Choosing the right welder! (Budget welder)

C.Berry

C.Berry

Bad News
Joined
Aug 10, 2008
Location
Blacksburg, Va
Looking for a welder in 500-750 range or cheaper will use it for 4x4 fab, axles, Dom tube,I know there's a million variables metals etc but what is the best all around welder for the stuff we do?? I'm not afraid of arc welding either it's actually my favorite welding process but hard to find a good used Ac/dc stick welder these days! Somewhat portable I can put 220 in but if 120 will work I'm good with that too.. Any help would be greatly appreciated. I'll post weld porn (soft core bc I'm not a welder) soon as I get something welded!!
 
I have the Esab 161 LTS DC TIG/stick. I absolutely love it. Welds on 110 or 220. I got mine for around $500 shipped using a welding school discount. Weighs about 10 lbs at the most and has a sweet shoulder strap for easy carrying. I enjoy the stick so much I haven't even picked up an argon tank for it. Comes with everything you need to get started both process exept the tank. Leads being only 6' and the semi flimsy ground clamp has been my ONLY complaint.
If you don't mind spending more and care to mig weld, the rebel is the one to get.
 
And unless you want to TIG aluminum, I can't think of any reason to get an AC machine.
 
I'm kinda in the same spot as you looking for a good welder. I have been thinking about the Eastwood 175 mig due to the price point and good reviews, but would also like to hear other people's views.

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I'll check into it that one I've never tig welded but I'll eventually give it a go im sure for the pretty aspect of welding. What's the duty cycle on your Machine @XJsavage had any issues with it cooling more than putting in work?
 
C.Berry said:
I'll check into it that one I've never tig welded but I'll eventually give it a go im sure for the pretty aspect of welding. What's the duty cycle on your Machine @XJsavage had any issues with it cooling more than putting in work?
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I'd have to look it up when I get home but I've yet to max it out. Even running weave beads with 5/32 rods at 140+ amps back to back hasn't made it slow down.
 
Hobart Handler 190 or equivalent 220V machine. I've owned the 187 (predecessor to the 190) and currently have a 140 - Spring for the 220V machine for some flexibility around the shop. You can throw in 023 wire and weld thin stuff all day long, then turn around and put in 030 and weld up to 1/4" with confidence.
 
Hurley said:
Hobart Handler 190 or equivalent 220V machine. I've owned the 187 (predecessor to the 190) and currently have a 140 - Spring for the 220V machine for some flexibility around the shop. You can throw in 023 wire and weld thin stuff all day long, then turn around and put in 030 and weld up to 1/4" with confidence.
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I'm still running my Hobart 175 from 2002. It's the predecessor to the 180>185>187>190. They are solid, reliable machines.
 
I have been running my lincoln 180c for going on 8 years now. have zero complaints.
 
Subscribed...this thread probably won't end well for me either. My only saving grace is I'm so bad at welding, I might wise up and realize I can hire out a lot of weld work for what I could pay to lay my own bird turds.
 
I see mig is favored but I'm not interested in getting a tank to lug around or is that just part of it so I gotta suck it up? I've heard the everlast is good brand Lincoln is the mig ive used and Hobart was one of my options before I found these little inverter stick welder so also XJ got me looking into this esab unit it's 20lbs 110 or 220 160amp 35% duty cycle has tig setup also or just stick would this do what I need until I'm ready to step up to the big leagues?? Especially curious about perch brackets,shock tabs, Dom tubing, axles truss, etc... I'm kinda a newb but have had success with stick and mig on sheet metal and fire doors on construction sites would prefer a stick but ya get what ya get lol
 
Hurley said:
you're going to hate life trying to make a stick machine work for your needs.
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That's all I use. Axle brackets, frame brackets, bumpers, .120-.188 wall DOM notch joints, links of all thickness, spider gears, etc.
It's not near as bad as people claim.
 
Don't worry with lugging a tank around. Strap it in the corner of the garage and run a hose from the tank so you don't have to wheel it around. Tape it to your electrical cord and you are good to go. That's what I do as I hate pushing around more than necessary on the welding cart in a small garage.


Unless you are a proficient stick welder, it's likely best not to use it for thin wall material, especially just starting out. It's a little more difficult to master than a mig welder.

I have a mig, tig, and stick welder at the house and use the mig (sometimes tig) for tube and use the stick for the thick materials for link tabs, etc on the axle.
 
