need advice, ordering welder tomorrow..

[motaaa]

which one would be best for me to buy?
theyre all between $250 and $350 which is good for me,
but im mostly gonna do bodywork/bumper/rollcage/framework (nothing super intense) so what would be my best option?

1. Lincoln Electric Pro Mig 140 Amp Welder
2. Clarke 160EN Mig Welder 220 V Gas/No Gas
3. Clarke 180EN Mig Welder Kit 220V Gas/No Gas
4. Clarke 125EN Mig Welder 110 V. Gas/No Gas

i kinda want to go with the 110v because of portability but i hear 220 is the way to go..
btw the lincoln is used, the rest are brand new

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

220V hands down if you are wanting to do roll cage/ chassis work.

 

[metalmacguyver]

220V hands down if you are wanting to do roll cage/ chassis work.

x2




You need a decent welder if your going to be doing structural welding. 220v is a must.

 

[nick344]

x3

 

[chvlfrk]

Imo>>>

I would go with Lincoln, Miller, or Hobart WITH gas, and disagree with the gotta have 220, as you can weld 1/4" steel with 110 and I doubt your gonna be weldin much thicker than that unless your into "overkill".

I use a Lincoln Weld Pak 100 and penetrate just find when weldin 1/4"....but I gave $450 for it NEW, so if you can buy a Lincoln 140 for $250-350, jump on it!

 

[danger_ranger05]

I think you should check out ebay first for a older welder. 1 because older welders are mainly solid state and waayyy more durable then todays welders, and 2, you will get more power for your buck. I got 2 300amp migs off there for 400 flat. Then i was lucky enough to get a Miller dimension cc/cv unit for 300 flat. you just gotta look!

 

[MrE_Powers]

i did welder shopping recently and ended up with a hobart 187 for 550$ shipped from ebay.

i looked at northern tool welders, lincoln welders, clarke welders, miller welders, and hobart welders.

my first criteria was the welder was not to be made in china. that killed northern tools prospects.

then the welder this was to be replacing was a harbor freight welder i bought for 60$ when the original price was 250 not a bad deal but i hated the gun and the lack of amperage control. i also read that the drive motors go out easily on the clarke machines. the clarke machine was out of the running for the gun and the drive motors..

miller was out because of price unless i saw a good deal on craigslist.

so i decided to look at hobart 187 and lincoln 180 and quickly noticed that the hobart had more amperage selections 7 to lincolns 5.

and i found a seller on ebay selling the remanufactured 187 for 499 on ebay with 50 for shipping so i selected the 187.

seriously i think you should consider the hobart machines or if you are set on your list then i say get the lincoln i have used them before and you wont be disappointed.

 

[Ranger#1]

miller=hobart=weldmark

 

[dch1992]

wut ranger#1 said

 

[motaaa]

I think you should check out ebay first for a older welder.

all 4 are actually on ebay right now.

i know that lincoln/miller/hobart are the best, but that means theyre also pricey.
im buying a parts truck this week also so i cant really afford much more than 350 for the machine..

what do you guys think would work best the lincoln 140, which is 110v, or the clarke 180, which is 220v? people have told me that the clarkes work well for moderate welding, and since im not gonna be doing any crazy projects, i think it would last. however the lincoln 140 is a Lincoln.

here are the links
clarke 180:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAXS:IT&item=290309158022

lincoln 180: (140 ended an hour ago)
http://cgi.ebay.com/NEW-LINCOLN-ELECTRIC-WELD-PAK-180HD-WIRE-FED-WELDER-NR_W0QQitemZ150336990052QQcmdZViewItemQQptZBI_Welders?hash=item150336990052&_trksid=p3286.c0.m14&_trkparms=66%3A2|65%3A1|39%3A1|240%3A1318

 

[IRKillroy]

those numbers you see 140/180 ... those are the max thickness of the steel your welder will weld. .140 of an inch is 3.5 mm .... .180 " = 4.5 mm so which gives you more versatility?

and I'd stick with the name brands as they are tried and stand up to the rigorous usage.

miller is a good brand too... check them out.

a great thing about a mig is you can add a spool gun and weld aluminum as well.

and having gas is important for welding roll cages... as the gas keeps the weld free of contamination that will cause it to be brittle. Flux cored wire is more expensive than solid core and gas, so keep your costs in mind.

 

[motaaa]

thanks for all the advice. i think im gonna go with the Clarke 130 or 180, whichever i get cheapest

ill let you guys know how things go

 

[blackbronc]

As many amps and volts as you can afford.

 

[Sasquatch_Ryda]

those numbers you see 140/180 ... those are the max thickness of the steel your welder will weld. .140 of an inch is 3.5 mm .... .180 " = 4.5 mm so which gives you more versatility?

Actually that is the amperage output rating.

The lincoln 140 puts out 140amps max, the 180 puts out 180amps max.

The 140 is rated at .135 max single pass with gas and 5/16" using flux core.

The 180 is rated at 3/16" max single pass with gas and 1/2" using flux core.

 

[IRKillroy]

you made me feel stupid...

in my defense... miller is not based on amps...

anyways... thanks for smacking me upside the head... I can get confused sometimes.