This is the FAQ for rec.crafts.metalworking. It is in several pieces to keep the overall size of each part below the limits imposed by some news systems. This is part 4 of 11.
Generally, units below are United States dollars, degrees Fahrenheit, and all the other silly backwards units we Americans still use. Sorry.
19. Which MIG welder should I buy?
We frequently see "What should I buy" questions; one example
is "What MIG welder should I buy?" There is no definite answer,
and the prospective buyer should read the other entries in this
FAQ regarding welding. What follows is an example of such a
question and the answers received (June, 1993). We claim no
responsibility for correctness or liability for your money!
Keith King asked:
I'm looking at the purchase of a MIG welder for auto body repair and
other light welding jobs around the homestead and I don't have much
background on this type of equipment.
The models I'm looking at are the Lincoln SP-100 and the Miller 130.
Both models are 110v portables. The Miller has a higher rating but
I'm not sure if that's critical for my applications. The Lincoln has
the advantage of having infinitely variable power output vs. stepped
output for the Miller and the salesman said the gun on the Lincoln
was a "Tweako?" whatever that means. Both units are similarly
priced/warranted etc.
Century has a bunch of lower priced, shorter warranty, cheaper looking,
MIG welders.
Does anyone have any experience/opinions on these welders or other MIGs
to help me make a more informed purchase.
Jim Narem answered/asked:
I'm also interested in MIG welders for sheet metal and roll bar
work. I've used the Italian made SIP 110V MIG unit. It works; it was
worth $100 (purchased at some close-out sale) but not the $350 that
places want retail. It's tough to get parts; even the tips have to be
ordered. The wire feed mechanism sucks.
I've seen some new Lincoln's on the market; both are wire feed
welders with optional MIG kits as opposed to the SP-100 and SP-130
which are purpose build MIG units.
Lincoln Weld-Pak 100, 88 amp, 18V @ 20% duty, 110V, $354 w/MIG kit.
Lincoln Weld-Pak 125, 130 amp, 20v @ 30% duty, 220V, $556 w/MIG kit.
(Prices are Connecticut Home Depot, tax bandit not included)
The MIG kits are about $80 each, they have a gas flow regulator,
solenoid and (I think) a different gun.
Does anyone have any experience with these welders? They seem cost
effective compared to the SP-100 and SP-130 but I'm nervous since
Lincoln seems to be releasing some home/consumer grade equipment (like
their new AC arc welder with the cheezy variable amperage control).
There are also several Century MIG units commonly available at large
home improvement shops (yup, WELD on that new addition). I've used
their AC/DC arc welder and was impressed with its cost/performance.
Has anyone used any of the Century MIGs?
Ken Clarke answered:
I took an evening welding class at a technical high school (10 weeks)
and got to try various types of welding (stick, MIG, TIG, and
oxy/acetylene. Also got some good tips on safety, and on how to by a
MIG welder.
The instructor spoke of the "big three" in the welding business
(Miller, Lincoln, and Hobart). He was a confirmed "Miller" man, but
we used Lincoln (and Airco) welders in the tech. school. I now think
that it makes sense to buy whatever you decide to buy at your
favorite welding supply store. The guys there have lots of good
advice and if you go with one of the big three, you will not have any
problem getting parts and consumables for your welder.
I looked around for a while and compared the 110v portable welders by
Lincoln and Miller and Hobart. My favorite welding supply house was
having a "package deal" that included the Hobart Handler 120.
Included in the package was the welder, a 2 lb. spool of .024 wire, a
Jackson welders mask with the 4x5 face plate (get a number 10 shade),
a *good* pair of welders gloves, a 55 cu. ft. tank of shielding gas
(C25 which is 25 percent CO2 and 75 percent Argon), a dual-gauge
regulator and connecting hose. This was about 1.5 years ago and I
believe I paid $625 for the package.
The Hobart has been great. It works fine on auto body panels and I
have also done work on exhaust systems, mailbox posts, minibike
mufflers, lawnmower parts, and am finishing up a trailer axle for a
friend this weekend.
So, I guess I'm advocating the Hobart, but if you can get a good deal
on the Miller or the Lincoln, those would probably be fine, too.
A few of the features on the Hobart that I liked were:
1. A "purge" feature, that allows you to set the flow rate on the
shielding gas without spooling out wire.
2. The wire feed mechanism that lets you set the tension on the drive
wheel but also lets you change wire spools without moving the
setting.
3. The ergonomics of the unit, the way the wire spool goes in, the
way the lid hinges down (not up like the others).
4. Five year warranty on power diodes and SCRs, three years on major
components and one year on parts and labor.
I would stay away from the Century welder. I don't think it has the
quality of the "big three". I think you would have trouble getting
parts, probably would have to order them. All parts for the big three
can be had at local welding supply houses, in-stock. Also, the
"Tweeko" comment is referring to the gun end of the welder. I hear
that it's supposed to be a very common industry-standard type of part.
Parts for the Tweeko handle/gun should be available at any welding
supply house.
Jim Swonger answered:
"Tweako" is actually Tweco, a manufacturer of MIG and TIG handpieces
and such. What this means is that parts are pretty readily available;
they're everywhere.
