mig welder question

[Clem]

I want to buy a welder and was wondering if a 90 AMP FLUX WIRE WELDER would be able to weld sheet metal easily as well as 1/4" steel? An example job I have would be a floor pan repair on my cub, could this handle it?


How about dual mig welder with this description:

Input: 230V, 60 Hz, single phase; Welding current range: 30-120 amps; Duty cycle: 15% @ 115 amps; Draws 15 amps @ 230V; Max. open circuit voltage: 36V; Weldable wires: .023", .030", and .035 steel or stainless steel; .030" and .035" aluminum; .030" flux core

[kinelbor]

The advice I was given when I was looking to buy a welder was to stick with the Big Three: Lincoln, Hobart, and Miller. For the job you are looking to do, a Lincoln 135 would do well for sheet metal. With flux in it, you could push it to do 1/4 but it would have to be none structural. I build the carryalls with my Lincoln 100 pushing 035 flux wire. The welds are probably not 100%, but they are enough to hold it together within reason. If a weld breaks on a carryall worst that can happen is you spill tools or lumber on the ground. The reason I reccomend getting a Lincoln 135, or Hobart Handler 140 is that they are already for gas, which you will want for sheet metal. Good luck!

[Cecil]

I bought a small wire welder at Harbor Freight to do light sheet metal work with. It is set up for flux but can also do gas. For heavy stuff I have my dads old Lincoln 225 that is at least 35 years old and runs like a top. You can't beat a stick welder for real heavy stuff. Well at least in my opinion but I don't weld for a living either.

[Mag Man]

HI CLEM,
Boy I dont know if you were only going to use it time to time maybe. I had my wife buy me the hobart it was just under $600 with the cart I think its the 175. bought it right from the site called miller hobart and they said to call this guy and they set me right up with free shipping and all. Just dont forget to change the ploarity if you switch from tank to flux.
I did not like the flux for lite stuff like sheet but it works ok for plate.
JON

[Clem]

I guess what I really need the welder for would be when wanting to weld a floor pan or beef up a grader blade with some extra steel, can the mig welder I described previously do the job?

[kinelbor]

For the floor pan repair it would work with flux. You will learn how you use your flap disk pretty well if you use fluxwire. For beefing up a blade I would find someone with a stick welder. MIG welders designed to do thick steel get very expensive!

[Kevin]

i have a lincoln 135 plus and would weld every thing you asked about welding with it using gas because its a nicer weld but you have to take your time on the heavy metal it would do fine. Also being 110 input you can plug it in anywhere.but you could always buy 2 a stick and a mig welder. As you can never have too many toys i mean tools.
good luck with your choice
Kevin

[Gary Dotson]

I have a Miller 130 mig (gas) that I use for light work, up to about 1/4 ". I love that little welder! It's 110v making it very handy. I also have a Clark 180 spool gun welder, that I bought real cheap at an auction. It works surprisingly well on heaver jobs. Of course it's 220v, so it's confined to the shop. I would not personally mess with a flux core machine, as they are quite messy. I also would not buy anything smaller than 120 amp, as it will not weld 1/4" very well. It can be done in multiple passes, but not pretty. I think the lesser known brands have improved a lot in recent years, making them a viable alternative for the home shop. Like I said, the Clark really surprised me. It may not last too long, but I don't use it on a regular basis. Most of my welding is light work where the little Miller really shines.

[JBall8019]

my neigbor bought a 220v campbell hausfeld stick welder for less than $250. he welded some stuff for me on my m that was 1/4". also i watched him weld some sheetmetal on his ford tractors with a smaller rod and less amps. he just ground the excess off. it looked nice and easy to do.
john

[BigBill]

I was using a 110v lincoln welder with the gas attachment and it worked great. Just use the stargon mix its carbon d with argon mix. It has less sparks and you get a much better quality weld.

[TractorChick]

the welder that we have is a snapon brand... i think it's a lincoln 110 but with the snapon name on it
my dad's had that for 20 years and it's always dependable.
We've welded the floor in our 48 plymouth with it and our 31 chevy so i know it's capable for the cub.

[cowboy]

Hi Clem

I do not know much about the smaller migs. The only one I have ever had and used is the 185 miller I brought out to your place. I do prefer a 220v machine. It is easier on your house wiring as it cuts the current pull in half compared to a 110v machine at the same power setting. And I know you have the space for the 220v breaker in you garage. And I would be willing to come out agin and wire the plug up for you. Also if you ever find your self in the field with it running off a generator. It is a LOT easier for the generator to run a 220v without poping a circut breaker.

Billy

[EricandCindy]

Wow. You've got lots of good advise on this one. I am a professional welder with tens of thousands of dollars tied up in welding equipment. You know what switch I reach for most of the time? My thirty+-year-old Lincoln 225 buzz-box. I paid $25 for it when I was in high school. I wasn't as dumb as I looked after all.

[cowboy]

Hi E&C

Welcome to the form I really do miss my stick welder Get some good o'll 6010 burn through the rust and paint and lay down some weld In a hurry get out the jet rod The thing I hate most about a mig is all the cleaning before welding. For some reasone I think I can burn through with a mig NOT. The welder I miss most An old DC westinghouse on a two axel trailer. Two cylinder ownen engine 350? amp 100% duty cycle.

BIlly

[BigBill]

I use a "tomb stone" Lincoln 220 arc welder for most of my welding. I sold my 3 other welders when i closed my monster garage when i became disabled. I had a hobart TIG 250amps, a miller MIG 250amps and a lincoln 110 mig. These machines are all good quality machines and any 110 volt mig thats around 100 to 125 amps will serve you well. Right now if i were you i'd go with the larger 110v MIG with the gas attachment then your good to go up to 5/16" plate using multiple beads of course but on the thinner stuff it will be awesome just remember on the thin stuff to tac it all up first with small tacs the do short intermitten welds so less warpage will happen don't weld too much in one area move around with short beads.

When i was working for an engineering lab I setup the welding shop with all brand new machines. I purchased a hobart 300 /400 amp TIG 100% duty cycle, a Lincoln 500 amp MIG 100% duty cycle with 1/16" wire, I had a 300amp lincoln arc welder and i was using 1/4" and 5/16" arc rod on the larger structural steel beams. You can lay a lot of weld with big rod or big wire when time is money.