Welder for easy jobs

[Garageaholic]

I was thinking of buying one of those campbell hausefeld welders for like $200 to just weld some brackets on my car and maybe some exhaust work, Nothing heavy or for looks....


For simple jobs like that where I dont need professional job, do you think it will suffice?

[RobertK]

JB Weld?

[Rigmaster]

Chances are, that $200 welder will stick a couple of pieces of clean steel together, but it'll probably be ugly and sort of crappy welds. It's probably a "flux core" or "gasless" wire welder. I would recommend that if you do get one of these, get one that has the capability of being upgraded to true MIG, which would require a gas regulator and gas cylinder sometime in the future. Some machines will include a cheap regulator, or offer to sell you a "gas conversion kit" which is usually a regulator and some fittings/hoses. You'll still have to buy/rent/lease the gas cylinder, I would recommend getting it from a local welder's supply store (the gas bottle, NOT the welder).

True MIG welding is typically ALOT better (i.e.- stronger and cleaner) than Flux core or gasless wire welding. It's also alot easier to weld thinner metal (sheet metal, rusty exhaust) without burning holes in it.

So, there's nothing wrong with those cheap-o welders, but if you can spend a little extra $$$ now to get a little nicer welder with MIG capabilities, you'll be ALOT happier when you realize you'd really like to have a MIG welder...


Bret.

[Garageaholic]

thanx alot bret. Good advice!

[2002maniac]

Get a 110v mig with gas capability. After you use the flux-core shit for a while and realize how worthless it is, you can get a bottle and a regulator.

Stick with Miller, lincoln, or hobart. The cheaper brands have problems giving a consistent feed rate and if you break parts, replacements can be impossible to find.

[wastedincome]

If I recall My brother only paid like $200 for a 110v Blue Point Mig from the snap on truck. We always used gas w/ it which cost a lil extra for the reg. & bottle BUT it was a damn good machine. I was awesome for sheet metel,etc and could still do some thicker shit too.
I plan to buy one myself, maybe latter this yaer

[mrsleeve]

Chances are, that $200 welder will stick a couple of pieces of clean steel together, but it'll probably be ugly and sort of crappy welds. It's probably a "flux core" or "gasless" wire welder. I would recommend that if you do get one of these, get one that has the capability of being upgraded to true MIG, which would require a gas regulator and gas cylinder sometime in the future. Some machines will include a cheap regulator, or offer to sell you a "gas conversion kit" which is usually a regulator and some fittings/hoses. You'll still have to buy/rent/lease the gas cylinder, I would recommend getting it from a local welder's supply store (the gas bottle, NOT the welder).

True MIG welding is typically ALOT better (i.e.- stronger and cleaner) than Flux core or gasless wire welding. It's also alot easier to weld thinner metal (sheet metal, rusty exhaust) without burning holes in it.

So, there's nothing wrong with those cheap-o welders, but if you can spend a little extra $$$ now to get a little nicer welder with MIG capabilities, you'll be ALOT happier when you realize you'd really like to have a MIG welder...


Bret.

Ditto

[mspiegle]

i'm in your exact same position, except I plan to do much more than simple stuff.

I talked to the welding teacher at my local college, got the book and his course syllabus. Since I can't take his class next semester and I need to learn this stuff NOW, i'm going to teach myself.

I'm buying:

Lincoln SP-175 MIG Welder
Hobart Auto-Dimming helmet
Gas tank

From everyone i've talked to, that particular Lincoln unit is kick ass. Also, gas welding is MUCH better than any of that other crap (cleaner and higher quality welds)

[2002maniac]

220v FTW! I love the flexibility of my miller 185.

[AndrewBird]

i'm in your exact same position, except I plan to do much more than simple stuff.

I talked to the welding teacher at my local college, got the book and his course syllabus. Since I can't take his class next semester and I need to learn this stuff NOW, i'm going to teach myself.

I'm buying:

Lincoln SP-175 MIG Welder
Hobart Auto-Dimming helmet
Gas tank

From everyone i've talked to, that particular Lincoln unit is kick ass. Also, gas welding is MUCH better than any of that other crap (cleaner and higher quality welds)

Great choice, but I have to disagree on the auto dimming helmet. I hate them. Such a pain in the ass as they are never fully clear when you aren't welding. So much easier just to flip up the hood. I also don’t like trusting my eyesight to something that is battery powered and could fail. Small chance of failure, but there is no failure with a non-dimming. Just a personal preference though.

I also suggest getting a mask with a larger viewing area like this:



instead of like this:

[Justin B]

Just my take on things, your points are valid, and especially trying to find a helmet with a pretty decently sized viewing hole is important. The auto dimming isnt just powered by battery though, and the battery wont die because they all have a sort of solar panel to recharge. Even if it did, the arc of a MIG welder wont blind you if any sort of reaction time exists and you blink to shut your eyes. Ive done it before, accidentally and the worst I got was just a slight headache, next is actually giving your eyeball a little sunburn and like after sleeping it feels like trying to open your eyelids over sand or salt. It takes a while to get that though and its no good :) No first hand experience of that, fortunately. Autodimming helmets are better because you can actually still see what you're doing through the lightly dimmed "clear" view, and yeah it isnt entirely clear but IMO its better than positioning the welder tip, flipping down a non dimming helmet, being completely in the dark, and hoping the welding tip hadnt moved at all. They just make it easier to position to start welding in location and distance from the work.

Dimming > Non-Dimming IMO

Score 1-1 :)

As far as the welder goes, I guess everybody else already mentioned it but be sure to get one that is, or at least can do true MIG welding and that is a good known brand. I have a Miller 175, but its 220v and way overkill for what I'll probably ever need but its nice to have :)

[Rigmaster]

Yep, I prefer my cheap-ass Harbor freight auto dimming helmet to my other flip down types.

Almost all of the auto dimming helmets use the solar power from the welding arc to activate the dimming- no batteries.


Bret.