Iowa Guy Posted September 19, 2008 Share #1 Posted September 19, 2008 So...I have been working on a H/F trailer and realize that several things would have been easier if I just had a welder. I haven't welded for 35 years since I was on the farm but I suppose that welders have changed since I was a teenager. Just wanted to know what folks would recommend for a household welder. Ya know, Christmas is just around the corner. Iowa Guy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Redneck Posted September 19, 2008 Share #2 Posted September 19, 2008 That all depends on what kind of welding you want to do and how much you want to pay. Many cheap welders are ac only and I personally would rather weld with a car battery and a set of jumper cables. For general purpose light to medium duty welding I would recommend a miller mig welder. If that is more than you want to pay I would get a dc capable cracker box it will cost more than an ac only but it is worth every penny in my opinion. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gary N. Posted September 19, 2008 Share #3 Posted September 19, 2008 I'm sure Squidley will pipe up here since he's the expert but here's my 2 cents. I have a 135 amp 120 volt mig and I love it. It will do 3/16 steel in short bursts but it really shines on sheet metal 22 to 16 gauge. If I had to do it over again, I'd get a 220 volt model in the 175 to 220 amp range. I think that would cover all the bases for anything I want to do. I'm sure the duty cycle would let you weld 1/4 or 3/16 steel until the cows come home. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kurt Posted September 19, 2008 Share #4 Posted September 19, 2008 (edited) Miller mig is a good choice. I have a MM210 which works good and has a spool gun for aluminum. Good garage welder, they also make smaller units that are less money. You need to decide what welding you want to do and get a machine to fit your wants and needs. I had a Lincoln 185 before this that worked great. Did some fairly serious welding with it, welded till the thermal protection shut it down and when it cooled do it again. One of the reasons I went to the 210. My personal opinion is to stay away from the smaller 110 volt units. I also would stay away from gasless mig, personal opinion there. We have Miller and Esab in the shop and the Miller is the better machine. We have 250's that were built in the 70's which are obsolete and figure to run them till they die. If I want to get serious about welding I get the Trailblazer 301g fired up. coupla links for ya http://www.millerwelds.com/ http://www.hobartwelders.com/weldtalk/ On another thought you can watch Craig's list to see what comes up. I have seen some pretty good deals there. Someone selling to get cash or done with a project and figures to not need again. Just stay with the name brands. Miller, Lincoln, Hobart (made by Miller) Do you know the welding distributors in your area? Sometimes they have tradeins. Also they have the gases and the hard good you need. Good Luck Edited September 19, 2008 by Kurt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Iowa Guy Posted September 19, 2008 Author Share #5 Posted September 19, 2008 Good recommendations cause i am new to this. I appreciate the input. I can see that I will need to read up on welding to understand what has happened lately and that it is more complex than I anticipated. This site is inspiring and keeps me humble all at the same time. I welcome all advice Iowa Guy tim Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Snarley Bill Posted September 19, 2008 Share #6 Posted September 19, 2008 ive got a millermatic 185 mig welder and a miller thunderbolt ac dc stick welder. hardly ever use the stick welder anymore, unless i want to weld something that is not to clean , overhead, or in windy conditions outside . i like the miller. get one with a good duty cycle, the closer to 100% the better. the more you spend the better the weld and the better it works. a decent one will start over $1000.00. get the 220volt model avoid the off brands. buy one from a reputable welding supply house near home so you can have good customer back up and a place to get your tanks. i buy all my welding supplies from the same place, all my tanks, acetylene, oxygen, and inert gas for the mig etc. when you buy from a welding supply house they usually have a room where you can try one out. bill:2133: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hipshot Posted September 19, 2008 Share #7 Posted September 19, 2008 Good recommendations cause i am new to this. I appreciate the input. I can see that I will need to read up on welding to understand what has happened lately and that it is more complex than I anticipated. This site is inspiring and keeps me humble all at the same time. I welcome all advice Iowa Guy tim everything that you have been told, is correct , in my opinion. a spool gun /wire welder, is the way to go! if you can squirt silicone, you can weld with one of these 220 units! just jt Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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