MIG Welder

[Dean Lydey]

I'm looking for a welder recommendation. I'd like to get a small MIG welder, 120VAC unit. I'm looking for a simple to use hobby kinda tool. $200 to $400 range I hope.

Is there anything to look for a steer away from?

 

[trucker 40]

A welder is something that small is not good.To really weld somthing thicker than sheet meatal you need a good 220 volt welder.They make good 115 volt welders nowdays,but you need to be a real good welder to weld with them.
You can weld a lot better weld with a 220 volt machine,even if its a small portable one.
For 400 dollars you might look long and hard on Craigs list and see if you can find a good 220 welder there.You would be way better off with a good used 220 welder that works good and you can get parts for,than a cheap brand new 115 volt welder that runs flux core and has no way of hooking gas to it.
There are lots of things to think about with a MIG welder.One thing is what kind of tips and stuff it uses and can you get them very easy and if it breaks down can you get parts to fix it.If you buy a cheap welder,and it breaks,you might have to go buy another welder because you cant get parts for it.
For 400 dollars its possible to buy a good used Lincoln,maybe a Miller,or Hobart,portable type,but it ought to be 220 volt.If you just have to have a 115 volt welder because you dont have good enough wiring,then you need to either have a real good extension cord and not any longer than what you need,or plug it directly in to a good wall out let that has a good sized wire running to the breaker box.If you make a long weld on a cheap 115 volt welder and have a small extension cord,it will probably overheat,or kick a breaker or a reset button.Just another reason to get a 220 one to start with.

 

[Ken-Pa]

I'd recommend the Miller 130 . I've had a Miller 110 Cricket for several years with no regrets at all . They only made it a couple years , then came out with the 130 to replace it .I've heard the 130 is a great little machine . It plugs into any 120v receptacle . Uses .030-.050 wire I believe . Also get yourself a bottle of Argon with the regulater . They weld much nicer with gas even tho some guys will argue the point . My 110 welds aluminum nicely also , but that takes a different type of gas . One warning (or advice) is : Don't lend it out . You will find a lot of new freinds when they hear you have one . My experience anyhow . Good luck with your decision & God bless

 

[Anonymous-0]

What do you want to weld with your new welder? If you want to do general welding on anything above 1/8" material, you'll probably want a 220 machine. Stay away from brands like Campbell Hausefeld and similar machines. Stick with Lincoln and Miller/Hobart and buy from a welding supply. They may have a demo booth and should have more knowledgeable sales people to help you. Parts will be readily available as well. I'd get at least a 140 amp machine and a 180 would be even better. You might have to spend a little more than $400 though. Don't go for a machine that only burns the flux-core wire. Dave

 

[36 Coupe]

I bought a used Miller 130 for 300 bucks.Several rolls of wire , a leather jacket and hand tools came with it.Fellow I bought it from had inherited from his father and had no use for it.The 130 weighs 65 pounds, watch out for cheap welders that weigh a lot less.That means they have a small transformer.Mig welders have a lot of parts that can fail.You need parts backup.

 

[Brother Dave]

The only input I have is watch your duty cycle. Most of the inexpensive migs have as low as 10% duty cycle. That"s 6 minutes out of an hour. Have a friend with a 110 volt century mig down now with all eight diodes blown along with the control board $200 + shipping. Ouch!!

 

[case50]

Hi: I have a Licoln 110volt 140amp that I got at Lowe"s Home Inprovement I had real good luck with, If you have to weld thick steel just do more passes.

 

[730d se]

There are several, basically like cars depends on what you like. On the 110 volt end, they are basically the same.
I have a Lincoln 110 Mig that is 6 years old. It has been everything I wanted and more.
I have a Lincoln AC/DC 220 volt buzz box for heavy stuff.

 

[Stan in Oly, WA]

Lighter also indicates that any part which can be made of plastic rather than metal is plastic. Drive rollers for the wire feed are the most obvious, and possibly the most critical place where you will see this.

Stan

 

[bc]

Finally. Another welding question to get away from the electric questions.

I'm no welding expert but I welded once in a town that has a Holiday Inn. I'd say buy the cheapest 120v mig you can find since you won't be happy with it and it will end up being a door stop anyway. That way you aren't out much money. They are a dime a dozen for under a hundred bux on craigslist. Then take a couple pieces of metal with you and try it out first. If it doesn't work at the seller's place, then you don't want it anyway.

