Perfect240z Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 So Im looking to buying my first welder, I just stated looking and Yes Ive never welded before. Now Im pretty sure I want to go Tig because of the versatility even though it will be a lot more difficult to handle. Anyone with experience in welding can you point me to the right direction of a affordable welder? I want it to be AC/DC for Steel and Aluminum, HF start, and 200amps Is Max i'll need. Any advice will be much appreciated. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehelix112 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 (edited) I am in a similar position. I ended up saving up for a while (!) and getting this: http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/Equipment/Pages/product.aspx?product=K2535-2 though I paid closer to USD2200. I am at the moment watching lots of Tig videos in preparation for a course I enrolled in, as I haven't done anything beyond some basic stick welding years ago. I think if you know you're going to be using the welder for a long time to come, to get a decent one. If you just need to do one job then will never use it again.. then maybe a more consumable one is better suited? Dave Edited March 30, 2012 by thehelix112 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect240z Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Well I would be using it for body work, suspension, and possibly in the future for something else, thats why Im looking for one relatively affordable. I know after I get the body done I won't be doing anything else with it for awhile till i learn about my suspension. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehelix112 Posted March 30, 2012 Share Posted March 30, 2012 I'll let other people chime in, but I think you can get a lot of mileage for body work and suspension out of a decent Mig. Johnc, Jmortensen, EMWHYR0HEN, and others will be able to offer better information. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect240z Posted March 30, 2012 Author Share Posted March 30, 2012 Yeah, hopefully I can get some good info from them. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLOZ UP Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Miller Diversion 180 or whatever the Hobart equivalent is. Basically a Miller Dynasty without the adjustability. Around $1500 to your door. HF Start, AC/DC, 180Amp. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 Its a lot harder to learn TIG doing bodywork. Unless you're planning on welding AL then a MIG will get you through most anything you need on a car with a 110v machine. The Millarmatic 211 Auto-Set and the Lincoln PowerMIG 180 Dual Power can run as 110 or 230v machines. Both will accept a spool gun for AL welding. Make sure you start with a gas bottle, skip the flux core wire. HTP is also a good choice. I've been using their MIG 2400 for 8 years now and its only had a couple minor problems that HTP phone support walked me through fixing in about 10 minutes. Their machines are made in Italy. http://www.usaweld.com/ The MIG 160DV is comparable to the Miller and Lincoln I list about. HTP machines don't have all the bells and whistles of Lincoln or Miller but they work and the company provides great support. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheMission Posted March 31, 2012 Share Posted March 31, 2012 I started with a MIG and agree... there is little car stuff that ever necessitates a TIG and it's a whole different world. Save some cash and start with MIG first with a bottle and once you've got that handled and have a few projects under your belt, invest in a TIG. I still don't have a TIG and don't see the need to get one at least while I'm working on cars and don't see any Aluminum fun on the horizon. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect240z Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Well I was going to do the suspension which I thought was aluminum, and figured i would need the TIG, I knew looking into welding that im going to have to watch some videos and teach myself. I have no problems trying to get into a welding class at the JC near me, its the timing that may not work to get there. I also have been hearing about how TIG welds are more structural and have harder welds from what I heard and read. Since cash is always an issue for just about anyone I may just go with a mig. Can a mig do aluminum stuff as well? And if so is it also going to run in the over 1k price range? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect240z Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Its a lot harder to learn TIG doing bodywork. Unless you're planning on welding AL then a MIG will get you through most anything you need on a car with a 110v machine. The Millarmatic 211 Auto-Set and the Lincoln PowerMIG 180 Dual Power can run as 110 or 230v machines. Both will accept a spool gun for AL welding. Make sure you start with a gas bottle, skip the flux core wire. HTP is also a good choice. I've been using their MIG 2400 for 8 years now and its only had a couple minor problems that HTP phone support walked me through fixing in about 10 minutes. Their machines are made in Italy. http://www.usaweld.com/ The MIG 160DV is comparable to the Miller and Lincoln I list about. HTP machines don't have all the bells and whistles of Lincoln or Miller but they work and the company provides great support. Just read this again and saw that you can get a spool gun for aluminum. I think Im going to look at Migs then, there's a place near me that sells welders Everlast is the name ( http://www.everlastgenerators.com/welding-equipments.php ) I think they are having a sale right now too. I would get the tank for sure, I heard Airgas lets you borrow a tank though, I don't know about how long and how much though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect240z Posted March 31, 2012 Author Share Posted March 31, 2012 Its a lot harder to learn TIG doing bodywork. Unless you're planning on welding AL then a MIG will get you through most anything you need on a car with a 110v machine. The Millarmatic 211 Auto-Set and the Lincoln PowerMIG 180 Dual Power can run as 110 or 230v machines. Both will accept a spool gun for AL welding. Make sure you start with a gas bottle, skip the flux core wire. HTP is also a good choice. I've been using their MIG 2400 for 8 years now and its only had a couple minor problems that HTP phone support walked me through fixing in about 10 minutes. Their machines are made in Italy. http://www.usaweld.com/ The MIG 160DV is comparable to the Miller and Lincoln I list about. HTP machines don't have all the bells and whistles of Lincoln or Miller but they work and the company provides great support. I found a used HTP 140 MIG from HTP and its 489 bucks. What do you think about purchasing a used welder? Its 1000 bucks brand new, and the seller says it works. Your thoughts? