Anything welding

If I'm looking to make a bed rack is it more common to use mig or tig? I'm trying to decide which harbor freight welder to get. I will be welding on 120v for now. I'm deciding between omnipro 220 and protig 200

Open to other suggestions too

 

Building a bumper with 7018 sucks lmao. No mig machine yet and needed to build a bumper anddddd fuck this. Thin metal + some gaps + 7018= fucked. But it'll work for me until I get a shop setup lol. Gonna keep this bumper and just use it to get measurements off of when I build a new one the right way one day lol.

 

Really depends on which process you are more comfortable with. Just bought my TIG a few months ago, but when reconfiguring my bed rack, I went back to the MIG. I need a lot more practice with the TIG to do work on tubes, although on straight runs at least my travel speed with the TIG is pretty close to MIG speed.

 

No tig. You can but it is super unnecessary on bumpers/bedracks/sliders. Mig is 1000% fine for 99% of the stuff. The only thing I would ever tig would be a roll cage and even then, mig is fine for that

 

6013 is used for thinner guage. Fast freeze and low penetration. I need to get some myself for home stuff.

 

Yea I know but I just had 70s laying around and don't get off work in time to get to the local welding shop so I used what I had lol. Paint will make it look decent

 

Got it

 

Never heard of that brand. Hope you can find parts and consumables for it without having to ship em from over seas

 

It cut, although I'll probably take it back. 30 day $ back.

 

There plenty but expensive.

 

You can buy them pretty cheap if you don't buy from Lotos and buy "generic" ones that more than likely come from the same place anyways

 

The Lotos torch is Italian made. Consumables are plentiful.

 

If you think they are expensive try pricing them for a Miller.

 

I have been joining metal for scary to say over 40 years .

What works for me might not for work you !

Then it comes down to just how much of 5/16" or 3/8" material needs to be welded more then 96" of weld I might go bigger .

just attach the stinger and use 7018 to weld what needs done .

It comes down to just what your making does .

In the old days before remotes when your feeder was 3 floors from the truck I got used to working with what I had

Then at this time I only weld for enjoyment if it was on the clock I would run the biggest wire I could .

Comes down to what is the least amount of work .

To bad your not closer I would show you and let you try

 

Everyone needs to remember that heat input(and by default penetration) is an equation whose parameters are travel speed and amperage. .023 can weld thicker material than what any manual tells you it will. It comes down to technique.
I know a few guys that could stick weld a roll cage and have it pass x ray. Welding process has little to do with weld integrity with the exception of some materials.
Welding is a science, and although it is just a hobby for me, I am infatuated with it.

 

Is there a decent mig machine for welding up to 3/16 aluminum that I can afford and use in my garage? I have 220v available, and I used to work at a shop where I used a big machine with a push/pull gun, but I can't afford that, how much do I need to spend to get good results?
any recommendations?

 

What?! Wait! What plasma cutter? Did you get one?

 

I honestly don't think I have ever ran anything but .035. I can't really answer. I use the same wire to weld body panels or structural steel.

If you get big rolls of wire, make sure it is wound on metal or metal and wood spools. No plastic spools! If the spool is dropped it will crack the spool and the wire can get messed up. I had to toss a #44 roll because it would not come off the roll proper. $70 straight into the scrap pile.

 

I run .030, in my millermatic 210, it comes on a plastic spool, once it's in the welder it's pretty hard to crack it.

 

True. But I never found out that it was cracked until I loaded it 2 months after I bought it. I know I didn't drop it, but there was no way I could blame my WS'er.