Welder

it depends... do you want mig, tig, stick, flux core spool? prices vary from about $150 for a good used stick welder to upwards of $700 for a good mig. there is a good miller mig (130xp iirc) for sale in the misc section. that is a good unit that will weld a lot of the stuff that you will do on a truck.
 
Don't buy a harbor freight. Buy something that will work well and long and you can get some money back out of when/if you are ever done with it. Stick is good and cheap and will work. But slag and some situations will make you wish you had gotten the mig. A mig really opens up your potential, as long as you get one with some kinda power. If you have a ton of $$ to drop get a nice mig and a plasma and you will be good to go.
 
Look around for a good deal. a few months ago there was someone selling a millermatic 225 on here for like $650 w/wire, cart, and tank. Just look for a deal unless you got plenty $$$$ and don't care about using it.

A good mig is never a bad choice. If ya want to TIG or stick, buy a lincoln 225/125 AC/DC buzzbox. A scratch start TIG setup can be adapted to that very easy and works very well. Plus, its way cheaper than a good mig and gives excellent results if ya know how to TIG weld.

For starters, I'd still buy a mig though.
Hobart has a decent one for around $700 with all ya need.

Rob
 
But would a cheap stick welder like a Lincon 225 amp be good and strong enough for work on a truck? With my income, I really cant afford to spend more than $250, maybe $300 on a welder.
 
Look into the Hobart 135. I got mine for less than $400 IIRC (heck, it was a whole year ago). It comes ready for MIG, and should be good for *MOST* of what you'd do on a 4x4 rig. I've got mine set up on a dedicated 220v / 20a circuit, but for light duty it'll run on 110/15.

To all the naysayers, notice I emphasize the word "most". :flipoff2:
 
kilby said:
Look into the Hobart 135. I got mine for less than $400 IIRC (heck, it was a whole year ago). It comes ready for MIG, and should be good for *MOST* of what you'd do on a 4x4 rig. I've got mine set up on a dedicated 220v / 20a circuit, but for light duty it'll run on 110/15.

To all the naysayers, notice I emphasize the word "most". :flipoff2:
Click to expand...
Well, what wont it do?
 
Just an idea for ya, I personally just bought a READY WELDER from Chip Price (here on the board...local dealer) and I use it for my home projects AND I can carry it on the trail.

It is NOT a unit you would want to use daily, but seems like a good idea for the casual 4x4 welder! You can do anything from sheet metal up to 3/4" steel, and because of how it is using batteries it actually has a 100% duty cycle until they are drained. (Which can be quite a while from my experience/readings)

That is just an option...gets ya a MIG welder and all of a sudden you are a good guy to be on the trail with too!!!

Sam Hinton
 
SHINTON said:
Just an idea for ya, I personally just bought a READY WELDER from Chip Price (here on the board...local dealer) and I use it for my home projects AND I can carry it on the trail.

It is NOT a unit you would want to use daily, but seems like a good idea for the casual 4x4 welder! You can do anything from sheet metal up to 3/4" steel, and because of how it is using batteries it actually has a 100% duty cycle until they are drained. (Which can be quite a while from my experience/readings)

That is just an option...gets ya a MIG welder and all of a sudden you are a good guy to be on the trail with too!!!

Sam Hinton
Click to expand...
How much you pay?
 
Well I don't want to be telling Chips prices exactly, but I picked mine up in the high $300s, and got a unit with an extra bell and whistle or two. Basically same cost as a decent MIG unit for the house....
 
I used Sam's Ready welder and I've used Kevin O'niell's. they do pretty decent, just have to get used to the push that it does if you are used to a regular gas Mig welder.

It was a little wierd at first, but after a couple passes you get used to it.
 
Yes, the Loncoln buzz box will be plenty strong for a vehicle. You can burn 1/8" 7018 rods with it. The duty cycle isn't 100%, but for less than $400, what else do you expect. You can find them at pawn shops, etc.

I got mine at a used tool store here in Greenville for $150 with over 50# of welding rods and about 100ft. of welding leads. Great condition and was only about 6 months old. I spend a little more on the TIG setup, regulator, bottle, and hose. Total, I probabally have $450 in the whole setup. So, now I have a TIG and Stick welder at the house and it does great. Can weld 3/8" steel no problem, more with more passes. It is not high freq. so I cannot TIG aluminum, but I can stick it.

Rob
 
I had a Snap-on FM140 110 volt 140 amp wire welder for 10 years. It was a great little welder for sheet metal and body work. I have welded some bigger stuff with it, but I had to fit my joints really well and bevel the joint for multiple passes. I went shopping this past winter for a bigger welding machine. I the best bang for the buck prices were at Northern Tool on the Hobart machines. Hobart is built by Miller and is a good quality product. I ended up trading my small Snap-on for a bigger 220 volt 250 amp Snap-on. All the welder I could want, except for a TIG machine later down the road.

Anyhow I'd stay with a MIG welder with a gas shield for the ease of using it in "out of position" welding and a much cleaner more consistant weld.
 
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