Lincoln Electric 140 HD vs. 180 HD?

[TeeShark]

Which welder should I get for welding go-kart frames? I don't have 240v outlet in my garage but was going to get some heavy guage wire and make an extension cord to plug in at our dryer outlet which is 240v.

So which welder should I get?

 

[thisismyusername]

Which welder should I get for welding go-kart frames? I don't have 240v outlet in my garage but was going to get some heavy guage wire and make an extension cord to plug in at our dryer outlet which is 240v.

So which welder should I get?

Im planning on getting the 140HD. It has mig and flux core and can weld well over the thickness of go kart frame tubing so you should be totally fine with the 140HD.. It welds up to 5/16" on flux core if im correct. I don't think i'll be welding anything that thick, but needless to say the 140HD should be totally fine for welding kart frames. Im planning on purchasing it soon as well.

 

[Kartorbust]

I'd go with the 180HD. You get a better duty cycle (how much run time in a 10 minute period) at higher amps. Plus in the event that you may need to weld something larger than 1/4" plate, you can do it easier. Plan ahead if you can.

Here's a welding chart to give you an idea for what wire size you'll want for welding. Plus it gives you an idea what gas you can run.

 

[mckutzy]

buy the one you can afford... that is the consumables and other items down the road that might need replacement...
Its a Lincoln... a name brand... so its a step above...
Think of the bits then go with the one you like...

Off hand I look for things, like if the stinger gun can be replaced to a more fitting gun and nozzle combo... like Bernard brand guns... or a Tweeco style if your into that kinda thing...
Id suggest trying to handle one first then go on to the next step...

 

[Coolkart78]

I own the lincoln 140. I love it. I have welded bumpers on trucks and fixed my wifes measuring cup. It does everything i need. I recently welded spindles on one of my karts and welded the engine mounting plate on another one. It works great.

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

 

[FoulMouth]

I also have and use the 140. Good welder, i ran several rolls of flux through it and managed to build a small utility trailer. Does a real good job on 1/8" and 3/16" material. Ive converted over to 0.23-0.25 hard wire and CO2. The only issues Ive had with it are, 1. the cooling fan likes to squeal and quit when its very cold, and 2. you will want a dedicated outlet for it if you plan to use the upper ranges of amperage. That being said, I'm still leery of the depth of penetration and wouldn't want to use the 140 to build a roll cage for a full size car or 4X4. The 180 will give you more power and flexibility, especially for thicker material.

 

[maxpower49]

Also double check your amperage input, I know some of the larger welders want to be on a heavy 50 amp circuit when running on 220v and in the description of the 180 welder it recommends being on a 40 amp 220 circuit, but pulls somewhere in the 20 amp range. Most household dryers are only 30 amp breakers and would run the risk of poping the breaker or worse melt the wire in the wall if you have say an old Federal Pacific panel box known for not tripping at the proper times

Regardless the 140 wants to be on its own 20 amp circuit so if you plug it into a standard 15 amp one on 110 you will be tripping that like mad as well when you turn up the heat, take all of this with a grain of salt because I have only done seconds of research on the welders them self but I can pretty much guarantee that your dryer is only a 30 amp circuit and would not take kindly to having more than 30 amps drawn, also extension cords can impact the ability to dray power as well and could lead to some complications.

 

[Kartorbust]

Heres the upside with the 180D, it's a multi voltage machine, you can run 120v or 240v just by swapping out the plug. So you are already miles ahead than the 140. If you end up using the 240v, I would get the thickest 240v rated extension cord as possible. Less resistance, meaning less problems, just get the shortest one that you need, any long and you start running into issues. I would give a serious look into how much an electrician would charge to put a 240v outlet in your garage.

A 6 hour bottle of gas can run in the neighborhood of $250 to $350. I recommend that you just buy the bottle rather than lease. You cannot move out of state with a leased bottle (as per what several welding supply chains have told me). Its only $40 to exchange a bottle or get it refilled. Plus it needs to be re-certified I think every 5 years.

For what we do you only need a regulator, no need for a flow meter. Sure they are nice, but unless you are doing critical work (code work), you don't need a flow meter. Get your gauge dialed in and you are off to the races. With welding machines, buy once, cry once. I bought a 140 machine (Nothern Industrial), wish I saved more for a 210 or 230 machine instead.