MIG welder, hobby use
 

Looking at getting a MIG welder, bandsaw and plasma cutter. This will be for art, hobby, light fixit, general amusement/interest. Not sure what max thickness of steel to be welded, but nothing very serious - 1/16", 1/8"?

Trying to keep total cost down. 120 v strongly preferred.

Any brand, model suggestions or tips?

What about the multi-model welders that supposedly do MIG and TIG?

Have no knowledge here - taking a MIG welding class, took a TIG class a loooong time ago, never done anything outside of that.

Do you plan to use the bandsaw to cut steel? With most of the small ones that are intended for wood the blade speed is way too high to be used for steel or metal even with their low range, just something to check into. A 4 1/2 inch grinder and some slitting discs works better for thin material. For just sticking things together MIG is much faster than TIG, cheaper welding unit also, nicer welds with TIG though.

I purchased a Hobart Handler mig welder about 10 years ago and have been very happy with it . I have done everything from steel flares on a Porsche 914 to 1/4" thick steel and everything in between . I have used it with gas and flux core wire. Hobart is a sister division of Miller so good quality with parts available if needed.

Purchase what is available and supported in your area . And like any new tool practice with it so you know what you are doing .

A million years ago, I worked in the welding industry.

Advice? Buy a machine that has parts / service supported. Hobart, Lincoln, Miller are some big names.

I remember a Lincoln 120v unit (25+ years ago!) that had variable feed speed. People really liked it.

People also really appreciated gas on the welding. Much nicer than flux core.

No idea about modern welders. Keep us posted. I am somewhat interested.

If you're shopping for used MIGs, be sure and look up some reveiws on the welding forums. Every brand seems to have a few troublesome models. Also, make sure you are buying one in nice shape so you don't have to replace a bunch of parts before you even start welding.

you guys are amazing... I bought a mig with gas to replace my flux core. And spent a year of testing punching right though metal or doing welds that never stuck. I gave up and in frustration gave all my gear to my brother in law. Welding mystifies me, seems so simple and yet I'm thoroughly incapable of it. (mig anyway, flux core I did, it was ugly but it worked)
I keep hoping someone comes up with a model that senses the metal thickness and type and adjusts it all for you for a newbie welder ;-)

They have. Today's welders are all about touch screen and preset + logic. Also, cheap welders have become better. Getting parts is important if you're spending 2-3 or more K on a welder but you have to understand warrantees. If you're spending 3-400 on a MIG and it breaks after a year of any level of use you're better off throwing it away.

So this leaves you with a choice, spend little and take that chance, or spend big and have decent support.

Now I'm down to 4 welders from 5 plus I have 2 sets of oxy/fuel outfits. One of my little suitcase TIG machines quit the TIG function and welds stick only. I got rid of a very heavy AC stick machine knowing that if I need to go mobile, I can take one of 2 capable of stick both dual voltage. I have the same Hobart as Richard for the MIG side plus an old Lincoln 120v MIG that I've had for years. It leaks the gas, so I have flux core wire in it all the time for quick and dirty jobs. Knowing how to use FC makes for some not too bad looking welds, but read the next sentence.

Any 240v machine will weld better than any 120v machine, IMO. I haven't run every machine there is. For MIG only, 120v, it's hard to beat the stuff at HF, but you can equal it on eBay, Amazon etc. I won't go any further on that subject.

Plasma cutters are a different animal. I've been tempted to get one but my opinion (again) is that going cheap there is not a good investment. So, prices of reliable PC's keep me away. There are a lot of ways to cut metal. PC's are great when it comes to fancy shapes (even lace) and that's not my game.

A portable bandsaw on a stand is the best thing I can think of when it comes to cutting bar, pipe and small sheet. Not a deep throat, but that's the only drawback. A metal cutting BS with a lot more throat is going to run $$$. Wood BS's won't do no matter how many gears you put on them to reduce speed (well, I guess someone could/has done it with a heap of effort).

I'm on the fence for cold cut saws, but if you have a lot of long stock to cut, prices are in line, just not cheap enough for a tool you only use occasionally. I have a big abrasive cut off saw and it's an animal, and a slow one at that. I don't use it hardly at all. Makes a huge amount of noise.

One thing to mention is that any woodshop equipment can handle AL. Use wax.

Another way to go is oxygen/acetylene . It's an old school way but still very effective . Anything from standard welding and cutting handsets to the one listed below . I have seen the one listed below demonstrated at many trade shows . It is a tool that can do amazing things in the right hands .


https://www.google.com/shopping/product/1?q=Henrob+2000+craigslist&client=ms-android-motorola-rev2&biw=412&bih=702&tbs=vw:l,ss:44&prmd=simxvn&sx srf=AOaemvKaPCy1i5e11-sZfKW5P_9svbqxJA:1631911188005&prds=num:1,of:1,eto :9815473574176683756_0,prmr:1,pid:9815473574176683 756,cs:1

Hey Zeke, Just curious is there a reason you believe that 240v will weld better than 120v? Will be able to have more current yes but most of the small TIG or MIG are converting to DC anyways, should not make any difference. Have not tried my portable TIG on 240v, but welds perfect on 120V so I have not bothered.