I'm not gonna say I'm a proficient stick welder but with a welder at home I'm confident I can make quality welds! Are these mig welders with tanks in 500-750 range? Im gonna look a few up and is the tig on the esab rigs capable of good tig welds?? Tig interests me bc how nice it looks but I'm into quality welds that'll hold up to a beating! @XJsavage lets see some stick pics on 110 and 220 if ya used both? Is that the welder you been doing steampuckwith??
 
C.Berry said:
I'm not gonna say I'm a proficient stick welder but with a welder at home I'm confident I can make quality welds! Are these mig welders with tanks in 500-750 range? Im gonna look a few up and is the tig on the esab rigs capable of good tig welds?? Tig interests me bc how nice it looks but I'm into quality welds that'll hold up to a beating! @XJsavage lets see some stick pics on 110 and 220 if ya used both? Is that the welder you been doing steampuckwith??
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Same welder, yes. Welding stick with 110 is a drag to say the least. With 1/16" rods it would be fine but once you start burning 3/32" at a comfortable range it'll trip a 20 amp breaker.

About 8 years ago when I bought my Hobart handler 187 I got it on sale at tsc for ~$550. Like anyone else that owns one, I got my money's worth.
 
I've honestly never seen a 110 arc welder till now... Damn this is a tough decision to say the least so many options and equations to try and see what'll work with what and where! Thanks for all the input I'm gonna do some soul searching bc is like to buy once and be happy not have to return or resell a welder to find the right one.
 
Just buy a Hobart, Miller, or Lincoln 220V mig welder. Esab is a good choice but likely out of the price range. Any will do just fine for starting out.

I built my buggy with a Hobart 187. I had been a professional welder for years before moving into management and the Hobart is just fine and well within budget. for the $, the Hobart was hard to beat. But, it was a mig only machine. So if you want stick or tig, you will need another machine.

If you want tig, you could get an AC/DC buzz box pretty cheap and get a scratch start tig rig. I've made x-ray quality welds with the scratch start tig. But once again, it's all a different machine than the mig and really depends on what you want to do and what kind of welder you are.

As you are aware, budget plays a key role as well.
 
Yeah I seen Hobart handler 140 for 300 on cl but don't think it's got enough ass to do the job tho!? I've got homework to do to become pro welder considering school next year for some in depth learning that I can't teach myself!
 
I'd stay away from a 140 machine and spend the extra $ on a 180+ machine if any flavor that is within budget.

Stick with the simple machines. They will be easy to use and learn on and do more than you can imagine. If you want all those fancy buttons and knows then save up once you get better at welding than what the machine can support.
 
Definitely spend the extra on a 240v machine. That or the MVP Hobart or Miller's that you can swap the end of the cord to switch between 240 or 120v. Best of both worlds there, I have the Miller 211mvp and in the shop or up to 20 feet in front of it with my extension cord I can run off of 240. If I need to drag it somewhere else, I can run off standard 120 voltage.

Get a mig capable machine for now, you can always run flux core wire with no tank, and just leave the hose and regulator off, but some machines can't be converted to run with the gas after the fact. If you ever decide to try welding sheet metal you'll want to run the gas it welds much more cleanly.

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I will probably end up walking bowlegged fir this but.....

If you aren't going to be doing production work, or building a balls out race car/truck/buggy, then I'd look at the Harbor Freight welders. I bought one for my father years ago as a Christmas present and I have run a spool and a half, maybe 2 through it since then. It's the dual Flux/mig unit and has served me well through the years using flux wire. I have been too cheap and lazy to buy a tank and gauges. I welded a door hinge back onto a Dakota door, and made a front hitch that has held up to pulling trees with full throttle assaults. I have welded exhausts, both on personal and customer vehicles, and so much other stuff I honestly can't remember it all. I am not a professional welder, nor have I received any formal training or instruction, and being self-taught, with a budget flux machine, I trust my welds and the machine I use to be safe for myself and others. I'd build a bumper with it, I'd weld axle tabs and control arms with it. If I had bender and a way to notch tube, I d buy a tank/regulator and build a cage with it.

It isn't as adjustable as the higher dollar, name brand units having only 4 power settings, but I still trust it. It still has enough power to burn 1/4 plate without hesitation, and I have yet to overload it.

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