I just decided to take the plunge and purchase a mig welder/plasma cutter combo either from Harbor Freight tools or Eastwood. I'm new to welding though do watch my buddy perform fabrication work at his shop on rat rods and mustangs (or ruststangs in his words). I asked him if I could pay him to install new floor pans in my '65 Impala and the common rear window rust area. His answer..."you've seen and helped me replace a lot of floor pans & patches, don't be a @#$ssy and do it your damn self!". Keep in mind he's a 74 year old Norwegian 6'4" grumpy guy that doesn't take crap from anyone though took me under his wing since I was a teenager as his son he & his wife never had. He taught me a lot and he wants me to learn on my own. Anyhow he uses this huge prehistoric 320 gas fed welder though told me for beginners use a 110 or 220 mig welder with gas. Also invest in a plasma cutter to boot. I've been practicing in his shop with metal with tac welds spaced apart to prevent warping etc. I figure I want to practice all this year and start on my '65 end of summer on the floor pans only (my friend will do the rear window area). What are your guys thoughts for sheet metal welders? Would a 110 mig welder be good enough? Once I master the floors, next are the rust prone rear body mount braces on my '63 SS Impala. Thanks.
4SPEED427 said
Dec 20, 2014
A 110 is perfect for floor pans. I've done a few pans. I don't have the skill to do quarter panels etc but pans are great because a little bit of warpage won't be noticed by anyone but you. Go for it!
boo boo said
Dec 20, 2014
I still have a Hobart Handler I keep around and it works great for automotive bodywork. I won't get rid of it because it's portable, plugs into 110v, and trouble free so far - 12 years old and used hard. If one of my friends who only has a vise grip and adjustable wrench needs help, I can bring it over their empty garage and still use it. Many cases of beer gathered this way.
rabbit64cs said
Dec 20, 2014
Buy a lincoln from canadian tire....migpak . 120 or 240 volt... Go 240 if you have the voltage in your shop. I have a Eastwood plasma 60.. No complaints..consumables are reasonably priced.
Eastwood puts a package deal on for the two.. I'd have no worries about either..as I'm happy with my plasma from them.
markus said
Dec 21, 2014
How much money do you have to spend? Ive had all sorts of welders . If this is your only one And first kick at the cat.
Keep it small maybe 125 amp but 220 gives you the option of burning 0.35 wire for some more substantial welds when you need to.
Use gas for sure. Flux core makes a mess.it has its place but not on body panels. If you are buying a smaller unit it should come with a nice
small gun to get into tight corners. My first welder I ever bought was a 220 v 150 amp it had a big ugly 400 amp gun on it .I thought I was a terrible welder.
I got a smaller proper sized gun and I looked like a hero. I would stick to brand names Lincoln , miller because in a year or two when you need consumables
you will be able to buy them off the shelf.
Thought id share my 27 cents
We run Lincoln migs and Hypertherm plasma units. and we have a bunch of Miller inverter stick welders . I think I still have a Miller plasma in a box some ware.
Mark
-- Edited by markus on Sunday 21st of December 2014 12:05:51 AM
4SPEED427 said
Dec 21, 2014
The thing I like about my little 110 vs. the 220 (for doing floor pans) is the nice lightweight gun. We have a 220 at work and that gun is big and heavy.
hawkeye5766 said
Dec 21, 2014
All the brand name welders are great,just depends on what colour you like. Red(lincoln) blue (miller) gray (hobart)kinda like ford, chev, dodge, they all use the same technology. Todays welders have smart-link which means you can run the same machine on 110volts or 220 volts. Mostly depends on budget for what your going to get but the average up here is 9-1200 for a good machine. If your on a tight budget buy a used one as long as it is brand name, in 20 years of selling welders only ever had 2 Lincoln and 1 miller portables come back because of a PC board problem. Most popular welder we sell today if in your budget is the Millermatic 211 with auto-set. With these welders you'll look like a pro after an hour, their just a great user friendly machine. If looking into plasma, like Mark says Hypotherm great machines. Trick with plasma is clean air. The cleaner the air the longer your consumables will last.
A breakthrough control that automatically sets your welder to the proper parameters. Auto-Set offers all-in-one MIG minus the guesswork! Simply set the wire diameter, set the material thickness and start welding!
Welds Thickest Material in its Class!
The Millermatic®211 Auto-Set with MVP has the highest output in its class. It can weld from 24 ga - 3/8 in. (0.8 - 9.5 mm) mild steel in a single pass on 230 V.
Smooth-Start
Thistechnology provides a smooth spatter-free start. It's the best-starting machine in the small MIG machine category! No pop gun starts and virtually no spatter to clean up.
