welder choice...

I just bought the 211 with MVP, the ability to go 110 or 220 is priceless, I have a Lincoln 140 on gas, it's nice for the small stuff, but no good outside on windy day. The miller is used for heavy outside work and I use flux core, dirty but deep welds....just no way to get m923 beds into the shop to use gas...I will add a bottle to it though, the 110v is good on sheet metal. The 211 also has AutoSet, I have,played with it but find it ain't perfect, usually wire sped seems to fast, or its just me....but if I slow up my pace I risk burnin through....practice practice.....
i got the 211 at praxair locally, price was better then Internet and I got 10% off....that deal runs through june

Hi Hummerguy, can you use the 211 on thinner sheet metal and such if you use it at 110v?

Thanks,
Greg

Wow, I just found a youtube video and other info on that unit, it really sound NICE!!! I think it would probably do bout qnything I could ever see me wnting to do! Thanks alot!!

24ga to 3/16in on 110v and 1/4 to 3/8 on 220v

But on 220v you can weld the entire range up to 3/8

no monkey business, just plug it in....I was going to get the 212 at first...but the 211 is more portable and has MVP.

At work we use either a Hobart MA-5030D and Lincoln Commander 500,both with excellent results,

I have owned a Hobart MA-5030 myself as well as my current Libby welding corp 300 amp welder,both military issue,granted these are both a bit large for home use,but filled the bill quite well.

Also,both of these are stick welders vs wire welders,although we do use a Lincoln LN25 wire feed box in congunction with both of the above.

Me personally,I don't own a wire welder.

Good choice hummerguy. The 211 has been my best selling machine. Very few problems with them. Basically your wire speed isn't the issue, just speed up your forward movement. Another trick when using the autoset is to dial your thickness on the lower end of the size range. Give it some practice and you will get used to it.

iatractor said:

Good choice hummerguy. The 211 has been my best selling machine. Very few problems with them. Basically your wire speed isn't the issue, just speed up your forward movement. Another trick when using the autoset is to dial your thickness on the lower end of the size range. Give it some practice and you will get used to it.

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Yea, I pretty much figured it was me...LOL
ya know, if I had only one bit of advice for a novice welder, it would be "take your time". I always somehow end up getting In a hurry and that's when things go wrong and welds start to look like crap, poor penetration etc...

I have a Miller 251 and it has worked very well for me.

llong66 said:

Thank you all for your help in this so far, my main reason for wanting to stay 110 was just simply not wanting to run a 220 line out to my garage, but it seems like it will be well worth the little work it will be! As I said I have never really done any welding, does anyone have a good source for the basics, stuff like staying away from the flux core and going with gas? I know I have so much to learn to really get started on this and any good resources for me to read on would be great!

Thanks much!!
Greg

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I bought one of those dirt cheap HF welders just to get an arc machine. What I didn't realize until I got it home: It's not even DC! It's just a transformer and wire feeder inside so you get AC at the gun. Additionally, the button only feeds the wire so the tip is always energized.

It will still weld exhaust pipe together but you'll get a huge amount of spatter. You get what you pay for at harbor freight.

That said, I'll be the dissenting voice and say that if you're only looking to tack exhaust or body patches together, don't mind ugly welds, and want to stick with 115V input that unit will get you by. $100 is probably worth it just for the transformer if you wanted it for another project.

But if you want to expand what you can weld or spend less time cleaning welds go with a better machine.


In terms of flux core or gas shielding: I only use flux core on my truck. It's more tolerant of unclean joints and works better outside in a slight breeze. So it's great if you're under the truck patching holes. If you're building a bracket on a bench indoors out of clean metal pieces then gas shielding is easier because you don't need to chip slag off or generate lots of smoke. The few times I've been in that position though, I've been too lazy to change the spool in my mig and just use a torch to make pretty welds.

Even low-priced MIG welders from Hobart allow you to do both though. So spend the extra few hundred bucks to get a machine you can use more for longer.

My HF unit worked to get my started and learn a little about the process until it eventually crapped out after a year or two of occasional use.

If you want to practice welding , get a decent machine , I like the Miller and or Hobart Mig ,easier to use and you can usually catch a sale . You want to practice on the machine you are going to WELD with , this way you learn use of the heat range / wire speed on THAT machine . I have both stick AC/DC and a Mig machine . You might also think about a Plasma cutter if you decide to really get into metal work . I would also suggest that you take a local course on welding , it will be very helpful in getting started and will teach you about basic's of welding and the SAFETY aspect to welding . Most Welding suppliers/jobbers can help with that info . Remember , practice , practice , practice ! and have FUN .

Everybody always asked me how I learned to TIG.

I bought a TIG welder and went to practicing. Before I bought the TIG machine I'd never even held a TIG torch. I also read a couple of good books on the subject. After a month or so and a bunch of scrap AL and iron welded together, a bunch of filler rod, and a bunch of tungsten, I could make a decent weld. It is really easy to pick up a lot of bad habits being self taught vs professional instruction though, if you're not careful.

You can read all the books and watch people weld for years but you'll never get the hang of it until you pick up the leads and go to work.

For what it's worth: Lots of good videos you can rent via snail-mail here https://smartflix.com/store/category/27/Welding

I started learning with a simple O/A torch. Easy to get started and it's a slow process so you can see what's going on. Plus you can cut with it.


Also lots of good info here https://www.tinmantech.com/index.php

He's really a welding savant. In one of his videos I rented, he welded a piece of aluminum foil to a soda can using a cutting torch. I never got that good but was able to weld aluminum sheet together using a torch a few times for the heck of it. Once I did that, steel was easy.

