Mig welder advice? experience?

[skeeters_keeper]

Well, my dad has an old stick welder... I used that to try to put together my first exhaust, didn't do to well. Then I borrowed a Lincoln pro-mig welder from a friend, ran on 115v, 4 power settings, "infinite" wire speed. worked great... so much better in fact that I would like to pick up a mig welder of my own.
The Lincoln i used runs around $250-300 I think... my question is: Are there any cheaper ones you've had good (or bad) experiences with? I'm looking for something good enough for body work and the like, I'd like it to be able to handle up to 1/4" (for motor mounts etc) but for the most part it will just be for exhaust and small jobs. No gas for now, flux cored wire should be good enough for me, but I guess having the option for gas in the future wouldn't hurt. I'd like it to run on 115, even though I've heard 220 is better, its just easier to use 115.


Harbor freight is going to have a sale on a cheap flux wire welder that I was looking at, only two power settings and i'm not sure if it could handle thicker metals... on sale for $100 for three days next month. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/cta...emnumber=94056

any opinions or suggestions? Thanks!

[joebreck117]

I worked there, and we sold many many many welders, some came back but most did not...either online or on the box it should say the thickness it can do...try looking for a link to the owner's manual. I know some products had them on there.
Either www.harborfreight.com or www.harborfreightusa.com
I think I'd go for a Lincoln, though. My dad's been having his for years doing every little thing with it.
Well, when he's not using oxy-ace or the TIG.

[joebreck117]

Product manual is on the page you posted...green button below add to basket

[Nerd Racing]

I bought a lincoln 110 mig that I bought used off of ebay for $150 shipped to my door. It works great and I used it to do the body work on my MX-3. It is set up for flux cored, but can be easily swapped over to MIG for steel, aluminum, and stainless with the appropriate shielding gas and wire. I love the quality, it went a long way to helping me learn to weld.

[Gforcefd]

I bought the highest rated 110 Lincoln mig I could get when I decided last year to get into welding, I don't regret it at all. It came do both flux core and gas welding, I only do fluxcore right now and its great. I ended up getting a homedepot card to pick it up and paid it off with 0% interest, I think the Lowes card is even better terms.

If your going to buy a mig don't buy the cheapest one you can find, because chances are they are not going to last, or you will end up spending more fixing it.

[NovaSS]

Its better to save a little while and get something a little nicer, something you can sell later if you want to go bigger or something you can add onto. Welders is one of those things you get what you pay for. A cheap welder will cause more hassel ,they bird nest , surge and splatter and draw more amps ( trips breakers) Lincoln mig pak series comes to mind.

flux core wire is fine but it doesnt save much in the long run, the wire is more expensive and renting a bottle is no that bad. Once you weld with sheilding gas that spool of flux core wire will gather dust on the shelf .

What will happen is you fall in love with welding, you start with small stuff and the next thing is you'll want to build sub frame connectors and roll bars and the litlte "deal" will not be up to the task.

[Mike McKown]

I have one of those cheap wire welders. I think it's 90 amp. Cost me $100.

My experience with it? It'll weld thin stuff like fenders fairly well as long as the bead isn't over 1 inch at a time. I guess at that point it's exceeded the duty cycle limit as it starts to splatter the weld. You're gonna get splatter anyway without the shielding gas. It's hard to set wire speed on the thing. A little too fast and the wire balls up on the feed. Too slow and it start arcing up in the tip.

I also have a 110v Lincoln that uses shielding gas. I don't remember the amps. Good heat control. Good wire speed control, nice welds. Little splatter and no wire jamming. Long duty cycle.

The Lincoln welder, by the time I bought a gas valve and tank, cost about five times what the Chinese welder cost. This is a classic case of you "get what you pay for".

I'd save up until I could afford a good 'ole made in USA welder.

If you're using a stick welder and it's AC current only, you'll get poor results unless you use sticks made especially for an AC welder. If this is the case, try some AC rods before you spend a lot of money on a mig. You can get the rods small enough to weld exhaust pipe without burning through.

No question, the mig is probably by far the best choice for the home hobbyist but if you don't get a good one, they're not worth much.

[festivaWES]

That thing is a pile...my dad has the same one. Save for a lincoln 135/175 or a miller, hobart...etc.

[Gforcefd]

Buy a good welder, and do jobs for people to pay for it, it WILL pay for itself in short time. I love welding, it can be fustrating though, so many variables.

[FB71]

I had a cheap CH, hated it; borrowed a friends Hobart, didn't like it; bought a Miller 135, LOVE IT!!!

[jasonpaulbauer]

Get a Miller or Lincoln. If funds are limited and you do not have 220v get the 135/140 machine. These machines will do most light duty stuff..... But when running at the max setting.... plan on getting only about 1" of weld before having to let it cool down.

[Gforcefd]

http://www.homedepot.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?storeId=10051&langId=-1&catalogId=10053&productId=100093231

I believe this is the one I bought, I haven't had any problems welding anything with it. I have done engine mounts, exhaust work, a turbo manifold, etc....I never had an issues with it getting overloaded for a 110v.

[CharlieZ]

Sears might be an option. http://www.sears.com/shc/s/search_10...&gobutton=find

[skeeters_keeper]

Thanks for the input guys!
My dad's stick welder is one he bought at a yard sale about 20yrs ago, its a lincoln and can run on 110 or 220, we have it on 110. It has 6 "holes" and you switch heats by moving the wire pegs up and down the holes (abc, 123)... but i've never quite been able to figure it out, even with it on 1a or 3c there is little to no difference. I bought new (thinner) rods for it that were AC compatible and it worked some... the weld on my DP lasted about 8months before it came apart, but it was no fun.


The mig i borrowed was this one I think:

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_00920667000P?vName=Tools&cName=Welding&sName=Welders

I loved it, and welded a bunch of stuff just to practice. I welded my exhaust with it, and then did a bunch of welding on 1/4" plates at work (grating for our floor that was coming loose), and was getting much better at welding by the end and the welder worked great for the thin and thick stuff. Its just about $400 more than I want to spend!

Since it sounds like the harbor freight special isn't worth it i'll see... I've been watching CL with no success for a while, but rather than buy one of the cheap ones I guess i'll keep my eyes open for a lincoln 135 or similar. I was hoping to pick one up soon though, b/c i got a ticket for my straight pipe so i'll be needing to toss a glass pack in there... annoying sound police.

[wrestler3025]

Nate, I have a Craftsman 80 amp gasless wirefeed welder and it does OK, but I am also looing for a Lincoln. When I went on vacation and had the body repairs done, they were done with a Lincoln welder, and I was VERY impressed with it. Just keep your eyes on craigslist for one, and don't settle for the Harbor Freight welder. You'll be happier in the end;-)