m4xwellmurd3r

Im looking at some welders to start off with and maybe do a somewhat serious project, so i was wondering if something like this lincoln welder will be sufficient for doing things like welding engine mounts, and welding a chassis together (like say, putting a sub frame in the back of a honda for an engine...) i know lincoln makes good products, but im trying to stay under 500 for a welder.

http://m.northerntool.com/products/s...?hotline=false

It says it does up to 1/8th steel, but i dont know how thick the chassis on an integra is around the shock towers and such. Is this welder too small? My gut says it is. 110v is prefered because all i have in the garage is a 20amp socket

I also found this one. Has a bit more punch. Dunno anything about the brand quality

http://m.northerntool.com/products/s...?hotline=false

blackeg

the links dont work.


anyhow i have a lincoln sp125 mig and i absolutely love it. i have welded roll bar tubing to 3/16s plate steel (i beveled it pretty good) and it works on the top 2 settings but you can tell its pushing it. i like that fact that the power setting is infinite since its a full dial from 1-10 not like my buddys lincoln 135 that clicks into the settings either a,b,c,d. you can dial it down well to weld thin stuff. the oe chassis is pretty damn thin in spots. i used my friends 135 on the low "a" setting when i did my cage a few years ago and it burned through in a few spots i had to go back over.

make sure you budget in the regulator and tank, as well as for an auto darkening helmet. they are beyond worth it. thats my personal experience from the backyard mechanic that i am

m4xwellmurd3r

stupid mobile links.

FREE SHIPPING — Klutch MIG 140SI Inverter-Powered Wire-Feed MIG Welder — Spoolgun-Ready, 140 Amp Output | Wirefeed Welders| Northern Tool + Equipment

It's a Klutch 140SI Mig welder. Comes with a gas regulator and everything I'll need for welding steel besides gas and wire.

GSRinmyCRX

iTrader: (8)

i like my Eastwood and the price was reasonable. i opted for the higher amp and spool gun.

good auto darkening mask for the price is the Harbor Freight one with the Blue flame stickers. i picked mine up on black friday/ Cyber monday and it was only $40 and i am very happy with it.

Levi

Reyes

iTrader: (1)

Check out the Hobart Handler 140.
FREE SHIPPING — Hobart Handler 140 Wire-Feed MIG Welder — 115 Volts, Model# 500559 | Wirefeed Welders| Northern Tool + Equipment

Hobart is owned by the same company as Miller. But less expensive. I did a ton of research before buying and have been VERY happy with it. Obviously you can only expect so much from a 110v machine. For the DIY guys this is a great buy.

If you are in SoCal I am actually planning to sell mine very soon to upgrade to a Tig welder.

Freemananana

iTrader: (3)

I found a Lincoln mig welder on craigslist and it really hasn't failed me yet. I've really only done minor things like a kick stand for a motorcycle, exhaust work, and a couple shelf type things. I know you said you want to stay under $500, so a used welder might not be a bad idea.

m4xwellmurd3r

That hobart looks a lot better. Only 120ish more than the klutch i was looking at, but looks like its a lot more capable. Im in az so i wont be able to nab yours lol.

Thickest metal ill most likely be working with is 1/8th inch give or take.

Does it live up to that claim of being able to weld up to 1/4in? Its a hobart so i dont doubt it.

GSRinmyCRX

iTrader: (8)

i would caution against that hobart, it only has a few power settings. i would look for a model with an infinity adjustable power dial. this comes into play with thinner metals.

my father happens to have that same model and it really doesnt have enough power to do anything thick.

MIG 175 Amp Welder with Spool Gun | MIG Welders | MIG 175 Welder ? Eastwood Welders

this is the unit i have and it comes with a spool gun for 500. only drawback is that it does require a 220v connection but it will weld thick metal no problem. . if you do decide to go with a eastwood check their ebay store sometimes things are cheaper there with the way tax and shipping is calculated.

Levi

Reyes

iTrader: (1)

I haven't tried anything 1/4 thick with it so I cannot confirm.


Unfortunately anything in the $500/110V range is going to be limited with its adjustment ranges. The inside lid of the Hobart does have a scale that shows recommended power and wire speed to help make sure you are using the correct settings.

If you are planning to work with think materials. Anything using 220v will get you more power/penetration.

Caoboy

The Hobart will weld up to 1/4 with flux core e71t11.

It is REALLY maxed out at 1/4 though.

