welders: what kind do you have...

[zoom zoom]

I just bought a cheepy 150$ unit from tractor supply a couple weeks ago. No gas hookup, and it's just 110v. So far I can't complain, I haven't tried to weld anything thicker than 1/8" steel yet, but it penetrates 1/8", and that's all I've needed so far. It's definately not as nice as the miller @ work, but I think it'll be fine for all the little stuff here and there at the house. Makes a messy weld tho, be prepared to buy a grinder if you don't have one too, and don't forget a good hood, chipping hammer, and gloves to go with it.

[lessersivad]

Be aware that that particular model is 230V. The average home doesn't have that wired into the garage

I would have to disagree with this statement.

If the garage/shop has 240 v, single phase power then the welder will work.

Quote from the user manual;

"Ground this product. This Welder 18. requires the attachment and use of a UL-listed, 240 volt grounded, 3-prong, electrical Power Cord Plug (not included)."





So unless there is no 240 volts going to the area the welder is going to be used in, it will work.

Also from the description;

"Input: 230 volts, 21 amps, single phase, 60 Hz"

The keys being 60Hz and single phase.

[hefty]

I spend more than a few hours a day under a welding hood......about 40 hours a week actually. I own and run an off road fabrication shop. We have full CNC cutting, bending ect in the shop. We mainly use MIG for our application but use TIG on some of the more specialty parts and for aluminum. My advise is go ahead and get a small hobby welder but don't expect much from it. If your using Flux Core your not going to get a clean enough weld to do any real precision stuff. It sounds like you are wanting to do some parts to sell here which honestly with what you are talking about buying will probably not work. The Hobby welders aren't good for much more than thin steel 1/8" max. Take what it says the capabilities of the welder are and figure that is can actually do about half of what it claims. Also you need to figure in Duty Cycle. A 20% duty cycle means you can basically weld 2 minutes out of every 10. This may seem like enough but when the welder over heats and shuts down for 30 minutes it gets really annoying.

The Harbor freight tubing benders will kink the tube. Even with all the "You Tube" tricks on how to make it work they still kink. Don't even attempt to build a roll cage with bends from a HF bender or a Flux core welder!!!! Death Trap!

Harbor Freight Welding wire is junk and not worth the plastic they wrap it in. Buy good wire.

[quaddawg]

HEFTY FOR PRESIDENT.... Just kidding, but listen to the man, he is spot on. About the minimum you can spend for TUBE bending is 700-900 bux... and that is usually limited on dies.. I have a couple of tube benders, one is a hydraulic exhaust bender that does fine, but when I do cages, I use my EZ-Bend from Mid American... just does 90* bends, but comes with a "round track" die package that has 1" 1.50" 1.75" and 2" dies and follow block... does a fine job, and passes "tech" with SCCA, NASA, Lemons, etc... just fine.

We use mostly Mig, an older Hobart Beta-Mig which is my personal go-to machine, a newer Snap-On rig, which is made by someone else of course, and a little Lincoln MIG.. of course we have a buzz box stick welder for thick thick stuff, and I have a Miller TIG I am TRYING!!! to learn to get good with... ha! We also do gas welding (OLD SCHOOL!!) and brazing of course... I am about in the market for a new welder though... It will be Miller, and have a spool gun for aluminum... hopefully I'll be able to afford it next year...

[quaddawg]

Bobby, I missed a page.. PLEASE do yourself a favor and don't buy a Harbor Freight welder... seriously.. I admit, I have purchased stuff at HF, but nothing you have to plug in... that's my personal rule. It's a great place to buy wrenches that you heat with a torch and bend into a custom tool... but that's about it.. the quality there is just scary.

I would save up $200-300 bux and shop craigslist till you find a Lincoln, Hobart or Miller 110v machine that someone is upgrading for. I see Lincolns all the time in that price range used...


Also, the so called TUBE BENDER, like Hefty says, is not a tube bender at all... it's a pipe bender... big difference... Save your money, but good tools, you'll never regret spending too much on a tool, but you WILL regret spending too little.. take it from Hefty and I, we make our living with tools, welders, cutters, benders, etc...

[Larry Hampton]

I'm guessing he didn't look at any of the ones I found him on Craigslist near him. Most of these would be twice as much near me.

[bobbyspider]

Yes sir I did check them out thank you for the links. I'm also checking in Harrisburg, Lancaster and Baltimore. I def am taking everyone's advice and weighing my options because I do only have a 110 outlet and if I do spend more money on a nicer one I'd like it to be gas compatible and have 110 but it seems harder to find them and sometimes the discriptions on craigslist sent detailerd

[eurotiva]

I use a 110v lincoln with gas

[IdealSociety]

ive 2, the mobile welder which is a Lincoln 175A w/midget tank. i think when i bought it it had the highest amp rating for a 110ac welder i could find locally and wasnt a junk brand. This was some years ago as well, works great for exhaust once you dial in the settings perfect.

the second is the big gun. an old Miller tig/stick combo stashed in the back of the parents garage (no 220 in my townhome garage makes for long-term storage)


my pop's smaller Lincoln can be seen on the desk, its a gas/gasless but only has 4 amp settings and i think the max is 100 or 120. i dislike using it as i can never get it dialed in right since it uses switches for power levels instead of a dial like my bigger Lincoln has.

Cheapest way to get a big nice welder like my miller is to have an in with a local welding shop. when they go to replace with newer units they damn near give these old gems away

[bobbyspider]

Wow you have 3 I'm super jelous. I just need to get something soon my BP is so close to being finished and I need to weld my downpipe on because open header with a pace setter is super loud. My friend has a little welder but has flaked out every time he said he was coming and my other friend has a 240 so he can't bring it to my garage. Well I'm still fiddling with the mid shaft anyway so I guess I got time. I'll just go t his house and steal it nevermind I got in trouble last time I said I was going to steal something just kidding for real

[bobbyspider]

Sweet I just realized that I hit 1000 posts I was hoping to have the BP done before I did that so I could feel completely accomplished oh well almost there