 mig for the house. Not real happy with how it works. Fairly decent for thin metals. Got back into stick welding and realized I'm better with stick welding. So I picked up this beauty today.
1975 Montgomery Ward. Got it for free to a good home guy still has the original receipt and book

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Since you like stick welding so much, keep your eye out for a DC machine. The difference is night and day. Not that I would turn down the free welder but you like what you're doing, and by the looks of your box blade, you'll enjoy playing around with other equipment.

 

[2grit]

I had no welding experience at all when I picked this up for $500 a couple years ago. It had a flat, needed a battery, and would run for a little if you jumped it and dumped gasoline down the throat of the carb while cranking. Works fine now, I love the roar it makes when started, very manly.

I use it mostly to create things that I can practice grinding on, though my latest project had two... okay, one and a half... decent first-pass welds!

-- Carl

You stole that welder for 500.00