Anything welding

I was actually coming here to post a "sanity check" sort of post. Ive kept a bit of list of stuff I'd like to do (cab mount chop, replace spare tire with a single cross member, maybe build a trail in the future) but havent due to being 1) being lazy finding a welder and 2) being cheap.

So i was thinking of picking up a welder and learning to do it myself. Im pretty mechanically inclined. But never even picked up a welder before. Ive looked locally for any sort of class but sadly the only one is at a local community college and its not geared to a hobbyist but rather to making a career out of welding.

And heres where i sit. Do i invest in a setup for myself? Id have to more or less teach myself. But unlike my work Im not looking at welding pipe that contains highly contaminated fluid at high pressures. Just simple things.

What else besides a welder (duh), gas, and a mask would i need?

Sadly around me nothing gets posted used for any sort of good price (ie new is 500 so used is 450-475) but id looked at the hobart 140 and miller 211. Go back and forth between the two but thinking the hobart 140 would cover my needs pretty well.


Ive had a few beers so hope that all makes sense to people other than my head

 

As a home garage guy, I'm absolutely pleased with the Miller 211. I've learned to buy more machine than you think you'll need.

 

I love my Lincoln 255.

 

I normally buy the best stuff i can that fits what i need. Im just not sure what would truly be overkill vs work perfectly fine for me. Hence the hobart 140 vs miller 211 for what im leaning towards. Sort of the 500 vs 1000 dollar debate i suppose. Right *now* im only thinking I would weld up to probably .125" thick stuff. MAYBE 1/4" but that would probably be pretty irregular.

That looks nice but Im more leaning towards the hobart (for price) or the Miller (reputation and we use them at work....well not 211's but industrail ones).


I wish it was like the old days at work and i could just drive my truck on base and have our welders do work on my truck for a beer or two (on shift mind you). Now i just get to look at their welds and tell them if they pass, fail, or if their stupid ass QA forms are done correctly lol

 

Are you able to run 220v to your work area? The HH190 comes in at about $650ish. Then there is also the HH210 MVP for around $850 that runs off both 110/220.
I can almost guarantee you'll want the extra voltage soon after you get into it...

 

My garage has the panel in it and extra spots so i *could* add a 220v. The bit of research ive done has kind of led me down the 110 would be fine for what i want but 220 would be better for thicker stuff. Is that mistaken?

Mind you im used to 480v to the welders at work and its all TIG with PT/VT on each layer.....im just looking for something to reliably stick stuff together more less.

 

Go with the 220v machine. I have friends with 110v machines that come over for certain projects just to use the 220v.

 

On the same boat here. I bought tires ($800) instead of the welder for now, but I'll be getting the Lincoln power mig 180 dual.

 

There's a guy selling a welder here for $700. Look in the for sale section

 

ya know i read there @ckeene9 ......hey spend more money! its not mine so youll want to spend it! It seems personal preference on the 110 vs 220 for .125 and under stuff. Obviously the option to run 220v would be nice but its also 500 bucks more (approx). We will see though!

And unless he lives in Western WA shipping pretty much kills any sort of deal

 

I have owned this thing for about 4 years. Solid machine and if you shop around you can get em' for right around $800 when they are on sale. It may have been a little more money up front than the HH140, but I don't regret it one bit. Didn't even have 220v installed till a couple years after I bought it, still got many projects done.

Whatever MIG machine you decide on, don't forget to budget for a Cylinder of ArgonCO2 (C25).

 

You do know the new Hobart`s since Hobart was split up are built in a Miller Plant carry Miller serial numbers all the parts carry Miller part numbers.

The only real difference is in the drive roll housing being plastic instead of aluminum.

For the weekend welder it is not a bad investment

 

Has anyone taken any of the AWS online courses? Just looking for feedback on them from a hobbyist perspective. One of my goals for the year (work assessment/activity) is to take some sort of formal class and figured that would be a good area to pursue in.

 

They can`t hurt as long as it is for personal knowledge .

I have talked to a few companies they look at the AWS certs as a way to keep applications from going into the circular file on the first cut.

The more you know the better off you are.

 

Pretty sure Hobart machines come with a cast aluminum drive housing. Not sure when they switched over, pretty good deal. I never had a problem with the old one.

 

wth! so I just cleaned the liner tip off with the brake cleaner so I should replace the whole thing?

 

Probably would be a good idea...they're only like $15.

I'd replace the entire consumable set. Diffuser, contact tip, nozzle etc

 

well crap...glad I didnt mess myself up...

 

I have a small miller 110v unit that was gifted to me and been practising with flux core. I hate the platter I'm getting and my welds do look like crap. Its been a learning curve for me thats for sure but don't mind welding when its not structurally important ( recovery and mounting points etc )

For a pure amateur, is it worth investing in new wire, and gas?

 

Plain flux core welds vet poorly (in my opinion) compared to dual shield (flux core with a shielding gas) or MIG.
MIG tends to have more BB's than dual shield.