Help! What welder to buy--------?

[E30DriftMissile]

Okay soooo as the title states im looking to grab a welder to fab up my downpipe and pick at my engine bay abit. Itl be my first time welding my own stuff. I dont know much about it but those suckers can be expensive as gold and then cheap and horse shit.....just looking for something that wont break on me and i can lace beads on for my downpipe and ic piping :D
anyy pointers are appreciated
THANKS IN ADVANCE- Ray

[SkiFree]

TIG or MIG?

[Dj Buttchug]

i take it first time welder then its most likely mig

[IronFreak]

First time welder you'll want a mig. you can get welders that run on 120v, but I'm telling you you're going to hate it once you get bit by the welding bug. you'll want to weld everything but will be limited. I would first see if you can get a 220v 30-50amp service. then aim for a mig welder like the miller 175. Thats what I have, LOVE IT, and you have a much wider range of thickness you can weld. Plus it's not much more then a cheap 120v setup. Find some of your local welding shops, A. they are usually running specials on bundle starter packs, $600-900. Or B. see if they have used units. Most likely they've been gone through.

You can look on CL, but with being a newer to welding you're going to get what you pay for and nothing worse then starting out with a welding that doesn't work right.

My 2 cents.

[SkiFree]

. Itl be my first time welding my own stuff.

Based on this comment, it implies he may have previous experience welding, just not for himself.

[IronFreak]

^^true

[theLoneE30]

its going to depend on your experience. I've been welding for years, I can mig, tig, oxyacetylene weld and arc weld. I have a promig 135 from Lincoln electric i use it to weld exhausts, trailer frames, body work. Its a 110v. you really don't want anything smaller than that. and you don't want a cheap welder always buy either "Miller","Hobart",or "Lincolin Electric"

[E30DriftMissile]

Thanks for the input everyone! wow i thought i was going to have to wait a while to get a response.....

[E30DriftMissile]

Based on this comment, it implies he may have previous experience welding, just not for himself.

^^ Good eye. I have welded before but ive always used my buddies shop welder and its also a tig welder.

[E30DriftMissile]

I will be looking to get a mig welder. Tig kind of is too far up the flagpole for me right now and i probably will end up welding everything i see lol

[E30DriftMissile]

First time welder you'll want a mig. you can get welders that run on 120v, but I'm telling you you're going to hate it once you get bit by the welding bug. you'll want to weld everything but will be limited. I would first see if you can get a 220v 30-50amp service. then aim for a mig welder like the miller 175. Thats what I have, LOVE IT, and you have a much wider range of thickness you can weld. Plus it's not much more then a cheap 120v setup. Find some of your local welding shops, A. they are usually running specials on bundle starter packs, $600-900. Or B. see if they have used units. Most likely they've been gone through.

You can look on CL, but with being a newer to welding you're going to get what you pay for and nothing worse then starting out with a welding that doesn't work right.

My 2 cents.

Thats also what my buddy recommended. No offense to him, hes does some rinky dinky stuff sometimes and just wanted other opinions, also what do you mean by amp service?

http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/ele/4083425579.html

this is right by me.....what do you guys think?

[SkiFree]

http://newyork.craigslist.org/jsy/ele/4083425579.html

this is right by me.....what do you guys think?

Doesn't get any better than "God perfect".

[brent5631]

I have a miller 180. I would get that or a little more for the 211. That's the most amperage you can get in the small case miller's.

[E30DriftMissile]

Doesn't get any better than "God perfect".

trolll had a feeling someone would comment on that

[E30DriftMissile]

btw thanks everyone for your input!