I've got a Crapsman/Century mig. Can't get any penetration with .035 flux core wire and it just wants to gob on weld. It would probably work better with .023 wire solid wire and gas but I don't want to buy expensive gas bottles that only last about an hour and then they don't work outside in the wind.

Save your money for an ac/dc stick welder. The mig isn't saving you any money if you have to buy gas all the time. Check with the welding supply as it costs over a hundred bux to buy the bottle and then refills run around 50 give or take.

Seriously though, if you haven't used one, go try one somewhere with some stuff you want to weld. Tain't that easy. Then you have to put your pieces of tubing or angle iron in a vise to check the penetration and strength. Places with new ones won't let you try one out so that is why I suggest calling some of those listed on Craig's list or find a buddy who has one. Then if you don't like it, pay a buck or two for the wire you used. If the feed tension or rollers don't work, then you just as well figure it out there before buying. There is a reason they sell them on Craigslist and that's because they aren't happy with them and couldn't make them work.

I had a guy use one to weld some angle iron brackets on my horse trailer. I pulled on them and they broke off. He couldn't get any penetration either even though it leaves a nice weld bead. I had a broken bolt to get out of the tractor. Tried welding a nut and then a washer and nut to it but it would never penetrate into the bolt and hold.

 

[trucker 40]

Sounds like you are trying to weld way too cold.If you go to this website it has a section about setting aMIG with pictures and maybe a video.You also need your metal you are welding to be clean and cut your wire off every time before you weld http://www.weldingtipsand tricks.com/Mig-welding-tips.html

 

[Anonymous-0]

Duty cycle is always based on a 10 minute period. You don't add the 10 minute periods together. Yes, a lot of the cheaper welders have 10 to 20% duty cycles so you spend a lot of time waiting for the machine to cool off. A 10% duty cycle would mean if you welded continuously for 1 minute, you'd have to wait 9 minutes to do your next weld. Duty cycle is usually based on a high setting on a machine and will be higher when the machine is used at lower currents. Dave

 

[DoubleR]

I was in the same boat as you a year ago. I didn't know how to weld, still don't. Anyway I brought a hobart 140 at TSC on sale. Got a big argon tank too. It works good for small stuff but as others say you may want something bigger for anything 1/4 inch thick or more. Hobart has good support you can call with questions. I have always had good luck returning things at TSC too. Plus TSC would sell it tax excempt for farm use.

 

[cd1]

go to the welding store and price some good units first, I have seen ragged out miller migs sell at auctions for more that comparable new millers.

 

[Husker44A]

Get yourself a good wirefeed. Miller or Hobart. Check around for a higher duty cycle. The higher the better. For the wire use .030-.035. USE GAS, NOT ARGON as Argon is FOR ALUMINUM ONLY. Get a big Bottle of 75% co2,25% Argon. Most new welders come with gas attatchment already if it dont buy a welder that does. You will be a lot happier if you do.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Yeah, that MIG welding just won't penetrate.

Must be why Ford used it to build all those Explorer frames. I worked at a company from 2000-2005 making frames for Ford Explorers, and the ONLY stick welders on the premises were the ones the maintenance guys used to repair the fixtures. The frames were welded with Miller DeltaWeld units, using solid core .045" ER70S-6 wire and 75%CO2/25% Argon gas mix. The weld torches were Abicor Binzel units, and I thought they worked pretty darn well.

Now, I know the Miller DeltaWeld units aren't in the $400 or less range...but Miller and Hobart [really a budget Miller] make welders in that range that will probably work for what the original poster intended.

 

[fort67]

I bought a gold seal 422(miller). I've had it for years. I use 35 flux core wire since I use it as portable machine with generator for gate repairs and welding tail pcs. On cantilever gates. It' s at it's max to burn sch.40 2 1/2" together but she'll do it. I've welded ones up to 63' with it. That's alot of overhang with 40' out on the end. At the the shop I use a millermatic 185 I bought years ago from Roush racing. Just a good solid machine. For most cases I would say Hobart 140 . Great price used alot around our local shops and also the lincoln .

 

[Stihl Man]

Dont listen to this idiot. Have had a Lincoln SP100 since 91. If it died today i would buy a new one. Go to a reputable welding supply dealer and buy. Name brands have good part and tech support. Learn how to weld and those 120v welders can do amazing things. No training and a $4000 dollar machine will give poor results.