iDRY Vacuum Kilns

Sponsors:

welders

Started by Mr Mom, December 23, 2005, 09:18:31 PM

Previous topic - Next topic

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Mr Mom

     I need a welder but dont do alot of welding.
    I dont have a shop to put a normal welder.
    I was woundering if anyone has or has used the ones that run off house current??



    Mr Mom

Ironwood

"don't have a normal shop to weld in" Be careful with a stick/ arc welder, LOTS of open current with no where to go. I used to weld in a less than ideal location not knowing the danger I was putting myself in.(current, fumes etc..) My new son has made me rethink some activities.  :D Reid
There is no scarcity of opportunity to make a living at what you love to do, there is only scarcity of resolve to make it happen.- Wayne Dyer

WH_Conley

Keep talklin,, we, will probably be able to to help.

Bill

Brian_Rhoad

I have a Miller 110 volt MIG welder that is almost 25 years old and it still works great. I bought it to do auto body sheet metal work. I have welded up to 1/2" material with multiple passes. I used it to weld a log truck bed/bunks and sawmill tracks for a circular mill and a band mill. If you get a welder for 110 volts get a MIG. Buy the best you can afford and you should'nt have any major problems.

DragonsBane

 If by house current you mean 110 volts, you'll be pretty disappointed in what you'll find. All of the little "buzz boxes" I've seen aren't worth the money they want for them. They have limited penetration and a low duty cycle. Something like 20%, so out of ten minutes you'll only be able to weld ttwo minutes. Lincoln 220 volt stick welders aren't that expensive, usually only about a $100 dollars difference new at some of the local box stores. They require a 50 amp circuit, but my dryer was set up on a 50 amp circuit for that reason. I can sympathize with not having a shop to weld in. I weld in my backyard and have had a few close calls myself.

It's your dime, so do what is right for you. I just hate seeing good money thrown away. On a plus the 220 volt Lincolns hold there value pretty well on a resale too.

later,
Mike
"But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object envinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security."

De Opresso Liber.

thecfarm

I have a Lincoln  Mig welder that runs off from 110 current.Has only 4 settings on it.Wish it was a little bigger.I should of bought the biggest one they made for 110.I also use the flux core wire,meaning I don't use gas.Gas at the time was 1 hour away.Now almost every auto parts place carry gas for welders.It works fine for 1/4 metal,doesn't get hot enough to weld anything thicker.It will also kick off the circuit in the welder when it's used for 20 minutes to a half an hour steady.That why I should of went with the bigger one.The guys have the next size up from mine at work,but use gas and they use them for an hour with no problem.Just can't cut all the metal up at ones when building something.Yes,it's a bother.but I didn't know.Now I try to buy bigger than what I need and it turns out to be just right.
Model 6020-20hp Manual Thomas bandsaw,TC40A 4wd 40 hp New Holland tractor, 450 Norse Winch, Heatmor 400 OWB,YCC 1978-79

Mr Mom

     Thanks alot guys ;D ;D.  i just need one to do little welding. Nothing too big just like sheet metal and little stuff.
     The lawn mower broke this summer and had to drill,tap and bolt. It would have been faster to just to weld it.
      When i get my shop i would get a bigger one.




   Thanks Mr Mom.

Don_Papenburg

The new Lincoln 220 V  welders (AC/DC  and  buzzboxes )are 20% duty cycle .
Frick saw mill  '58   820 John Deere power. Diamond T trucks

Fla._Deadheader



  Look around for a used Gas engine stick welder-generator. LOTS more uses and you can weld from sheet metal to 1'' stuff. Only need a small assortment of rods. Can also weld Cast with Nickel rods.

  No matter what you get, it soon will be ''not big enough''.  ::) ::) ;D ;D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Daren

Ditto, get a portable gas welder. Being a 3rd generation pro welder the biggest problem with the buzz boxes and farm center wire welders are you think you are welding cause you are putting metal on metal. You have to put metal IN metal to weld. I am not going to type all my opinions here, but if you are just going to stick a couple pieces of thin ferrous metal together you can get by with a 110v mig welder, but if you cheap out, the duty cycle was mentioned. That is the amount of time you can weld, the rest of the time you are waiting for the wimpy thing to catch it's breath. Look for a good used gas gen/welder, keep it outside tarped if you don't have room inside and you have an 5000-8000 watt generator anytime you need it (that part will be more handy than you ever thought). You can go to any hardware store and buy a little rod bundle of what you want to weld, stainless steel, cast iron...
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

isawlogs

 I think that the big question here would be  What you plan on doing with it .

I have a small mig the runs on 110 .. Its a good little machine , I use it for light body repair . And also to put things together before using the stick welder . I use the core flux wire in it .

  With the small stick welder you can use a smaller dia. rod and get by with them . If the budget aint there for the gas welder at this point in time , the buzz box welders are not that bad . I had one . actualy still have it and do use it , you aint going to be welding on structural buildings , so the need for the large welder just might not be there .
 
A man does not always grow wise as he grows old , but he always grows old as he grows wise .

