welders

[hotrodharley]

i'm still looking to try and buy welder..is the clark 180en welder worth buying.i'm on tight budget but need welder to do my cage..mig i have now is only 80amp craftsman.fear it isn't big enough..also looking at the millermatic 140 auto set.but is close to $300 more money on e-bay.

[Tod74]

I would not buy any welder that wasn't 220. I have a Hobart that welds great... Every 110v I have ever tried wasn't worth a hoot in my opinion.

[performanceengin]

if you,r looking to buy a welder, i would not buy anything less than a 175 amp minimum. you won't get good penetration with anything less. also look for name brand so repair parts are avalible. just my .02 worth

[itsabird]

i agree with both statement,s, hobart, miller,lincoln, all make good welders. however haveing enough amprage, to do the job is key, something in the 175 range, is as low as i would go for that job.

[olds48]

They are right,120v welders are not good for anything concerning chassis on a car.I have a hobart 250 I got from Northern equipment.It was a dispay and the regulator was missing.Gave $200 for the welder,then got a new regulator for another $50 or so.Look around and see if you can find a deal like that.But DO NOT buy a 120v welder,please

[insane4fbodys]

I agree with everyone on the 110's. But unfortunately some of us live in older places that don't have 220 hook ups. I have a 110 Millermatic and not a pro, but have seen a pro use a 110 unit and think the way he did it would have held up fine. But again unless your really good with 1, the above statements hold true. LOL, I've had mine for 10 years and bet the darn thing hasn't had 5 hours of use.

[olds48]

I lied.My box is a Hobart handler 175,not a 250.Burns 1/4" steel like buttah.Don't know if you would need anything bigger or not,don't think so.

[lively]

I HAVE A HOBART----110 VOLT---VERY GOOD WELDER----BUT IF YOU DON'T FEEL COMFORTABLE [DIG DEEPER IN THE NEST EGG AND BUY THE STRONGER ONE---NAME BRAND THAT YOU CAN REPAIR]----------LIVELY

[TRChassis]

You also need to look at the duty cycle. And as mentioned get a 220 welder only. Get the most amps and highest duty cycle you can afford. Just like they say in racing there is no substitute for horsepower there is no substitute for a heavy duty welder. The 110 welders are low duty cycle and blow the breakers after only a very short weld period. The newer ones coming out may be better but you would have a hard time convincing me to buy one. Just my two cents.

[Tod74]

They are right,120v welders are not good for anything concerning chassis on a car.I have a hobart 250 I got from Northern equipment.It was a dispay and the regulator was missing.Gave $200 for the welder,then got a new regulator for another $50 or so.Look around and see if you can find a deal like that.But DO NOT buy a 120v welder,please

you got a steal if you paid 200 bucks. They don't sell the 175 anymore, just the 180 to my knowledge...but the 175 used to sell for $675.00

I have a 175 I use for body repair and it is an excellent welder for the money.

A good MILLER is the best in my opinion but expensive. I have never used their smaller,cheaper stuff but have worked with their big stuff (3 phase delta weld 450) for years at work and I love em. Vey heavy duty.

[olds48]

I saw it on display and noticed the regulator was missing.I had came to buy one at full price and they were out of them.When I talked to the manager,and asked if she would sell it, that is the price she offered it to me.I wasn't about to let that deal pass.I don't know what the duty cycle on mine is but I've never hit it either

[Tod74]

I saw it on display and noticed the regulator was missing.I had came to buy one at full price and they were out of them.When I talked to the manager,and asked if she would sell it, that is the price she offered it to me.I wasn't about to let that deal pass.I don't know what the duty cycle on mine is but I've never hit it either

yeah you couldn't pass that up. It is a great welder and I mostly weld quarter panels and such with mine but have welded 1/4 inch plates with no issues.

[olds48]

I ve tried to do body work with mine with no luck.I either burn thru or it looks like it is just puddling with no penetration.What kind of wire/settings do you use?

[gary043]

Hey
I also have a Hobart Handler 175,And I love it.I have done a lot of welding with Millermatic,different sizes,and to me,unless you try to weld metal too thick,the Hobart welds just as good.It works great od any chassis and cage work.I bought mine at Tractor Supply,between 600 and 700 with cart. good luck..........Gary

[Racefab57]

Ive always had MILLERS and had excellent service from them!!! Miller 250, tig 300 and a plaza cutter. Best $$$$ I ever spent on tools!!!

[jmtire]

I've had a Miller 35 for 20 yrs!! never been worked on, just keep clean, also have Tig & plasma cutter, we use these everyday in a muffler shop.

[hotrodharley]

ok guys..i got enough stuff sold this week to buy myself a new mig welder to do my roll cage with..looks like e-bay is going to be my best buy.i'm looking at the lincon 180 amp..on e-bay they have the pro180 and also the weld-pak180;;;what is the differance between these 2 welders and what one should i go with..they are averaging $475+shipping and are new in boxes..looking for some fast answers.have money and ready to buy.

[hotrodharley]

well i just won bid on new pro180amp linclon mig welder..got it for $542.00 shipped to me..now i can weld my roll cage a last..

[Tod74]

cool beans. :D

[montgent]

:shock: Please have welding at least inspected by an experinced welder after welding up roll cage.For whatever its worth.

[henny]

I am not sure on the models you are speaking of, but on various welders I have used, I have found the bigger welders smoother to weld with
It may be different on the model you are talking about, but it does seem the bigger welders make a nicer job on smaller welds
Years ago I had a 225 Lincoln stick welder, then bought a large 250 amp Miller. Laugh if you like, but it welded thin materials quite well. I have a scratch start TIG for it which is nice, but not as nice as the TIG we have at work(foot pedal)
I have a 220 V MIG as well. Bigger MIG s are easier to use than it
For me bigger welders seem to be easier to work with, so I would buy as big a unit as I can afford(as $$ as I could afford)
I will be buying a foot pedal TIG in the near future

[kwkracing]

oh no :(

[gearheadwelder]

Hello guys, Here is my opinion on welders. Buy a good quality ( I use Miller and lincoln ) name brand, if you need to resell it you'll get most of your money back. Look on ebay for a tig foot pedal machine and you won't see many millers or Lincoln's.
On the 110 mig, a Miller or Lincoln will work great on thin carbon steel, a little trick for thicker wall/steel full pen welds would be to grind a bevel and leave a gap the width of your wire dia. This will help burn all the way through. A 220 mig welder should be used here , but it can be done. Body shop welding, like panels and supports can be done with 110's but most good shops have 220's . So spend the money on a good name brand, it'll save you in the long run.

[kwkracing]

do not weld a cage with a 110 volt welder unless you are building it out of electrical conduit, lol.

[rdecker]

Well for what its worth,I am a master welder,20 yrs experence.With proper beveling and proper heat and wire settings you can wld up a cage with 110v welders.You have to pay close attention to duty cycle.Over heating welder causes loss of penetration and hurts welder.Also make sure you have a dedicated circuit with proper braker.I welded at a couple dirt tracks with there fluxcore lincoln and never had any failures.220v is the best way to go and a minimum of 180 amps.

[ashbros]

Well, I too agree when it comes to choice between 110 and 220 welders but it just so happends that I have a 110 clark and it works great

[oldandtired]

I agree with rdecker - use a dedicated power supply for a 110 unit. I have a Lincoln and it does an excellent job.
Never ( and I mean never) use an extension cord if you are welding somthing that your life will depend on.

[kwkracing]

Im rolling up my pants, lol.