Welder ?

[Boaz]

I honestly haven't kept up with welder technology . I'm thinking about a small welder for the house , I have a cracker box Lincoln I bought new in 1976 at the shop that works like a brand new one , it's copper wound . Thinking about a small welder for the house that would burn 3/32 low hydrogen rods for small work .
Been told that there are 110 welders that actually work now but seems to me they would be slow as Christmas .

I hear good things about wire welders but never used one , seems like they would only be good for filling gaps or something like body work ? Thanks

[country gent]

Boaz when I get the new shop up and running I'm going to buy 1 power pack and the mig and tig set ups for it. Gas flux on both. Wire feed is much better than years ago and with gas flux a much better weld than arc with no flux to chip. Tig can do much finer work and again no flux. With this set up aluminum, steel stainless, brass can be welded. I'm going to do the welding booth a little different set up. There will be a exhaust vent in the area. no solid walls but a canvass style curtain in a track similar to those in hospital rooms. When welding I can pull it around and keep it separate and away from other equipment. When not in use I can open it up and have the ***** floor space.

3/8 low hydregon rod is pretty heavy rod for a arc welder. The newer welders are pretty nice and do good work. Even fairly heavy things can be welded with a little pre heat proper veeing and multiple passes. One plus to the 110 welders is the size and portability of them. Yeas ago I had a miller cricket 110 flux core wire welder that was a good little 110 welder. Used it a lot and on extension cords or wall outlets. It did okay on a portable generator but the lag between load and the governor opening up made striking an arc harder. Neighbor has a pto driven welder and I ask about governor lag He smiled and told me when you put it on a 150 hp diesel tractor at 1000 pto rpm the governor never opens up.

[DougGuy]

If you just want to stick weld look into a Miller Maxstar. You can find some decent ones on ebay for great prices, make sure it hasn't been ridden hard and put away wet. I have a Maxstar 150 and it does 3/32" 7018, 1/8" 6010-6011, and DC TiG pretty good off a 15a 110v circuit. It will not TiG aluminum, for this you need high frequency AC welding current. I do light carbon steel and also stainless with mine, have done a few gun parts for forum members with it.

We use a Miller Trailblazer 325 on our mobile trailer, and I have a nice old 500 amp diesel Big 50 sitting over at a buddy's shop that I use in welding excavator buckets and heavy equipment repairs.

[Houndog]

I guess I'm a bit of a welder snob but Miller is the only game in town as far as I'm concerned.

[fast ronnie]

Did you mean 3/32 instead of 3/8? Wire welders are nice and there are some small units out there such as the little Miller. Lincoln also makes one. The 110 units don't have a lot on penetration power, but can be useful for small light items, especially sheet metal. That old copper wound unit of yours is probably a pretty good dependable unit even though it will use a little more power. The kind of stuff I do, those small ones just won't do the job. It all comes down to what you are going to be welding. I have always been of the opinion it is better to go with a little larger unit than you think you will need.

[Preacher Jim]

I use miller in my shop never had a problem

[starmac]

My first wire welder was a 110 unit gas or flux core, though I never used flux core in it. It was rated for 1/4 inch in a single pass, I welded heavier with it, just multiple pass on the thick stuff. I wish I would have kept that little welder, it was just too handy, but after I bought a 300 amp wire welder, I traded it to a friend, and a year or so later gave my cracker box to a friend. The only use I have for a stick welder anymore is the portable in the service truck.

[Boaz]

Did you mean 3/32 instead of 3/8? Wire welders are nice and there are some small units out there such as the little Miller. Lincoln also makes one. The 110 units don't have a lot on penetration power, but can be useful for small light items, especially sheet metal. That old copper wound unit of yours is probably a pretty good dependable unit even though it will use a little more power. The kind of stuff I do, those small ones just won't do the job. It all comes down to what you are going to be welding. I have always been of the opinion it is better to go with a little larger unit than you think you will need.

Dang it 1 You are correct ....3/32 ! I put up the thread in a hurry while I was closing the shop . Thank you !! corrected opening post .

[jonp]

I was watching this on youtube the other day for some reason. Maybe because my wife was a commercial welder and I was thinking of a small portable for her to fix stuff around the place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIK-M5ryHYY

[Duster340]

I've used this handy set up for the project car and misc odd jobs for some years now. Even welded in some 1.5"×3" rectangular tubing subframe connectors I fabbed up. No fuss no muss.

[Duster340]

Dup post

[oneofsix]

I've used this handy set up for the project car and misc odd jobs for some years now. Even welded in some 1.5"×3" rectangular tubing subframe connectors I tabbed up. No fuss no muss.
AMX? Or a ford...?

Or well, look at yur handle...lol

[DougGuy]

AMX? Or a ford...?

Or well, look at yur handle...lol

Uhh try a Plymouth bud..

[Duster340]

LMAO..... Ah, a couple other car guys. Nice :)

[country gent]

A 72 model

[jonp]

The old Duster 340. A sleeper rocket. Friend of mine won $20 off a Firebird 350 with one of those. Man, I'm older than I thought

[lightman]

I've used 3/32 rods on my Lincoln but it takes some practice. But a small wire welder would be nice to have. Miller does make a nice machine.

[Boaz]

Lots of good info ! DougGuy I'll check out the Maxstar , sounds like bout what I'm thinking about . Need to chek out some of the later model welders but heck I'm just a stick welder , did a lot of gas welding back in the 70's on specialty jobs but don't any more 'to slow and expensive' . I like Miller or Lincoln because it's all I ever bought .