For sheet metal welding you'll run nowhere near the maximum heat setting
on any machine. On my 160 I'm down on "2" for heat. The higher current
machines of some of the cheaper brands need to be looked at carefully;
some of them have -very- low duty cycles, leading me to believe that the
critical parts are not much, if any, better than the cheaper models.
The "purge" feature is good to have; however if you do not find a machine
with it you can add it pretty simply. An auxiliary control switch for the
solenoid valve is all it takes, in parallel with the relay that runs off
the gun trigger.
For serious sheet metal work spot and stitch modes are very nice
amenities, allowing you to tack up a large piece with spaced short
beads, minimizing distortion and allowing a fast, even hand motion.
You can get by without it, but if it comes free or cheap...
Quite a while later (26-Sep-1993), mrehmus@ix.netcom.com wrote --
I've owned a Century 90 amp MIG welder for 4 or 5 years now. Never a
problem with the unit and I've put three large reels of 0.024" wire
through it. The one time I thought I had a problem the people at
Century were very helpful. Century may not be one of the "big three"
but they have been around for a very long time (mainly they make many
of the professional battery chargers sold in this country, so I'm told).
------------
Other comments that have come up from various sources,
especially Ken Clarke:
Arc welders are often rated for a particular duty cycle, such as 30%.
This means you can weld for about 3 minutes at full power, then you
have to let the welder cool off for 7 minutes. The cheap units are
typically low duty cycle, where the professional units have a high
duty cycle. Also, units are often rated at a certain lower amperage
where they can safely be operated at a higher percentage; for example,
a 200 amp unit might be rated at 50 amps @ 100%, 100 amps at @ 60%,
and 200 amps at 30%. Look for some sort of automatic cutoff to
protect your investment in case you get carried away.
DC systems are nicer than AC systems, especially if you can reverse
polarity. AC systems splatter a bit more. DC doesn't as much, and
makes a nicer weld as a result. Reversing polarity apparently can
direct heat away from, or to, the workpiece; directing it away from
a sheet metal weld can reduce warpage.
Inverter models run off DC, or rectified line current. Their
portability is the main selling point, for field welding where 220V
isn't available. For the home or small shop, they are probably
overkill.
Large spools of wire, or other welding supplies, may corrode before
they get used up in a hobby environment. Dry storage is important
to preserve them.
In late 1995 (10/1), Ernie Leimkuhler (ernieleim@aol.com) wrote:
The best of all the baby migs are the Lincoln SP-125, Miller 130, and
Hobart Handler 120. All 3 are gas MIGs that can also run flux-core (but
why would you want to if you don't have to ?). I own a Handler 120 and
have loved it for the last 3 years. I've welded stainless, aluminum and
steel with it without a hitch, although the aluminum capability of all the
baby migs is pretty limited. For regular steel I use a 75% argon / 25%
CO2 mix, but if I need to do a bunch of stainless I swap my 75/25 bottle
in for a bottle of Helium-tri-mix. This gives hotter, cleaner welds on
stainless and as long as you own your tank it doesn't cost much to swap
out for a specific job and then swap back. Eventually I suppose I'll buy
another tank, but for now it doesn't seem worth it.
Flux-core is only recomended where a sheilding gas is likely to get blown
away, such as in-the-field repairs. It is considerably nastier and means
a lot of cleanup.
BTW instead of buying 10 lb. ($50 - $60) spools of stainless, I buy the
little 1.1 lb ($6 - $7 )spools made for spooler guns. This saves a bit of
money for small jobs, but if you are doing a lot of stainless, it is
cheaper per pound to buy the 10 lb spools.
Remeber to match you filler metal on stainless, other wise you can get
some funky welds. 308L SS filler wire is used for 304 SS. 316L SS filler
wire is used for 316 SS.
(The "L" stands for elevated temperature stable).
The Hobart, Lincoln , and Miller machines all run close to $500 for a
package.
I would stay away from the cheesier brands on principle allthough some
members of this newsgroup have bought them and been quite satisfied.
The problem is that the low end companies tend to have probems with
warranty repairs and replacment parts, whereas the larger companies have
certified repair stations all over the country.
All these machines have similar max output amps and tend to max out on 1/4
inch plate steel. For thick sections just preheat to above 400 deg F.
-- to which Jim Campbell (campbellj@fdtc.flo.TEC.SC.US) replied:
The Chicago Electric systems also have a clever marketing scheme that
uses non-standard wire diameters that may commit you to using their
systems and materials only. That's probably why their machines are
priced rock-bottom, especially through Harbour Freight.
For those asking Mig theory questions, are you getting enough info
in your operator's manual (When all else fails)? A good little book
on Mig is ESAB's "Mig Welding Handbook" revised in 1994. Only $7.50
and evaluation copies FREE for students/educators/advisors to schools,
or whatever. ESAB was once Union Carbide/Linde. They may sell a
small Mig unit too, but I am not familiar with theirs. ESAB's snail
mail is: PO Box 100545 Florence, SC 29501-0545 and voice is
(803) 669-4411. (I do not work for them, but use their mechanized stuff).
