Buying a welder

[mikeandike]

I want to buy a welder someday soon but the problem is i have no where to put it. I'm trying to talk my dad into letting me use it in the backyard in a tent kinda thing with a concrete floor. Else, I could try and talk him into building a decent shed...

Anyway, I have my eyes set on 2 different welders

1st choice Lincoln electric 175 amp welder from home depot ($700)

http://www.homedepot.ca/webapp/wcs/...Ntx=mode+matchall&recN=0&N=0&Ntk=P_PartNumber


2nd choice Miller 135 amp welder from kms tools ($740) - I think this one is better quality with more features.

http://www.kmstools.com/main.php?scripts/products/cat.php?137

P.S. How many of you guys use sheilding gas and how many use flux core wire?

 

[RobertD]

I run 220 volt Hobart 180. 75/25 gas, .30 wire. BTW -- Miller bought the Hobart name a couple of years ago, and all parts of a "Hobart" are really Miller.

No place to put it? You've got a driveway, right?

 

[mikeandike]

yeah, but what about people passing by... wont they get arc eye if they look...

 

[RobertD]

I would imagine that darn near anyone knows you don't look at someone welding. And those that don't, just yell at them.

The think about light is also this: the power of light follows the inverse square law. What that means, is that the intensity of light drops to 1 over the distance squared each time you increase the distance.

(basically, http://hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu/HBASE/vision/isql.html shows you that if you look at something 1 meter away, at 2 meters it's 1/4 the strength, at 3 meters it's 1/9 the strength, at 4 meters it's 1/16 the strength.)

I'm not saying that you should have kids walking down the sidewalk next to you, I'm just illustrating that it's not as dangerous as the intensity you're viewing at the welding helmet.

And you could always just put up a piece of plywood, or a sheet, or something as a screen.

Or you could go and tell all your neighbors that you'll be welding periodically and to inform their children not to look at it.

 

[mikeandike]

about the gas, how much does it cost for a bottle and how long does it last?

 

[RobertD]

I can't recall my bottle size offhand. It's the big one. 110#? It cost around 150. Now it's my bottle, and a refill is only 20-30.

I've gone through half of one of those enormous spools of wire, and I still have plenty of pressure. That's a hog trap, a mini chopper, and a go kart, a cart for a air compressor, a welding cart, various other things, and screwing around.

 

[mikeandike]

lol thatts alot...

i think i'm going to let the welder go for now. I'm going to buy one but it might be in a year or it might be soon (doubt it) or when we move (if we do). For now i'll stick with my dad's friends

 

[RobertD]

Yes, if you've got access to someone that can do it for you, and better yet teach you, then that sounds like a good deal. Offer to mow the guy's yard, or do some landscaping, or something in return, and I"m sure you'll get all the welding you need done.

 

[mikeandike]

I have 2 places i can go right now. 1 i might have to buy electrodes and stuff and clean up his shop etc... but hes really nice and a good teacher because he's been welding all his life and he remembers what his teacher taught him (exercises etc...) The other place this guy's wife just recently bought him a welder and all i have to do is have a project or he'll find me something that he can use (shelving brackets etc...) BUT, the reason why i want a welder is so i can weld when i want and not just on thhe weekends. i'll make do for now.