pshepard327ci Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Hey all one more question for today. I am interested in purchasing a welder i can get one of these companys welder, lincoln and miller. After what ive been reading the best and easiest would be a MIG welder, but can someone give me more advice on which would be the best for working on my z and maybe some other garage projects. Looking for something not over 500 dollars if possible, but ive seen them for 180 so with that budget am hoping for something decent. But it has to be one of those brands do to "connections" any suggestions or advice very helpful thanks peter Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metallicar Posted June 27, 2003 Share Posted June 27, 2003 Welcome! I purchased a Lincoln 135 last year. It is the hottest mig unit they have that runs on 120Volt power. It came with the gas regulator. It has been great. I paid less than $400 at Lowes. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Your Car is Slow Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 lincoln sp135 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Drax240z Posted June 28, 2003 Share Posted June 28, 2003 A MIG welder is definately the best for a low budget, mechanic/tinkerer type person. I have a lincoln migpack 110. (heh, I think!) And it does a lot. Spend the extra money for the gas shielding though, you will be happier in the end. The only other upgrade to consider is a 220V version, but unless you are using it a heck of a lot, or on some seriously thick metal then it probably isn't worth the extra cost. The little lincoln mig welders are hard to beat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 I personally own a MigPak100, and it has paid for itself many many times over. I have had it for probably 4 years now and it has never choked. I have welded 20ga steel all the way up to 1/2" with multiple passes. I do have the gas shielding, and highly recommend it. I am completing a new workshop right now, and as soon as its done, I'm going to be purchasing a medium sized TIG. This is really the way to go if you do any serious fabrication. It is about 4 times as expensive as a MIG welder, but the quality and versatility of the welder and welds are far superior to any other form of welding. For now, just get a small Lincoln MIG until you realize that it is limiting you. Spence Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dayz Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 Mig pak 15, or the big one by lincoln. 230volts, gaz shield... I just love it. I've tried the other one, the 110 and it was also great. I've run both on 230v thought. I've learned on those and I am not to bad at all. I think lincoln are great for the hobby guys, and you could have a lot of fun on it. - You can do some research, it has been dicussed. -Don't buy a cheap one, you can keep it forever and it's a great investment! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Moridin Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 Check out http://b2b.airgas.com/ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mas28O Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 I used a welpac 100 for many years with some good luck. I now have a Hobart 175amp 220volt welder. If you are going to spend the $$ you might want to go for the 220 volt and at least a 150-175amp welder. About $650 on ebay Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cbrunberg Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 Welcome! I purchased a Lincoln 135 last year. It is the hottest mig unit they have that runs on 120Volt power. It came with the gas regulator. It has been great. I paid less than $400 at Lowes. I went to the Lowes website a migmate 135 welder was $417, don't forget the price of a tank and gas. Great price for a large (for a 110 mig). The SP 135 is about $600 I wonder what the difference is. I've owned an SP 100 and an SP125. Both were great little units. I now own the SP125, Powermig 225, and a Tigmate 175 all are Lincoln units and have performed well. I made my living as a fabricator for 15 yrs and have used probably 100 different units working for various shops and sites. I perfer Lincoln but Miller is good too. The best advise I can give you when useing a 110 mig is to use a heavy guage 12-10 ga. extention cord on a 20-30 amp. wall circuit. The better the input the better the out put. Also MIG (metalic inert gas) is the easiest welding to learn. Flux core takes more practice but isn't suseptable to wind blowing your gas away. I suggest taking a class a local junior college or having a competent friend give you some lessons. Practice makes perfect. This is probably TOO MUCH INFO sorry. Have fun, Carl PS when buying gas spend a few extra bucks and get the 75/25 mixed gas your welds will look better and be much stronger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metallicar Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 In the past year, it seems that Lincoln has introduced a revamped line of their smaller welders. Off hand I do not know what the differences are between the Migpak units or the SPs. Perhaps it is just marketing. One subtle difference within the SP line is that one unit has the four position heat setting and the other has the infinite control. I am not sure of the nomenclature. So my unit ($400) has the 4 heat settings, the $600 unit has the infinite control. For me, the unit I purchased was a very good choice. It was easy for me to overcome the learning curve of heat and speed, with the basic heat settings. For the money, it is wise to spend the dough on any unit that comes with the gas set up. Home Depot still has the 100s that do not have the gas regulator. It has to be purchased as an add/option. I also drive 20 minutes to Delaware for purchases like this, no sales tax, and the prices seem to be lower on average. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted July 3, 2003 Share Posted July 3, 2003 You guys really need to wire 220V into your garages! Tap off the dryer or stove outlet if you can. 220v is much better in that it won't dim your house lights when striking an arc. The less line current you draw the better everything works. Saws and air compressors included. But I know that some old houses just don't have it.... I bought a Century 145 Amp DC mig welder close out at a Sam's club for less than $400. Nice machine. Some guys complain about Century's cheaper machines, but I have had no trouble with this higher end one. Came with the air kit but no bottle. Harbor Freight is a good source of cheap bottles, although get a larger size to reduce the need for refills. Flux core wire is good for welding outside, but man the smoke is an absolute killer inside. Flux core wire costs more than regular wire with sheilding gas, so in the long run you are money ahead with the gas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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