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Ben
09-13-2006, 07:12 PM
Was wondering what you guys are running for welders at home. I broke some cheap welder i bought to learn on and am looking for and upgrade with and good price. Preferably no gas and not 220. I was looking at hobart and lincoln. Thanks

-Ben

Ben
09-13-2006, 07:36 PM
Hey i am a dumbass some one want to move to shop tech

Jim311
09-13-2006, 08:18 PM
I have a Lincoln 140.

Ben
09-13-2006, 08:18 PM
Do you like it?

ILikeMud
09-13-2006, 08:40 PM
Hobart makes a good machine.

ATL ZJ
09-13-2006, 08:50 PM
Get a 220v machine and don't look back.

I own a hobart 180 and have been pretty happy with it. The shop I worked at this summer had a Lincoln 175 and I got to like it better than my own machine. Can't go wrong with a lincoln, miller, or hobart 220.

edit: look at what everybody else is using who does any kind of serious fabrication- if they're not running TIG or using stick, it's a 220v MIG. why punish yourself with the splatter and smoke of plain wirefeed? That's just unintelligent when the benefits of gas don't cost all that much.

CurtP
09-13-2006, 08:52 PM
Miller, Lincoln, Hobart all make good welders. I prefer them in the order I listed.

No gas and no 220? Why limit yourself like that? If you use it much, you'll quickly outgrow a 110 and you'll end up wishing you were using gas. Buy more welder than what you think you'll need - you'll end up needing it.

Jim311
09-13-2006, 09:28 PM
Do you like it?


For what I do, it's been perfect. I don't plan to weld much more than 1/4" and even on 1/4 it hasn't been a big problem, I just run the flux wire and make multiple passes to get the metal good and hot. If you think you'll be fabbing anything that's larger than 1/4" you're better off with 220.

Ben
09-14-2006, 03:48 AM
Thanks for all the info. I was thinking about gas and 220v but two problems i don't have a plug to run 220v and I am 18 workin 2 jobs so money is an issue. I was looking to spend like $450 and looking at 220v its seems the price jumps. hmmm what to do?? I love fabbing and just made a roof rack and was looking to make bumpers. Thanks for all the info. Time to decide and save some more.

-Ben

DJJordache
09-14-2006, 08:42 AM
save for it I REALLY wish I had a nice 220v instead of my baby 110v

nate
09-14-2006, 09:57 AM
I have a Lincoln 175. I have ~ $1000 into my setup, and IMO is pretty much the smallish/cheapest setup that I would be happy with. My brother is a welder/machinist and he said my little welder didn't do bad at all... and he's used to 300amp MIG welders.

Welder ~650
Helmet (autodark) ~ $200
C25 gas ~$200
cart ~ $50
Extension cord ~$200


As for the 240v plug, do you have a breaker box in the garage, or an electric kitchen stove or clothes dryer? Those run on 240v.

I used to have my welder hard wired into the breaker box, but I moved houses and just made a short plug that went from the dryer to the normal welder plug. I have a 100' run of extension cord which makes it to my shed, driveway, sidewalk, etc.

Ben
09-14-2006, 03:47 PM
What do you guys run for welding gas?? Argon, shielding gas, co2??

AgitatedPancake
09-14-2006, 03:58 PM
argon co2 mix here. 75/25

chadjans
09-14-2006, 11:35 PM
I am a Lincoln guy. I run a 215 Powermig. A little out of your price range but one hell of a machin. Get yourself a small box red, blue or grey. The nice thing about the blue small 175 is that is not a tapped machine...

Flux core by nature burns hotter and works well for the smaller machines.

Chad

BigDaveZJ
09-15-2006, 12:31 AM
Got a Miller 175 here. Been very happy with it. Haven't run into anything where I needed to crank it up all the way yet. As the others have said, save up for the 220 and figure out a way to get 220 to it. Although I'm suspecting at 18 you still live with your rents and they may not be too happy with you re-wiring their house. If that's the case, find a solid 110v welder, like the Miller 135 or similar. And having welded flux core and with gas, go gas. It shouldn't cost you too much to extra to get gas setup as most higher end 110v welders come set up for it and you can get a 40 cu ft tank with gas for a pretty good price, I think mine was less than $100.

Jim311
09-15-2006, 08:13 AM
I like my 140 Lincoln just because it's so portable. If my shit were broken at my apartment, I'd bring my welder there and weld on it. When you don't really own a house it's a nice option, although underpowered for thicker than 1/4"

OverkillZJ
09-15-2006, 10:25 AM
Hobart 175 mig w/ an 80 of c25, proven to be a pretty good setup. As was said there's a few good options, and a lot of setups that won't quite do what you want.

nate
09-15-2006, 01:40 PM
For the shelding gas I use C25... 75% argon, 25% C02. It's a standard sheilding gas for welding steel. Tank is 125cu ft. The price between the 80 and 125 when I bought it was $3, so I got the bigger one. I usually can get a 12lb roll of wire to a tank, depending on what I'm welding


Yeah I just rent my place, which is why I just plug into the dryer outlet, which happens to be right by the back door, which is ~50ft from my conrete pad and shed. The place before, we had a gas kitchen stove, but it was also wired for electric. I made a short cord and kept it in the tray on the bottom that never gets used. Kitchen was against the attached garage.

Mr.BoJankels
09-16-2006, 11:47 PM
miller bobcat and my suit case welder

polaris junki
10-13-2006, 10:01 AM
I have a Millermatic 210, I use .030 Flux Core wire and love it. I will be switching over to Non Flux core in a few months but for now I can use it to do spot weld body work and crank it up and weld all the way up to 5/16 plain steel. For steel thicker than that I would use a stick any way.

I picked the Miller because of the aluminum dual drive wheels for the wire over the Hobart which has plastic and single drive wire wheel.

It was a tie between the Lincoln PowerMig 215 and the Millermatic 210. The Miller was $100 cheaper and tottaled with the wire and consumables about $1700.

Either Miller Owns Hobart or Hobar owns Miller - Not really sure...

redzj
10-13-2006, 03:17 PM
I bought a little Lincoln from home depot for around 600 I think. It is 220 and runs gas or flux core. So far I am real happy with it. I used to be a welder and always liked the Millers better though. Definately go 220, 110 migs are for exhaust.