I realize this is a pretty "beat to death" topic, but after about 3 hrs of reading this forum and searching a few sites I get such varied personal experiences that I guess asking a direct question might get me a more direct answer.

Basically, I've always wanted to learn to weld, and since I recently snagged my first job out of college I have a little bit of disposal income and am around welders all day(I work in the aerospace industry) the fire has been rekindled.

The only crux is that I don't think I'll be able to justify the expense unless it's somewhere around $400-650 for the whole shebang. From the little bit of reading I've done, it looks like that'll get me a new entry level flux core wire feeder or a decent stick welder.

My uses would be mainly automotive. I'd probably be doing exhaust work, might give a rollbar a go someday(would be at the absolute limits of a wire feeder it looks like), and would like to have the ability to do aluminum(major problem with all units in my price range it looks like). It'd also be a plus if I could get one that'd do that and run off 110V AC, but it looks like that might not be possible.


I don't really care about getting the absolute prettiest welds, and won't be selling anything, but obviously the welds would need to be structurally sound.

So is it basically impossible to get all welder that'll fit those constraints and my modest budget?

 

Def, absolutely not man. For $650 you can get a very nice machine. The Lincoln and Miller 135's are excellent little machines. They seem to fit all your needs perfectly as well. They run off of 110V standard outlet, will weld everything you listed, except aluminum and if used correctly and once you get the hang of it, you can make some very professional looking welds that will hold just as good as anything else out there. Wherever you read that a rollbar would be the limit of machine is wrong. Mild steel roll bars are only .134" thick which is just slightly over an 1/8"....little MIG machine can do it no problem. Heres a quick breakdown of prices for you...
Lincoln 135 MIG Machine(buy from Lowes)-$450 or so.
Bottle of Argon(shielding gas)-$100
Welding helmet- anywhere from a harbor freight $50 one up to a $300 one. Best would probably be a Miller helmet, I forget what model number, but there cheaper one goes on sale now and then for $120.

So, all in all....that would be $670, and if you didnt want to, or couldnt afford it at the time, you could use flux cored wire and not worry about the argon bottle.
Anyways, if there is anything else I can help you with, feel free to ask on here or email me at curleyscustomfab@comcast.net
GOOD LUCK MAN!
Kyle

 

Forget about flux core, but yeah he is about dead on and you can also pick up used stuff too. This type of stuff doesn't really go bad ;0

 

Atheist is right, ask one of your aerospace welding friends to go with you and check out some used MIG machines, maybe bring a piece of scrap steel and run a bead, make sure its all working well, and go for it! The lincoln and miller stuff is built to last. Good luck man, and post up your projects

 

I totally agree with what blueoval said and the prices he was quoting seem correct and in line.

The only reason I'm posting this is to really say that you should think about the fact that this is a tool that you will use for a long time. The cost is in reallity dirt cheap when you think about having (and using) it for years to come.

I've got a Miller MM130 mig unit that I've had for something like 6 years. It's more than paid for it's self. (I do hobby stuff, not professional) I've had <U>no</U> problems with it and even if I did, I can get replacement parts.

Wes