Durable Cast Aluminum Drive System
Incorporates dual-groove quick-change drive roll and spring-loaded tension arm with calibrated tension knob, all designed to make set up easier and faster.
Manual Mode
Gives you the flexibility to manually set the machine when welding aluminum, stainless steel or anytime you want to set your own parameters on mild steel.
Spool Gun Ready Out of the Box!
Finally a reliable and economical way to weld aluminum. Hooked up to a Millermatic® 211 Auto-Set with MVP, the new Spoolmate 100 Series spool gunallows you to weld from 18 ga - 3/8 in. aluminum.
Multi-Voltage Plug (MVP)
Miller's Multi-Voltage Plug allows you to connect to common 120 or 230 V power receptacles without the use of any tools - simply chose the plug that fits the receptacle and connect it to the power cord.
'Tip Saver' Short Circuit Protection
Shuts down output when tip is shorted to the work. Extends contact tip life and protects internal components from damage.Trigger reset permits quick reset at gun rather than at the machine. See how it works.
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Beaumont67SD said
Dec 21, 2014
Harbor Freight cheap mig unit is not very user friendly for a beginner, especially using flux core wire...hard to learn new skills, fighting a machine. IMO, you might as well buy a Hobart over an Eastwood China welder.
Invest in either a blue/red/gray machine and to do professional metal work, a plasma is not really necessary...a few air tools, money better spent.
- study this excellent Patch Panels-Installation video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUehclZVeIs
- proper welding technique with proper penetration @ 7.38 minutes...note, water cooled welds cause more distortion & hardening the weld zone (so avoid)
I've never used a harbor freight welder but here are the down sides to a cheaper welder. 1. Poor volt/amp control 2. inconsistent bead 3. low duty cycle 4. poor reliability. 5. lots of slag/splatter from flux core
I have a Millermatic 150 (220V) I bought 20 years ago...quality machine. The older units are huge, heavy, and utterly bulletproof machine, with little to no complex electronics to mess up. Used - if you can find a Millermatic 135, snatch it up.
If I was buying again: a) Hobart 140 or 180 <------- division of Miller & rebranded unit (good warranty, with great support), I've heard drive rolls are plastic b) Lincoln 180 or their dual voltage machine c) Miller 180 or 211 (dual voltage machine)
Here is a good helmet, on sale at $119.99 Northern Industrial Welders Large View Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet
There has to be a downside to this product........
"Multiplaz is the only company worldwide that holds a Patent for this unique welding technology by use of a water-alcohol solution instead of shielding gas. It is the first company to utilize ordinary tap water for heating materials by turning the water into plasma 14400°F (8000°C).
Worldwide, Multiplaz 3500 is the only welder with such a broad range of applications.
Multiplaz 3500 can weld, solder, braze, harden, and cleanse metals including steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, bronze and other metals.
Multiplaz 3500 can cut any metal, including high-alloy and stainless steel that can not be cut with oxygen cutting. Cutting ceramic tiles, quartz glass, bricks, concrete and other non-flammable materials is another unique feature of the Multiplaz 3500.
Multiplaz 3500 can replace a variety of different tools: welding machine, gas torch, plazma cutter, nibble shears and scissors, industrial drying fan, electric jig saw, blow lamp, inverter welder just to name a few"
Hey guys,
I just decided to take the plunge and purchase a mig welder/plasma cutter combo either from Harbor Freight tools or Eastwood. I'm new to welding though do watch my buddy perform fabrication work at his shop on rat rods and mustangs (or ruststangs in his words). I asked him if I could pay him to install new floor pans in my '65 Impala and the common rear window rust area. His answer..."you've seen and helped me replace a lot of floor pans & patches, don't be a @#$ssy and do it your damn self!". Keep in mind he's a 74 year old Norwegian 6'4" grumpy guy that doesn't take crap from anyone though took me under his wing since I was a teenager as his son he & his wife never had. He taught me a lot and he wants me to learn on my own. Anyhow he uses this huge prehistoric 320 gas fed welder though told me for beginners use a 110 or 220 mig welder with gas. Also invest in a plasma cutter to boot. I've been practicing in his shop with metal with tac welds spaced apart to prevent warping etc. I figure I want to practice all this year and start on my '65 end of summer on the floor pans only (my friend will do the rear window area). What are your guys thoughts for sheet metal welders? Would a 110 mig welder be good enough? Once I master the floors, next are the rust prone rear body mount braces on my '63 SS Impala. Thanks.
Eastwood puts a package deal on for the two.. I'd have no worries about either..as I'm happy with my plasma from them.
How much money do you have to spend? Ive had all sorts of welders . If this is your only one And first kick at the cat.
