Thread: Edumacate me on some welders

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  1. #1 Edumacate me on some welders 
    Member PaperTowels's Avatar
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    So I'm getting tired of borrowing my friends shit to weld stuff. I'm not the greatest welder but I do want to get started and get better.

    What I'd like to build is bumpers (tube & plate), longarms and other fun stuff I can think of and I have to be careful of burning through the unibody.

    So I was looking around at some different welders & info and I'm still unsure on if a 110 welder like the Hobart 180 will be good for what I want to build. Or if I should get a 220 welder like the miller 211 (110 or 220) and just wire it in my house so I can use it.

    So my questions to you "experts" are what would be a good starting welder that I can do the things I want?

    And what other tips do you guys have for welding to a somewhat beginner?

    Thanks gents

    Steve
    Last edited by PaperTowels; 08-18-2011 at 04:45 PM.
    Steve

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  2. #2 Re: Edumacate me on some welders 
    Senior Member MallCrawlin Supporter
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    Don't get anything that is just 115. I think a few of the 211's are now both 115 and 230. But really you will be fine with a 180. My buddy just got then new Miller 211 and it has a bunch of auto functions as well as the ability to wire it to 115. But he'll use it in the 220 mode. Really can't go wrong with a Hobart, Miller, or the like. My Miller has infinite control on the adjustments, while some others just click on one setting (1, 2, 3, 4) www.cyberweld.com was a good place to shop I thought. That's my brief recomendation.
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  3. #3  
    Member PaperTowels's Avatar
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    Yeah I keep hearing that 110 welders are good for what I want and then they suck and I should get a 220 welder.

    I'm just confused on which one you fellow unibody guys use.
    Steve

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  4. #4 Re: Edumacate me on some welders 
    Senior Member AgitatedPancake's Avatar
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    even a 220 volt welder can be turned down to weld unibodies perfectly fine. I've been using my miller 175 (which is 220v) for 6 years now and haven't come across a single project it hasn't been able to tackle.

    Tips for welding thin metal/unibodies:
    -actual MIG (with gas) is MUUUUUCH nicer for welding thin metal than flux core is
    -.024 (or .025), .030, and .035 are the 3 most common diameters of wire you'll come across when purchasing. The thicker the wire you're running, the hotter you'll be burning it to get a nice bead (which makes sheetmetal harder). I almost never use .035 as it's generally overkill, .030 is a good all around wire that's still so-so on sheetmetal, and .025 is perfect for sheetmetal up to about 1/4" plate. You have to move a little slower with the thinner wire to build up enough heat in thick plates, but it gives you more control over everything
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