What type welder?

[Old Bill]

I am thinking about buying a MIG welder, but like many retired people, my funds are limited.

I do have a very old Lincoln 225 arc welder, that I haven't used in many years. Even in those days my welds looked like a child had thrown mud on the metal!

If I can sell the old arc welder, I would like to buy a MIG welder because I've been told they are much easier to weld with.

Is this true? And, if so, what brand and type of MIG welder is best for the least amout of money?

Any comments or suggestions will be most welcome.

[AmyH]

I have a Millermatic 175 mig welder, and I absolutely love it!! It is like a caulking gun of welders! IMHO, it is sooooo easy to use that it makes welding a breeze. If you can find a good deal on one, I definitely can recommend it.

[halfdome, Danny]

I wanted a welder just like Amy has but couldn't bring myself to spend that much since I prefer to buy new. For in the $300 range I bought a Hobart Handler 125 and I'm very satisfied, for a beginner welder. My son has one of those blue Chinese welders from Harbor Freight and curses it every time he uses it. Danny

[Dan in Rhinelander]

I wanted a welder just like Amy has but couldn't bring myself to spend that much since I prefer to buy new. For in the $300 range I bought a Hobart Handler 125 and I'm very satisfied, for a beginner welder. My son has one of those blue Chinese welders from Harbor Freight and curses it every time he uses it. Danny

The HH125 is a superb little welder. I used one like it for over 5 years in an exhaust shop on a daily basis along with a Linc 115. Both of those machines were hooked up to gas (75%/25%) and worked great. They were a little bit weak when it came to the heavier metals, but once a person got used to the small idiosyncrasies of each you learned to slow down and crank up the "heat". I loved these little welders so much that I bought a linc 110 with gas conversion the minute I thought I was getting a good deal. I managed to swing the welder, a larger tank with first fill ( I think the tank was a "B"), and 4 spools of wire, all for $350.

In my opinion, anyone considering getting into welding should look at the small wire feed welders. I feel they are easier to get started with, and perhaps a little bit more forgiving. I highly recommend getting one with shielding gas due to the reduction in "cleanup" if for no other reason.

[Dale M.]

Buy quality.... Either Lincoln, Miller , or Hobart.... Consider anything 150 amp or more. Get shield gas outfit.... Flux core wire is somewhat dirty (splatter) to weld with... 220 volt systems are probably best if you are going to weld big stuff (trailer frames)...

Dale

[Weerider]

Old Bill,

I bought this welder on sale at Lowe's. I built my frame with it using flux core and it worked fine. I am a beginner welder but found it quite easy to use. I couldn't find a Miller for a comparable price and was just about to buy a Hobart when I came across the Lincoln for about $350 at Lowe's

[Airspeed]

I have a 140 amp MIG and I love it! It has paid for itself ten times over in the two years I have owned it. It welds fine with flux wire but I would highly recomend getting one that uses gas shielding. It makes a much nicer weld and is easier to use.
It took me about five minutes to learn how to use it,
There are so many things I have made with it, things that I used to make out of wood that didnt work as well as steel. If I would have had to pay someone to do all the welding on my trailer it would have cost me twice as much as the cost of the welder.
I wish I would have bought one 20 years ago! I dont know what I would do without it!
I guess what I am trying to say is that this is one tool everyone should have, even if you have to scrape the money together, get one! I have used the small Harbor freight models and they are ok, the larger HF models are a little better but I would spend the extra money here and get a name brand MIG, The extra $50 or $100 is money well spent!
Next on my list is a plasma cutter.
Aaron

[sseaman]

i would practice with the licoln you have, it can do nice welds. try different type of electrodes, and different power levels. i do understand the mig is so much easier though

[switterstx]

The Lincoln 140 will do everything you need if you know what you're doing. You can easily weld up a frame with it (I've built items with much heavier metal with one). It will be slow going but you can do it. The regular 110v welders may need to cool off between passes. Typical duty cycle on these big box models (home depot, lowes, etc) is like 40% so you can weld at top settings for 4 out of 10 minutes or something like that.

Flux is only messier with regards to the coating. Flux core is similar to using regular welding rods as the outer coating on welding rods is the flux. Just like with welding rods there is glazing that covers the weld. This glaze serves the same purpose as the gas in a mig system, it keeps oxygen out while the metal is hot. I don't know the exact physics of the whole thing but essentially gas replaces the flux.

Typically flux is used when gas isn't feasible. Windy conditions, out in the field, etc. You should be able to clean up a flux weld with a welding hammer and a little grinding.

The rest of the comments apply though. Mig welding is the easiest way to weld by far. You just point into the seam and pull the trigger. The only tricky part is to get the settings right on the machine. A stick welder requires much more finesse.

[emiller]

Lincoln and Hobart welders are great welders and will do just fine for the hobby minder people. Miller makes the best welder and there not cheap. I have used many welders and I prefer a Miller welder over another but wouldn't hessatate to use the others. I currently have a Miller 130 xp and a larger Milermatic 250 also the company has a large Miller Tig welder.

[Dale M.]

One thing to consider between Lincoln & Miller vs Hobart....
Hobart uses 4 steps to set heat control. Miller and Lincoln use continuous analog control So you can have infinite heat adjustment. It may not be a issue with some people who weld, but for other that weld anything from very thin material to very thick, it may be a issue....

Dale

[Old Bill]

A huge thanks to everyone who responded to my request for help, Amy, Danny, Dan, dale, Weerider, Aaron, sseaman, swittersix, and emiller.

I have learned more from your messages than I learned from hours of looking and reading the different manifacture's information.

I will definitely buy a brand name welder. Either a Hobart or Lincoln depending on the best deal I can find. A Millermade would be nice...but, out of my price range!

Thanks again for all the great advice!!!

[Gerdo]

I just went thru this. I looked at the HD an Lowes versions of the Lincoln. I also looked at the Miller and Lincoln 140amp 120 volt units at a welding supply shop. FYI the Hobart is built by Miller. The HD was the least expensive but both the HD and Lowes have click detents for amp ranges. The welding shop Lincoln was a variable amperage control. The welding shop Lincoln also has: Diamond Core Techonlogy (better welds) a better wire feed system, will accept an aluminum spool gun and a higher price. I've welded a ton with the Lowes version and the only complaint is the wire feed control. I also kept hearing from sales people at the welding stores "do you want red or blue" everyone had an opinion but couldn't say that one was better than the other. I bought the Lincoln 120 volt Power Mig 140 at the welding shop. It's great. Also get gas 25/75.

[Old Bill]

Gerdo, thanks for pointing out the difference's between the Lowes and welding shop welders. I would have thought that they would all have been the same.

Buying stuff can sure get difficult, can't it?

[jeepr]

Gerdo, thanks for pointing out the difference's between the Lowes and welding shop welders. I would have thought that they would all have been the same.

Buying stuff can sure get difficult, can't it?

I find it hard to believe that a reputable company would market a different quality item to a box store than to a welding shop. If the company puts their name and a model number on a welder, it is going to be the same if you buy it from the welding shop or K-mart.

On that note, I have a Millermatic. I use flux core, but it’s a lot nicer weld with gas.