can anyone recommend a good mig welder and brand name/ it will be used for anything bus related and to restore a car.
thanx
christopher
mci5c
You can't go to far wrong with a Miller. I have a 175 to sell when my bus is done as I bought a 210 last year. I have the one set up for stainless now, and they both work well. Tom Y
I know that there are many others who know more than I do about this but I got a Lincoln Pro Mig 140 with a tank of argon and it's been great for everything I need it for except for heavier steel like when I built my car hauling trailer, price was decent too. I had a hard time getting good penetration so we used my buddies Miller 180.
He says though that he has a hard time getting his not to burn light gauge steel like on body panels. Maybe it's him though???
Another friend swears by his little 100 amp but he only does light panels.
-Dave
Lincoln or Miller, you really cant go wrong with either one. The wire fed are pretty user friendly and have a heat/wire speed to gauge of steel referencing chart. Your definitely going to want to use gas with it (type dependent on material). The gas will reduce the splatter and make a hotter, cleaner weld. I would go with a middle of the road unit as far as thickness capability so that it wont burn through the lighter gauges and you can always cut a V into the heavier gauges so that you get 100% penetration. Good luck!!
As the others have said, either the Lincoln or the Miller will do you right. The question becomes do you want one you can carry with you on the bus or one for use in the garage. If you want one you can carry, make sure it is 110V if not go for the 220V.
Just my opinion,
Frank
What the others said. If you want a 110V unit the main question is do you want variable amperage and wire feed? I do. Otherwise you are stuck with switches that have just a few choices.
Have a little Lincoln, 135 I think. With minor mods we use a spool gun for aluminum. It will also run flux core wire which will give you better penetration on heavier stuff.
Having learned on a stick welder many moons ago I use a stick welder for most heavy things.
If you have a Community College in the area they (dealers) sometimes have programs for trade-in units that they use for one year. Thats how we got ours. Had a son that took welding and another body repair so they both learned to use the wire feeds and we picked up a trade-in. Looked new. New warranty.
Good luck
Don 4107
Go to all your local dealers & talk to them about what your needs are. After you have talked to them a couple of times, you will know which one you want to deal with & go by their recommendations. Makes things go smoothly as you climb the learning curve & determine what extras you need ;D
The welders sold at the big box stores are not the same as the industrial units & some are not servivable. A couple of friends have bought the cheaper units & now feel they wasted their $$$ :'(
(the labor rates exceed the value of the unit & replacement parts aren't available for these 'non-standard' units)
I bought a Millermatic 172 & have been extremely pleased with it. I have gotten great & knowedgeable advice from the supply house I bought it from. Seems expensive at the start, but buying quality will pay big dividends in the long run. ;D
The Hobart "Handler" that I bought from the tractor store has proved to be really tuff. Not heavy enough for the shop but o.k. on the bus. The 110 model ran with a heavy extension cord has been working fine. Although continuos use at high temp may couse a problem.
Danny
ps warning chip the existing spray foam away, away, away from the weld spot. Just the other week a drip or two fell on my wrist between glove and sleeves under watch mind you. How bad that got was uncalled for. See ya Got to go get on the bus!!
fellow friends
as always thank you for your imput
chris
mci 5c
My MIG welder is an old, some 25 years, Miller 235. It is a very great welder. It is power with 230 volts at 30 amps. The same power used for a clothes dryer. The 120 volts welders are very poor. At one time I was an welding instructor. I cannot get a good weld with a 120 vac welder. There are lots of used welders for sale every where. I have 5 kinds of welders. I just found a nice Lincoln MIG for $275 at a local pawn shop. No 120 vac welders. You will thank me later. frank
Sorry Frank, I had a Century(I think) 110 that impressed welder friends of mine. It had variable speed wire feed and variable voltage/heat. I know absolutely nothing about welding and I made beautiful passes and I had the penetration also. I think the fully variable controls were a big factor in that welders ease of use. At full power the duty cycle was 15%. At mid range the DC was 40% I got some insurance by installing a heafty compact blower on the exhaust port that augmented the stock fan. The pro items are all 220 and a 100% duty cycle will be much to heavy to carry in the bus. Search for a good used item.