It's a great hobby welder though. We've used it plenty on my stepdad's Jeep, on 3/16 metal ( I think that was the max thickness that we've used)

For the thinner stuff just dial it down (there are some other calculations you can do to make sure you're getting the correct wire feed in Inches Per Minute, for all settings of the welder, don't necessarily just go off of the chart on the inside) and make sure you are using a good wire with (75 /25 argon/co2) shield gas and it'll be fine.

m4xwellmurd3r

Thanks for all the tips guys. The thickest I'll end up working with will be 1/8th to 3/16th most likely. I really doubt I'll ever use it for 1/4in

The plan is to try and build a twin engined integra using the front clip of another DA and grafting it into the rear. To do so I need to build a jig that goes under the car to hold it level. The jig will be a 2x2 square stock frame with some brackets and towers, that bolts to the front frame rails that would hold the front traction bar/subframe, then go to the rear of the car and the front clip will bolt to it the same way, holding everything level and on the same plane. Then I can tack the rear chassis into the car, and use something like 1/8th in steel to tie it into the rear chassis, as well as brace the rear chassis for the new loads.

It really sucks that i'm limited to a standard outlet, but at least it's a 20amp on its own breaker.

I'm not going to start the project for a while but I do need a better welder so I can learn how to weld better. Right now I'm using a bottom barrel HF 90amp flux core welder and it really sucks. It's barely good enough to do any sort of exhaust patch work and welding in brackets.

I figure a decent 110v mig welder that has good capabilities, along with good wire and gas, will be strong enough to do the type of work i'm going to be using it for.

Luckily Honda made a very good frame repair chart so I have a good idea of what points to use to level the car from, and my garage has about a 1 degree slant that I can shim the jig to be dead level. Since I know all the dimensions of the car, I can build the frame based off the cars wheelbase, so when the jig is bolted to the car and the frame the rear suspension will be dead set where it needs to be.

I don't plan on starting the project for another 6mon. to a year, but I always like going through all the planning stages so I can start finding where the hurdles are going to be. I already figured out the clutch and E brake situation, as well as how i'm going to make sure the chassis is dead level and squared up, etc. So it's just a matter of getting some tools and learning how to make better welds.

It took a long time to get half way decent welds out of that shitty HF welder...but that's because it sucks hah.

98vtec

get on craigslist and find one second hand that is brand name. I bought an older style Lincoln 180HD (220v) for 350 that never gave me an ounce of problems.

LightningTeg

X2. I love my Hobart 140.

Paul_VR6

I got an Eastwood 125 at an open box sale, price was RIGHT! I use it for tacking stuff, light, quick, dirty work when I don't want to break out the tig. Works perfect for that, doesn't make things harder than they need to be, which was about all I was asking for it to do. In hindsight a few more $ for the 175 would have been a better long term investment, but I don't see myself running mig much anyway.

m4xwellmurd3r

Good to hear. Its definitely going to be the one i go after. It seems like for a 110v welder it can do some pretty hefty work

CRMB

Shop craigslist for used name brand mig welders. We prefer miller mig and tig machines. That way when you later upgrade you won't lose a bunch of money.

98vtec

Exactly. I actually ended up selling mine 4 years later for the same price I bought it for

nixrox

I think you are missing the point. The instructions for the welder say it will weld up to 1/8 inch, but that means 1/8 inch in one pass.

How do you think something 2 or 3 or 4 inches gets welded? They get welded in 10 or 20 or 30 passes and 1/8 of an inch at a time - with a whole lot of chipping and grinding between each pass.

nixrox

I think you should be more worried about the DUTY CYCLE.

Cheap welders use aluminum wire, so their DUTY CYCLE is 20% or less and at a very low welding amperage.

A good quality welder with copper wire has a 100% DUTY CYCLE up to at least 100 amps or more.

Caoboy

I wouldn't want to be welding something that is 2 inches thick with a welder that can only weld an 1/8" in one pass. That's not much penetration.

nixrox

Almost every steel weld over 1/8 inch thickness is welded with multiple passes and I did say that was not the real issue. Duty cycle and aluminum wire were more important issues for a first time welder.

You should look up 'Electro slag' welding. The electode is an inch in diameter and there are huge water cooled copper plates on each side. the arc is struck inside a huge pile of flux powder at about 1000 amps. It is used for welding 6 inch thick or greater, plates of steel together.

Caoboy

Are you talking about Sub-Arc welding? Looks like sand on top of a pipe joint being welded?

drummingpariah

Hobart 140. Chassis rails are typically 2-3 layers of 18ga. Your maximum welding requirement is right around the maximum capabilities of the 140, and it's a very friendly, consistent, easy-to-use welder. You can frequently find them used, often with a bottle.

You won't need to buy another welder after you have one of these, unless you'd like to weld aluminum.

nixrox

Caoboy - no not sub-arc - electo slag. It came up on one of my exams and I had no idea what the hell that was. I had to do a lot of research to find that particular welding process. It is used mostly in the submarine and ship building industry.
We use sub-arc for large diameter pipe welding and usually 5/8 or thicker material here in Alberta.

nixrox

The one thing I like about sub-arc is that there are usually no defects.