Welding - what to buy

[cwatt]

Hi everyone,

So I've taken on a project car and am very excited about it. I knew prior to buying the car that it had some minor rust that needed to be addressed. This is my first project involving bodywork, so I'm going to need some tools and supplies.

I have welded before in the past, but suffice it to say I'm as green as they come. From my own research, it seems a MIG welder is my best bet, although I'm not sure where to even get the tank of gas ...or which gas it even is.

I'm hoping for some advice here. In all honesty, all welders look the same to me, but somehow they go from $199 to $999 very quickly.


thanks for taking the time to read & respond.

- Colin

[jaywood]

Do you plan on using the welder only for some sheet metal body work? Or do you plan on building other stuff with it?

[ttrousdell]

I bought a 110v lincoln welder for minor body work. Its pretty powerful and should be able to fufill all your needs. Believe it cost me about 300 dollars. You wont want a pos but then again you wont need a 1k top of the line miller either. I use flux core wire so i havent needed gas. Mig is good for the green welder.

[cwatt]

Do you plan on using the welder only for some sheet metal body work? Or do you plan on building other stuff with it?

Awesome question. I would actually like to use it for other projects, yes. I've always wanted to get into furniture building, which often involves minor metal-work. Having a welder that can make good, clean welds would therefore be important for aesthetic reasons (to minimize splatter / clean-up).

[Gertech]

A decent 110v welder would cover your needs it seems. I have a Hobart that runs on 220v, but I think everything I've done with it could be done with a 110. Anything from Miller, Hobart, or Lincoln is going to be a good machine. Also, use gas and not flux-core unless you don't care about the appearance of your welds. #2 gas is a mixture of argon and Co2, most commonly used for welding mild steel. You should be able to buy gas wherever you get the welder.

[cwatt]

What defines a welder as 'cheap' or 'good' though? Manufacturing quality or price? Miller MIG equipment seems to be almost twice the cost as anyone else I see. How can it be twice the machine?

[AndrewBird]

Stick with Lincoln/Miller/Hobart. They are all priced very similar. Don't buy a harbor freight or equivalent welder, they are GARBAGE. Lots of plastic parts, not enough constant amperage and just all around bad quality. A good welder will last a lifetime, so it's worth spending a little more.

I HIGHLY recommend a welder with infinitely variable amperage control rather then a 4-position selector knob. This allows you to very finely adjust the amperage for the material you are welding. BIG help with thin stuff.

I have a Lincoln 140C 110v unit and love it. Does everything from sheet metal all the way up to 1/4" plate. Easy to set, well made, just an all around good machine. Miller's equal counterpart is very good as well. I only went with Lincoln because it was on sale at the time. I paid ~$800 for it along with a small bottle of gas.

As far as gas, for mild steel you want a CO2/Argon blend. More info here:

http://www.airgas.com/content/details.aspx?id=7000000000147

As far as where to buy it, look for a welding supply in your area. They will likely also be able to sell you a welder.

[IronFreak]

Get yourself an electrician buddy to properly wire in a 230v single phase outlet. Then you can pickup a nice little Miller 135. it'll have a higher duty cycle as well and be about the same price. Trust me, not only have I been welding for a long time I have owned both 110v and 230v welders...there is a huge difference. I have done all the welding on my car, building the rotisserie and cage ect. with the miller 135 and I love it. you can usually go to Linweld/Airgas/praxair and get that welder in a starter kit (includes everything you need minus tank) for under $1000.