   Marcel

vgbob

I would agree for most of us a combination welder/generator is
likely to be the most versatile. Or next an AC/DC 220v
stick welder, followed by an AC 220v stick welder. Except
for sheet metal they can pretty much do anything and the
variety of rods available is kind of handy. The main drawback
is that they are less portable and the 220v ones require
special wiring. Nothing different than a dryer or stove, but
someplace you can get to it, if your significant other doesn't
appreciate welding in the kitchen.  Seriously, the fumes from
the flux coating are pretty nasty, so take that into consideration.
But it sounds like for limited use a 110v wire feed (MIG) would
be what you need.  Plus using the flux core wire is easier than
trying to store welding rods which absorb moisture and become
hard to work with. I have both types and find the 110v MIG to
be pretty convenient. Although there are things I won't do with
it if I can get the stick welder to what I am working on.


Scott

I've used alot of those little 110 migs before. I tried the lincoln mig pack 10, a Miller with gas and a little Hobart. They all worked really good and you can actually weld some pretty thick stuff with them if you know how to go about it. I thought that the Hobart was the best bang for the buck. i was actually surprised at how well it could weld with flux core wire, almost as nicely as solid wire/gas.

Burlkraft

Hey Deadheader,

That ....Soon it won't be big enough is a vicious circle ain't it???????

The good thing about a gas stick welder is that you can use it to thaw water pipes in the winter.......Oh I forgot you are in shorts right now drinking a great cup 'o coffee :( :( :( :( :(

I, on the other hand am going out to try and chip some ice off the sidewalk :-\ :-\ :-\ :-\
Why not just 1 pain free day?

Fla._Deadheader


Yup, it's NEVER big enough  ;D ;D

  I remember that ice off the sidewalk stuff.  Also remember that Ice all over the highline towers, stuff. And, the wires as big as a pencil, that were suddenly as big as yer arm or leg. AND, that 30 MPH wind to keep yer mind focused.

  I just made a fresh pot and have a cup with me right now. Enjor yer ice pickin winter, Y'all.  smiley_sombrero smiley_sun

  ot some fresh squeezed Lemon juice in the Freezer in Ice cube trays. Just pop a couple in a glass of agua and VOILA' instant lemonade.  :) :)
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

Burlkraft

How wuz those tamales ??? ??? ??? ??? ??? ???
Why not just 1 pain free day?

Fla._Deadheader


Tamales are excellente'. Specially when ya dribble on a little Tabasco.  :o :D
All truth passes through three stages:
   First, it is ridiculed;
   Second, it is violently opposed; and
   Third, it is accepted as self-evident.

-- Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860)

rebocardo

I have been pretty happy with my Hobart 135 120v welder. I have used it to weld up bumpers and wood racks for my truck. Must have done a pretty good job, because the pintle hook and bumper pulled down 20" oaks that got hung up, broken 5/16 transport chain yanking caught trees, towed 7K trailers, skidded logs, etc.

One of the many reasons I bought the welder was it was small, about 80 pounds, easily transported, and for in the field repairs at someone's house.

When I buy a welder or new material of a different thickness, many times I will test the resulting welds in a 12 ton pipe bender and a vise with a 12 pound sledge.

I found this site very useful before and after the purchase:

www.hobartwelders.com

Skytramp

Dragonsbane gave you some good advice.  I have welded for over 40 years and I just replaced an old lincoln last year with a Miller Trialblazer with Tig but there is no telling how many hundreds of lbs of rod that old Lincoln burned.  Around here farm sales are a good sorce of that sort of thing.
     Do yourself a favor and spend the money to run a good heavy 220 circut for just the welder. Don't try and move the welder with an extension cord of any type.  If so not over 20 ft. when you get some extra bucks just add welding lead with connectors.  If you can find one with AC and DC you will be way ahead of the game.  nothing beats DC for overhead.
     I can assure you that if you are planning to build anything or mend anything with any meat to it you will be dissapointed every time you use it if you don't get one with the amps to do the job.  180 amps will do about anything you need to do.
Skytramp;
Growing old is inevetable, Growing up is optional

Mr Mom

     Thanks alot for the info it is all great. I think that i will try to find a genorater welder combo.
Thanks guys.



Mr Mom

Daren

Mr Mom, you won't be sorry. The first thing I would do If I was you if you live where you have frequent power outages (storms...) Is make a pigtail to go from the generator to the breaker box in the house if that is doable. A year ago Thanksgiving we had a storm that knocked out power for 7 hours. I just threw the disconnect, plugged in the 8000 watt generator and we where the only ones with lights all day (and heat). The one I have that runs 12 hours on a tank of gas.
My buddy just found an old Miller at a farm sale that had a bad started, ( he is a small engine repair man, so a fixer upper didn't scare him) he paid $85 for it and $30 I think for the starter. I welded with it, worked great. You may not find that kinda deal, I would find one that is running well, but if you look around you will find one priced close to any buzz box or 110 welder worth using.
Experience is something you don't get until just after you need it.

Thank You Sponsors!