Welder

[r0nin89]

I didnt know where to put this so I'm sticking it here... Me and my dad are looking to pick up a welder and we're unsure of what type to get. He used to be a hardcore welder when he was a kid but doesnt know about the improvments they've made with the machines. We are looking to stay on an $800 budget and pick up a welder that he can teach me on and I can do exhaust and turbo piping work with in the future. A 220 outlet is no problem my neighbor is an electrician :D

I know my cousin has a nice ass MIG that works great for exhaust and piping but it was $2500. What other options do I have? Arch? Prices? Brands?

Thanks!

[BonzoHansen]

I expect WildBilly will chime in and sing the praises of his new rig....

[Ian]

miller, lincoln and hobart are some of the more popular makers of welders. for simple thin wall pipe and tube, you should be alright with a 110 welder. but if you pan on welding thicker metal or welding for extended periods of time, you might consider stepping up to a 220.

[r0nin89]

Hmmm alright I personally dont consider exhaust pipe thick so thats good... Now as far as the type of welder I am clueless... TIG,MIG,Arch,OxyCet what would be best and most cost efficient?

[WildBillyT]

I expect WildBilly will chime in and sing the praises of his new rig....


Ha ha ha hell yeah.

I use a Millermatic 175 w/ solid core wire and Ar/CO2 gas. Works fantastic on everything from light gauge sheet metal to heavy gauge frame work.

[Fast92RS]

Go with a Miller, I have one and its the best one I ever used. Miller makes a really good product.

[angin52]

if you gota stay on the cheap side, go with sears mig 110 325.00 without tbe co2 argon bottle(extra) mine works for most light welding jobs

[Ian]

Hmmm alright I personally dont consider exhaust pipe thick so thats good... Now as far as the type of welder I am clueless... TIG,MIG,Arch,OxyCet what would be best and most cost efficient?

I would start with a MIG. its the easiest form to learn IMO. I hate arc welding (also known as stick welding), its messy, inaccurate and overall makes more of a mess than it does weld. Oxy acetylene welding is not as easy as MIG welding, but its not too hard to get the hang of. its a lot like TIG welding, but using a flame instead of a controlled arc. TIG welding is my favorite even though its the hardest. a small arc is thrown from the tip of the "torch" to the metal you're welding and creates a puddle of liquid metal. you add fill rod to the puddle as you move it along the gap that you wish to weld. it takes a lot of practice to become decent at it, but it provides the strongest, cleanest and least brittle welds.

[r0nin89]

Yeah I think I'm going MIG from watching my cousin weld and after hearing a $350 price tag...

[WayFast84]

What welder would be good for welding a cut out and subframes?

Id like to learn how to weld, possibly get a welder in the future but my work has a welder and I dont see why not I cant borrow it to do subframe conectors or my cut out..

[WildBillyT]

What welder would be good for welding a cut out and subframes?


For exhaust work a 110V welder like the Millermatic 135 or equivalent Lincoln are good. As for subframe connectors, they may have trouble with the thickness.

[WayFast84]

For exhaust work a 110V welder like the Millermatic 135 or equivalent Lincoln are good. As for subframe connectors, they may have trouble with the thickness.
ahh crap, all I know is its a craftsmen :lol:

Ill just pay some one on here to do them both

[WildBillyT]

ahh crap, all I know is its a craftsmen :lol:

Ill just pay some one on here to do them both

Well I certainly didn't mean that the others couldn't do it!:shock:

A Hobart, Craftsman, or any basic 110V wire feed welder could do the exhaust work. As a matter of fact, Hobarts are made by Miller (although they are not the same) and Craftsman welders are probably made by some other brand as well.

[Ian]

for light stuff like exhaust, I'd use a 110V welder, but for the heavier stuff like frame work, I'd use a 220V rig.

[NJSPEEDER]

miller is great stuff, but if you are jsut doing general car stuff a lincoln is jsut as good and much less expensive.
i got my lincoln from lowes. works great.

[HardcoreZ28]

MIG is the way to go if you're just learning and I'd suggest just ponying up the money for a 220 if you have the cash and the line for it. Stick isn't that hard to do either, but wouldn't be very conducive to automotive work.
As Ian said TIG is the cleanest/strongest method, but takes a lot of practice.

And WayFast...if you want to learn how to weld take a class at your local Vo-Tech. I've been taking one 2 nights a week and it's only about $150 for a 13 week semester.

[WayFast84]

MIG is the way to go if you're just learning and I'd suggest just ponying up the money for a 220 if you have the cash and the line for it. Stick isn't that hard to do either, but wouldn't be very conducive to automotive work.
As Ian said TIG is the cleanest/strongest method, but takes a lot of practice.

And WayFast...if you want to learn how to weld take a class at your local Vo-Tech. I've been taking one 2 nights a week and it's only about $150 for a 13 week semester.
Where can I find info about theese classes? I want tot take painting!!!!! and welding would be cool!!

[NJSPEEDER]

your local tech school will offer classes in welding normally.