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tuyen Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 If you have never welded before then MIG is probably the easiest for you to learn most body shops use MIG cause its easier and faster. As far as which one is stronger many think TIG is the strongest, but when you buy filler material they will usually be rated in 60k or more tensile strength for stick, mig, or tig so they all have the potential for being strong. MIG will be fine for sheet metal body work since you will be grinder it down and covering it with paint, but i would suggest going with TIG on suspension. Car chassis and rollbars are welded using tig, the finish welds look better and cleaner, with a mig you will need to clean it up with a wire brush usually. I personally prefer a TIG, and i actually had a better look weld the first time i did TIG than the first time i MIG'd. Also if you watch videos comparing TIG and MIG you will notice discoloration in the base metal, the MIG always has more discoloration because of the higher amount of heat the base metal is subjected to, welders call this the HAZ (heat affected zone) and for large thick pieces of steel its not really an issue since there is so much material to dissipate the heat but with thinner sheet metal, so for someone less experienced it is possible to warp the base metal or burn holes through it. Also i would recommend you take a class before jumping into it if your unsure about it or atleast have someone teach you, welding is done with a high amperage short and it would be better to have someone watching you so you have one less thing to worry about. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect240z Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 If you have never welded before then MIG is probably the easiest for you to learn most body shops use MIG cause its easier and faster. As far as which one is stronger many think TIG is the strongest, but when you buy filler material they will usually be rated in 60k or more tensile strength for stick, mig, or tig so they all have the potential for being strong. MIG will be fine for sheet metal body work since you will be grinder it down and covering it with paint, but i would suggest going with TIG on suspension. Car chassis and rollbars are welded using tig, the finish welds look better and cleaner, with a mig you will need to clean it up with a wire brush usually. I personally prefer a TIG, and i actually had a better look weld the first time i did TIG than the first time i MIG'd. Also if you watch videos comparing TIG and MIG you will notice discoloration in the base metal, the MIG always has more discoloration because of the higher amount of heat the base metal is subjected to, welders call this the HAZ (heat affected zone) and for large thick pieces of steel its not really an issue since there is so much material to dissipate the heat but with thinner sheet metal, so for someone less experienced it is possible to warp the base metal or burn holes through it. Also i would recommend you take a class before jumping into it if your unsure about it or atleast have someone teach you, welding is done with a high amperage short and it would be better to have someone watching you so you have one less thing to worry about. My friend who's almost done with his mechanical engineering degree is going to teach me. But Im also not going to try and weld something on the car till I get the hang of it. I'll practice and some sheet metal first and most likely have my friend with me. What I'll most likely do is get a mig and then when I'm done I'll practice on some other stuff, when it comes time for suspension I'll either find a tig and just break down and buy it, or I have found tig rentals. I think I'm going to end up getting the Lincoln 140hd Pack since it comes with a bunch of stuff and there's a coupon at lowes right now. The only thing I'll need to get is gas and some sheet metal to practice on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SHO-Z Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 My friend who's almost done with his mechanical engineering degree is going to teach me. But Im also not going to try and weld something on the car till I get the hang of it. I'll practice and some sheet metal first and most likely have my friend with me. What I'll most likely do is get a mig and then when I'm done I'll practice on some other stuff, when it comes time for suspension I'll either find a tig and just break down and buy it, or I have found tig rentals. I think I'm going to end up getting the Lincoln 140hd Pack since it comes with a bunch of stuff and there's a coupon at lowes right now. The only thing I'll need to get is gas and some sheet metal to practice on. Why do you think that a mechanical engineer knows how to weld? I am a ME and the only reason I know how to weld is I was a pipefitter welder for years before I went back to school and got my degree. I have 2 welders now an Miller Maxstar for tig and stick and a Lincoln 135 with gas for Mig. I really do no need an aluminum welder. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect240z Posted April 1, 2012 Author Share Posted April 1, 2012 Why do you think that a mechanical engineer knows how to weld? I am a ME and the only reason I know how to weld is I was a pipefitter welder for years before I went back to school and got my degree. I have 2 welders now an Miller Maxstar for tig and stick and a Lincoln 135 with gas for Mig. I really do no need an aluminum welder. Because he had to take classes on welding...lol Im pretty sure his dad taught him too since his dad did a bunch of construction type jobs. He is my go to guy since he's almost family dating my sister in law. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BLOZ UP Posted April 1, 2012 Share Posted April 1, 2012 I never liked MIG. I tried it a few times, but much preferred to learn on the TIG. And so I did, eventually bought a TIG for my own work, and never looked back. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Leon Posted April 2, 2012 Share Posted April 2, 2012 Well I was going to do the suspension which I thought was aluminum, and figured i would need the TIG, I knew looking into welding that im going to have to watch some videos and teach myself. I have no problems trying to get into a welding class at the JC near me, its the timing that may not work to get there. I also have been hearing about how TIG welds are more structural and have harder welds from what I heard and read. Since cash is always an issue for just about anyone I may just go with a mig. Can a mig do aluminum stuff as well? And if so is it also going to run in the over 1k price range? The S30 suspension is all steel, BTW. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EMWHYR0HEN Posted April 3, 2012 Share Posted April 3, 2012 If you're just learning how to weld I would recommend a nice 110V Mig welder and stay away from the flux cord crap. The learning curve will be quite large if you jump right into Tig rather than learning how to Mig first. If you're looking to do light to medium fabrication like floor pans, frame rails, exhaust work, or even a roll cage, a 110V Mig welder is the proper tool for the job. However, If you find yourself welding a lot of thicker material or at a high duty cycle then a 220V Mig would be more appropriate. I would highly recommend taking a few welding courses. As a gear head the stuff you will learn is invaluable. If you do decide to do that get to know the instructors and they may even let you use their Tig welders for your own projects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Perfect240z Posted April 4, 2012 Author Share Posted April 4, 2012 Yeah, I decided On getting the lincoln 140hd pack from lowes or home depot. Does the job and I can get the gas for the welding, comes with the gas hook up too, 525 bucks. And I can upgrade later if I wanted. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thehelix112 Posted April 4, 2012 Share Posted April 4, 2012 Cool. keep us updated how you go with it. Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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