Welding For Dummies

[gregintenn]

I would like to purchase a quality, general purpose welder. It would be used for working on trailers, farm equipment, vehicles, etc. I know next to nothing about welding, but I do know I have an occasional need to make two pieces of steel stick together. Any advice, help, instruction, or even general ribbing would be greatly appreciated.

[Alleycat72]

I run a Millermatic 211 mig and a lincoln stick welder.

[bigun]

For general use get an AC/DC. And sign up for a class or get with someone to show you a little. I welded all my working life. It only takes about 15 min. to learn, and a life time to perfect it.

[peejman]

Avoid cheap mig welders. Generally, you get what you pay for.  Welding isn't super hard to do, but it is hard to get good at. 

 

[Sam1]

if you're not looking to do anything spectacular, just pick up one of the harbor freight welders.  Stick welding is cheaper and simpler.

[Danger Rane]

Check out the Miller 215 Multimatic. As it's name suggests it is a multi process welder; MIG, Stick, DC TIG. Runs off of 120 or 240. Very user friendly for the novice welder and very easily tuned for the more experienced welder.  It is my smallest welder but it gets used quite often for jobs you are describing that don't warrant firing up the big stuff. Cyberweld.com frequently has decent rebates going. For general farm/field use I would recommend getting yourself a roll of Hobart or Harris .035 Flux Core wire along with some quality 6011 and 7018 welding rods. For infrequent use buy rods in small, sealed containers as they (particularly the 7018) go to crap once their flux has absorbed moisture. 

If you are ever in the Columbia, Spring Hill, Franklin area drop me a message and I'll let you check out the 215 and try to answer any questions you might have.

[gregintenn]

That Miller 215 is pretty cool!

I notice the Hobart Stickmate XL Tractor Supply sells gets really good reviews, and I think it'll do everything I'll need. Anybody have an opinion on it?

[Dolomite_supafly]

Get a wire feed MIG, they are so simple to use. You set a couple of dials and squeeze a trigger. I have a Hobart 140 and it works great. I can do really thin stuff as well as stuff that is well over 1/4" on a single pass. You can use MIG welders with gas or with a core if you don't want to fool with gas. With gas the welds need nothing, no clean up at all. I use the Hobart several times a week and have yet to have a problem.

I also have a TIG machine and use it some as well but for 90% of the stuff I am welding I use a MIG because it is so simple. TIG give you a lot more control and is almost like a acetylene torch.

I have used stick welders and they leave a lot to be desired compared to MIG.

[TNWNGR]

15 minutes ago, Dolomite_supafly said:

Get a wire feed MIG, they are so simple to use. You set a couple of dials and squeeze a trigger. I have a Hobart 140 and it works great. I can do really thin stuff as well as stuff that is well over 1/4" on a single pass. You can use MIG welders with gas or with a core if you don't want to fool with gas. With gas the welds need nothing, no clean up at all. I use the Hobart several times a week and have yet to have a problem.

I also have a TIG machine and use it some as well but for 90% of the stuff I am welding I use a MIG because it is so simple. TIG give you a lot more control and is almost like a acetylene torch.

I have used stick welders and they leave a lot to be desired compared to MIG.

I agree with Dolomite's comments on the Hobart 140, it's a great value for the money, particularly for home or farm use. I haven't tried or needed a TIG yet but will be needing to purchase a decent stick welder and Oxy-Acetylene set for my hobby blacksmithing. 

[seez52]

I'd go with a mig of some description. I had a stick for a long time and it just seemed to take more skill. The mig is much easier, at least for me. You might check around at some of the pawn shops. I bough mine at one and they will usually deal on  them. I bought a mig and sometime later a tig unit. A lot of times  they will have good accessories included with them.

The most important thing you can buy after the welder is a quality helmet. The low end ones just don't work that well. I didn't know it until I used a Jackson Safety model. I think it was about $150 and my welds improved by at least 100% afterward.

[jughead]

i would suggest buying bigger and better than you think you will need as budget allows. 40 years in business and learned that just to get by didnt always work. quite a few times a job would have been easier if i had bought just a little bigger or better

[gregintenn]

18 hours ago, Dolomite_supafly said:

Get a wire feed MIG, they are so simple to use. You set a couple of dials and squeeze a trigger. I have a Hobart 140 and it works great. I can do really thin stuff as well as stuff that is well over 1/4" on a single pass. You can use MIG welders with gas or with a core if you don't want to fool with gas. With gas the welds need nothing, no clean up at all. I use the Hobart several times a week and have yet to have a problem.

I also have a TIG machine and use it some as well but for 90% of the stuff I am welding I use a MIG because it is so simple. TIG give you a lot more control and is almost like a acetylene torch.

I have used stick welders and they leave a lot to be desired compared to MIG.

I've tried two different mug welders, and can't get the penetration I need for what I'm trying to weld. I know very little about welding, and am probably doing something wrong.

[Dolomite_supafly]

Flux core MIG will get you more penetration than shielding gas but it needs to be cleaned up because of the flux core.

You are more than welcome to call me anytime. Or if you prefer you can come by and try anything I have before you buy.

If you are used to brazing or using a torch to "weld" I would look at a TIG machine. They are like an acetylene torch except they use electricity instead of gas to heat the metal. You can also use a TIG to cut metal like an acetylene torch. I have a plasma cutter as well but I have used the TIG to make cuts from time to time because it is easier if you are already using the TIG.

