Different Welders - Which to have and why?

[Haemon]

I hope this doesn't start some form of arguement about which is better, ect ect.

Anyhow, I've never welded. I've seen it done, fully understand the concept, just never had the pleasure. That being said, I want to learn to weld and I learn these types of hands on skills very quickly.

So, which type of welder is versatile enough to be able to weld steel, won't cost an arm and a leg (assuming your safe lol), and would fit a hobbyist mechanic type perfectly. Is it even possible to get a good welder for sub 500?

 

[chancer]

Sub 500. Yes. There are guys here that love their Harbor Freight 90amp flux core mig. As long as they use good Lincoln wire not HF wire.
I personally have a 125amp Lincoln flux core that my lovely wife got me for Christmas 2013. It was about 400bucks. I love it. I had not welded in 15yrs and even then it was just hobby stuff. So I am no pro but I can stick 2 pieces of metal together. Like you said easy to learn hands on skills and fun. Here is link from the forum concerning your request:

http://www.diygokarts.com/vb/showthread.php?t=5090

 

[Poboy kartman]

It's pretty much the same as the age old question: "When is the best time to go fishing? "

Answer: "When you can!"

Same with welders.....it's kinda like asking what the best car is.....

I do have a love /hate relationship with my Harbor Freight welder....I'm still new to welding and am still using HF wire.....but you'd have to kill me to get it away from me.....I don't know how I ever got along without it.....

So..........any welder is better than none......and just like cars....get the best you can afford.....and mig is probably easiest to start with.....

 

[Denny]

Hobart Handler 140 is a nice inexpensive entry level mig welder. It can be bought at TSC for around $430.00 with everything except the bottle.

Denny

 

[maxpower49]

I personally have and recommend an Eastwood mig 135, it comes with the regulator and wire for using shield gas straight out of the box, it goes on sale regularly for $300 (but you have to add on shipping) leaving plenty of room to buy a bottle of shield gas and safety equipment like a welding helmet and gloves. One of my favorite features is the amperage control, it is a variable knob that I can make slight changes to just like the wire feed so I can make small adjustments to the heat vs having two or four fixed heat levels and that's it.

http://www.eastwood.com/mig-welder-110vac-135a-output.html

 

[kevbo22]

I started with a campbell hausfled 85 amp flux core and loved it. I got a **** of a deal on it ($88), but quickly wanted a gas setup and more amps. Fluxcore can be a pain. When I was researching what to get, I came across the longevity 140. Its only $350, and does fluxcore and mig. Thats a great price for a 140 amp machine. It also has a optional spool gun for aluminum welding. My friend ended up purchasing one and really likes it. I ended up going with a hobart 210.

 

[OzFab]

As you can see, everyone is suggesting MIG; there are a few types of welding processes (MIG, TIG, stick, oxy-acetylene) but MIG is the easiest to use & master with good results...

As also mentioned, somewhere around 100Amp welders are the favourites because they can weld light guage steel with ease, up to around 1/4"...

Gas MIG is very clean, whereas gasless flux core is a bit more "spattery" but, you can still get a good result... & it's cheaper in the long run...