Welding Tips and Tricks

Ok, I learned to weld back in the early 80's at a AFL CIO school, and then never pursued a career in welding. I achieved certifications in stick and MIG so I know a little bit about welding, enough to get me in trouble. I am now wanting a MIG welder to reteach myself how to weld again. I have been watching Jody's video's and trying to pick up some information to help me. All that to ask, which machine would be good to start with. I am going to have some welding to do on a Dirt Modified race car and would like something that is capable of welding some heavy metal and light gauge as well. I would like to stay under a $1000. I have been looking at Lincoln 180c and Miller 190. Any thoughts or tips would be helpful. I would like to stay American made.

Okay so want to learn only mig welding. Well I'll tell you this. Mig is great for the stuff you described cars and stuff but I recommended something like the power mig 210mp from Lincoln. You get a lot of power for mig and you get stick. And later of you want you can do some lift arc tig or get a foot pedal for some high feequency tig. It is about 1100 dollars so a little more than what you want to spend but I think it is worth it. If you say that stick welding isn't going to be useful for you fair enough. I have used a 211 and a 130 from Miller and I will tell you they are some great machines. You said you were looking at the 190 from Miller but I'm gonna tell you to go with the 211. The 211 is multi voltage and the 190 isn't so if you want to do some repairs in a buddies garage and he's only got 110 then you can do that. The price difference isn't too bad especially with a $100 dollar rebate going on right now.

I'll second that about the Lincoln 210. I bought it strictly to use as a mig welder I Used .023 wire and laid some really nice beads replacing floor pans. Side benefit is that you can take with it if you want to.

Farmwelding wrote:Okay so want to learn only mig welding. Well I'll tell you this. Mig is great for the stuff you described cars and stuff but I recommended something like the power mig 210mp from Lincoln. You get a lot of power for mig and you get stick. And later of you want you can do some lift arc tig or get a foot pedal for some high feequency tig. It is about 1100 dollars so a little more than what you want to spend but I think it is worth it. If you say that stick welding isn't going to be useful for you fair enough. I have used a 211 and a 130 from Miller and I will tell you they are some great machines. You said you were looking at the 190 from Miller but I'm gonna tell you to go with the 211. The 211 is multi voltage and the 190 isn't so if you want to do some repairs in a buddies garage and he's only got 110 then you can do that. The price difference isn't too bad especially with a $100 dollar rebate going on right now.

Thanks for the reply Farmwelding! MIG is really just to get started with. My thought was I could get a decent MIG, something that would be good for light to heavy work and as I progressed get a dedicated TIG later that would also be something that would be good for light to heavy metals and do aluminum. All the reading I have done, it seem the multi process machines are a compromise, doing everything ok but not great. I was hoping to do one machine in the beginning that was good at MIG. Just a thought, If there is a better way I would love to hear it.

I've never personally used the 210mo but I've heard a lot and seen a lot about it. It is a fantastic welder at everything it does. I recommended watching Jodys video with JD brewer. It runs tig roots on pipe well and flux core and hard wire mig well. Not 100% sure on stick but if I remember right it runs that well too. If you want to tig aluminum later then you may want to pick a squarewave tig 200 because for the price it is great. With this you can do stick as well so if you do mig now you can pick up the squarewave and do everything else.

Im a newbie.

I bought a TWECO 211i comming this week.

If I was going to do just mig I would have based on if I could afford it

1) Millerermatic 211 around $1000 with rebate.
2) Hobart 210 around $850.
3) Anything miller or Lincoln used in craigslist.

That was all based off research and speaking with people (welders) and friends etc.

I would go with higher amperage if you can. Duty Cycle if it matters (didnt much to me as small innfrequent welds).

WVJay wrote: All the reading I have done, it seem the multi process machines are a compromise, doing everything ok but not great. I was hoping to do one machine in the beginning that was good at MIG. Just a thought, If there is a better way I would love to hear it.

Dedicated boxes are possibly the "best" option, but not everyone can accommodate that or afford that. Modern multiprocessor boxes are very, very good. Possibly the biggest trick is to find an affordable multiprocess box that does both AC & DC TIG. It seems in the <$2,000 price range they are all DC TIG only. I use a Miller MultiMatic for MIG frequently and love the way it welds. I also have an older MIG dedicated box, buts its a 110v only machine. I use a Dynasty for TIG and the Multi- for MIG steel and aluminum.

If you can afford it, the MIG boxes you describe are very good MIG boxes. Then if you are willing/able to add a TIG-specific box, a Lincoln SW200 is very good for the money ($1,400) or step up to a Miller Dynasty ($3,500+). But the latter really should be justified by need more than reputation.

Thanks CJ, I appreciate the advice. I may be going in a different direction. Since my friend with the race car already has a MIG, I thought about getting a TIG and hoping I could catch on welding on mild steel and tubing. Probably a tall challenge! Will have to wait and see. Was leaning toward the Lincoln SW 200, everyone seems to have a high opinion of it. Then if finances warrant it later get a dedicated MIG.

WVJay wrote:Thanks CJ, I appreciate the advice. I may be going in a different direction. Since my friend with the race car already has a MIG, I thought about getting a TIG and hoping I could catch on welding on mild steel and tubing. Probably a tall challenge! Will have to wait and see. Was leaning toward the Lincoln SW 200, everyone seems to have a high opinion of it. Then if finances warrant it later get a dedicated MIG.

On amazon there is a package deal on a 210mp and a SW200 for something like 2600 if you can swing it.
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01KMWOVAA/re ... YR61EKDSTC

I find myself in a very similar position, I already have a Miller tig welder good for 325amp and do AL with it.
So like you I was looking for a Mig.

I got to try a Miller 210 mig welder (I consider this to be the same thing as the Lincoln).

I was able to test it using both flux core and solid with gas. I have not done Mig in about 15 years. I was running nice beads half way through my first pass. This machine is what I am going to use for the work I am going on the jeep since i have to be underneath it etc.

You can go wrong with either of these choices. They are feature packed.

Thanks DSM8. I am actually thinking about getting both a MIG and TIG now. It will put a hurt on my credit card and I will have to place an order for some things on Weldmonger.com. Now lets see how I can get this by the wife!

wvj, in my opinion your original thought was on track, different machines for different processes. this is why I believe this:

in October I bought an alpha tig from ahp, it stick welded better than any machine I have ever used but I have since bought a Lincoln SW 200 and I like the tig function much better than the alpha. I also have a Lincoln 180C and I am completely happy with it. I fear if you buy multi function you will wind up lacking somewhere, I have 3 machines and am currently shopping for a stick machine because neither of my stick machines satisfy me with 7018's. my local AirGas will let me demo what they have in stock, which isn't much but it may be worth your time to hit your LWS up or even a votech to see if you can demo some machines. oh, and the reason the stick process is such a big deal to me is simple, I'm old and have been inhaling flux fumes from stick electrodes since I was 15, I am addicted.

good luck, hope it all comes together for you soon.

ps: advice I have a hard time following but it is good advice none the less---- buy once cry once !!

creek

Thanks for the advice Granddaddy. I should have my new Lincoln SW 200 and Power Mig 210 tomorrow. I called up the Weld shop that supplies the dealership where I work and they were more than happy to set me up and give me some advise. Basically they said the same thing you did.

Should be welding tomorrow!

Jay