sflkgjsfndgn

So I want to buy a welder and could use a little help.

I will not be doing the welding, someone that knows how to weld but isn't too kean on welding specs will be doing it.

I'm only going to use it maybe once or twice a year, so I don't need anything good. Right now I want to use it to weld 5/8's steel plates to pipes that are 1/4inch steel. I want to get a MIG just because I think it is the most commonly used welder, which is helpful sometimes. Most of the time the welding will be for thinner steel.

Can anyone recommend a cheap welder that can do this?

My other issue is, It will be used at various locations, most will not have an easily accessible 220 line. Plenty of 20 amp 110volt lines, but from what I heard that won't cut the mustard. This has to be a common problem for welders, not sure what the solutions are.

Is there a way to quickly make a 220 line out of two 110v circuits?

Also some of the welding may need to be done 100 feet away from the circuit breaker panel. Looking at the price of extension cords that can handle the juice, it would cost me more than the welder lol.

Do you guys have any recommendations for welders and an easy way to get juice at various locations?

As for quality, I'm thinking harbor freight might be fine just because I will not be using it often.

Renting for this one project I need it for now will likely cost more than the welder since I need to do it in stages and will need to rent for a week. Even if I do rent it, I don't have a 220 line now, and even if I put in a 220 line, where ever I put it I will probably need to weld about 100 feet away from it.

Thanks in advance

OneBadTurboCRV

With all those limitations it sounds like your best bet would be to get a stick welding machine. Miller makes a nice little suitcase machine that isn't super expensive and is pretty light weight. It is 1/8" rod capable if stainless otherwise 3/32" for mild steel when run off 110v A/C. This of course assumes what are are welding is stainless or mild steel. It also has 220v for larger rod capability and includes plug end adapters so no BS wiring to deal with. A MIG machine that isn't using flux-core wire will need shielding gas. This is added cost and a PITA for portability. There are plenty of 110v options too for MIG, though you could have the stick welder at the outlet and just run some welding lead out to the job.

Here is the link, you can find them a little cheaper though:

http://www.millerwelds.com/products/...p?model=M00142

I have used this machine for a few years now as my portable setup. It can be a huge time saver and make things a lot easier if they can't be brought back to the shop. With all that being said though, I am not sure what you consider cheap haha.

sflkgjsfndgn

that seems like it might be a perfect option if I was welding a lot. It looks very portable, which probably saves a lot of time and hassle.

Unfortunately I will not even come close to using it enough to need that portability. I just need it once in a blue moon. Are there cheaper alternatives with similar performance levels? I don't need it so pretty looking. Chinese construction is fine considering I will use it in 10 years about as often as you probably use it in 1. I was hoping to stay under $500, cheaper the better as I still have to labor for someone to do the welding. I'm just trying to make it cheaper than hiring an actual welder.

What sort of power levels should I look for. I think mig with flux-core is a must.

Also I have an interesting question. I see people always rating these things for how thick of steel they are welding.

What if I'm welding a 1/4 inch steel pipe (4" diameter total, actual steel is 1/4") to a 5/8's inch plate. Can I use welder rated for 1/4" steel since it is essentially the thickness I need to penetrate?

joakwin

Is this project a vehicle? Because I wouldn't use a stick welder for thinner steel like body panels?

Thicker metals need more passes, when you get to 5/8's thick plates, your talking about building a triangle weld, that's a heavy duty project you have going on

If you just need 1/4 thick metal stuck to some 5/8's plate then you need a machine that can handle 1/4

A 175-180 amp machine can handle it,
Even a 135-140amp if the metal is grinded down
But ideal machine would be a 210 amp plus

And what kind of welder knows how to weld but don't know about machines?
I don't want to start anything but I would say that anyone that knows how to weld, should know alittle something about the machines, or else they probably aren't any good at welding and I would not let them any where close to my project

ritzone42

For very nice economical units, check out thermal arc machines. They recently were rebranded to Tweco, but they are the same machines. Made by Victor/Thermadyne. I own one of their small TIG/Stick machines and it is very nice fore the price, but sucks when it comes to stick welding with anything but 6013 (I like to call that the "farmer's special" rod). You can weld multipass thick stuff with a sub 110 amp machine, although you will be maxing duty cycle if youre trying to stick weld, especially 6010/6011/7018. You'll probably also have a tough time keeping your arc lit. My 110v machine maxes at 95 amps... It will burn a 3/32 7018 IF you can strike an arc. Forget about it on 6010.

As for MIG, you're not gonna touch 1/4" pen with a 110v machine, no way, no how. You will be REQUIRED to multipass it if you want full penetration. It won't get hot enough to stick the pieces together anyway, so you will still have to V out and multipass it. Probably preheat too. Fluxcore definitely will help for sure, but you're still gonna have a bad time if you try to single pass it.

v8killaz

tig will require a bit more skill and mig will be easy. stick for me is also quite hard. Id get a tig. extension shouldn't be too much if you make your own, under $100-200

Id get a mig welder 220 for sure. miller 211 autoset or Lincoln 180hd would work well

ritzone42

I will second that TIG and stick will be significantly harder to do, especially if you have never welded. If you get a DC stick machine, you basically have a tig machine but you will have to buy a tig torch, rent a gas bottle, buy tungsten, etc. Gets expensive quick. You can achieve a lot with a very small tig unit. The small thermal arc I own is used for tig only and does just fine on multipass stuff, but it's mostly used on sheet metal.

paulzy

iTrader: (1)

I vote for oxycetylene setup. No electrical power needed. Can weld multiple thickness with the switch of the tip.

IF you insist on using an electrical welder, I say go rent the portable welder/generator combos from a LWS.

F22Master

This seems like the best option for OP.

1sick4g63

iTrader: (1)

Dude no no and no.
You can't go cheap and weld 5/8". You can't go harbor freight and go 5/8".
What you need to do is go pay someone that does mobile welding with a engine driven welder.

sflkgjsfndgn

Thanks for your help guys, I just paid a pro to weld the 5/8th's steel, I'll probably just buy a 110volt for the lighter stuff.

Most of the stuff is for property repairs, such as a steel stair case, or structural ibeams (which only rely on the weld to keep pieces from shifting)

smilindave

Any 110v mig WILL NOT, I REPEAT, WILL NOT perform any real tasks. They are for people who when asked can say "I have a welder". They are really useless. Search CL and buy a real machine or rent one when needed.

JMHO
Regards
Dave

Agtronic

My first thought when I read 5/8" was "send that out". No entry level machine, even 220v will do that correctly. You want some big fat "caulking" welds for material that thick, and that takes some serious heat.

And I tend to agree about the 110v machines, they are mostly useless, thought I have to say the more recent ones have surprised me. You can do .065" correctly but that's about it.

Gaineswelding

Running 6010 on an AC machine. How does that work?

Hidenplanvew

110 are awesome for like body work and stuff of that nature... I use one daily