20. Books on welding. Courtesy of kenm@daffy.cac.washington.edu
Here's a source of good and inexpensive welding books.
A catalog is available from:
Lincoln Arc Welding Foundation
PO Box 17035
Cleveland, OH 44117
They list a couple of dozen titles. Here are nutshell reviews of
the ones I've seen:
Metals and How to Weld Them, 400 pg, $5.00
A great book on the metallurgy of welding. It's not a how-to-weld
book, but instead answered the Why? type questions I've had for years.
Principles of Industrial Welding, 384 pg, $6.50
Your run-of-the-mill textbook.
Design of Weldments, 464 pg, $7.00
A text on the design of welded machinery etc. There is a different
book on welded structures. Well worth it it you are designing
your own projects.
New Lessons in Arc Welding, 528 pg, $5.00
Hard to describe - kind of a lab manual for a welding tips.
Certainly worth the $5.
Arc Welded Projects Vol 2, 272 pg, $5.00
Arc Welded Projects Vol 3, 170 pg, $4.50
Full of short (couple of page) descriptions of all kinds of
rather ambitious projects - a tractor snowblower, log splitter,
chariot, sailboat, woodstove, ....
These are good books at any price, and great books at these prices.
-----------
According to Jim Campbell (campbellj@fdtc.flo.TEC.SC.US):
For those asking Mig theory questions, are you getting enough info
in your operator's manual (When all else fails)? A good little book
on Mig is ESAB's "Mig Welding Handbook" revised in 1994. Only $7.50
and evaluation copies FREE for students/educators/advisors to schools,
or whatever. ESAB was once Union Carbide/Linde. They may sell a
small Mig unit too, but I am not familiar with theirs. ESAB's snail
mail is: PO Box 100545 Florence, SC 29501-0545 and voice is
(803) 669-4411. (I do not work for them, but use their mechanized stuff).
jack yates <myzr@ldl.net>
...Mr. Morris:
Jack: If the machine were of a capacity to suit my needs, I would not
hesitate
to buy Lincoln equipment, their reliability is legend; the same can be
said for Miller and Hobart. There are several other manufacturers that
produce and sell welding equipment at lower prices, notably Century;
they
can do so for two reasons: the machines are not of the same quality as
the "Big Three", and they are quantity vendors to such retailers as W.
W.
Grainger, Sears, Walmart and Sam's Club, to name a few. Their machines
do not perform as well as the Miller or Lincoln in my estimation, and it
is unwise to make a decision on the basis of price alone.
altavoz: I don't agree with you . Price to quality , Century beats
MILLER/
LINCOLN/HOB' . I get a laugh from your proof of lower quality ( sold at
WW Grainger
, Sears etc ) . This does not constitute proof . It does show that some
would
rather over pay for the welder and the parts/service .
I suggest you get some experience in electronics/electrics cause
being a weldor
alone isn't enough to rate a welder .
Jack: Someday, as
finances permit, I shall replace my Miller AC stick welder with a new
AC-DC machine, I have already decided that it will be another Miller at
roughly twice the price of a comparable Century as a *good* welder
lasts a very long time....
altavoz: Where's your proof that Century is not in this category of
*good* welders ?
Jack: I suggest you consider carefully the intended
use of the machine, the amperage *and the duty cycle* needed and then
purchase the Lincoln, or a comparable Miller or Hobart. Parts and
service are always available at your nearby welding supply for these
machines, not so with Century and the many "offshore" brands..
altavoz: Some of us don't want to pay that price to stock many high
priced items of the dealers shelf ! Since Century is so reliable , it
needs few parts . Are you missusing your welder so it breaks down
frequently and needs repair ? If so , you need a dealer who supplys
many parts , but don't ask us to subsidize your problem . I do
electronics
and can repair a welder easily from electronics suppliers ( non weld
shops).
Jack: Another
note: it is unwise to expect more than 100 Amperes worth of heat from a
115-volt machine..I highly recommend a 220-volt unit..
...If it matters, welding is the biggest part of my day's work...
Jack
altavoz: If the biggest part of your day was designing or repairing
welders
we would give you more credit .
rec.crafts.metalworking
>
> Is the Lincoln Electric Weldpack 100 MIG welder a worthwhile investment?
> I'm likely to use it for relatively small-scale fabrication and repair
> but may succumb to the temptation to retrofit it for inert gas welding
> rather than flux core for working with aluminum. The Weldpack 125 is
> supposed to be a much better unit, but is relatively pricey. Any first-
> hand opinions?
>
> Thanks!
>
> Scott
>
> altavoz: So whats wrong with Century ? I paid $490 for a 130 amp/
> 115 vac and got infinite heat control and a gas regulator ( no bottle).
> It comes with a TWECO torch . Northern Hyd 1-800-533-5545.
> They now have the 200 Century 160 amps @ 60% duty cycle ! and
> has infinite heat control ...$940 MILLER/LINCOLN can't get anywhere
> near that price ! This is not a light weight machine ( 237 LBS)