[bstone5]

Do a lot of welding on thin material. Weld to fix broken aluminum parts.
For me a good TIG machine with variable frequency AC for aluminum was required.
Ended up with a Miller Dynasty 300. Have had several welding machines over the years but the Dynasty is the best and highest quality welding machine I Have owned. Miller discontinued the Dynasty 300 but at 72 the machine should out last me.

[Duster340]

A 72 model

Yep 72.

[Duster340]

The old Duster 340. A sleeper rocket. Friend of mine won $20 off a Firebird 350 with one of those. Man, I'm older than I thought

LOL you and me both man. We're dating ourselves..... sigh.

Be well

[country gent]

I had a 1974 but was a slant 6

[Lloyd Smale]

My neighbor does a lot of fab work for me. So a couple years back I bought him a 220 miller mig machine. Figured I could use it too. Great little welder. Well our neighbor died and we were helping his wife clean out her garage so she could sell the place there was a small 110 volt miller mig machine like new there and she said we could have it. Well I took it home because the neighbor had the 220 machine. The 110 machine wasn't a pimple on the ### of the 220 machine. Duty cycle was so short that welds had sputters unless you used it just to stitch weld. I wouldn't waste my money on a 110 welder be it stick or mig. Just not enough duty cycle for anything serious. Add to that that you are going to need a higher amperage breaker and bigger wire with 110.

[Lloyd Smale]

My first brand new car was a 1974 340 duster. Blue, white stripes and a 4 speed. Ditched the pollution control junk added a set of headers a edelbrock manifold and a 650 holley and it surprised lots of bigger cars.

[marshall623]

Lots of good info ! DougGuy I'll check out the Maxstar , sounds like bout what I'm thinking about . Need to chek out some of the later model welders but heck I'm just a stick welder , did a lot of gas welding back in the 70's on specialty jobs but don't any more 'to slow and expensive' . I like Miller or Lincoln because it's all I ever bought .+2 on the Max Star we use them at work , they are are nice when you have to weld where there are no 220 - 480 or no way to get leads in from a motor driven . DougGuy is spot on , 3/32" lo hi & 1/8" 5P on 110V as long as your not leaning on it . Max Stars come with a 220 /208 V plug also and it changes its self internally when the power supply changes .

Sent from my SM-G930V using Tapatalk

[Ateam]

+3 on the maxstar, I have had one for about a decade and used it pretty hard. I bought it from a guy who did refinery refits, and it looked like it was at the end of its life then. You will be surprised at how light and durable it is. Do most of my work with a hobart iron man now.

[Boaz]

I was watching this on youtube the other day for some reason. Maybe because my wife was a commercial welder and I was thinking of a small portable for her to fix stuff around the place

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIK-M5ryHYY

I watched the video ..............................Dang ! I'm tempted to buy one just because they are $114.00 ! I still have mind blockage that it could hold up but it did work good for a micro welder . Heck I'd just like to have one !

[Boaz]

[QUOTE=DougGuy;4345363]If you just want to stick weld look into a Miller Maxstar. You can find some decent ones on ebay for great prices, make sure it hasn't been ridden hard and put away wet. I have a Maxstar 150 and it does 3/32" 7018, 1/8" 6010-6011, and DC TiG pretty good off a 15a 110v circuit. It will not TiG aluminum, for this you need high frequency AC welding current. I do light carbon steel and also stainless with mine, have done a few gun parts for forum members with it.

We use a Miller Trailblazer 325 on our mobile trailer, and I have a nice old 500 amp diesel Big 50 sitting over at a buddy's shop that I use in welding excavator buckets and heavy equipment repairs.[/QUOTE


I looked at the Maxstar , looks like a nice little machine . Kind of pricy new but as you suggested I'll check for a 'gently' used preowned . Thank you !

[Lloyd Smale]

got to say I was impressed for a 114 bucks. You can spend that much for one weld job at a shop.
I watched the video ..............................Dang ! I'm tempted to buy one just because they are $114.00 ! I still have mind blockage that it could hold up but it did work good for a micro welder . Heck I'd just like to have one !

[JonB_in_Glencoe]

I watched the video ..............................Dang ! I'm tempted to buy one just because they are $114.00 ! I still have mind blockage that it could hold up but it did work good for a micro welder . Heck I'd just like to have one !

The kid carries quite the large pocket knife :shock:

[6bg6ga]

The old Duster 340. A sleeper rocket. Friend of mine won $20 off a Firebird 350 with one of those. Man, I'm older than I thought

Firebird 350's were very slow sorry to say.

[Boaz]

The kid carries quite the large pocket knife :shock:

I agree !! LOL

[Mal Paso]

The Hobart 140 Handler is a decent 120v mig that covers sheet metal to 1/4" for about $500 new. They are owned by Miller and generic tips are readily available. The 125 wasn't bad but the 140 has a better wire feed drive and gas, about the same price.

[Lloyd Smale]

yup back then even the legendary 389 and the 400s (other then the ram air III and IV and the rare V models) were mediocre muscle cars when the real muscle cars started hitting the market. Most were high 14 low 15 second cars. About as quick as a modern full sized pickup. Same could be said about the buick motors up to the time the gs455 came out. had a buddy with a 69 firebird with a 350 4barrel. My 340 duster would eat it for lunch with left overs for supper.
Firebird 350's were very slow sorry to say.

[BD]

A miller 211 is easy and does pretty near everything I need done, (1/2" is pushing it), and it will run 110v
if you need it to. IMHO the downside of the mig is that things need to be basically clean and/or ground off to get good penetration.