Keep it small maybe 125 amp but 220 gives you the option of burning 0.35 wire for some more substantial welds when you need to.
Use gas for sure. Flux core makes a mess.it has its place but not on body panels. If you are buying a smaller unit it should come with a nice
small gun to get into tight corners. My first welder I ever bought was a 220 v 150 amp it had a big ugly 400 amp gun on it .I thought I was a terrible welder.
I got a smaller proper sized gun and I looked like a hero. I would stick to brand names Lincoln , miller because in a year or two when you need consumables
you will be able to buy them off the shelf.
Thought id share my 27 cents
We run Lincoln migs and Hypertherm plasma units. and we have a bunch of Miller inverter stick welders . I think I still have a Miller plasma in a box some ware.
Mark
-- Edited by markus on Sunday 21st of December 2014 12:05:51 AM
All the brand name welders are great,just depends on what colour you like. Red(lincoln) blue (miller) gray (hobart)kinda like ford, chev, dodge, they all use the same technology. Todays welders have smart-link which means you can run the same machine on 110volts or 220 volts. Mostly depends on budget for what your going to get but the average up here is 9-1200 for a good machine. If your on a tight budget buy a used one as long as it is brand name, in 20 years of selling welders only ever had 2 Lincoln and 1 miller portables come back because of a PC board problem. Most popular welder we sell today if in your budget is the Millermatic 211 with auto-set. With these welders you'll look like a pro after an hour, their just a great user friendly machine. If looking into plasma, like Mark says Hypotherm great machines. Trick with plasma is clean air. The cleaner the air the longer your consumables will last.
Millermatic® 211 Auto-Set with MVP
All-in-one wire welder that welds material from 24-gauge to 3/8 in. thick in a single pass.
Additional Models and Pricing
Spec Sheet (ENG)
Auto-Set
Welds Thickest Material in its Class!
Smooth-Start
Durable Cast Aluminum Drive System
Manual Mode
Spool Gun Ready Out of the Box!
Multi-Voltage Plug (MVP)
'Tip Saver' Short Circuit Protection
YOU MIGHT ALSO LIKE
Harbor Freight cheap mig unit is not very user friendly for a beginner, especially using flux core wire...hard to learn new skills, fighting a machine. IMO, you might as well buy a Hobart over an Eastwood China welder.
Invest in either a blue/red/gray machine and to do professional metal work, a plasma is not really necessary...a few air tools, money better spent.
- study this excellent Patch Panels-Installation video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUehclZVeIs
- proper welding technique with proper penetration @ 7.38 minutes...note, water cooled welds cause more distortion & hardening the weld zone (so avoid)
I've never used a harbor freight welder but here are the down sides to a cheaper welder.
1. Poor volt/amp control
2. inconsistent bead
3. low duty cycle
4. poor reliability.
5. lots of slag/splatter from flux core
I have a Millermatic 150 (220V) I bought 20 years ago...quality machine.
The older units are huge, heavy, and utterly bulletproof machine, with little to no complex electronics to mess up.
Used - if you can find a Millermatic 135, snatch it up.
If I was buying again:
a) Hobart 140 or 180 <------- division of Miller & rebranded unit (good warranty, with great support), I've heard drive rolls are plastic
b) Lincoln 180 or their dual voltage machine
c) Miller 180 or 211 (dual voltage machine)
Here is a good helmet, on sale at $119.99 Northern Industrial Welders Large View Auto-Darkening Welding Helmet
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200416894_200416894
-- Edited by Beaumont67SD on Sunday 21st of December 2014 08:38:25 AM
Here's what I use for body work and light fab work...was $600 on sale at CT..
240 volt..
Anyone ever hear of the Multiplaz ?
Seen articles and ads about it, but is it as good as the claims? http://www.multiplaz.com/about
There has to be a downside to this product........
"Multiplaz is the only company worldwide that holds a Patent for this unique welding technology by use of a water-alcohol solution instead of shielding gas. It is the first company to utilize ordinary tap water for heating materials by turning the water into plasma 14400°F (8000°C).
Worldwide, Multiplaz 3500 is the only welder with such a broad range of applications.
Multiplaz 3500 can weld, solder, braze, harden, and cleanse metals including steel, aluminum, copper, cast iron, bronze and other metals.
Multiplaz 3500 can cut any metal, including high-alloy and stainless steel that can not be cut with oxygen cutting. Cutting ceramic tiles, quartz glass, bricks, concrete and other non-flammable materials is another unique feature of the Multiplaz 3500.
Multiplaz 3500 can replace a variety of different tools: welding machine, gas torch, plazma cutter, nibble shears and scissors, industrial drying fan, electric jig saw, blow lamp, inverter welder just to name a few"