Toysport Posted September 1, 2004 Share Posted September 1, 2004 hey guys.....i'm not sure which welder to buy......i need help. what is the difference between tig weld and mig weld? feedbacks...... thanks, john Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Capt_Zorro Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 John, If you are new to welding I would suggest getting a MIG, it is alot easier to learn to use. They are great for sheetmetal and regular steel. I have a TIG unit that I use for welding Stainless and Aluminum, but it is like "patting your head and rubbing your tummy". With the TIG you have to feed the filler metal in manually, the MIG feeds it in automatically. What are you planning on welding? How much do you want to spend? Adios Amigos, Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cs14silvia Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 can mig weld stainless steel? i had abt 100 hrs of practice in the uni but never understood the difference btw arc/mig. and i m thinking of rebuilding my rails and floor pan. would like to have advice on what welder to get as well Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hanomon Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 TIG lays cleaner for stainless however you can back-gas the MIG. Foot pedal control and seperate feed with TIG. also greater cost on TIG. It all boils down to how much are you willing to $pend? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSflyer Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 Tig welding is usually for non-ferrous metals like aluminum and stainless. It's usually for precision joints where appearance is a key issue. Tig is basically like oxy/acetylene in practice, in that the welding technique is the same, it puts alot of heat into the work piece, requires a hand fed filler rod, and is very slow. Mig is way easier to learn and is best for long runs on mild steel. Mig is also much, much easier to weld out of position, like down or overhead. Yes you can weld stainless with a Mig, but the spools of wire are real expensive and it requires straight argon or an argon helium mix, and both of those gases are expensive. For Mig on mild steel you can use either straight CO2 or an argon/CO2 mix. The argon mix will give a smoother flatter weld bead. For wire, use either an E70S3 (general purpose) wire or an E70S6 (higher silicon content gives a flatter, better looking weld). For home use try to find a Millermatic 35 machine. Best little Mig machine ever. If you want cheap, go to Harbor Freight. They have a bunch of cheap Hobart machines. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest cs14silvia Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 so tig is basically a gas welder isnt it ? WHAT ABOUT ARC? its wire fed but no gas. so is it basically same as mig but no Ar/He ? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A. G. Olphart Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 There are cheap wire feed welders that use a flux cored wire; Not my choice. I don't enjoy chipping slag nor sucking flux smoke into my lungs. Mig is the way to go... my baby Miller uses CO2 and .023 wire, will weld anything I've seen on a Z. (Talking body/subframe here- exclude cast and aluminum). Tig is an arc process, difficult to master. It involves dancing on a foot pedal to modulate the heat, keeping the tungsten electrode out of the puddle (balls it up) and feeding in weld metal by hand as if you were gas welding. (Ask an expert for a more thorough/technical description if you need one). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tannji Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 I did a search for the millermatic 35 and came up short.... did you mean the 135? I am getting a mig soon, and want a good compromise between budget and nice welds. Its starting to look like I need to spend between $650 and $1000 to get a capable machine.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JMortensen Posted September 2, 2004 Share Posted September 2, 2004 I recently got a Millermatic 135 from the ebay seller "weldfabulous". Ran $607 for the welder, no cart, no gas, but it did come with a Hobart helmet and a pair of gloves at that price. Immediately upon hooking up the gas and regulator, the regulator blew up. I could have warrantied it, but I talked to a couple of friends who said similar things had happended to them, and that the Lincoln and Miller regulators that you get with the welders are basically crap, so I just replaced it. I think I was in the low $900s with the welder, gas, regulator, helmet, gloves, extra spool of wire and a big ass wire brush and a couple other little miscellaneous things. The weldfabulous guys definitely had the best deal on the welder itself. Nice thing about the 135 is the infinitely adjustable amperage. Go to Sears or Harbor Freight and you'll see that the cheapos have like 5 settings. So if you want to weld sheet metal you have to hope that one of the settings is close, and if not you have to turn it to the next higher setting and lay your beads down really fast. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysport Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 John' date=' If you are new to welding I would suggest getting a MIG, it is alot easier to learn to use. They are great for sheetmetal and regular steel. I have a TIG unit that I use for welding Stainless and Aluminum, but it is like "patting your head and rubbing your tummy". With the TIG you have to feed the filler metal in manually, the MIG feeds it in automatically. What are you planning on welding? How much do you want to spend? Adios Amigos,[/quote'] i am not looking to spend a lot. i want a welding kit that i can use when i section my struts. what do you guys think of this http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=6098 thanks for the feedbacks.......appreciate all the help i can get. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SSflyer Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 For the price, I'd jump on that little dude. I also bought a machine from Harbor Freight, and while it does a reasonable job it's not very adjustable and is real difficult to weld with on this paper thin Datsun sheet metal. Instead I just spot weld over and over and that seems to work fairly well. One trick I've discovered is to use a backing plate. I tack a strip of steel sheet metal to one side of the work, and then slide the other piece up to the lip and spot it in place. You'll figure out your own tricks in no time. Just do some practicing on scrap stuff before you try welding on your car. Better to blow a bunch of holes in scrap than to have to patch and grind and bondo.