If I were you I would be looking for a Lincoln 110 volt with vernier controls....not selectable volts and wire speed. I used to set the voltage for the material thickness and then draw an arc and tweak the wire speed and I could get the sweetest sizzle and prettiest welds. Piece of cake. I also had a 10 gauge extension cord and I could get to anything in my driveway or shop. The gauges, wire spools, spare tips etc. and tanks will cost you a lot so look for a deal that includes them. An alu wire spool gun will come in handy.
I learned something here that none of my books ever mentioned....the non-gas shielded wire has better penetration! Did not know that.
Good luck,
John
You might find some additional help from this old thread on welders:
http://www.busconversions.com/bbs/index.php?topic=800.0
I am thinking Lincoln bought Miller..anyone know for sure?
Jack
I thought it was Hobart and Miller or is that old news?
As for 110 volt units, I don't know much but I have used 220 and 110 and really didn't see a large difference for my usage. I'm very happy with my Lincoln 110 unit for what I do which is not production work or heavy stuff. I don't run a long duty cycle and don't work anything heavy. If I were to build another trailer though I'd get a bigger welder.... or borrow my buddies again.
Ive got a small 110 Hobart thats held up well...If going for the small breifcase 110 units, make sure you get one with gas...
Here is one i learned about in the 4x4 world. Some people carried them for field repairs. If you already have a 24v bus or system, may be an oppurtunity.
will weld up to 1/2" and is aluminum gun too.
http://www.readywelder.com/products.htm (http://www.readywelder.com/products.htm)
I've not used these but was hoping maybe some one would bitre the bullet and give us feedback.
there are other brands too
good luck and tell us what you decide
ps. here too, http://www.offroaders.com/directory/products/Mobi-Arc-Onboard-Welder.htm (http://www.offroaders.com/directory/products/Mobi-Arc-Onboard-Welder.htm)
I have heard of those devices you linked being used with good results, although I have never seen one.
I had a welding instructor who told us that he had made an emergency field repair by hooking up welding leads to batteries. That would make for some very crude DC welding. You would have to control your heat by varying your arc length. I have no way of knowing if he was full of BS but if DC current is all you need then it should be possible. If anyone ever tries it, make sure you are as far away from your batteries as practical.
I'm not sure why everyone is so crazy about using gas with your mig welders. I am required to weld on a regular basis for my employer and have all types of machines available. I always prefer the flux over anything else. I know it throws some splatter that you don't get with the gas but big deal, for what we are doing just brush it off. I have a very inexpensive 110v unit for home with a gas setup and guess what? I don't use the gas and keep it loaded with the flux core. I wrote about some of the disadvantages of using gas in that thread I linked to. I'm not saying that gas doesn't have its place but it's not worth the extra expense for home use if you ask me. Use the money you save and get an auto-darkening helmet. It's one of the best things ever invented for a novice welder. Also buy good quality fresh wire, I speak from experience.
Good luck,
Laryn
I've had several welders here at the motorcycle shop. I currently have a 220V Lincoln Weld-Pac 140, and some old Hobart monster I traded for a fuel tank. Both are wire feed with gas bottle. Both work very well for what I use them for. I also have a oxy/acetyle rig that I use for cutting and also for more delicate sheet metal work. Oh, and I still have an old Miller Thunderbolt stick welder at the house. You could weld a bridge with that puppy.
The modern wire feed welders from Lincoln and Hobart are good units. Try and stick with a 220V if you can, as the duty cycle and capability is better. You'll want to spend the extra money on a gas bottle and regulator. It's well worth it and can turn a 12 year old girl into a good welder with a little practice.
The self darkening helmets are a plus too, especially for a beginer. You can concentrate on the work and not worry about flipping the helmet up and down.
If all else fails, you can always use a car battery and a coat hanger............
Every thing you've been told is great info.
I have an old Miller 110 V mig and it works great. I never pay any attention to the duty cycle.
I've welded with a Lincoln at work and was impressed. It was a great little machine.
The wire is the issue I really wanted to talk about. I bought a roll at Harbor Freight and it was a mistake. I used it up on a steel building just to get rid of it.
Buy your welding wire at a welding supply dealer. I'm currently using wire I bought at Lowes and it's good wire.
And the best dollar you can spend is on an auto-darkening hood.I love mine, it is battery powered and I've been using it for 3 or 4 years now on the original batteries. Some are solar powered and probably would be worth buying. Mine is a Western Safety and came from Harbor Freight.
Check Ebay there are some good deals on hoods there.
Ed.