Welding Tips and Tricks

Hey guys, brand new here. Hoping you guys can help me narrow down a welder to purchase. I want to ensure that I don't buy one to big or small for my needs. As of now I have a Clarke 130EN I bought off of the local tool truck. http://pht300up.besaba.com/clarke-130en ... core-110v/

I'm looking to upgrade from that. I'm the owner of a auto transmission shop but enjoy welding projects as a hobby so my use of the welder will vary. I'd like to have something that's pretty versatile. I believe my next project will be a trailer. But I see a smoker and who knows what else in my future.

I once welded with a miller that a friend had and was very impressed. But a big part of that may have been since I'm so used to my cheapo. I'm sure most quality welders would have the same result. From what I gather the miller 211 is pretty versatile. Really want to exploit my options and hear what you guys would suggest for my needs. Hate to over spend on a welder thats more than I need.

Any suggestions/opinions would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks in advance.
James

Lincoln powermig 210mp.

Done and done.

Read this thread.
Tons of info on the machine.
http://weldingweb.com/showthread.php?43 ... ss-machine

Welcome to the forum James.

Thanks akweldshop, reading that thread as I can. Do you own one of these yourself?

Thanks for the warm welcome Mike. Much appreciated.

James,

Since you already weld, you can't "overbuy", as you're unlikely to stop learning new stuff. You can only "overspend" for your actual needs. I always suggest buying more than you think you'll need, so you have room to grow, but in that vein, buy something with resale value in case you've underestimated the projects you'll take on as you reach the limits of the machine you've chosen.

Seriously, welding can be addictive, and like any addict you may find yourself seeking "better, faster, more".

Beware!

Steve S

Thanks for the reply Otto Nobedder. I've definitely realized the addiction. I also have a plasma, drill press, and tubing bender on my mind as well. Wife is not thrilled about the cost of this hobby lol. I just love to fabricate and burn metal.

Any welders out there that stick out to you that you feel deserve a recommendation?
Thanks again.

I have the Lincoln 210MP as well as Miller280DX. I love them both but use the Lincoln a little more frequently. What type of welding do you anticipate doing? The 210MP is a great MIG machine and will also stick weld and you can buy the torch to DC TIG with it as well. The 280DX is a sweet AC/DC TIG which can stick weld too. I have an old Hobart MIG and it has worked great for years. I'm sure there are many good brands out there but these are the ones I can personally vouch for.
Hope this helps.
Cheers.
-Eldon

I would just add, go for a 250 amp MIG machine, much less likely to outgrow it. I'm guessing you plan to weld a lot of 1/4 inch if you want to make a trailer. Low top end duty cycles get real frustrating when you can only weld for 1-2 minutes out of every 10 minutes. The 250 amp units also seem to have much better duty cycles in general . Lincoln, Miller, ESAB, would be my top 3 choices

Thanks again for the replies fellas.

Xwrench, the type of welding I will do varies. Some projects I can see in my future are a trailer, roll cage, and possibly a smoker/grill just to name a few. You mention TIG welding. That is something I would like to learn, so having that ability would be nice but not a requirement.

Thanks soutthpaw, I will keep that in mind during my search.

I was looking at the Lincoln 210 MP and the Millermatic 211.

I ended up getting the Hobart 210 MVP for under $800.00 new which gave me extra money to spend on tank/gas/tools and materials.

I am a happy camper!

I think you will be very pleased with that machine.

That's a great price for the Hobart. How thick of metal would you say it can weld up to?
Thanks

Bamahuntin wrote:That's a great price for the Hobart. How thick of metal would you say it can weld up to?
Thanks

Picked it up new at http://www.fleetfarm.com

Welds 24 gauge up to 3/8 inch mild steel.
Welds 18 gauge to 1/4 aluminum.

JamesAnderson wrote:If you want to try out other than miller or hobart, you can try Forney Easy Weld 261. This is a great deal with a low budget. it's a 110v welder. you can find info https://theweldreport.com/best-110v-welders/ in this site.

Thread from 2015....I hope he found a welder!

JamesAnderson wrote:If you want to try out other than miller or hobart, you can try Forney Easy Weld 261. This is a great deal with a low budget. it's a 110v welder. you can find info https://theweldreport.com/best-110v-welders/ in this site.

You replied to a 5-1/2 year old thread.

Are you a shill for that report?

Shill maybe. Forney on the other hand has been around for a while. I have welded with one of there old tombstones. I don’t know if there machines are made in the US, but they are a US company. It would be interesting to see a not shill report.