JYI with 120v better to have 20A circuit, if you are trying to properly weld up to 1/8" thick. At least with TIG I would be near 15A welding 1/16" thick material, prob about 13A120v at 50-60A output if memory is correct, I run the small MIG using 20A also.

My opinion was formed a few years back. The electronics have improved and a new 120v unit may very well work just as well as 240v. And I have unintentionally compared apples to oranges.

All I know is when I was in welding school I was on top notch gear for its day. They just happened to have a Lincoln 100 in the tool room identical to mine and we dragged it out. After being on a Miller unit running on 480v all morning I couldn't get the little Lincoln to act right no matter what I did.

And the Hobart is smooth as butter. 240v only for a little better price. OK with me as I like to get up on some 1/4" material frequently. I do very little automotive these days.

Keep the wire straight and do tap-tap stitch on thinner materials. Setting it hotter doesn't produce a better weld because the wire just starts burning back as soon as it arcs with a "pop pop" noise. A good weld sounds like a steak fast sizzle on a hot grill. It's a bit of of an art form. I'm only about a C grade grinder myself.

Still have my Lincoln 135+ from twenty plus years ago. I did have to replace the feed sleeve once. Setting the new spool drag can be tricky because it wants to fly apart into spaghetti if it gets loose.
Looks like it's been replaced by the 140. $620
https://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200405530_200405530
This Lincoln Electric Easy MIG 140 Flux-Cored/MIG Welder uses common 120V power and is a fine choice for home projects, farm repairs or basic auto body work. It features simple 2-knob tapped control for easy setup of either gasless flux-cored welding or gas shielded MIG welding. Compatible with the Lincoln Electric Magnum 100SG spool gun (Item# 44732, sold separately).

My MIG is also a Lincoln, SP100 purchased it about 35 years ago.

Hey Zeke, Yes large difference when you are comparing commercial machines to residential, just the the torch cable on the large one was probably worth more than the small welder, likely the larger power reserve makes the arc run stable and the large motor on the wire feed is more steady.

You sound like me. I've got a Lincoln MIG and plasma cutter, and did the ten nights of welding classes.

I have lots of fun with it and tend to make things out of steel whereas others make things out of wood. So they really do get used a lot.

The plasma cutter is just some generic Chinese thing. Works very well. Hooks up to the compressor that I use for car painting LOL

I bought a Lincoln multi process welder 240/120 from a our local welding store/school. Lincoln was running a nice promotion at the time. The vendor offered some private instruction which I took advantage of to get started. I literally was able to get instruction at their school using their machines and materials. They also offered for me to come back for a very fair hourly rate. There is not a "night school" option here that I've been able to get into. I have a 4 1/2 grinder for cutting. I built some home projects (firewood rack, some shelving) to get started. Since then I have worked on my race car building seat mounts, harness backing plate, built a winch mount for my race trailer, etc. I have only used the MIG option at this point but plan to try the TIG soon. It will also do aluminum with a spool gun. It wasn't Harbor Freight cheap but you can't beat the service I've received.

Bought a Hobart Handler 140 several years ago and have no complaints with it.

I have a Lincoln 100 that I've had for almost 30 years. I imagine if I bought the same one today, it wouldn't be quite the same.

I've been using a Miller Millermatic 140 Autoset for darn near 20 years with great success. I think the 141 has now replaced it. The "matic" part of the name means it has the option of setting both amperage and wire feed rate with just one dial, a dial which simply displays the material thickness to be welded. You can also override either setting and increase/decrease amperage or wire feed rate independently. Guys who are better welders than I am can take advantage of that and vary their results a bit, or tailor it to their "style". Me, I only know enough to be dangerous, so I really like having the machine make those choices for me. Best of both worlds, really. It has served me very well.

Edit: oops... it's a 140, not a 130...

I used to work with a guy named Lincoln Miller. Nice guy, I liked talking to him. He was a photographer. When I explained his unusual name to him, the blank stare I got in return made me realize that he probably needed a welder like a duck needs a go-kart.

My friend got a miller 141, i always wanted to trywelding so i fooled with his before getting my own mig. Eventually paid $100 on craigslist for a powermig 110 and tank.

Turns out i love that old powermig. It has gas flow controlled by a valve on the trigger so i can manually flow gas before and after each weld, flow the welds until theyre cool. Super helpful for putting out fires. Eventually got a new spool of wire, some centrashield recommended for thin bodywork and its crazy how well that stuff scrubs rusty steel, end up with shiny dimes. Super easy and great results.

I also upgraded to a big tank after my third fill in a year.

I now find my friends miller is too aggressive and hard to control even when turned way down in 110v. It will do thick stuff in one pass but i think its nasty to use.

For cutting sheet i love my bosch jigsaw, i never do anything thicker than 1/8”, usually i do 16g fixing bodywork.

Neighbor has a plasma cutter but easier for me to have thick stock cut to size when i buy it.

Tool i love is my corded die grinder, super great for weld cleanup, oh and youll need an angle grinder too with lots of flap disks.

Whole thing super fun to learn and results are satisfying. Steel is a terrific easy material to make stuff with.

I’m normally a Miller guy, pretty much all I’ve welded with. But I’ve been reading great things about the HF titanium series welders. They have one for around $700 that will do mig, tig, or arc. I think thatd be a great machine for a hobbyist. Would give you the ability to tackle multiple types of jobs.