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysport Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 thanks man.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wheelman Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Toysport, Not to be contradictory but I've heard nothing but bad about those cheap Harbor Freight welders. I almost bought one and then changed my mind and got a Hobart Handler 135. I've been very happy with it and had nothing but good performance other than a questionable regulator. My opinion (so take it for what you paid for it) is that if you're just learning to weld get the best welder you can afford and if you can't afford much then save until you can. It's hard enough to learn to weld on the thin sheet these cars are made from without adding in the frustration of an inconsistant welder. As for MIG, TIG or ARC. You really want a MIG or self-sheilded wire feed. An ARC welder uses flux coated welding rods and is very hard to use on thin sheet metal. TIG takes a lot of practice to learn and the equipment is expensive. MIG is fairly easy to learn (especially with good equipment), the equipment is reasonably priced and can be used on many different materials including aluminum and stainless. Wheelman P.S. I bought my welder from Northern Tools and it included a free cart and free shipping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brad-ManQ45 Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I have arc welded and MIG welded, and have a Miller 175. If I were looking for a MIG today I wouldl probably get a Hobart Handler 140/180 because they have a better lower end for sheet. BUT I LOVE MY 175! Don't go cheap on welder - harder to use the cheap stuff, and resale is nil. Get a good one and you're able to w4eld better, easier, and can sell for a much higher percentage of what you paid for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sleeper-Z Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 some food for though, arc welding is a generalization. in reality there are basically 3 types. 1. stick (flux-cored) 2. mig (flux-cored or gas) 3. tig (gas) from my experiences, stick is hard to use on thin sheet, but with practice it can be done (heat is a big issue). mig is best bang for the buck looks clean and does a good job. relatively easy to use. we were using i believe miller 250's or 255's in class... i reccomend gas though, never got use to flux-core mig... tig, no experience. but as said above, best for non-ferrous metals, and if done correctly the most beautiful welds are done by tigging. -steven m. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikelly Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I just gave this advice to someone else offline... I've got a Lincoln Mig sp125. When shopping for a welder, make sure the dials sweep and don't click... that is my biggest complaint with Hobart, and other low end welders. The reason being you can better adjust your wire speed and temperature for any situation or materials. I've used my sp125 to weld up to 1/4 inch steel with no problems at all. I use .025 to .030 wire and run a 75/25 mix of Argon to C02. If you choose to tig, prepare to go through a lot of material learning... Mig welding is a LOT easier, and does a very clean job if you take your time. My goal is to buy a tig welder, plasma cutter, and some new torches... Probably buying in reverse order! I think I paid $580 for mine new from an online vendor. Mike 8) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pop N Wood Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 Man. Hearing all of this makes me realize what a great deal I got on my welder. Close out at Sams club, 145 amp DC Century welder normally $750 for only $400. Throw in another $100 or so for the tank and $60 for a harbor freight auto darkening helmet. Never had a problem with it. Welds sheet metal like no tomorrow. If you are even asking MIG or TIG, then the answer is MIG. A good TIG machine will start somewhere in the $1500 range. Probably 95% of the guys start with a MIG and graduate to a TIG when their reach starts to exceed their grasp. MIG's work great on stainless. Just get the Argon-CO2 mix that most welding places sell. Have to take exception with the TIG being hard to use. I found it harder to adapt to a MIG. Probably comes from welding exclusively with a torch for so many years. The nice thing about a TIG/torch is you can pull the rod out of the puddle. I also find it easier to weld a thin piece to a thick piece with a torch/TIG since you can better direct the heat toward the thick piece without all the filler rod going there also. But if you can only afford one welder, get a torch. Much more versatile than either the MIG or TIG, can weld mild steel, aluminum and chrome moly. You have more trouble with heat warping than a MIG, but there are ways around that. Will work great on your struts. Can’t really use it on stainless except to braze it (with the proper flux). A torch doesn’t require 220 volt and can also be used to heat/temper metal. Plasma cutters are great, but they are expensive, don’t like cutting painted material and you really need different sized machines for different thickness of metal. A cutting torch will pretty much go through any ferrous material whether it is clean or not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnc Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 For a MIG welder set power settings are fine but a variable wire feed is important. Expect to spend at least $800 for a good welder, helmet, gloves, gas bottle, regulator, wire, spare nozzles and contact tips, fire extinguisher, and other misc. supplies. Miller, Lincoln, Hobart, HTP, Century are all good machines. Buy the cheapest of the bunch and since you're starting out, try to buy it from a welding supply stiore where the folks there can help you with the inevitable problems and questions. A 110V welder will handle all the steel welding you'll ever do on a car. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Toysport Posted September 3, 2004 Author Share Posted September 3, 2004 you guys are great......thank you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PaulR Posted September 3, 2004 Share Posted September 3, 2004 I just bought a Hobart Handler 175 thru Harbour Freight for $549 2 weeks ago (free shipping and no sales tax)! I was going to get the 135 (110V) which was on sale for $469, but I figured since I had the 220 outlet already in the shop, I would go for the extra amps in case I ever need them. Looks like that sale is over since they now have it listed at $599. http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=42338 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.