Posted by Henry Jacobs on Wednesday, January 26, 2005 at 4:05PM :
In Reply to: OT: Welding Machines posted by Matt Wilson on Tuesday, January 25, 2005 at 6:57PM :
I think these is a FAQ/Best Of on this subject.
I have a Miller 210, and I love it, but boy was it expensive! I weld 5/16 - 1/2 inch armour steel for firearms targets, so I need the higher amperage. It's also very nice when welding automotive frames and building materials. You will find yourself wanting to weld big stuff more than you would think, at least that has been my experience. Quality and ease of use of these is terrific, just load up gas and wire and weld away - I don't even know where my slag hammer is these days. Its biggest drawback is heavy weight, lack of portability (I have a 5' cylinder mounted) and need for 220v power. Miller has provided outstanding customer support, as has the local welding dealer where I bought it.
I borrowed a Lincoln 100 from my brother in law to build a steel fence, and it is a good unit that does what it claims to do on 110v power. Welds are a bit sloppier with flux-core wire, so use a grinder for clean up. I used the same unit with its gas package just to see how it works - was not very impressed by the gas shield, and the added bulk and fuss of the cylinder made it hard to carry around. I would just stick to flux core. Also, as with so many name-brand products sold by Home Depot, the Home Depot units are NOT always the same as the regular version but can be specially made (read "cheapened") for distribution by Home Depot. Caveat Emptor. My brother in law is a very good welder and can do amazing things with that little unit using multiple passes. Still, a little scary for things like trailer hitches.
Hobart/Miller, Lincoln and ESAB are all good machines in my experience. Stay away from the Chinese units offered by Harbor Freight et al, aside from cheap quality, no service and no parts available. Nothing wrong with stick welding - very flexible because you can use any kind of rod depending on the process/material you are working on. Harder to learn, messy welds compared to MIG, and not as good on small stuff.
Also, save some money for a good auto-dark helmet.
HLJ
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