Help me pick out a welder

[SappySE107]

Ive talked to a few people about this but the more people the better. Price range depends on what it does. I need a mig welder for sure, and if I can pull off aluminum with that then so be it. I have looked at generators that allow stick/mig/tig welding with attachments as well so that may be the best solution...I dunno.

I will be making headers, custom intake manifolds, chassis fabrication, and god knows what else besides those things. Suspension parts, brake mounts, roll cage, whatever. Aluminum and steel.

I was told the Millermatic 350P was the mig to get and the syncrowave 250 (not the DX if I can get a 250) for tig welding.

Im a newbie...0 seconds experience:P

My friend will probably go in on this but I have 3k to drop on it alone and will start with 1 setup to get used to it and do some beta testing for parts.

[v6h.o.]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

Tig. be done with it and get a TIG man. a buddy of mine picked one up a few months ago, -stainless, alum welding, regular mild steel. it does it all. and its relatively easy to learn.

MIG just has the advantage of being able to tac weld shit together easier.

[Lyle's GTP]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

I used a Miller TIG and it worked great. I have also heard great things about Lincoln TIG's as well. The best MIG only welder I have used is by far the Lincoln. I know what you should get, because I have welded aluminum alot. You must have a liquid cooled TIG gun and your machine must have high frequency A/C and square wave capability. Oh, also a foot start/amp control switch is a must. Plus, I wouldn't go with a machine that puts out less than 300 Amps.

I wouldn't consider a MIG for welding aluminum. They work OK for structural stuff but for anything small/intricate it will never work. If you want to do serious aluminum/non-ferrous, you have to get a TIG.

I don't think there are any multi process machines worth considering. Both Lincoln's and Miller's machines don't have A/C TIG capability. Which is essential for welding non-ferrous metals. I would start with a good TIG/ARC machine then buy a MIG later. Because realisticaly you can do anything with a TIG/ARC set-up. MIG's are great but if you are doing mostly small projects it's not nessesary.

Here are a couple machines I would recommend in your price range.

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/equipmentdatasheet.asp?P=5406

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/tig/syncrowave_250_dx/

Here are a couple MIG's as well. I have used both of these machines and they are both great. I do however think that the Lincoln machine is alot nicer.

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalog/equipmentdatasheet.asp?P=2522

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig/millermatic_251/

Personaly I would buy Lincoln, but it's all up to you. Hope this helps.

Lyle

[bszopi]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

I've got my eye set on a Miller, just because all the people I have talked to that have used one have no complaints. Oh, that and they use them on OCC.

You might also look into ESAB.

[RacerX11]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

My opinion, MIG is the automatic ransmission of the welding world. Very easy to use, not as much setup time as TIG. TIG is like a stick-shift....allows more performance, but requires more skil and operator input. I have the Millermatic 135 MIG, and am very happy with it. It does ~90% of what I need it to do. Mild steel, aluminum, stainless. I can do up to 1/4" thick mild steel with ease (The specs only call out for 3/16", but that is at an extended duty cylce; for short periods of time you can weld up to 1/4"). The biggest thing MIG is not good at is welding aluminum that must seal, such as radiators. If there is a pin-hole leak, you cannot re-flow the material like with a TIG, so you either grind it down and re-weld that area, or just add more material on top, which looks like a$$. Aluminum thinner than 1/8" is also a no-go, unless you et really good, and use a spoolgun. When used properly, the TIG will provide the best looking welds, hands-down.

The 110V MIG's are not as good at welding the thick stuff as the 220V units, but if you don't plan to so anything thicker than 1/4" steel, the 110V will work. Plus, they are smaller, and lighter, and can be used in more locations, whereas the 220V units require a 220V outlet where you are welding. One thing to look out for with the MIG's is the controls. Most cheaper units (Century, Hobart, low-end Lincoln) only provide an infinite wire speed control, with a 4 or 5-tap finite current control. This finite current control can be tough to get just the right amount of heat. I used some of these units, and often found mysef too hot on one seting, too cold on the next lower setting, with nowhere to go in between. The higher-end 110V units use an infinite current control, along with the infinite wire speed, to get just the right heat.

TIG will do everything you need it to do, but it is harder to master, more expensive, and can take longer to weld a given piece. I have acces to both the MIG and TIG, and there are a lot of times I would rather use the MIG (personal preference)

If it were me, I would spend ~$550 on a decent 110V MIG (Millermatic 135 or Lincoln SP135, I have used both units, and they are good performers) for basic welding, then spend the remaining money on a decent squarewave TIG.

