Welders: Whatcha Got?

[Rob]

My son is kinda wanting to teach himself to weld so I'm thinking about purchasing a new "little" machine for the shop and giving him my old machine. The old machine is a Lincoln SP125 and has been great but I need something a bit hotter on the high end but still run .023 wire easily. This one is 120v and has been really versitile for sheet metal, exhaust, etc. with a good heavy 12 gauge extension cord feeding it. I'm thinking of a Lincoln SP175 which is 220v and retains the infinitely variable voltage/current adjustments. The external package is about the same size and weight also. This size has been great for working on the frame rack as it goes between the pulling towers with little effort. My big machine is a lug just to move it far.

Any favorites out there? I can demo anything on the market with a phone call but would like to hear what others have to say.

Rob

[41chevy]

I have a 175 with a Honda generator for protable use, but just bought a Lincolin Flextec model 450, part # K2882-1. It's pricy though, a tad over $3000.00 Its 240 3 phase, 5 to 500 amps and has an inverter to do stick, mig, tig and flux core. It 'll gouge with up to a 3/8 stick. So price wise it replaced 2 welders and added a TIG machine. So it really isn't the costly. Its not much bigger than the 225 and weighs a bit over 120 pounds. NY requires that all vehicle structural welding is TIC. plus the benefit if TIC is Aluminum and Stainless. Paul

[ThaddeusW]

Old, (real old ~40+ years) Lincoln red buzz box stick welder. I might add that it is a complete pile of crap. I would love a wire feed welder, smallish Lincoln or Miller unit. TIG would be nice for detailed work.

Anyone here have an opinion of flux core versus gas shield MIG? I see the cheap flux core units at Home Depot and sometimes I am tempted to get one and try it out.

[RowdyRebel]

Old, (real old ~40+ years) Lincoln red buzz box stick welder. I might add that it is a complete pile of crap. I would love a wire feed welder, smallish Lincoln or Miller unit. TIG would be nice for detailed work.

Anyone here have an opinion of flux core versus gas shield MIG? I see the cheap flux core units at Home Depot and sometimes I am tempted to get one and try it out.

I've got the Hobart Handler 140. I was needing a welder, and actually WANTED the 220V model, but nobody had it in stock....so I got the one I have now. It's only 110V, and when welding heavier gauge metal, I pop the 15 amp circuit breakers in the garage....really need 20 amp breakers to do the thicker stuff. I COULD spend the money to buy shielding gas, reverse the polarity of the leads, and use solid wire....but everything I've had to weld up to this point I've been able to get by with the flux-core wire.

I've also got oxy-acetylene here at the house, but I mostly just use that for cutting & brazing.

[Gambi80]

I've got the Hobart Handler 140. I was needing a welder, and actually WANTED the 220V model, but nobody had it in stock....so I got the one I have now. It's only 110V, and when welding heavier gauge metal, I pop the 15 amp circuit breakers in the garage....really need 20 amp breakers to do the thicker stuff. I COULD spend the money to buy shielding gas, reverse the polarity of the leads, and use solid wire....but everything I've had to weld up to this point I've been able to get by with the flux-core wire.

I've also got oxy-acetylene here at the house, but I mostly just use that for cutting & brazing.

Speakin of all that and what not...how's that hypothetical repair thing goin?

[Greg Rider]

I'm thinking of a Lincoln SP175 which is 220v and retains the infinitely variable voltage/current adjustments. The external package is about the same size and weight also. This size has been great for working on the frame rack as it goes between the pulling towers with little effort. Rob

You know that any of the big 3 will be a good machine. I would stay with the Lincoln because you probably have all the accessories and consumables around. The variable voltage/speed settings are a huge plus. I don't like a machine that has 5 or 7 settings. At East Mfg. they were using a lot of older Linde machines and some newer Esab. They use the big 3 phase power supply and a remote wire feeder hanging on a jib boom. They are running aluminum mig wire on a 10 or 12 inch roll. It weighs about 15lbs. It was 1/16" wire and was pushed through a conduit about 10 feet long. I would love to have a small machine just for fixing dumb stuff that is too small to justify turning on a big machine.

