non diesel related. - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

kmaysob · #1 01-08-2006, 08:15 AM

i know there have been several discussions lately about welding, but i have a few questions i wanted to ask and i thought i would ask the diesel discussion.i have taken a liking to learning how to arc weld. im getting better and am now at the point were i can write my first and last name on a piece of metal better than i can with a pen and paper. the only machine i have ever used is a Campbell Hausfeld cheapie that only does ac . i am looking to buy my own and i have to lincoln models in mind. one of them will do just ac while the other will do both ac and dc welding(output). i have read that the dc is much easier to start an arc and is suppsoed to splatter less,while it doesnt weld as deep and strong as ac. i have read alot about both of them but i wanted to get the "diesel heads" opinions. is dc really worth the extra $160 or so? i plan to buy a mig machine someday but i want to learn how to arc weld the best i can first. i would love to learn to tig and possibly own a tig unit but i cant really afford $2000 for a tig welder at this time. any info /comments are allways appreciated. heres the ones im lookin at

www.homedepot.com

Model K1170

Model K1297

Matt L · #2 01-08-2006, 10:20 AM

Given the choice of stick, MIG or TIG for a first welder, I'd choose MIG. It's good to be able to weld with a stick, but stick welders are best left for thick metal. Most of the welding that you might want to do on a car is much better done with a MIG or TIG.

Gas welders are very handy to have around too.

kmaysob · #3 01-08-2006, 10:29 AM

i realize that, but at the minute i am not in the market for a mig. i mostly work on thicker metal. i am about to finish the fabrication work on my dads 64 scout and i need to be able to weld thicker metal. some of the rear end we made is 1/4'' steel tubing.

kmaysob · #4 01-08-2006, 08:30 PM

bump.... anyone?

bgkast · #5 01-08-2006, 09:18 PM

I would spring for the DC option. It will allow you to use a wider range of rods. Most small MIG welders should be able to weld 1/4 inch, especially if you have access to both sides of the project. I have a stick welder and a little 110 V wire feed that uses flux core wire that I got from harbor freight. It works surprisingly well and is SUPER easy to use. I think that even the tiny wire feed could weld 1/4 inch plate if you ran a bead on each side.

kmaysob · #6 01-09-2006, 05:01 AM

thanks bgkast and matt L it seems noone else has an opinion on this. as with most of my posts

deerefanatic · #7 01-09-2006, 07:37 AM

My dad has ancient (probably made in the 50's) ac arc welder. It works quite well for our farm work. We also have and old wire welder whose guts died, but the wire-feed still works. We clamp the electrode wire from the arc welder to the charge wire on the wire feed, and presto! We have a wire feed attachment for our arc welder!

Oh, and it works pretty good for being an AC unit now......

Wasuchi · #8 01-09-2006, 09:31 AM

For what you're doing I would choose a wire welder. They should weld plenty deep for the size metal you are wanting to weld although you're right that an arc welder would be better for the 1/4 inch stuff. I have two arc welders, one is a Sears that's about 25 years old and plugs into 220 (ac welder)...... it works but is hard to use, just isn't easy to get an arc going and maintain it. The other is a self powered Miller that's about the same age, it's DC, very easy to use and I can weld fairly thin stuff but I have to be very careful or I'm burning holes instead of welding. The Miller was of course probably 20X more expensive new so thats one reason it works better.

My advice is to get the best welder you can in your price range. Go to a welding shop with a printout of your choices and ask a professional welder which one he thought would work the best for what you want to do with it.

kmaysob · #9 01-09-2006, 10:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wasuchi

For what you're doing I would choose a wire welder. They should weld plenty deep for the size metal you are wanting to weld although you're right that an arc welder would be better for the 1/4 inch stuff. I have two arc welders, one is a Sears that's about 25 years old and plugs into 220 (ac welder)...... it works but is hard to use, just isn't easy to get an arc going and maintain it. The other is a self powered Miller that's about the same age, it's DC, very easy to use and I can weld fairly thin stuff but I have to be very careful or I'm burning holes instead of welding. The Miller was of course probably 20X more expensive new so thats one reason it works better.

