Welder

[Ragnar4077]

Best cheap welder?

 

[65ShelbyClone]

The best one you can afford.

 

[anickode]

How cheap is cheap? If you're talking under $100, there's only one option, and it's not a good one.

I still like my little Harbor freight MIG 180 for small quick jobs and portable stuff. It performs ok (but not great), it's small, light, and cheap enough I'm not overly protective of it. I keep a roll of Lincoln .030 solid wire in it. $300 for the machine, $150 for a small cylinder of shielding gas, $50 for a regulator, $40 for a decent roll of wire, plus accessories.

That's about the cheapest I'd recommend. I know there are plenty of members who swear by their 100 amp 120v AC output flux core machines from harbor freight. They are entitled to their opinion, just as I am to mine. But I would not personally recommend it.

If you're willing to go a little more expensive, you cannot go wrong with a Hobart 210 or step up to a Millermatic 211 (basically the same machine, but the Miller is built a little better and has some extra features). They are both suitcase style machines, and can run 120v or 240v input.

There are also the new Vulcan machines from harbor freight that are reverse engineered off Lincoln Electric products.

A lot of people really like Everlast machines for a decent product on a budget.

Don't be afraid to buy used either. You can snag some pretty killer deals from time to time.

 

[Ragnar4077]

would you recommend looking around on craigslist?

 

[anickode]

would you recommend looking around on craigslist?

Craigslist, Facebook marketplace, really anywhere is worth at least looking.

 

[Ragnar4077]

Thanks! I just bought my first angle grinder, and I have already tried welding and I loved it

 

[anickode]

Thanks! I just bought my first angle grinder, and I have already tried welding and I loved it

Don't be afraid to try your hand at oxy/acetylene welding either. Get a torch set (I like Victor) and a set of medium sized bottles (around 80 cubic feet). You can do a LOT with a torch and some practice. Weld, braze, cut, bend, heat stuck bolts... Definitely the most versatile single piece of equipment you can buy.

 

[gr8hairy1]

Then same question for the torch. How cheap is cheap? (Cheapest you'd recommend that is)

 

[anickode]

Then same question for the torch. How cheap is cheap? (Cheapest you'd recommend that is)

Cheapest you'll get a new torch kit for is around $120, but that's just for the torch, hose, and regulators. Tanks arent cheap though.

Again, craigslist, marketplace, even estate sales. If the tanks are old, you'll likely have to pay a fee to cover the hydrotesting when you get them filled . I see torch sets with full size tanks listed for $350 fairly frequently, and they can sometimes be talked down.

Take some time to learn about this stuff a bit. Good deals go fast. If you have to post here and wait for a reply when you find when you think you've found a good deal, you'll have already missed out on it by the time you get an answer.

 

[Kartorbust]

Yeah I'd look at all the min market places online Craigslist, Ebay, Facebook's marketplace. Even local ads in the newspaper will have them. If you have a Tractor Supply, they sell Hobart. Home Depot and Lowes sell Lincoln Electric. All good brands, just depends on what you can find in your budget. 240v welders are more expensive, but they can do more work and usually have a better duty cycle than 120v machines.

---------- Post added at 02:19 PM ---------- Previous post was at 02:10 PM ----------

Yeah I'd look at all the min market places online Craigslist, Ebay, Facebook's marketplace. Even local ads in the newspaper will have them. If you have a Tractor Supply, they sell Hobart. Home Depot and Lowes sell Lincoln Electric. All good brands, just depends on what you can find in your budget. 240v welders are more expensive, but they can do more work and usually have a better duty cycle than 120v machines.

 

[josh7owens]

Honestly the Vulcan line from HF is pretty good for the price point.

 

[Greasyxb9]

Like said above the harbor frieght 180 mig isn't bad to start on. It comes with everything you need except a bottle.

I bought a Eastwood welder. 200amp multi process unit. I can mig and DC tig but it is scratch start with no pedal. Bottles are going to be half your investment. A 80 cu ft bottle will cost you about $200 to $250. I have two 120 cu ft bottles with 75/25 argon/co2 and a pure argon for tig welding.

Don't get me wrong you can use gasless flux core for a lot of things but just don't be discouraged by the way it looks. It will never ever be as nice as a gas setup mig welder.

 

[anickode]

Honestly the Vulcan line from HF is pretty good for the price point.

Pretty good in that they are packing some good features. Worrisome I that they're in the $600+ price range, and haven't even been around for a year, so nobody can really attest to the long-term durability of them.

They're cheap for the features they have, but cheap electronics can be problematic. I wouldn't drop that kind of money on something that I wasn't pretty sure would still be working a year from now.

 

[kevbo22]

Pretty good in that they are packing some good features. Worrisome I that they're in the $600+ price range, and haven't even been around for a year, so nobody can really attest to the long-term durability of them.

They're cheap for the features they have, but cheap electronics can be problematic. I wouldn't drop that kind of money on something that I wasn't pretty sure would still be working a year from now.

I'll back that. Was interesting when they came out, but for the price point probably not worth it. Vucan mig 140amp is $550 and eastwood mig 135amp is $299 with a 3 year no hassle warranty. Thats a pretty big difference in virtually the same "cheap" welder.

 

[josh7owens]

Vulcan is one year satisfaction or your money back. Use it for a year, return it on month 11 and buy a everlast like every youtuber on YouTube uses.

The $700 Vulcan 220 welds exactly like the $1800 Miller 200. The welds look exactly the same.

For Home, hobbyists usage, the Vulcan is a good deal. We’ll see if I return mine on month 11 and buy a everlast. The new one with AC/DC tig and Mig is a true all in one unit and with limited space I need that in my life. Granted I wish it was also a plasma cutter but isn’t.

 

[anickode]

Vulcan is one year satisfaction or your money back. Use it for a year, return it on month 11 and buy a everlast like every youtuber on YouTube uses.

The $700 Vulcan 220 welds exactly like the $1800 Miller 200. The welds look exactly the same.

For Home, hobbyists usage, the Vulcan is a good deal. We’ll see if I return mine on month 11 and buy a everlast. The new one with AC/DC tig and Mig is a true all in one unit and with limited space I need that in my life. Granted I wish it was also a plasma cutter but isn’t.

Any machine that is also a plasma cutter is neither a great welder nor a great plasma cutter. Two VERY different processes with very different electrical characteristics.

But we have ourselves a guinea pig now... So if you haven't started a review thread on the welder, would you mind doing so, and post occasional updates?

 

[josh7owens]

what sub forum do you want it posted in? I'll write one.