decent welder under $300?

FX4 · #1 03-17-2011, 09:28 AM

for those of you that weld well.... any decent units around that price? I'm mainly looking to weld car related stuff here and there and maybe some house hold items (nothing heavy duty)... want to get started on a custom front bumper as well as I have a decent amount of 1" square tubing and sheet metal. I'm pretty handy with ARC welding as I used to work in a truck chassis shop and that's all we used there. Never really learned MIG/TIG welding though. Was looking at the lincoln electric K2188-1 flux core or the Campbell Hausfeld 115 volt MIG/Flux Core Welder (WG216001AV), any imput? Thanks

Rafal

fordboy95 · #2 03-17-2011, 01:35 PM

i got my lincoln mig for around 300 dollars it is a 140c. It is a pretty handy lil welder, it works with flexcore too

benny27 · #3 03-19-2011, 04:35 AM

stick with the name brands lincoln miller hobart
get one that you can use with gas not just flux core

I have a hobart 140 and I love it

transfercase · #4 03-20-2011, 09:14 PM

Might look for a used one for that price range. Hobart is usually the cheapest of the big 3 brands and the cheapest I found their 125 was for 359. Get used or spend a couple hundred more on a new one.

dryin · #5 03-25-2011, 04:36 AM

u wouldnt wnna acr weld car parts tho would u ?

knightmare1015 · #6 03-26-2011, 07:53 AM

I found one in super walmart by Lincoln electric for about $265 bucks. Along with rods, wire, helments. The flux core was a little over $300 bucks. I was looking for one of these myself. I'm wanting to build either a 1923 T-Bucket out of sheet metal, so both of the doors can open instead of the usual one door on the passenger side. Or a 1930 Model A pickup.

jonnyr1984 · #7 03-29-2011, 08:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryin

u wouldnt wnna acr weld car parts tho would u ?

English works best, and no you dont want to arc weld car parts.

Too much penetration for the guages used on cars. It would burn right through unless you use a 120 v buzz box and 3/32 rod and know how to work the puddle. Go with a MIG welder that has the gas option without a doubt. Hobart or Lincoln are your best bets to stay within your price range. Hobart is owned by Miller, so the product is def. reliable. All 3 are great machines as I personally use either Miller or Lincoln if I can. Sometimes ESAB, but that is dependant on where I am working. And yes, I am a pro welder. Its literally what I do for a living.

Also, invest in a decent auto darkening hood. Makes hitting the target of where you are welding a shit load easier.

FX4 · #8 03-30-2011, 08:43 AM

Ended up buying the miller welder.

Some pics from messing around (keep in mind I never MIG welded, only did ARC welding a couple years ago). Still took a little bit to find the right setting (hence the burn hole in the pic).

fordboy95 · #9 03-30-2011, 07:19 PM

well you got a couple of good ones but i've seen better from 13 year girls lol messin with ya. Glad to hear you went with lincoln.

dryin · #10 03-31-2011, 04:23 AM

not bad bro .. iam goin to school to become a welder and hel;l they look better then some of the people weldin in there. and sorry for my bad typo last time. iam usin wireless keyboard and some times it dont keep up with me

knightmare1015 · #11 03-31-2011, 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jonnyr1984

English works best, and no you dont want to arc weld car parts.

Too much penetration for the guages used on cars. It would burn right through unless you use a 120 v buzz box and 3/32 rod and know how to work the puddle. Go with a MIG welder that has the gas option without a doubt. Hobart or Lincoln are your best bets to stay within your price range. Hobart is owned by Miller, so the product is def. reliable. All 3 are great machines as I personally use either Miller or Lincoln if I can. Sometimes ESAB, but that is dependant on where I am working. And yes, I am a pro welder. Its literally what I do for a living.

Also, invest in a decent auto darkening hood. Makes hitting the target of where you are welding a shit load easier.

You do know that Lincoln Electric has come out with new rods for other materials right? I signed up for their motorsports program where they offer classes for around $500.00 bucks and huge discounts on some of their equipment. The sent me an encyclopedia for a catalog and while looking in their supplies section (wire,rods, gloves etc.) I found that they now have rods that can be used to arc weld aluminum. Which is kool. I'll look through the catalog this evening and give you the part numbers. I welded while in highschool, but my knowledge is definately out of date. They didn't have plasma cutters when I finished, but they were in development at that time though. How long have you been welding J.R. if you don't mind me asking?

dryin · #12 03-31-2011, 02:03 PM

about a year now certified but for about 2 and half years

fordboy95 · #13 03-31-2011, 04:27 PM

what all have you certified in?

knightmare1015 · #14 03-31-2011, 04:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dryin

about a year now certified but for about 2 and half years

Kool. There's no telling what they will come out with next. The only welding that gave me fits is TIG welding. What a pill. That was hard to even learn and god knows how long it'd take to perfect. My hat is off to any welder, because that is a hard and dangerous profession. It's hard on your eyes too.

jonnyr1984 · #15 03-31-2011, 04:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by knightmare1015

You do know that Lincoln Electric has come out with new rods for other materials right? I signed up for their motorsports program where they offer classes for around $500.00 bucks and huge discounts on some of their equipment. The sent me an encyclopedia for a catalog and while looking in their supplies section (wire,rods, gloves etc.) I found that they now have rods that can be used to arc weld aluminum. Which is kool. I'll look through the catalog this evening and give you the part numbers. I welded while in highschool, but my knowledge is definately out of date. They didn't have plasma cutters when I finished, but they were in development at that time though. How long have you been welding J.R. if you don't mind me asking?

Sorry if I came off as a jag bag, not my intention.

I believe you are asking me, yes? I have been welding as a career for 12 years, but was welding as a kid starting around 14, so a total of 1bout 16 years. My dad has heavy machinery for his company and I learned to weld on back hoe buckets, tracks, etc. After that I turned it into a career with what I do now. I know they make rod for about anything imaginable, as i have used a great deal of it. However, for someone who has never welded before I was merely suggesting an easy and quality way for the man to learn the craft. If you weld every day and you know how to run the puddle and work the arc, then by all means take a stab at arc welding on a vehicle. Chances are, though, that it would end up looking like some took a handful of metal beads and threw it at the sheet metal with some of them sticking.

There are so many products out there right now that things have chaged dramatically even for me. I see these kids come out to weld now that have learned things that I wish were available to me when I went through schooling. Makes me feel old! LOL