Well hopefully I can contribute something meaningful here. I'm a bare azz newbie - this is my first post! BUT I've been a CWI (Certified Welding Inspector) certified by the AWS (American Welding Society) for 20 years, so conceitedly think I know "a thing or 3" about welding.
AND I own a 220 mig welder.
What's said above is true - a stick welder is cheaper than a mig. But it is also more difficult to use. And a weld that looks like a pigeon deposited it is NOT strong or stronger for any reason.
A wire feed welder (of which MIG is one version - MIG is a small diameter solid wire that uses an external shielding gas, for carbon steel it's usually CO2 or a mix or mainly CO2) is small, light weight, not quite as easy to set up as a stick welder, but is much easier to use if you're an inexperienced welder. The only thing with MIG is that the weld penetration is not very deep, being it was specifically developed for sheet metal and similarly thin light gauge metals - that is besides the cost of the gas cylinder long term lease and the refill cost AND the cost of the regulator and hose setup.
The other version of a wire feed machine is flux core - called that because the wire is hollow and contains the flux inside. Powdered flux inside the wire turns to gas when it is heated in the electric arc. It shields the weld from absorbing oxygen just like the external gas shield in MIG that you have to get from a tank of CO2 etc.
It isn't as "pretty" or slick looking as MIG because it does have a thin coating of flux on the outside of the weld, but you can easily chip that off if you desire. It has the same strength as MIG and penetrates quite a bit deeper, of course depending on the amps and volts. So it's much more suitable for somewhat thicker metal. In fact, all the skyscrapers in the country are welded with flux core, whether in a fab shop or up in the air on the building framework.
OK, back to basics. #1 advice - get a good name brand machine. I bought a Lincoln (and by ALL MEANS get a 220 volt welder - use a dryer or electric stove plug that matches the plug on the cord - takes something like 25 or 30 amps on the 220 breaker - one "leg" off each side of the input into your house - ea "leg" being 110 volts)) so you can weld some decent thickness metal. I built a 36' clear span carport with my Lincoln 220 volt - welded together 1/4" thick 6" square tube steel and it has withstood 75+ mph winds.
Electric current and voltage control are EVERYTHING in a wire feed welder. Yes, an off-brand might be OK, and it might not. Lincoln, Miller, Hobart are the major name brands you can absolutely trust. After looking at all 3 I chose the Lincoln cuz it's easy to use, foolproof simple directions, and CONSISTENT - weld after weld. AND you can get it serviced / repaired / parts at any decent welding supply place that sells Lincoln.
Nearly all common "carbon steel" has a tensile strength of 60,000 psi. Your common weld filler metal, whether stick (SMAW or shielded metal arc welding), MIG (metal inert gas), flux core, or even TIG (tungsten inert gas - you don't want to go there unless you're an experienced welder and have a lot of money to spend for a machine) is 70,000 tensile strength.
You can buy any brand filler metal that says it meets AWS or ASME standards forcarbon steel welding. Flux core would typically be E7011T-1. The E stands for electrode, the 70 stands for tensile strength, the T stands for tubular (flux cvore) and the 11 & -1 stands for all position welding. I most often buy mine at Lowes. It is not legal to label it like that unless it does meet AWS and ASME standards.
Pardon me - yeah, I'm getting long winded, but I LOVE this subject! (And the Coors Light doesn't exactly make me reticent, either
Shop around - you should be able to find a good quality name brand machine that fits within your budget, especially if you go flux core and don't have to take out a lease on a CO2 tank.
One other thing - actually 2. PRACTICE - and take a class at a VoTech. There's lots more to making a sound weld than meets the untrained eye.
Welding is FUN - you can make SO many wonderful things!
Oh, yes, one last thing. Get an "instant on" welding lens. That's the kind you can see thru until you strike the arc, then it goes dark. That way you can start exactly where you want to instead of leaving "tracks" all over your piece of metal unti lyou find the groove.
Any questions,
macx351@yahoo.com
PS - yes, you actually can do major welding with an oxy-acetylene torch! I used to be night shop foreman for a very large asphalt paving company where we took care of well over $100 million worth of heavy equipment and trucks, and actually built a lot of the equipment. We would actually weld heavy gauge thick exhaust pipe to cast steel (very difficult to weld) turbine outlets on big diesels with oxy-acetylene and COAT HANGERS! NEVER broke or cracked even with the extreme heat and pressure from the turbo. But, like anything else, you gotta know what you're doin.
And ENJOY WELDING !!
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