WANT TO BUY Small MIG welder wanted

[1958 F.W.D.]

Looking for a small MIG welder, that can run on 110 or 220, no more than 40 amps, that can handle 14 or 12 gauge steel..... I know Miller has some smaller portable units......Looking for the whole kit, the nozzle, wire feeder, and regulator too (bottle too if you happen to have one.) I'd rather buy one from someone on here that I trust rather than some schlep on Dreg's List.

[41chevy]

Eastwood makes a nice 135 amp 110 volt unit that will weld from sheet metal to 3/16 steel. 60 day no questions asked return and 3 year warrentee. Comes with everything but the bottle for under $300. Go to the local weld supply for bottle of C25 75% CO2 and 25% Argon and weld away

[carlotpilot]

harbor freight less than 140.00 $

[75T]

After a lot of comparison, I went with the Eastwood 130,got a bottle of gas,wire,so far good welds seem to be on the hot side for a 110 welder.

[j hancock]

MIG with a bottle can do some excellent welds. If you think you are going to be doing a lot of welding outside, I find a flux core wire with no bottle works for me. Just a small breeze seems to mess up the shielding gas. Flux core makes a little mess that takes a couple more minutes to clean up.

[fxfymn]

If you have a decent welding supplier near you they should have a couple of demonstration machines you can try out. My advice is to stick with a brand name such as Lincoln or Miller and to avoid the imported brands. There is a reason Hobart, Campbell Hausfield, Eastwood are less expensive such as using aluminum coils instead of copper. If you plan on keeping it having a brand name makes it easier to get parts, etc. as time goes by. Sometimes the on-line sites offer 0% financing that makes buying a new machine a no-brainer.

As with all things in life you get what you pay for. A low price means a corresponding less quality. My philosophy is if I plan on keeping something more than a couple of years I buy the best that I can afford. You will not remember the low price if the machine doesn't do what you want it to do.

There are some really decent buys on CL if you keep stalking the site. Make sure you try the machine out before you buy and I would look for an older machine from a home use setting that doesn't use digital controls.

I assume you are going to redo the panels on the Hahn. If so you will probably want to run .023 wire, so make sure the machine can drive that size or it has the availability of the drive wheels for that size. The sleeves for the gun are inexpensive, so don't worry about converting the gun.

Make sure you check the duty cycle if you are planning on doing long seams. Nothing more frustrating than having the machine shut down to cool off when you are moving along nicely.

[41chevy]

The Eastwood is made by Miller and has a setting to do button, stitch and straight welds. A spool gun for aluminum is an option also.

[1958 F.W.D.]

Thanks for all the advice Lads. I did do some welding back in the day when I worked in Jevic's trailer shop but it's been years. Carl, yes this will be for the Hahn. Going to work on some of the less-visible stuff before I tackle the exterior visible stuff.

Please keep the tips coming, I appreciate everyone's help and advice.

[1958 F.W.D.]

Eastwood makes a nice 135 amp 110 volt unit that will weld from sheet metal to 3/16 steel. 60 day no questions asked return and 3 year warrentee. Comes with everything but the bottle for under $300. Go to the local weld supply for bottle of C25 75% CO2 and 25% Argon and weld away

Hmmmmmmm That thing looks like the cats ass!!!! Exactly what I think I'm looking for- best of both worlds- MIG and core flux.....And there's an Eastman Catalog Store less than an hour from here.....Hmmmmmmmm

[41chevy]

Hmmmmmmm That thing looks like the cats ass!!!! Exactly what I think I'm looking for- best of both worlds- MIG and core flux.....And there's an Eastman Catalog Store less than an hour from here.....Hmmmmmmmm

$100 off right now too

[1958 F.W.D.]

$100 off right now too

Here ya go Paul....the welder and the cart in a kit, $300.00 Hmmmmmmm and I'll get my holiday bonus check on Friday....and the store is less than an hour away....hmmmmmm hmmmmmmm hmmmmmmmmm

[steelman]

I run a steel fabrication shop, and I would suggest the Miller or Lincoln 110 volt machine. I personally have a Lincoln at home, and it comes with a gas regulator. I have used gasless wire, flux core and hardwire, and its handles it just fine. We have several at work that are over 15 years old, and they get quite a workout. You won't handle thick material with it, as they generally top out at around 120 amps on 110 volt, but are very well built for the job they are intended for.

[1958 F.W.D.]

I run a steel fabrication shop, and I would suggest the Miller or Lincoln 110 volt machine. I personally have a Lincoln at home, and it comes with a gas regulator. I have used gasless wire, flux core and hardwire, and its handles it just fine. We have several at work that are over 15 years old, and they get quite a workout. You won't handle thick material with it, as they generally top out at around 120 amps on 110 volt, but are very well built for the job they are intended for.

steelman, will it be ok for 14 and 12 gauge sheet, and angle........ as in the body of a 1978 Firetruck??

[thomastractorsvc]

I have a Hobart 140 handler made in the USA owned by the same folks that own Miller so parts interchange. Great Warranty will do Flux core or gas 120v works great bought it in 2005. I have welded a lot with it and used it to put the floor in my Mack B61 (16 gauge mild steel and have one a lot of nice repairs with 18,20 and 22 gauge with the machine).

I have done a lot of welding with it both flux core and with shielding gas. I use straight CO2 for 2 reasons A) if the cart was around the corner, most people would never know what the tank was CO2 or Argon mix << in my opinion and other professional welders that I know most still use CO2 for general welding>> cost and seems to last forever or my gauge is broke???

[steelman]

Yes, the small welders would be perfect for 12/14/16 ga. sheet metal and angle up to probably 1/4". It is for those thicknesses that we bought the machines, as well as the small, light footprint. We use CO2 for hard wire and fluxcore wire for most things (its cheap), but use 75/25 mix if we want to reduce splatter. Most of our other welders are inverters up to 450 amp, but they are rather expensive.

[fxfymn]

I have a Hobart 140 handler made in the USA owned by the same folks that own Miller so parts interchange.

I don't think Hobart is as well made these days. Like a lot of the "heritage" brands (Porter-Cable, Stanley, etc.) they are living off of what they used to be.

[thomastractorsvc]

I don't think Hobart is as well made these days. Like a lot of the "heritage" brands (Porter-Cable, Stanley, etc.) they are living off of what they used to be.

Its nice to walk into TCS, HD or Airgas or the Autoparts store and find the consumables on the shelf, cant say that with Eastwood.

I have looked at and it is very similar to the HF and Northern Tool Chinese brands with plastic feed parts and feed.

[1958 F.W.D.]

I pulled the trigger lads, got the Eastwood with the cart. Delivery in 4-6 days.

http://www.eastwood.com/mig135-welder-and-cart-kit.html

[Loadstar]

On December 15, 2015 at 6:02 PM, 1958 F.W.D. said:

I pulled the trigger lads, got the Eastwood with the cart. Delivery in 4-6 days.

http://www.eastwood.com/mig135-welder-and-cart-kit.html
 

How'd you make out Randy? 

[41chevy]

[1958 F.W.D.]

Thats the exact one that I bought on the advice of several folks, yourself included. Got it right before xmas. Now I need to get the damn thing out of the boxes, get a bottle of gas and go practice cause I gots me a 1978 Hahn with a lot of cancer. 

[Timmyb]

Just looked at the specs of the Eastwood 135. Nice little machine. One thing I look for is amperage range. If you intend to do sheet metal you wanna be able to back it right down. That one goes as low as 25 which is good. 

A nice little welder trolley is worth its weight in gold!

 

Edited March 10, 2016 by Timmyb