So after searching the archives, I couldn’t find a thread on recommended welders. So that leads me to this. What is a good welder recommendation for a novice? Never welded before but it doesn’t scare me. Would like a spool fed with the ability to upgrade to gas if I choose. I am needing to do some of the typical work, torque boxes, front apron, etc. Also budget is somewhat of a concern, though I’m not necessarily looking for cheap. Any help is appreciated.
The best thing to do is to get one of the dual-voltage MIG welders: Hobart, Lincoln or Miller. The Hobarts are available at Tractor Supply. They will do all the body welding you’d ever need to do on a car. I wouldn’t wait until later to upgrade to gas shielding. The innershield wire leaves flux residue that needs to be cleaned up. MIG—Metal Inert Gas will leave a clean weld. Watch some MIG welding videos by Jody Collier on Youtube under the name WeldingTipsandTricks.com Really good info. Get yourself a welder with the associated equipment and a bunch of scrap and sheet metals and start welding.
To ccall 29:
I am in the same situation as you and have been doing a lot of research on welders. I admit that the Hobart, Lincoln and Miller welders are all out of my price range. I have been trolling Craigslist and have yet to see a great deal on a used one. During my research, I have come to the conclusion that you should stay away from the Harbor Freight Welders. I have been thinking about getting a welder from Eastwood that has MIG flux wire capability and can use shielding gas. This runs about $280. I admit that I have not pulled the trigger yet and I would like to hear what others think or have heard about this welder. This will also plug into a standard outlet (which I need) as long as you make sure you have enough amps going to the outlet.
I previously had a Chinese made MIG that I got used from a friend…cheap. It did the basics very well and it was an easy step to get me into the MIG world. I got about 10 faithful years out of it. But spare parts like the consumables were getting harder to come by. Then when more important components began to go bad, replacements seemed to be made from unobtanium. When I couldn’t nurse it along any further, I bit the bullet and got this:
It only runs on 220. But the 140 model will run on 110. They also offer a model that does both but that one is about $300 more just for that feature. I prewired my shop with an outlet just for this as a future purchase. The future turned into last year.
All three models will allow for use with both gas and without. They’re very user friendly even for a rookie. It includes a “settings” chart inside the cover to get you dialed in for whatever material thickness you’re working with. After shopping around, I found that Home Depot, Lowe’s and Northern Tool were all the exact same price. While I could have gone local at Lowe’s and HD, I chose to go Northern. Since I don’t have a Northern store in Ohio, I was able to get it online, tax free and free shipping.
For me, the best selling point: American Made. Even better, made here in Cleveland, Ohio. So I never have to worry about finding any parts I might need in the future.
Thanks for the replies. I am leaning towards a Lincoln 2185. It seems that Lowe’s carries it and it runs in the low 300s. I don’t have 220 in my garage. Had I thought about it a few years ago when the basement was finished out, I would have. But I’m not going to tear up the basement ceiling to have the line run.
Asecond question, can I run it off an extension cord? If not, I’ll have to add an outlet closer to where I’ll be working.
Thanks
I run mine all the time on a heavy extension cord. Something with 12 gauge wire in it. If you cannot find a heavy cord, you can make your own cord from 12/2 SJ wire and 20 amp cord ends.
That Eastwood Welder is a relabeled Lincoln Mig-Pak 10. I have the Lincoln Mig-Pak 10 and have been using it for almost 20 years. I’ve thought about replacing it in favor of a dual-voltage Mig like the Hobart 210 MVP. Or the Lincoln version because the Lincoln I’ve had has lasted so long.
There is a big difference in welding with a 110 volt welder versus a 220. The 220 welds so much nicer. The sound of a 110 is kinda like crackly bacon frying. The 220 has more of a whistle to it. The times I’ve used a 220 Mig it has just welded so much nicer than a 110. So, I’d push in the direction of the dual voltage. Cost more–yes. Way better—YES!
There may just come a time when a friend or even yourself needs to weld something heavier than sheet metal. Like a trailer or some tool. It happens to me quite often. Luckily, I have a couple more welders to choose from. A Miller Dial-Arc stick welder and a Miller Syncrowave 300 Tig.
Yes, you can run an extension. But like was said earlier, you’ll want heavy duty.
Since I went 220, I only have the one 220 outlet wired for it. The other two are for the compressor (different plug) and the electric heater (hard wired). I bought a 100 ft. spool of wire (can’t remember the gauge but it’s REALLY heavy.) I also got two male and two female plug ends. I made up one extension that will allow me to reach anywhere in my “dirty room.” It’s 25 ft long. I used the other 75 feet and made a longer extension that will reach ANYWHERE in my building as well as outside should I need to.
All excellent advice…though not high on the priority list, I’ve been in the “hunt” mode for a new buzz box as well. I’m leaning towards a multi-voltage machine.
Millermatic 211 MIG Welder With Advanced Auto-Set 907614
Dang. You guys aren’t making this easy. I see all of your points. I was looking at a Hobart this morning at my local TS. A dual voltage. Makes perfect sense but I don’t foresee a big welding future ahead of me and I’m not certain ID have much of a need after this project. Trying to justify the extra money. Then again…there may be more projects down the road.
If it’s only for one project, maybe find a used 110v Mig with the gas set-up.
I have been looking for the a welder for a while and went to a few welding shops and both places recommended to me the same welder, Lincoln 210mp. check out Lincoln website. It is a little spendy but easy to upgrade, simple to use and very versatile. I hopefully will be buying one soon.
I just checked looks like there is a rebate going on right now.
I had an older 220v welder I picked up at Harbor Freight many many years ago. I was having feed problems and last year I purchased an Eastwood 110v welder, I believe it was model 135 and they had it for $200. For the money it work has worked excellent so far, but I don’t have many hours on it.
I ended up ordering the Lincoln today. Flux core with gas ability. I liked the price point for my intentions. I’ve got some scrap to practice with before I take on any real work.
Which model Lincoln? Practice with the fluxcore wire. When it comes to welding on your car, get the 75/25 Argon C02 gas. Gas shielding is so much nicer to work with.
It’s the handy MIG. Hopefully will suffice for my needs. One thing about it is that the voltage setting is limited, but I’ll give it go.
That has the same amperage capacity as my Lincoln Mig Pak 10. I’ve been using mine for almost 20 years. This unit will work really good for sheet metal and welding exhaust pipes. It’ll even work good on heavier stuff like a crossmember. Like I mentioned earlier, I can’t emphasize enough about how much nicer it is to weld with sheilding gas.
If you are welding sheet metal, you are going to want to use the .023 wire. The smaller wire will heat faster allowing a shorter duration of weld time—which is what you want for sheet metal. The more you heat the sheet metal, the more likely it is to warp.