I wouldn't suggest wasting money on a HF welder. Sure it might be an economical way to get started, but I think you'll quickly find yourself wanting to upgrade to something a little bigger and better, even if the next step isn't the top of the line. I started with a 110V Lincoln for portability and quickly added a 220V Lincoln for added power. If I was to do it over again I'd strongly consider a dual voltage machine. Almost everything I do is indoors so I usually use a MIG or my Miller Syncrowave TIG machine. If I need to go outdoors I'll use the Syncrowave in the Stick configuration. Long story short, I'd go with the best machine you can comfortably afford, not the cheapest thing that will get the job done. Try checking your local welding supply shops for a demo unit or a trade in. You might be able to get a top of the line machine at a used equipment price and still have a warranty too!

Agreed on the quality, I first learned oxyacetylene welding back as a teen, self-taught. I also had high school shop where I learned SMAW and GMAW. I picked up GTAW in college but only recently bought a quality GTAW/SMAW machine. I have been in the welding field, mostly in engineering/welding so this purchase was an easy choice.

As far as quality, the machine I purchased makes aluminum welding as easy as carbon steel. Gone are the days of pure tungsten electrodes, you can use the same thoriated/ceriated tungsten and have a much more focused arc with more heat in the weld. Pure sine wave 60 Hz AC wastes energy heating the torch. Modern inverter GTAW machines can shift the AC balance by making the electrode negative for longer. You still need AC to break the oxide layer on the puddle, the varying AC balance also comes with varying frequency, bump it up to 200 Hz and the puddle flows like steel. If you need more penetration, get a helium mix.

One thing only a few have mentioned is a gas welding outfit. I own a 400amp Lincoln Stick/TIG unit and a portable Lincoln MIG unit. So I have no bias against the machines. In fact I worked at a machine shop for 10yrs doing all the stainless welding, a lot of aluminum and a lot black iron (steel). The reason I mentioned using a gas unit (like Victor) is you need no power ! It is portable and using the correct regulators and torches you can weld up to 1/2" steel quite easily ! I own 3 "Victor" sets myself. You also can weld the thinnest of materials that you would not dare touch with a MIG unit. A TIG unit yes, but it takes a lot of practice and skill to master TIG welding. So consider getting a gas unit.

Miller passport. 110 or 220. Take it with you anywhere.

Rustystud > if you weld that good and as often as it sounds with Gas, you would have no trouble with TIG. Filler metal feeding is about the same and TIG heat is easier to control. But your right, gas welding is probably one of the oldest process's and the first process welders are taught. Very useful.

Most everybody says they can weld, actually most can only stick 2 pieces of metal together some of the time. [I know I have interviewed and hired many]Its like any other skill, practice, read, ask others etc. You'll get it if patient. The adult classes at local vo-tech are awesome and quick.

F18hornetM said:

Rustystud > if you weld that good and as often as it sounds with Gas, you would have no trouble with TIG. Filler metal feeding is about the same and TIG heat is easier to control. But your right, gas welding is probably one of the oldest process's and the first process welders are taught. Very useful.

Most everybody says they can weld, actually most can only stick 2 pieces of metal together some of the time. [I know I have interviewed and hired many]Its like any other skill, practice, read, ask others etc. You'll get it if patient. The adult classes at local vo-tech are awesome and quick.

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I have a TIG unit. I welded mostly aluminum at the shop I worked , and some cast iron with the TIG. I had 3 machines at the shop, a 400amp stick, 300amp MIG and the TIG unit. The shop built marine equipment for the Seattle fishing fleet. Since I welded all the stainless steel in the shop, sometimes I had to use the TIG since the customer wanted something fancy welded like special railings. A few times we made up some special all stainless steel anchor winches for a few yachts. All TIG welded. The most fun I had was when the shop won the NOAA contract for building the deep line winches for mapping the ocean bottoms. The drums where over 8ft tall and the hydraulic motors where a 6 piston radial design. The rod I had to weld was 12018 . Normally we used 7018 or 7024. I had a sand barrel next to me with a thermal blanket to keep the heat in when I welded the drive flanges. That way they cooled down slowly to prevent cracking. The flanges where made from 4140 steel.

rustystud said:

I have a TIG unit. I welded mostly aluminum at the shop I worked , and some cast iron with the TIG. I had 3 machines at the shop, a 400amp stick, 300amp MIG and the TIG unit. The shop built marine equipment for the Seattle fishing fleet. Since I welded all the stainless steel in the shop, sometimes I had to use the TIG since the customer wanted something fancy welded like special railings. A few times we made up some special all stainless steel anchor winches for a few yachts. All TIG welded. The most fun I had was when the shop won the NOAA contract for building the deep line winches for mapping the ocean bottoms. The drums where over 8ft tall and the hydraulic motors where a 6 piston radial design. The rod I had to weld was 12018 . Normally we used 7018 or 7024. I had a sand barrel next to me with a thermal blanket to keep the heat in when I welded the drive flanges. That way they cooled down slowly to prevent cracking. The flanges where made from 4140 steel.

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Wow, That's some really cool stuff you've worked on. I have never welded with 12018 but have used up a truck load of 7018 when I worked on the road. Have used NIC L Weld rods for some cast repairs. Also use TIG for mostly aluminum and MIG most else. Thanks for the reply interesting stuff.

If I have a small field repair to make, most of the time I'll grab small oxy-acetylene setup and head out.

If it's a small job it's easier than dragging the portable stick machine out and I can also do cutting or heating if needed.