Welder question..

[Guest ON3GO]

IM SORRY! i didnt know we had a welder forum.. i tried to delete it but couldnt.. please move Mods!

thanks

 

For use on: Body work, piping, flanges, some cast welding, making engine mounts and other mounts... would this be a good?

 

http://cgi.ebay.com/LINCOLN-ELECTRIC-PRO-MIG-175-WELDER-New_W0QQitemZ7599197084QQcategoryZ113743QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

 

i get really confused when it comes to whats what and whats needed.

i can welder great, and im always up for just going out in the garage and trying something i never done before.

 

im just trying to find the perfect welder for my needs and my budget.

 

im fine with a used welder but yet a still good one.

im saving up for a tig but i still need a mig as ill be using that the most.

i really want a miller but ive worked with Lincoln before and they werent bad...

any ideas?

 

 

mike

[AK-Z]

I've welded with it. Its a pretty good welder. its duty cycle could be a little bit better IMO, but you shouldn't have any problems with that. If you are gonna use an extension cord then buy a good quality one, not ones from costco or walmart, there is so much Ohz of resistence that it will welder sputter and might cause you to miss daignose the welder. Better yet you might as well make your own. Go to a industrial hareware or electronic store and buy some solid copper core extension cord wires and 2 ends.

 

If you are going to weld alluminum I highly suggest you get another gun and cable and use gas and also use a strainless steel wire bush to clean before welding. Alluminum usually has an oxidized layer over the base metal that needs to be cleaned, because that layer melts at something like 900 degrees and the base at 500, or something like that.

 

I know the miller sp135 plus costs like $550 so gives ya a idea of what a deal you're getting.

[mikeatrpi]

Over at the Weld Talk Forums, the Lincoln SP-175+ is the recommended low-end 220v welder. Beneath it in class, the Hobart 140 (110v) and above it, Millermatic 210 (also a 220v) are also recommended.

 

I have a lincoln sp-100t and love it. I imagine this 175+ would be just a little smoother and able to weld thicker metal.

 

Good luck with your purchase.

[boodlefoof]

I think this is a different welder than the 175+. The 175+ has infinite voltage control. I don't think the Pro MIG does.

 

When I chose a welder recently, I went with the MillerMatic 175. Beautiful machine, and the customer service is supposedly excellent... although I haven't had to use it yet.

[Mike C]

Don't get too caught up in brand names. Blue or red either one good. 120v is nice if you want portability and don't plan on structural welding (roll cage) but 230v pretty much mandatory for 3/16" and up with any sort of duty cycle. Look at the features. I have a Century welder which gets a bad rap from some, but I have been pleased. Mine is a 250 which has a 100% duty cycle at 160 amps. It has infinite wire feed and amperage control. For the price, it was the best features for its output. Century is now owned by Lincoln, so who knows what sort of changes that means in the future. Whatever you decide, don't get a cheapie just to have one.

[Guest 73TPIZ]

Don't get too caught up in brand names. Blue or red either one good. 120v is nice if you want portability and don't plan on structural welding (roll cage) but 230v pretty much mandatory for 3/16" and up with any sort of duty cycle. ............... Whatever you decide, don't get a cheapie just to have one.

 

 

Ditto what Mike said. I bought the Lincoln 135 because that is the largest you can go on 110 volt. Works great on sheetmetal and other light welding. I wanted the 175 but i wanted it to be a little more portable and not have to run a 220V everywhere i went. But i can borrow my buddy's Millermatic 250 I sold him years ago whenever i do the heavy stuff, so no biggie.

 

Oh, and i bought a cheap one before. Worst money ever spent. Different as night and day.

 

If you get a welder, second best money spent will be on a good auto-darkening helmet. Wouldn't trade mine for the world.

[mikeatrpi]

I think this is a different welder than the 175+. The 175+ has infinite voltage control. I don't think the Pro MIG does.

 

Yes you're right, its not a 175+... I read the ebay ad too quickly.

[5foot2]

If by cast your talking about cast aluminum, I'd not recommend it. I have the SP 175+ Lincoln and it's a fine machine, but not well suited to aluminum work. It's at the bottom end of the heat range for aluminum mig work with a practical thickness limit of 3/16", in a perfect world.

 

The other problem (the biggest I think) is feeding wire. The common feed wire I've found is 5356 and 4043. The latter works really nice with many types of aluminum but is as soft as butter in .30 so feeding it through the push feed of the small Lincolns is a huge headache, even with the aluminum liner and rollers. The 5356 feeds much better, but I was not able to produce a quaility weld with my machine and this wire.

 

If you need to mig a lot of aluminum, I'd recommend starting with a 210 amp machine and a spool gun. My solution, since I do little aluminum work, was to get a Lincoln PT185 tig machine.