I am changing a radiator support
What welder should I buy?
Thanks
I want to stay away from tig, just be able to do normal items such as exhausts
thanks

 

You already answered your own question bud. You want to stay away from TIG (price I'm guessing). An arc welder is generally not a good idea in body work (not impossible) so A MIG would be the best viable option. Look for a unit that can utilize gas, and has the highest avilable output that you can give power to.

Clayton

 

SP-135plus lincoln mig

 

Miller 135

 

Where do you get the gas for these migs?

 

miller 251 is the smallest I'd go

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by own6volvos &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">Miller 135 </TD></TR></TABLE>
the Hobarts are just as good...but will save a chunk of money. Go any cheaper by buying another brand, and you just go straight to shitty pieces of junk.

 

251 is 2600-3000
Hell no I am not spending more than 1k
thanks for the heads up

 

which is the best one i should go with
miller 135, lincoln 135 or hobart 135.
The cheapest is the hobart then lincoln then miller
thanks
for the info

 

Not sure about the rest but the Lincoln is really nice machine and has infinitely adjustable on both the wire speed and the voltage control rather than detents and it also comes with a hell of a torch. I like this machine and know of 5 people that have it and love it.

 

I work at a miller distributor and I think the miller or the Hobart (now made by miller) will blow away a similar lincoln.

They still use metal parts and will last forever. The Miller 135 is a really good 115 machine.

And the hobart makes a similar handler 140, same 20% duty cycle. More plastic like a lincoln though, but with multiple passes can penetrate 1/4in. steel.

Hope this helps!

 

I know this is a stupid question, but I need to convince myself to buy a better machine.....

When comparing mig welders, does a higher priced machine make better quality welds or is all up to the user's skill level

 

The users skill will play a huge part in the quality of the weld.....however. Crappy machines are really difficult to be consistant with. Remember you always get what you pay for. This Engloid line applies to most things and it applies to welders even more.

I :heart: my Miller.

 

<TABLE WIDTH="90%" CELLSPACING=0 CELLPADDING=0 ALIGN=CENTER><TR><TD>Quote, originally posted by Stewie &raquo;</TD></TR><TR><TD CLASS="quote">When comparing mig welders, does a higher priced machine make better quality welds or is all up to the user's skill level</TD></TR></TABLE>

Analogies:
I ride a GSXR1000. If I was to enter a race with professionals, in a 500cc class...they'd smoke my ***.

If Nicky Hayden (pro racer) was on a 50cc minibike and I was on my GSXR1000, I'd smoke his ***.

In other words, not even the best rider can do very well if they don't have the right equipment.

As a beginner, you will think that whatever you have works well...but if you buy cheap junk, you will soon realize that it is cheap junk.

Another anology: If your first motorycyle is a 250cc, you will be outclassed by its abilities for a while, but will eventually be able to go through corners and wish you had more power to go faster.

Granted, a motorcycle can get you killed and a welding machine can't...so get the best you can afford, even if you have to borrow a little bit. I strongly reccomend used miller machines, as they can still give many years of use but will give more power than what you could afford to buy new.

 

That makes sense. I'm leaning towards the miller 175 for my first welder. If I keep it a long time at least I know it'll last. If not, I should be able to sell it easily for a decent price.

thanks

 

What does the gas do since these 135 machines can be used with gas or without.
it cools down the weld?
bump up for more info

 

when you are using gas you are MIG welding. The sheilding gas protects the puddle for the atmosphere so that the metal can be joined. In gasless welding(flux-core) the shield comes from the flux that is inside the wire. As the flux is burned it creates a gas that sheilds the weld.

You can get decent results with fluxcore but MIG is better and you don't have to chip **** off of your weld every time.