My advice is to get the best welder you can in your price range. Go to a welding shop with a printout of your choices and ask a professional welder which one he thought would work the best for what you want to do with it.

you know i never thought about that. thanks alot. i am planning on going with lincoln. i know they are pretty high up and nice machines. i cant really afford a miller. i am planning on purchasing a mig in the near future. i dont know why but i just have this fascination with arc. maybe its because its the only kind i have ever done. deerefanatic: thats pretty cool what you did with the broken mig. i would imagine it works alot like a wire feed with fluxcore wire?

kmaysob · #10 01-23-2006, 10:50 AM

ok its me again. i have finally decided to take your advise and buy the mig unit. im waiting for my tax returns and then i plan to buy on. now its a decision between two diff. units. they are both lincoln units. one is 230v and costs $529 but comes out of the box as a flux core. the mig converision kit is another $100.
id really like to own this unit because 230v has a higher duty cycle. one the other hand there is the 115v unit that costs $459 and comes with everything but the tank. i figure with this one i can ,take itt anywhere and i can convert it to flux core and buy a tank for it for the price of the 230v. the 230v has an amperage range of 30-175a and the 115v has a range of 25-135. so do you think i really need that extra 40amps? im lost as to what i should do

kmaysob · #11 01-23-2006, 08:33 PM

anyone? hello?????

bgkast · #12 01-23-2006, 08:56 PM

How much thick welding do you plan to do again? If it isn't much, and you think you will have access to both sides of the surface I would say go with the 115V. It is very handy to be able to plug in to any outlet, and nice to not have unplug the dryer every time you have to weld when you use a 230V.

I would imagine that the lower power setting of the 115V will come in handy when welding sheet metal too.

kmaysob · #13 01-23-2006, 09:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bgkast

How much thick welding do you plan to do again? If it isn't much, and you think you will have access to both sides of the surface I would say go with the 115V. It is very handy to be able to plug in to any outlet, and nice to not have unplug the dryer every time you have to weld when you use a 230V.

I would imagine that the lower power setting of the 115V will come in handy when welding sheet metal too.

i plan on doing a fair amount of welding. i need to weld some parts on the new rear end we made for my dads scout, i need to weld rear spring perces on a camaro im gettin from a friend and a few other things. i think im gonna go with the 115v based on the fact that i can use it anywhere,and it comes with everything but the tank. an outlet is no problem. i just wired one for my compressor and to be used for welding. 60amp breaker and 6awg wire. got that stuff was hard to bend in the breaker panel.

kip Foss · #14 01-23-2006, 09:21 PM

I have been welding for about 50 years both in the US and for about 20 years overseas. My recommendation is to get the 230v AC/DC unit with a mig attachment. If you ever need tig, which you probably won't unless you get into exotic metals or tubing welding, you can add a high frequency unit for about $100. For 90% of your shop welding you can use mig. Stick welding on metals much less than 1/8 in. is rather difficuly, plus the weld usually doesn't come out looking very good.

I used to weld a lot of control panels in Europe and for this stick welding works best if you know how. It is a bit tricky but it comes out looking like a machine weld. For $20 bucks I'll tell you how.

Check your local Ad Sack type newspaper for mig units. Many guys get them and don't really use them. Ask your local welding repair shop if they have remanufactured ones. Usually the dealers don't sell them because they want to sell new ones but ask around. Unless you are making your living welding there is really no reason to invest in a high dollar unit. They are nice and will last a long time but good ones can run $1500.

#15 01-23-2006, 09:21 PM

We've got 3 30amp 220 plugs in our garage just for our welder/air conditioner/whatever else needs to be plugged in.

Its a 220V Snap On model...probably late 80's early 90's. MIG.

Pretty nice welder. Its what I cut my teeth on...though we are sitll looking at getting a TIG for doing some aluminium.