What are the specs on the welders and what are you trying to weld?

[peejman]

You have the most control with TIG, that why I'm not a big fan of MIG.  Yes, you'll need to deal with the complication of gas bottles (argon, preferably) and it's a little slower, but the end results are generally much cleaner and high quality.  

My welding background is on jet engine parts, so I'm kinda picky.   

If penetration is an issue, bevel the joint out, clean it thoroughly, and make multiple passes. It's kinda like painting, the better you prep, the better the results. 

[MacGyver]

Plus, you can TIG weld in your Sunday clothes...

[Sam1]

39 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

Plus, you can TIG weld in your Sunday clothes...

What are these 'Sunday clothes' that you speak of?

[peejman]

47 minutes ago, MacGyver said:

Plus, you can TIG weld in your Sunday clothes...

And it only hurts a little when you accidentally touch the rod to the tungsten while not wearing gloves.

Just don't wear a white shirt, especially with AC. 

[MacGyver]

3 minutes ago, Sam1 said:

What are these 'Sunday clothes' that you speak of?

When I was a kid, one of my favorite things to do was to go with my grandfather to the jet base at Hartsfield where he was a pilot for Delta.  He had helped Delta make the transition to the jet age, and as he was also a Colonel in the reserve, so it seemed like everyone knew him.  He was completely non assuming and one of the most humble people I've ever known, but he might as well have been a celebrity around there.

I used to love going into the machine shops down there where they actually made things in real time.  It was amazing to see those guys weld wearing ties.

 

[gregintenn]

Well, I've about decided the gas regulator is screwed up on dad's welder.

Last night, I evidently had the wire speed way too high on my neighbor's welder. It isn't on gas; just using flux core wire. After a bit of research, I turned the wire speed way back, and now I'm running a respectable bead (at least for me).

Thanks for all the help!

You guys have about talked me into a wire welder instead of a stick.

[Dolomite_supafly]

11 minutes ago, peejman said:

 

Just don't wear a white shirt, especially with AC. 

You ain't kidding. I had gloves and a t-shirt on the first day I spent TIG welding. My skin was peeling a few days later from the burn. 

Now I make sure I have a long sleeve on when running AC.

[MacGyver]

It's amazing how much we've learned about radiation safety in the last 50 years.  

It kind of makes you wonder what we're doing today that 50 years from now we'll look back and say, "we just didn't know any better."

Cell phones come immediately to mind.

[gregintenn]

On 8/13/2017 at 3:06 PM, Dolomite_supafly said:

Get a wire feed MIG, they are so simple to use. You set a couple of dials and squeeze a trigger. I have a Hobart 140 and it works great. I can do really thin stuff as well as stuff that is well over 1/4" on a single pass. You can use MIG welders with gas or with a core if you don't want to fool with gas. With gas the welds need nothing, no clean up at all. I use the Hobart several times a week and have yet to have a problem.

I also have a TIG machine and use it some as well but for 90% of the stuff I am welding I use a MIG because it is so simple. TIG give you a lot more control and is almost like a acetylene torch.

I have used stick welders and they leave a lot to be desired compared to MIG.

Do you think the 230 volt model would be worth the extra hundred or so dollars?

[Jb3426]

Buy the biggest machine you can afford. You will outgrow a 110v machine quickly. They are good for sheet metal but struggle with anything thicker. I do all of my mig welding with an ancient Esab Migmaster 250 and tig with an Everlast tig  machine.  If you have access to a tig machine learn to weld with it. You have so much more control of the puddle and you can see immediately how the puddle is reacting to changes since you can see better without all the smoke and spatter from a stick or flux core machine. 

There is plenty of good info here. One thing I have noticed is how hard it is to see through dirty lenses. You weld much better when you can see what is going on. The clear safety lenses in front of the shaded lens are cheap. Buy a few to fit your helmet. They are almost impossible to clean once they get filthy. 

[peejman]

11 hours ago, gregintenn said:

Do you think the 230 volt model would be worth the extra hundred or so dollars?

Yes. 

[Dolomite_supafly]

11 hours ago, gregintenn said:

Do you think the 230 volt model would be worth the extra hundred or so dollars?

You can always turn it down, you cannot always turn it up. $100 to double your capabilities is a deal.

It also depends on what you will be welding. If all you do is thinner material a 230 is not NEEDED. But if you are going to do any heavier gauge stuff a 110V may not work well.

Also look at the duty cycle. You want a welder that can handle what you are doing without taking cooling breaks. If you are going to be using it to fix things, versus building things, you could get away with a lower duty cycle. If you get a high voltage welder you shouldn't have a duty cycle problem at the lower settings.

The first welder I used was a cheap 230V model. If I turned it up past anything beyond 100 amps it would shut off after 5 minutes and take at least 15 minutes to cool before you could turn it back on. I used box fans to extend the welding time some but it still turned itself off before I was done welding.

I am far from an expert, plenty of people here with WAY more knowledge than I have about welding. I am still trying to figure things out myself.

Personally I would buy a good AC/DC TIG/ARC machine in 230V. It isn't as simple as a MIG but you can weld EVERYTHING with a AC/DC TIG/ARC welder. You can weld aluminum and steel.

Now if all you are going to weld is steel and ease of use is important it is hard to beat a 230V MIG on gas. With it you can pretty much weld anything you would need to as a home user.