[220cummins]

Millermatic 175 Mig (220 Volt) and Miller Thunderbolt 250 stick machine, its and older model with copper windings great old machine! The 175 works good for lighter gauge stuff butyou gotta stick the heavier stuff like on these Macks.Ive always been a fan of Millers. We also have a Hobart handler 140 machine at work that works great. I've welded up to 1/4" plate with that machine with good penatration!

[Olivetroad]

My son is kinda wanting to teach himself to weld so I'm thinking about purchasing a new "little" machine for the shop and giving him my old machine. The old machine is a Lincoln SP125 and has been great but I need something a bit hotter on the high end but still run .023 wire easily. This one is 120v and has been really versitile for sheet metal, exhaust, etc. with a good heavy 12 gauge extension cord feeding it. I'm thinking of a Lincoln SP175 which is 220v and retains the infinitely variable voltage/current adjustments. The external package is about the same size and weight also. This size has been great for working on the frame rack as it goes between the pulling towers with little effort. My big machine is a lug just to move it far.

Any favorites out there? I can demo anything on the market with a phone call but would like to hear what others have to say.

Rob

I have a Lincoln "Buzz Box" stick welder that is older than I am and it works great. Because of that, I wanted to buy a new Lincoln Mig welder, but I ended up with a Miller because at least around here, parts/service is better. I bought a Millermatic 210 and I love it. It will weld thin sheet metal and does a good job on 1/2 plate as well. I bought my wife a new van recently and so I got permission to buy a Hypertherm powermax 1000 plasma cutter that I had been slobbering over for some time. I use that thing all the time. It sure makes a smooth cut if you are going to reweld something like a truck frame.

Stay away from the shielded wire units, spend the money and get a good gas shielded Mig and you will never regret it. I did have to get a second shielding gas tank for it though - I always seemed to run out on a Saturday when the shop was closed!

[RowdyRebel]

Speakin of all that and what not...how's that hypothetical repair thing goin?

So far its holding up....

[Freightrain]

Got an older Millermatic, like a 250? Can't recall what model. 220v machine, is kinda rickety but once you get it set up it burns decent. Would love to have a new electronic Miller like buddy has. Very finite control of voltage and is about totally silent running. Mine sounds like all hells breaking lose if you are stitching along. That ol contactor just beat'n its points off LOL!! Can't complain, friend gave it to me to use for as long as I want(been near 20 yrs).

[41chevy]

Old, (real old ~40+ years) Lincoln red buzz box stick welder. I might add that it is a complete pile of crap. I would love a wire feed welder, smallish Lincoln or Miller unit. TIG would be nice for detailed work.

Anyone here have an opinion of flux core versus gas shield MIG? I see the cheap flux core units at Home Depot and sometimes I am tempted to get one and try it out.

When I learned to weld at Grummans in Bethpage we only learned TIG and Stick. Wire feed was new. I first bought a cheap Flux core welder to do my 4 Chevy Pick up.

I learned the hard way, that a flx core weld on body panels is a hard and brittle weld. You well eventually have a stress crack in or next to the weld. A machine with the gas set up isn't much more expendsive and you don't have to run a "pure argon mix if you are't doing Aluminum or similar alloy. A 70/30 or 60/40 mix of Co2 and argon will work fine and is MUCH cheaper.

Don't know what is near you in Ozone Park ,but out here the ""buy and sell "(pawn shops) have a good selection cheap too. There was /is a rconditioned and used tool supply store on Jericho Turnpike in Floral Park on the North side just past Hicksville Spring. You can always email me and set up a play date with my welders. Paul

[fxfymn]

Lincoln 225S; A 220 volt wire feed gas shield rig. I love it, but I was a bit surprised when I was at the welding supply house where I bought it this week and I did not see a Lincoln on the floor. I asked the counter guy why and he told me that Lincoln had gotten too expensive in relation to Miller and that Lincoln's customer service left a lot to be desired in comparison to Millers. Not trying to start a brand war, just reporting one sales person's opinion.

One item of consideration might be whether you ever think you will use a spool gun to do aluminum wire. I have noticed that the Miller guns are less expensive and seem more readily available from discounters than the Lincoln's are.

Keep your eye on Craigs list. Machines like mine that are not digital come up occasionally for less than a $1000.00 in my neck of the woods.