Welders

Yellow 72 · Sep 2, 2004

Hey, I'm going to buy a welder sometime soon and was wondering what kind, what brand, and what power i should get. I dont want to spend too much money probably no more than 500. I want it to be strong enough to be able to fab things up like bumpers i dont really care about welding small/thin things.

Thanks

Yellow 72 · Sep 3, 2004

Hey i was looking at the Hobart handler 140 it looks to be pretty good and i've seen the hobart name a lot when doin research has anyone had expierence with this machine would it be a good one. Is 140 enough power for what i'm looknig for, it says it handles up to 1/4 inch steels with no problem...

Dave's Bronc 90 · Sep 4, 2004

My personal preference is to get a stick welder instead of one of the cheap wire feeders. My welder may be one of the cheapest ones on the market- the AC only version of the red Lincoln buzz box. Bought it as a return at Home Depot for $160, and it has been great. I have used those small wire feeders before, and even though it may be rated for 1/4" plate, it will have trouble getting really good penetration. They are really designed for thin work, like sheet metal. My stick welder on the other hand is capable of cranking out 225 amps (okay, at 10% duty cycle), and it is more than powerful enough to weld heavy stuff in one clean pass. I even used it to weld the new exhaust under by F-150, so it can handle thin work too. If you can spend a little more, get the AC/DC version, which is a little more versatile. Really, if you stick with the big names you won't go wrong, and Lincoln, Miller, and Hobart all make excellent quality and comparable small welders.

Yellow 72 · Sep 4, 2004

Thank ya

69Broncovirgin · Sep 5, 2004

I'm in the same boat....choosing a welder. The Miller webiste has some excellent information to help you decision. www.millerwelds.com.

As for brands, I agree you can't really go wrong with the big three especially when you consider the total cost of ownership. ie supplies, service, parts, etc.

BLADE262US · Sep 6, 2004

MILLER all the way

fbrown3 · Sep 27, 2004

Hey; I bought a Century welder and it works as good as the Hobarts or Miller, I know because I have used both in the past(wire and stick). It's a 220 volt buzz box @ 295 amps.. It does every thing I need from exhaust to frame work and costs a lot less. I've had it for about ten years with no problem. You pick what works for you they are all good choices.

Broncoholics · Sep 27, 2004

I have an old AC buzz box that welds any thickness and is cheap.
If I were you get a AC/DC stick buzz box set up. They are cheap to buy and work damn good. AC is tougher to weld espacially upsidedown compared to DC.
Wire feed is quick and easy but I found most Lincoln, Miller etc. don't get as much penitration as the AC/DC stick box does. If you go wire feed, spend the extra cash and get a good high amperage one.

Yellow 72 · Sep 28, 2004

Hey, thanks for all the help i ended up getting a lincoln 225 buzz box and its working great i'm starting to get the hang of stuff that i can use the higher amps on but its still hard to use it around 40-60 amps but i'll get the hang of it... thanks agian.