MIG or Oxy/Acetylene?

[motaaa]

DO you read any of your posts before you hit the reply button? What a mess, I would take it English is not your first language

hahaha.

its a customer bottle, no band or stamp, and if there was i'd grind that shit off anyways

 

[adsm08]

erm No i donts reads mine posts firsts.

Dude, he is obviously Swissgar from Metalocalypse. Give him a break, he's like the most famous Swiss cartoon character to ever be based off a real Swiss guy from a real death metal band.

 

[EnglishDan]

motaa, I personally prefer mig to flux core or gas, and I'm a welder. I have never come across anybody choosing what gas to fill their bottles with!! Fair question though if you are new to welding, and I would rather somebody ask then get hurt. Ask your question at a welding supplies shop that provide gases. They will keep you within state laws and prevent you from killing yourself, only joking!! I have seen some nasty examples of exploded gas bottles that have killed!!

 

[motaaa]

motaa, I personally prefer mig to flux core or gas, and I'm a welder. I have never come across anybody choosing what gas to fill their bottles with!! Fair question though if you are new to welding, and I would rather somebody ask then get hurt. Ask your question at a welding supplies shop that provide gases. They will keep you within state laws and prevent you from killing yourself, only joking!! I have seen some nasty examples of exploded gas bottles that have killed!!

hmm i see your point, my buddy just bought a hobart mig welder with the same specs as my clarke and after playing around with it for about 10 minutes i was laying some pretty impressive beads, so i think im going with the MIG..

 

[Will]

I use fluxcore with my MIG. I don't enter my beads in the state fair. I get a new spool at Menards and don't mess with bottles. Mostly I use the stick welder though. Most of what I weld is big and dirty.

 

[motaaa]

I use fluxcore with my MIG. I don't enter my beads in the state fair. I get a new spool at Menards and don't mess with bottles. Mostly I use the stick welder though. Most of what I weld is big and dirty.

hah, me neither, but weling with fluxcore upside-down isnt too fun. and i tend to have to do that alot..
plus someone wants me to build a bumper for them, idk about you guys but i'd rather have nice looking "this guy knows what hes doing" MIG welds rather than some ugly ass flux welds..

 

[Will]

I don't agree. If you know how to weld, even stick welds look good when the slag is tapped off. Fluxcore has very little slag compared to stick. You can't crutch a lack of skill with a bottle of gas. I'm not a great welder, but I'd rather have a great welder with a stick than a mediocrity with a Mig and gas.

I don't weld upside down. I turn things upside down.

 

[EnglishDan]

'Well you can't turn a ship over' is what they always told me as an apprentice - any good welder can do it in all positions! However, if it can be turned over, then it is a damn site easier and better looking. Stick or flux can look just as good as mig if you know what you are doing, but anyone should agree that mig is the future. I work on oil rigs where we use stick, but in a fab shop I would always choose mig as it is so quick and easy. For bumpers etc. mig all the way. If your going to spend the time making a decent bumper then it must have decent looking welds.

 

[OilPatch197]

Agreed MiG is "now" not just the future. You can do a MiG setup, everything new for under $600(incl argon tank lease) and be able to weld anything from thin thin 22 gauge to 3/16-in. I got a Hobart Handler 135.

I never liked oxy/acetylene touches, I always thought they were "old school" old foggy devices, for the most part it is true, but the advantages of *not* relying on the electrical grid makes the oxy/acety setup attractive, and it does take skill.

 

[EnglishDan]

Oxy acetylene is old school. Tig has replaced it. However oxy acetylene is quite nice to do, I find it really relaxing. You have to simply take your time.
With decent mig you should be able to weld way over 3/16 though.

 

[motaaa]

I don't agree. If you know how to weld, even stick welds look good when the slag is tapped off. Fluxcore has very little slag compared to stick. You can't crutch a lack of skill with a bottle of gas. I'm not a great welder, but I'd rather have a great welder with a stick than a mediocrity with a Mig and gas.

I don't weld upside down. I turn things upside down.

i welded my bumper with flux core and its strong as hell, my framerails cracked before the welds did, so as far as putting down a strong weld, i can do it, and im sure i'd be able to get good looking, uniform welds out of flux core if i really putmyself out to do it, but with mig i dont even have to try.


now if i could only figure out a way to flip my truck upside-down

 

[EnglishDan]

Any type of welding, mig, flux, tig, gas, or stick can be done neat and strong with practice.

 

[RunBaja]

Why are you guys stuck on using argon in a mig welder? Yes it does burn cleaner if your doing a lot of sheet metal but i would just run straight CO2 or 75/25 at most in that thing its way cheaper. The life of the bottle will also depend on how high you set your regulator. If your welding out side and have to turn it up becuase of the wind factor your gonna use more gas or else you will get porosity . Plus with running a bottle your wire is gonna be a lot cheaper because you dont have to flux core. The only disadventage is that flux core will just about burn through anything paint, powder coat, grease and oil. MIG on the hand you will have to do some prep work. Oh and if you're welding up frames or anything that is cracked for that matter I hope you're grinding a groove in it and drill a small at each end of the crack that way is has a stopping point.

Just my 2 cent
Josh

 

[Will]

now if i could only figure out a way to flip my truck upside-down

I'll give it a go for ya.

We all have different goals I guess. When I weld stuff, it stays welded. That's my single goal.

 

[press 1 for english]

I picked up a empty 300cf bottle and im not sure what i should do, i have a MIG welder but no argon, but i also have an oxy/acetylene kit. which one should i go with i mostly deal with stuff between 1/8" and 1/4"

if i choose MIG, how long wold my bottle last at what cfm?
same with oxy/acetlyene?

i want to get as many hours as i can for my money

If you want neat welds by all means go with the Mig welder.....if you don't care how the welds look use an oxy/acetylene setup.
Oxy/acetylene gassses are cheap and argon ain't that costly........I don't understand why this decision is so tough.