looking to get a MIG

[Boggin]

hey guys. i only arc weld now, i got a Miller Thunderbolt. identical to the one in the pic below (its a google pic)

and for my birthday in june im gonna be getting a mig welder. so i was wondering what would a good choice be? id like to keep it in the 110 household line, cause my arc now is the bigger 220 line and its a pain not being able to bring it over to my moms to use it. also i dont wanna spend an outrageous amount of money on a welder. somethin cheap yet durable. Im no professional fabricator. it will be my first MIG so i dont need any high tech stuff. id like to keep it as simple as possible, and i will only be building stuff like a scatter bumper, headache racks, maybe radius arms (personal use only), so id appreciate any input.
thanks

 

[Boggin]

forgot to add, im not looking to run gas yet. if i do it will be much later
i seen this one. does anyone else have one
http://www.canadiantire.ca/AST/brow...aft%2BMIG%2Band%2BFlux%2BWelder.jsp?locale=en

 

[martin]

If you're welding outside, fluxed wire is easier to work with, not to mention the fact that gas is much more difficult to obtain in Canada than it is in the states. It also makes the unit more portable as you don't have to lug a tank around with you. on the down side you will have more splatter to deal with. If you have a princess auto near you you might want to take a look there as they usually have a selection of units to choose from. As to your original question, I've never used that particular model so I can't comment on it other than to say don't expect to be able to do the same things that you can do with a 220v unit, be it stick or mig.

 

[btm757]

if you get a 110v mig welder the largest stuff you could do is 1/4 inch and thats with multiple passes.

 

[yyc_tbird_sc]

Go for a Millermatic 211. It's dual voltage capable without needing to re-wire anything and can easily change the polarity of the machine. It can also accept a spoolgun if you ever want. I've got one in my garage, and have done 3/8" plate steel without a problem. I haven't used flux core on it, but I'm sure it would work flawlessly.

Be careful buying from Canadian Tire....they get machines built for the cheaper prices, and this is done by putting in cheaper parts than machines you'd find in a local welding shop. Go and talk to the guys at Air Liquide, Praxair, OxyPro, etc. I can't say I'd buy a machine anywhere else as the service you'll get from these guys are top notch.

Gas is not any harder to find in Canada....any shop I've walked into has cylinders lined up and ready to go, or there are a few places that will fill cylinders in town.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

If anything, get the Lincoln MIGPAK 140 from canadian tire.

I'm using the MIGPAK 180 (220V) from there and it is awesome from the price.

 

[Boggin]

thanks alot guys

Go for a Millermatic 211. It's dual voltage capable without needing to re-wire anything and can easily change the polarity of the machine. It can also accept a spoolgun if you ever want. I've got one in my garage, and have done 3/8" plate steel without a problem. I haven't used flux core on it, but I'm sure it would work flawlessly.

Be careful buying from Canadian Tire....they get machines built for the cheaper prices, and this is done by putting in cheaper parts than machines you'd find in a local welding shop. Go and talk to the guys at Air Liquide, Praxair, OxyPro, etc. I can't say I'd buy a machine anywhere else as the service you'll get from these guys are top notch.

Gas is not any harder to find in Canada....any shop I've walked into has cylinders lined up and ready to go, or there are a few places that will fill cylinders in town.

i googled this one, i really would like a miller. but this one is $1200!!! no way i can afford that

If anything, get the Lincoln MIGPAK 140 from canadian tire.

I'm using the MIGPAK 180 (220V) from there and it is awesome from the price.

thanks man, but again i googled this one and the price is $699. it looks like a good welder, ill see if that price is in my range. if so, ill probably go for that one

 

[NMB2]

the best 110v welder you can buy is the Millermatic 140, hands down. I weld 1/4" on single pass with .030 solid wire and gas. Easier to weld with the 211 machine, but the 140 will do just about any job you need 3/8" and below. When welding more than 1/4" I just make a nice beveled edge. No need for multiple passes. Its all about prep, and with the smaller machine you need a little more technique.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

thanks man, but again i googled this one and the price is $699. it looks like a good welder, ill see if that price is in my range. if so, ill probably go for that one

It regularly goes on sale for $499.00.

I got my MIGPAK 180 for $598.00 on sale 2 years ago.

 

[Ranger Kip]

Might wanna keep it under a 180, buddy of mine got a 130 MIG from Walmart (small one), and it barely worked, then he went over to Tractor Supply and got a 175 MIG, and it works like a charm!

Hope you get some good weldin =)

 

[badblue]

I would not get any thing smaller then a 175hd

 

[Ranger Kip]

true, but I said no larger because more houses have a 200amp service, some older ones have 100amp, like mine.