Welding help
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jetlag
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hey its me, the lost one as usual. i need help from those of you who have welding experience. what kind of welder is best to use when welding squared and round tubing together?
The best welder is the one that can get hot enough for those pieces to stay together
drscope
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The best welder advice I can give you is to buy a 220 volt MIG welder and use gas. Buy a name brand like a lincoln or Hobart. Stay away from the off brand cheap stuff, as they don't work well and if you need parts and service, you might as well start over.
A MIG will allow you to also run a flux core shielded wire without gas, but this requires you knock off the slag after each weld.
These machines also come in 110volt, but the 220 machines work better at the low heat settings.
A MIG will allow you to also run a flux core shielded wire without gas, but this requires you knock off the slag after each weld.
These machines also come in 110volt, but the 220 machines work better at the low heat settings.
mcbride68camaro
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miller mig welder is what I use. Since most of these carts are made out of thin metal you will want to use a smaller wire .25 or so.
Lincolns are not bad either, and I like some of the smaller 220V lincolns. Hobart isn't bad either. Defintely go 220 if you can. I wouldn't own a machine that doesn't use gas
If you are planning on welding much and you are welding indoors, go with a mig. arc's are great, but for the hobbyist, a mig is the way to go.
Lincolns are not bad either, and I like some of the smaller 220V lincolns. Hobart isn't bad either. Defintely go 220 if you can. I wouldn't own a machine that doesn't use gas
If you are planning on welding much and you are welding indoors, go with a mig. arc's are great, but for the hobbyist, a mig is the way to go.
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lemegacool
got boost? :)
totally agree with him here! or get a 225a arc (stick) welder with 7013 or 7014 rod
EagleTalons
Master JB Welder
Stick is the way to go! No messing around when you stick weld.
lemegacool
got boost? :)
yep i'm a pro-welder and at home i have a old trusty miller 225a AC welder... just jam a rod in the holder and weld!
RanmaSal
Gen. tard with welder :)
The best welder is the one that you buy for a great deal and learn to weld with till you are satisfied. I personally have a Miller Dialarc and a Lincoln ARC225. If you are planning in the future to aluminum weld then you'll want to go with a very good AC/DC MIG welder or a TIG that can do all 3. I use the Dialarc for big jobs and the Lincoln for everything else. To gas or not to gas... it's all personal preference. I go either way. It's definatly easier to carry around if you don't have the gas bottle hanging around! Some jobs you really really need it, some jobs you couldn't care less...
Tommy Boy
Idiot
The question for me was twofold. One, do I want to drop 400 bucks on a Miller killer, and two, would the el cheapo Harbor Freight wire rig do what I needed it to do?
The answers were simple and verified after I pulled the trigger on my purchase. Yes, a fancy Lincoln would've been nice and would do everything I wanted and more. Yes, I'm a cheap you-know-what. And yes, my hundred dollar Chinese splatter slinger does EXACTLY what I want and need it to do. I can repair tools, weld various thicknesses and styles of tube and pipe, and make one hell of a mess. I've built a smoker, a CNG grill, fixed Lord knows how many garden tools, tacked up a few lawn equipment racks, built a pompier rig for deer season, and you guessed it, all the weld work on my kart frame and speedy little riding mower.
All on my little blue communist welder.
So should I have dropped massive jack on that nice Lincoln they're selling down the street? Maybe. But the one I have has worked just fine.
The answers were simple and verified after I pulled the trigger on my purchase. Yes, a fancy Lincoln would've been nice and would do everything I wanted and more. Yes, I'm a cheap you-know-what. And yes, my hundred dollar Chinese splatter slinger does EXACTLY what I want and need it to do. I can repair tools, weld various thicknesses and styles of tube and pipe, and make one hell of a mess. I've built a smoker, a CNG grill, fixed Lord knows how many garden tools, tacked up a few lawn equipment racks, built a pompier rig for deer season, and you guessed it, all the weld work on my kart frame and speedy little riding mower.
All on my little blue communist welder.
So should I have dropped massive jack on that nice Lincoln they're selling down the street? Maybe. But the one I have has worked just fine.
...George...
New member
Mig or Arc welder will work for you. TIG requires a lot of prep work to get the weld right, you really want to be working in a seated position which isn't always possible, and it's really not for the novice welder.
Just my personal experience...
Just my personal experience...
