Best welder?

What's the best budget MIG welder w gas? Or better to buy expensive used one?
- The last one I had was a $ 450 one Made in Italy, 140 AMPs, but it could not weld 1/4" thick well. Those AMPs were grossly over rated. In Europe I used 80AMP ESAB whick welds 1/2" like butter.

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- RWD rocks -

Topi Wrote:
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> What's the best budget MIG welder w gas? Or better
> to buy expensive used one?
> - The last one I had was a $ 450 one Made in
> Italy, 140 AMPs, but it could not weld 1/4" thick
> well. Those AMPs were grossly over rated. In
> Europe I used 80AMP ESAB whick welds 1/2" like
> butter.
>
> - RWD rocks - "I miss time chrome was thick and
> women thin "

Topi you should call and we talk welding, that is one thing I was trained in when I lived in the long skinny country a long time ago!

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John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Topi,

I have an older Hobart Betamig 170. It is 220V and welds very nice. I paid $1100 for it as a demo machine about ten years ago. I run .035 or .024 wire and 75/25% gas.

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Robert.

"You are way too normal to be on Rally Anarchy." Eddie Fiorelli.

You can't go wrong with anything that says Miller on it. But wait, you said budget welder. Lincoln makes good stuff, too. If you are looking for one of those little portable 110v welders the Hobart Handler is pretty powerful for it's size, you could weld a rollcage with it.

in your neck of the woods: http://losangeles.craigslist.org/sgv/tls/1471489498.html
$500 is a great price for that. It's very similar to the Snap-On welder I bought 20 years ago used for $1000 and has welded literally hundreds of rollcages over the years without a lick of trouble. It's actually made by Lincoln. 230amp will weld anything you will ever need to.

Topi Wrote:
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Those AMPs were grossly over rated. In
> Europe I used 80AMP ESAB whick welds 1/2" like
> butter.
>


Both the amps and beers are stronger in Europe...

What about the Lincoln MIG Pak 180?

It's around 600$ new with accessoiries (gloves, brush, chipping hammer, etc) around here. I read it can weld up to 1/2" too (not that I would need to do that now, but you never know).

Is it good enough for someone who's just starting? I don't plan on doing my own rollcage, I have a few friends who know what they are doing for that.

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Francois

I've been very happy with a Miller XP130 bought used. My son built his
entire Impreza with a used Lincoln SP100. 110V machines are surprisingly
versitile, smaller, less expensive, more plentiful used and don't need a
220V big amp service. Feed rollers and gun liners are items that may need
replacement on a used machine. You just have to realize the limits of 110v.
JT

Thanks guys!
- Is "gasless" welding any good? I've never tried. I could buy one for $ 4-500, new.
- I keep checking for those brands and recommended by you.
- Dave, LA listing's gone I used to have the smallest MIller and it was good except I didn't like too stiff cable and clumsy handle. That was 20+ yrs ago...
- Jan, I'll call when I get up there. I make you to pay for pizza

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- RWD rocks -

In our group we've got I think four of the Miller 220V welders. I bet at least 20 Colorado cages have been built with them. At around $800 with the cart new they're pretty affordable.

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Grant Hughes

Topi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks guys!
> - Is "gasless" welding any good? I've never tried.
> I could buy one for $ 4-500, new.
> - I keep checking for those brands and recommended
> by you.
> - Dave, LA listing's gone I used to have the
> smallest MIller and it was good except I didn't
> like too stiff cable and clumsy handle. That was
> 20+ yrs ago...
> - Jan, I'll call when I get up there. I make you
> to pay for pizza
>
> - RWD rocks - "I miss time chrome was thick and
> women thin "

Hobart does the nice "Handler" in 220V, but the big deal you have to remember is the WIRE carries current, so you welding thicker stuff, use thicker wire and you can turn the current down.

Topi, what's this "when I get up there"?

---

John Vanlandingham
Sleezattle, WA, USA

Vive le Prole-le-ralliat

www.rallyrace.net/jvab
CALL +1 206 431-9696
Remember! Pacific Standard Time
is 3 hours behind Eastern Standard Time.

Francois Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> What about the Lincoln MIG Pak 180?
>
> It's around 600$ new with accessoiries (gloves,
> brush, chipping hammer, etc) around here. I read
> it can weld up to 1/2" too (not that I would need
> to do that now, but you never know).
>
> Is it good enough for someone who's just starting?
> I don't plan on doing my own rollcage, I have a
> few friends who know what they are doing for
> that.

I'm very happy with mine. All that I need in a mig welder.

220v is key in my opinion. Getting 220V into your garage, in most cases, really isn't that hard or expensive.

I just want a Tig and plasma now

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Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish

Topi Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks guys!
> - Is "gasless" welding any good? I've never tried.
> I could buy one for $ 4-500, new.

No, forget the gasless. Put that out of your mind right now. They use flux cored wire which is more expensive and sometimes has issues with feeding properly. Plus they weld crappy. Now I'm sure someone is going to chime in and say how their flux core welder welds great but don't listen to them, they're lying.

I learn new stuff here... I start to scan craigslist etc for one of recommended here.
- John, can I use our 220V machine in Europe? Both are 220V but Euro is only 2-way. Their 3-way is 380V, as you remember.. if you remember
- I've been planning to come up there for 3 years. First to visit, then maybe to move IF someone can fix the weather a little bit.

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- RWD rocks -

Doivi Clarkinen Wrote:
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> Topi Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks guys!
> > - Is "gasless" welding any good? I've never
> tried.
> > I could buy one for $ 4-500, new.
>
> No, forget the gasless. Put that out of your mind
> right now. They use flux cored wire which is more
> expensive and sometimes has issues with feeding
> properly. Plus they weld crappy. Now I'm sure
> someone is going to chime in and say how their
> flux core welder welds great but don't listen to
> them, they're lying.

He's telling you the truth.

Even if you like gasless and think it makes good welds (contamination apparently can be a problem)... it splatters like hell and you have a lot of "clean up" work to do to make a weld presentable (if needed).

It's not comparable to stick in anyway shape or form IMO, which is what you might be inclined to compare it with.

It's a little cleaner if you run fluxcore (gasless) with gas.. the only reason you would want to do that however is if you need to weld thicker plate. For some reason fluxcore will penetrate better.

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Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish

Has anyone bought any of these so called 3 in one welders? I'm seeing some around.

I realize the Tig will only be able to do steel... but it makes doing sheet metal work that much easier, no?

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Andrew M
Onterrible
30ish