Welders

[94 Pathy]

Alright all you welding guru's....

 

I'm wanting to get into a little welding. I don't have the money to go out and buy an expensive welder that will do everything. I want to plug & play. So, with that said, I'm looking at a "Northen Tool" 125 Flux core welder for $150.00. "Harbor Freight" also has a 120 amp, 230 volt Mig & Flux welder for $130.00. I was reading the reviews & they both sound really good & performed better then what they are rated for. The Northern tool brand was a plug& weld, while the Harbor Freight you needed to get a few extras to be ready to plug & weld.

 

So, I'm asking for the guru's help if I purchased one of these welders, would I be able to weld up plates for my rusted frame & possibly weld up some bumpers? I was told I couldn't & NO WAY could I use it if I'm wanting to do a roll-cage.

 

Thanks for all your imput everyone!

[BoneZ]

Alright all you welding guru's....

 

I'm wanting to get into a little welding. I don't have the money to go out and buy an expensive welder that will do everything. I want to plug & play. So, with that said, I'm looking at a "Northen Tool" 125 Flux core welder for $150.00. "Harbor Freight" also has a 120 amp, 230 volt Mig & Flux welder for $130.00. I was reading the reviews & they both sound really good & performed better then what they are rated for. The Northern tool brand was a plug& weld, while the Harbor Freight you needed to get a few extras to be ready to plug & weld.

 

So, I'm asking for the guru's help if I purchased one of these welders, would I be able to weld up plates for my rusted frame & possibly weld up some bumpers? I was told I couldn't & NO WAY could I use it if I'm wanting to do a roll-cage.

 

Thanks for all your imput everyone!

 

I am sure some other people will disagree with me but, I would go with the harbor freight one as you can add a regulator and tank later to use it as a MIG welder instead of a flux core welder. You could box the frame, make bumpers and a cage with that welder But I don't think I would trust them to hold up to any abuse or a rollover.

Edited August 31, 2010 by BoneZ

[adamzan]

A flux core welder will work just fine to repair a rusty frame.

[Precise1]

Ok, I don't weld but I have looked into teaching myself and buying a welder and this is the basics as I understand it. The price of the welder doesn't reflect it's penetration per se, but the duty cycle, how long it lasts and adjustability/ease of use.

Penetration is estimated by amperage and voltage (the 120amp 230 volt should weld deeper than the 125amp 110 volt unit?)

If you are welding 1/8 inch DOM tubing for a roll cage a 110amp 110 volt welder should do as good as a 200amp 220 volt Lincoln welder costing 10x as much. It may take longer due to the duty cycle but the welds should both penetrate all the way through. If you are trying to weld together a trailer hitch out of 1/4" tubing and plate, don't even try with the 110 volt one as it won't penetrate, you'd have to use the more powerful (and expensive) Lincoln model.

 

I agree, go with the HF welder since it can be converted to MIG, a major plus, not to mention I'm pretty sure it has more welding penetration due to being 230 volt.

 

I highly recommend buying a book on welding and reading up, both before you start welding, and probably before you buy a welder. I can recommend a good, complete guide when I get home...

 

B

[94 Pathy]

Thanks fellas!

I figured it should work so I can drive if not tow the Pathy 2hrs. I could always have someone later touch it up & make it stronger. I think I'll be getting myself a new welder with-in the next few weeks.

 

Figured it couldn't be a bad buy even for getting my feet wet with welding.

 

Thanks again for your input. I do have a book on welding also. Goes over all the different kinds of welding units.

Edited August 31, 2010 by 94 Pathy

[BoneZ]

Thanks fellas!

I figured it should work so I can drive if not tow the Pathy 2hrs. I could always have someone later touch it up & make it stronger. I think I'll be getting myself a new welder with-in the next few weeks.

 

Figured it couldn't be a bad buy even for getting my feet wet with welding.

 

Thanks again for your input. I do have a book on welding also. Goes over all the different kinds of welding units.

 

I have the harbor freight welder, I didn't mean to make it sound like it couldn't do the frame it can its bumpers, and a roll cage I wouldn't really trust it on, Although I might use it on a none winch bumper, but in no way would I trust it for a cage. On the other hand It is not a bad welder great to learn with. It can do many small jobs with ease. When you said roll cage is what made the stop sign pop up in my head, A roll cage is not something that you want to gamble on, A poorly welded cage can do more damage then good in some cases.

[KovemaN]

Figured it couldn't be a bad buy even for getting my feet wet with welding.

 

You definitely don't want to get your feet wet when you are welding

 

Kidding aside, I bought a used Lincoln 155 amp for $250 and I couldn't be happier. It's a 230 volt, but it came with a 40' extension cable so I can plug it into my dryer outlet. I used to have a 120v Lincoln. That was nice since I could plug it in anywhere that had a 20 amp circuit. If you end up liking welding which is highly likely, you will really want the 230 volt unit.

 

Penetration is estimated by amperage and voltage (the 120amp 230 volt should weld deeper than the 125amp 110 volt unit?)

 

Close. The voltage is the rated voltage which is usually around 20-25v DC. With the 230v welder I have noticed that the arc is much more stable thus making the welding easier and cleaner. It also has a higher duty cycle. Since most welders have similar output voltages the only way to get more penetration is to go with more amps.

[Precise1]

Thanks for the clarification, I'm learning.

 

If I get a house soon, I should be able to get a 220 volt welder instead of the 110 unit I've haven't bought yet...

 

B

[94 Pathy]

I really really appreciate all the info. With me not having any welding experience @ all, but wanting to learn & find it facinating. I'll keep everyone posted & show some of my work if I feel it's presentable.

[KovemaN]

Two words: Scrap - Practice

[jj big shoe]

^^What he said. I'm no welder but I started with small, non-structural stuff and got the feel(sort of)before making my panhard bar drop bracket. I think the next thing will be a roof rack (still non-structural), then sliders and bumpers. I'm hoping I'll be to the point where I'm welding more than I'm grinding after building the rack. Right now my "total welding time" is about 65% grinding.

[nunya]

Two words: Scrap - Practice

What it's all about right there. books will get you some of the fundamentals and basics but theres no replacement for some hands on learning time

[Kingman]

We've got a Harbor Freight wire-feed welder that we got on sale. It works just fine...

[JamesRich]

My brother has a hobart 140A 110 volt machine, and it works great. The biggest difference with the cheaper machines is the duty cycle. As long as you don't try to make one two foot long bead you will be fine.

James

[pathblazin420]

im certified n been welding for about 1/4 of my life (im only 20 hahah) so i got a lil experience

 

if ur gonna be welding anything over 5/16th i would def. recommend you get a 200+ amp welder. the 110 works great for thinner stuff but does not provide the penetration(VERY IMPORTANT) needed to do thick frames. a lot of people think that if the weld holds at first then its fine........if there is no penetration after a couple vibrations and hits that weld will break!

 

i did my whole s10 chassies in 1/4 in 2x4 tubing so without a 220 i woulda been screwed

 

i also would not recommend buy anything from harbor freight. horrible quality

 

also make sure you know what you are doing before you weld something on your vehicle that could possibly endanger other peoples lives on the road!

 

i use lincoln only and that is what i recommend. great customer service also

Edited September 2, 2010 by pathblazin420