What welder should I buy ?

[RemCharger]

I use mine the most to get broken bolts out. Once you master that you're a local super- hero lol. Sadly.

 

[kiwigtx]

Looks like Mig is leading the pack.

 

[1 Wild R/T]

Mig is easy to use, pretty versatile & can be pretty inexpensive...

 

[1 Wild R/T]

I own two Migs, a 120v Hobart 140 with gas & an old Snap On 230v 250 amp unit.... And a Victor oxy/acetylene set... 90% of the time I'll use the Hobart... It's small & light & I can plug it in practically anywhere...

 

[Scott Engelhardt]

I have a Lincoln Magnum 250. I bought it in the late 90’s, it has been a great welder.

 

[eldubb440]

I have a Lincoln Magnum 250. I bought it in the late 90’s, it has been a great welder.

they do seem to be indestructible......mine deserves a cleanup for it's 20th birthday

 

[cornpicker]

Don't be afraid of the Tig for 1/4 & thicker, but you need a machine that you can turn up the power to weld it properly. I very rarely use my Lincoln MIG anymore except for tacking things in real bad places. I'm installing floor pan pieces in a 66 Coronet right now , butt welding everything with the TIG using silicon bronze as the filler. It can withstand much more vibration and is ideal for sheet metal.

 

[KiwiKid72]

maybe it's just the cheap welder....... if you're using flux core, that won't help either

Thanks, but no. It's me. My daughter's welds are great.

 

[PlymCrazy]

I learned to MIG in my dad's body shop growing up but always wanted to learn welding more thoroughly. I took some formal lessons a few years ago and was taught on a Hobart 140. After that I went out and bought the same machine for my shop. It's a skill that's perfect for the hobby.

 

[toolmanmike]

Lincoln is a big name brand out here also.

Brand names are important. By from who can provide service, repair, and consumables.

 

[1968rt]

Bought the Hobart 210 MVP. Multi voltage and a spool gun for aluminum. It works awesome.

 

[PROSTOCKTOM]

Since no one has really mentioned wire size I'll touch on that. I have a really nice Miller 180 220V MIG that I run .030" wire in with 75% Argon 25% CO2 mix gas. It's a fabulous welder, but as previously mentioned it's really hard to weld really thin steel metal (body panels with), so I bought a Miller 140 110V that I run .023" wire through for thinner jobs, also using 75% Argon 25% CO2 mix gas with it. The welder you decide to buy is totally dependant on the jobs you think you'll be into the most. If all you plan to work on are thinner metals then a 130-140 amp, 110V machine with thin .023" wire is the best option. If you intend to weld 1/4" all the time get a 220V machine and use .030" wire.

Tom

 

[toolmanmike]

Since no one has really mentioned wire size I'll touch on that. I have a really nice Miller 180 220V MIG that I run .030" wire in with 75% Argon 25% CO2 mix gas. It's a fabulous welder, but as previously mentioned it's really hard to weld really thin steel metal (body panels with), so I bought a Miller 140 110V that I run .023" wire through for thinner jobs, also using 75% Argon 25% CO2 mix gas with it. The welder you decide to buy is totally dependant on the jobs you think you'll be into the most. If all you plan to work on are thinner metals then a 130-140 amp, 110V machine with thin .023" wire is the best option. If you intend to weld 1/4" all the time get a 220V machine and use .030" wire.

Tom

This ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

 

[747mopar]

Depends on a lot of things but the easy answer is a 110V MIG with gas and I'd buy a reputable brand. TIG is great but it's not very handy in a lot of cases, you need both hands, difficult to use in odd area's, takes way more practice, etc. Stick sucks for any sheet metal work so that's right out the door for me. If you have the funds I'd buy a 220V vs 110V so you're not limited although the 110V has a smaller gun which can be helpful. My little 110 Lincoln has been a great welder but there's been many times that I had to fire up the old stick for some thicker steel.

I don't know how it works down there but here in the states you don't buy welders, chainsaws, air compressors, etc from home improvement centers or tractor supply store chains unless you want homeowner grade equipment. There's a substantial difference in quality when you buy professional grade so that's something to consider.

 

[kiwigtx]

Whichever one I buy it will be 230 Volt supplied. That's just how we roll down under.

Thanks for all the great input here.

 

[cornpicker]

That's the great thing about getting a TIG with a FOOT PEDAL ! If you have real thin sheet metal you can use .040 tungsten and turn your machine down and still have the AMP range on your foot pedal. I have Tig welded complete NOS quarter panels on and the body guy said he wished ALL this type of work came into his shop like this !

 

[1STMP]

How about all three?

 

[RemCharger]

Whichever one I buy it will be 230 Volt supplied. That's just how we roll down under.

Thanks for all the great input here.

Well you guys don't make welders we do. So pick one .220 or 240.

 

[451Mopar]

I voted MIG also. I'd recommend taking some welding lessons. MIG, TIG, Stick (SMAW) are actually welding processes. The machines are just different power supplies and accessories.
An AC-DC "TIG" machine has the most adjustable power source. It is common to stick (SMAW) weld with a TIG machine. You can add a wire feeder or spool gun to a TIG also, but really, most MIG welders are so inexpensive that everyone just buys the MIG machine.
Stick (SMAW) welding machines are inexpensive, but is better suited for thicker steel and where shield gasses could be blown away.
One draw back of SMAW is that the electrodes (flux coated sticks) need to be kept dry.

I haven't looked in several years, but you might be able to find an inexpensive multi-process welding machine. Usually setup mostly as a MIG, but can do SMAW, and DC TIG (usually with lift start.) I picked up a Tweeco fabricator 181i multi-process machine for about $500 when they were being discontinued.
It MIG welds good, but the TIG accessories are really cheap quality. This is a 230 Volt machine so it will do thicker steel than my old Hobart 110 volt MIG machine.
The 110 volt machine is nice as I can use it at friends houses that don't have 230 Volt power outlets, and it will do most car related welding stuff.
I do have an expensive Miller Dynasty 280 TIG machine so I'm a bit spoiled with it. The remote foot controller costs about what the entire MIG machine costs.
I got the TIG mostly for welding Aluminum (and other materials) which takes alot of power, so it has a water cooled torch. TIG with an air cooled torch is fine at about 120 Amps and lower or for short durations, but the torch will start getting hot. The issue I have with TIG is it can get very specialized, and there is so many different accessories. Cups (size, shape, materials), collet sizes for different tungsten diameters, and different tungsten electrode blends (or colors) for different applications. Then you need a dedicated grinder to sharpen the tungsten, and different types and sizes of filler materials when working an different alloy materials. Then some materials may require a special gas blend too, and back purging with gas.

Don't forget that you will want a good adjustable auto-darking helmet, gloves, grinder and discs to clean/prep the metal, and a bunch of other safety gear and welding accessories.

Not too many mention the good old oxy-acetylene welding setup. But no electrical power needed, and great for heating, bending, cutting, brazing, and gas welding.

 

[kiwigtx]

Well you guys don't make welders we do. So pick one .220 or 240.