im looking at princess auto just to get a welder that can do my car and they have 230volt mig welders for 299.99 and on the add it says it can be converted to gas operated any ideas how i would go about doing such a thing?
They use a flux wire. The other is a mig type welder with a wire feed and uses the gas to heat the wire. Unlees you have 230 volt ...I'd go with the 110. With the 110 you just have to stop and let it cool
I own a Hobart Handler 110 volt that I have used doing metal work on many cars. it works very well for welding body panels , i use a 0.23 wire with the mix gas 75/25 argon/dioxide it is very handey for thin metal. It can weld up to 3/16" thk if you use 0.30 wire. I heard Miller bought Hobart so you should take a look at the miller 110 volt ones but it all depends on what you are gonna use it for as well. If you weld thicker stuff than the 230 volt is the way to go.
You should buy the best that you can afford as you never know what you may need to weld down the road (a frame maybe?). On my Hobart (which I love) to convert to gas all I had to do was install the hose (that came with it) for the gas and change the polarity (switch the positive and negative wires inside) which took about 2 minutes. Gas is the way to go.
The gas does not heat the wire. It is inert and shields the arc during the welding process. A lot of migs have the gas port in the back of them. Just have to pony up for the regulators, hoses etc.
I work in the structual steel industry and our flux core wire welders need carbon dioxide gas to sheild. My small 110 welder I use hardwire (which is what we call it in my trade) and I need to run the 75/25 mix gas to sheild. Not sure what you guys mean by using just the flux? You dont need any shielding gas?
Flux core is just that flux in the core of the wire. A mig usiing gas can use solid or as you put it hard wire. Flux core is good for heavy welding. Mig with gas is better used for thinner welding, it will not burn through as easy as flux core welding. So when I'm welding on my frame I setup my welder for flux core. Then when I 'm going to weld say on a part of the fender I setup for gas. Also remember if you are getting a new welder, make sure that it can reverse polarity. Mig welding and flux welding use opposite current. I would only look at a Miller or Lincoln. That's my two cents
-- Edited by Rolilk on Saturday 24th of July 2010 12:14:08 AM
