hey guys, Ive been interested in getting a welder for quite a while and would like some suggestions on what I should get to start out? Im interested mainly in doing exhaust work and maybe welding up chassis braces etc, so nothing major.

Im not looking to go all out yet and am interested in a "cost effective", basic, easy to use unit. I know Raz has one, im not sure what type it is but it seemed alright for small jobs.

What do you guys suggest i start out with?

you stole this thread from TB didnn yuh son

didinn yuh!

i dont know shat about welder's talk to raz though, i am sure his buddy Dario has learned him a thing or two

ciao

Buy the best one you can afford? Things wear out, and if you're buying cheap ones where parts aren't readily available, you could be screwed. Also make sure that it either comes ready for gas, or is upgradable to gas.

The Lincoln Weld-Pac 100 (or whatever it's called nowadays) is a 100 amp, 110 volt welder that's set up for wire feed flux core operation, which is a good general purpose wire that welds up to 3/16" thick stock (in one pass), can be used outdoors (no shielding gas to blow away in the wind), etc. An upgrade kit is available that includes a new torch, a solenoid, some tubing, a regulator, and a few other bits, at which point you can run solid core wire and shielding gas. MIG welding (wire feed with gas, as opposed to flux core wire feed welding) produces good penetration, nice welds, and multiple passes can be made without chipping away the flux residue.

Dale's got a nicer machine than my Lincoln, and it didn't cost much more. Hobart, 130 amps on 110 volts, built in regulator/solenoid & torch for gas use. It has a "purge" setting that lets you bleed off gas pressure when you're done welding, without wasting wire. It also has a scaled wire feed selector, whereby it steps up the wire speed automatically when you increase the voltage, compared to most welders that require you to turn up the voltage and the wire speed in conjunction.

serious? i must have passed over it last night when i was doing some catch up

yea both of those units sound like they would work well for my application, now its just time to save up!

is this benficial? i have limited welding experience but the ESAB i use at work has individual knobs to change the settings and i find that helps when vary'ing between metal thicknesses and how akward my position is (speed setting vs. voltage) (this is all non car related stuff i am speaking of)

why do you think it's better? just curious

ciao

Dale's Hobart has a knob to adjust wire speed as well, but when you increase the voltage it scales that wire speed proportionally. It's just a convenience thing...

ah ok i see

so you CAN override the auto adjust if you wish to your desired setting?

ciao

I just got a Miller 175. Damn nice unit, used one before and it was great.

Mine's still in the box.

Somehow i'm not amazed Raz know's Dario. I've met him a few time, he knows his stuff, even though he can be alittle cocky sometimes. He told my buddy his truck would never be nice, now its in the new Minitruckin'. He kinda rubbed me wrong from day one.

Dario is cocky in the same way that Matt can be cocky, because he knows his shit.

Jon, if you want a welder, PM me, I can get you one for... very cheap.

- R

I'm not cocky... I can just be a cock sometimes.

can I...could I...CAN I SIG THAT!



ciao

If you're looking for a very good little MIG for not a lot - have a look at the Deca 135E (it does true MIG and Flux core as well). I've had one for a couple of years and have welded with and without gas (doesn't need a conversion kit like the Lincoln) and have done stainless, aluminum, and steel (flux core and gas). I've used Lincoln and Miller's for a living and would say that for light duty work the Deca is fine. It has 4 amperage settings and a continuously variable wire feed. The best part is Princess Auto puts them on sale for under $300.

It is very important to know how to weld before you commit to a $700 Lincoln for a little exhaust work. I've had lots of "debates" with the masses about flux core vs gas and quality of welders etc...and it is mostly BS - Flux core is fine, Deca's are fine and last time I checked I have $400 in my pocket that didn't get spent on a Lincoln. Welding takes practice to get it right and a certain amount of "feel"...welding rusty, greasy parts will produce crap every time.

Craig

True enough but it's also pretty good incentive to learn. I did it the other way around. I spent some time welding on the 122 last summer but Matt likely has 4 or 5 times as much time on my welder as I do.

I'd say contributing factors were...

1. I wanted a quality piece of equipment
2. While I had no welding experience I didn't want Matt (or anyone else who came over) to suffer using a 2 bit welder and believe me, I needed him to come over...
3. I wanted a piece of equipment that I could grow into, not grow out of.

While Craig has some valid points (and believe me, I looked long and hard at that Deca before I bought the Hobart), I tend to agree with Matt that you should buy the best welder you can afford. For light work like exhausts and basic body panel work, the light-duty welder will do fine. Once you get into the heavier stuff, if you get into the heavier iron, you'll be wishing you'd bought the better one right off the bat...

Just my opinion...

I was gonna get just a Miller 135 and then upgrade down the road when I was gonna do frame work on my truck but after adding up it would have been a bad move. Sure it was about $1000 for the 175 but that was only like $300 more than the 135 and the 175 can do frame work.

I agree 100% with Dale, grow into it. A welder is something you will never throw out, it will still be in the garage in 20 years ready to work.