Rickracer
RM250 Race Kart Driver
For general kart type work, I'd strongly suggest a mig, fairly easy to learn, and much more forgiving on thin materials than a stick welder. You can buy relatively inexpensive machines in a variety of places, just make sure they keep a ready supply of consumables, (wire, contact tips, etc). If you're just getting started, you may want to buy a few extra contact tips in the size of the wire you'll be using, and I'd recommend .024 for thin metals. I run .030 in my machine all the time, and can do stuff as thin as sheetmetal, and have also welded up to 1/2" thick in 3 passes, but I've also had lots of practice over the years. I have a Mac Tools brand 225 amp mig, (made by Silver Beauty), that I've owned for over 20 years. I would never consider a flux core wire for my normal usage at the shop, but for an occasional use machine to have at home, it might be easier, nothing sucks worse than running out of shielding gas in the middle of a project, but that's why I keep two bottles now, when one gets empty, I switch to the other, and get the first one filled.
TerryOlson
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I bought a 110V mig some years ago to install patch panels on a car I was restoring. I have a 220V stick welder too, but the mig is really much nicer to work with for the novice and occasional welder. I have the gas rig for it, but I find that flux core works just as well. Again, I'm a novice hack welder like most of us and that's what works best for me - the pros are good enough to realize the benefits of a good welder, but for me the basic set up provides just as good a result as the good ones and it's also the easiest to use. I also like the 110 because it's much more versatile / portable than a 220.
chris insull
Have BSR will travel...
MIG gets my vote... but buy the most welder you can afford as you will outgrow the el-cheapo welders in short order. For me, the Miller DVI was a great choice. Can use standard 120v household outlet, or 220v shop power. Fairly portable, but most important to me is it will serve ALL my welding needs... Mine's worked great for me over the last 3 years on everything from Jeep frame repairs, roll cages, my BSR and various sheetmetal patch panels. JMHO!!
Tracy1966
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I know it's an el-cheapo... but is this one any good???
http://tinyurl.com/mn3j6c
It's got a couple good feedbacks.
http://tinyurl.com/mn3j6c
It's got a couple good feedbacks.
Tommy Boy
Idiot
Here's what I got.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94056
They run this rig on sale a lot. Got mine for 100 bucks. Adjustable wire speed and a high/low setting for different densities. Yes, it isn't anything fancy and until you get the swing of it, your welds will look like absolute crap and it'll spatter like crazy.
But it works! It's cheap, too. I couldn't tell from the picture you posted if that one has it, but the high/low setting is handy for different thicknesses. And for the love of God and all his angels, get a decent helmet. If that comes with one of those crappy handheld shields, throw it in the trash and save yourself the hours of agony from burning your eyes. Trust me. I know from experience.
http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/displayitem.taf?Itemnumber=94056
They run this rig on sale a lot. Got mine for 100 bucks. Adjustable wire speed and a high/low setting for different densities. Yes, it isn't anything fancy and until you get the swing of it, your welds will look like absolute crap and it'll spatter like crazy.
But it works! It's cheap, too. I couldn't tell from the picture you posted if that one has it, but the high/low setting is handy for different thicknesses. And for the love of God and all his angels, get a decent helmet. If that comes with one of those crappy handheld shields, throw it in the trash and save yourself the hours of agony from burning your eyes. Trust me. I know from experience.
drscope
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A cheap machine isn't always cheap! Sometimes they can be very expensive before you start doing any welding.
With a mig, the BEST way to go is with gas. A lot of the cheap machines are only set up for shielded flux core wire. Thats a big pain in the neck as you need to remove the slag after every weld.
And when you get tired of that and want to move up to gas, you need to pay extra for the kit to convert it. And thats only if a kit exsists for that machine.
$400 may be more then you want to spend for a welder, but buying a name brand machine and running gas will give you a LIFETIME of service! Plus it will be a versatile machine that will allow you to weld many different materials and thicknesses.
A cheaper machine will usually end up costing you more then you think, not work as well, and replacment parts & service are unavailable.
So, do you spens $100 to $200 for a throw away machine that might last you 2 years? Or spend a little more for a better machine that will last a lifetime?
With a mig, the BEST way to go is with gas. A lot of the cheap machines are only set up for shielded flux core wire. Thats a big pain in the neck as you need to remove the slag after every weld.
And when you get tired of that and want to move up to gas, you need to pay extra for the kit to convert it. And thats only if a kit exsists for that machine.
$400 may be more then you want to spend for a welder, but buying a name brand machine and running gas will give you a LIFETIME of service! Plus it will be a versatile machine that will allow you to weld many different materials and thicknesses.
A cheaper machine will usually end up costing you more then you think, not work as well, and replacment parts & service are unavailable.
So, do you spens $100 to $200 for a throw away machine that might last you 2 years? Or spend a little more for a better machine that will last a lifetime?
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