Another good idea is to take a welding class at the local communty colege (if available). This can expose you to all of the different welding methods, and help you decide which one you like best. Also, some welding supply shops have demo areas where you can try out the different units to see how they perform

Marty

[SappySE107]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

Thanks for the input Im going to check those links in a sec. I will be running 220 volt for sure, none of this 110 crap:P I have no experience so this is why I have been told by others to go with the MIG. Of course, I have been told to learn on a stick welder too but that seems like a hotter soldering pen setup to me....im so stupid with welders. Ill be doing mostly thinner metals for now, 16 guage I would imagine. The intake I am planning to weld up will be 1/2" to 3/8" thick aluminum at most.

[SappySE107]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

Oh, and I can just get the tig myself and my friend can get a mig. That would be fine with me. Ill be getting plenty of scrap metals to test with, and read the welding book again and get some videos. I wish there was a welding class here but I didnt see anything listed. Maybe when I move up north eventually I can get a class to take. I think im a pretty fast learner though, and god knows I don't have a job or school so practice time is plentiful:P

Final appearance will be critical since I am building my business on this welder decision. Oh, and if I can spend less and get a sweet TIG, thats more money for buying supplies and other stuff for the store

[Lyle's GTP]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

Well, Ben I think you should buy the one of the TIG units I listed, and get your friend to buy one of the MIG's. For your purposes They will be the best choice. You could go smaller on the MIG but it won't be as versitile. Since you are looking long-term and on a business basis, I wouldn't go too cheap. For training purposes, taking a class is a great idea, but a good book and lots of practice will be an excellent option. I have a welding book published by Lincoln and it is extremely consise and complete. I find when it comes to making quality welds. You must know what your welds SHOULD look like. Then it's all a matter of of practice and trial-and-error.

Lyle

[SappySE107]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

The miller you listed was the same as the guy at the welding supply place told me, though the older model. I just passed one up on ebay...well, only bid 2000. damn...oh well. Ill keep my eyes open for it.

I know ill need a cart, and some gas and probably add a water cooler if that will help. Im gonna need help with the accesories as well

[GPXSS]

RE: Help me pick out a welder

The biggest help to you that taking a class will provide is instructor guidance. You can practice weld all you want on your own and more than likely make it work without problems... but having someone with lots of experience to show you the proper procedures and techniques goes a long way.

I agree with what others have said. Tig for small intricate work or aluminum, Mig for general purpose steel (spoolgun if general purpose aluminum).

I have the Millermatic 135 and sofar it has done everything I need it to. If I was building a tube chassis or rollcage, id go 220v (millermatic 185 i think is the next step up)

[Streetrodder83]

If your looking to get a decent price on a welder check out www.weldingmart.com you can pick-up a Lincoln Precision Tig 185 for $1664 and free shipping. They sell there welders at corporate discount rates, cheapest I have found. One thing in considering TIG is that it isn't the easiest welding process to start off with, especially if you have no welding experience. Getting pieces welded together isn't the problem it's getting the proper bead profile that takes time to master and what makes it frustrating at times. But, if your friend is willing to get a MIG then I would say go ahead and purchase a TIG at the same time. Just start out on the MIG first to get familiar with the process.

[SappySE107]

The biggest problem I have now is the whole package. The welder itself is within range, but then add 1500 for helmet, pedal, cooler, cart, tank, lots of other stuff that I dont know yet....yikes!

[RacerX11]

BR Welder http://www.brwelder.com/indexTemplate.cfm is another very competitive place to buy. I don't know that they carry Lincoln products any more, but they are also free shipping with discount prices. Don't knock the 110 welders until you have tried them and found them to be inadequate.

Marty

[SappySE107]

Im just saying, why go 110 when I have 220 at the house and 220 at the shop I want to get into? I have been told 220 is better than 110 for a welder. If 110s didnt do the job, i doubt they would make them:P

[patgizz]

you should take a ride out here and ask my dad to show you the ropes. we don't have a tig, but we have a mig and a stick welder. he's trained and certified in just about every kind of welding there is.

i need a tig, a tubing notcher, and some other choice stuff. then i'll be set up to build roll cages without buying a car specific kit.