Good (low-cost) MIG welder?

[Yoda]

Many of you have waaaaaay more experience welding than I do. I want to get my own MIG welder and am trying to find a good but inexpensive model.

I need 120V, but dual voltage might be good if I ever get 240 in my garage. Mostly it will be used for butt welding and plug welding body panels, probably nothing heavier than 12 gauge. Might also use it for exhaust pipes and other odds and ends. I might want to weld a truss to my front or rear axles but I think the tubes might be too thick for a 120V welder.

Any recommendations? The Hobart/Miller 140A models are a little pricey, can a 120A do the job? What about the knock off and Harbor Freight models....are they worth anything? I'm not doing this for a living and will only use it now and then....but don't want to have to buy this twice. Thanks!

 

[Jerry Bransford]

My first welder was a Hobart 135 amp MIG welder. It worked well on smaller thinner pieces but when it came time to weld on a big plate of steel (the tcase skidplate where I was welding new mounts), it fell wildly short of having enough power/heat to do the job. After that and another couple larger pieces I needed to weld had the same issue, I sold it and bought a 220v Miller 180 amp Autoset welder and never looked back.

It's not THAT hard to add a 220v outlet, I did that in my garage. I tapped into my laundry room's unused 220v drier outlet wiring and installed a new 220v outlet in the garage. Took a couple hours from start to finish, most of the time spent getting the wiring properly run into the garage.

Jeeps have enough parts on them that require a 220v welder that I would not go with a 110v welder at all. I'd figure out a way to get 220v to the garage. Or maybe make a long extension cord to plug it into your laundry room's 220v outlet.

 

[HornedToad]

I took a chance on the harbor freight Vulcan migmax. The warranty sucks so if anything breaks I am out of luck but it welds very nicely. I grew up mig welding on various Miller machines and I’ll say this Vulcan welder is great for the money. The Hobart 210mvp is great too if you want a good warranty.

 

[Yoda]

It's not THAT hard to add a 220v outlet, I did that in my garage.

100% agree.....But in most Massachusetts towns, you'll be shot on site for doing your own work. You need a licensed electrician to pull the permit, do the work and have to get it inspected by the town. Sure I could just not tell them, but I'd have a better chance of surviving a witch trial.

I believe inspected is inspected, no matter who does the work. If I change a light switch the same way a seasoned electrician does, who cares! Lots of very unqualified people just choose not to pull permits and do dangerous work themselves...and end up in deep doo-doo. But if it passes inspection, what is the difference?

Sorry for the rant, its a sore spot lol.

 

[WSS]

Keep an eye on craigslist and offerup. Be ready to buy, the good deals go fast. Look for a dual voltage Hobart, Lincoln or miller.

Some of the "inverter" type of power sources from Miller can be had for a few hundred once in awhile. Add a wire feeder and you have a serious welder for around $500-600.

 

[Yoda]

I took a chance on the harbor freight Vulcan migmax. The warranty sucks so if anything breaks I am out of luck but it welds very nicely.

Good to know. My old man is a mechanic and has a 25+ year old 240V SOLAR something. That's the only welder I've ever used.

 

[WSS]

100% agree.....But in most Massachusetts towns, you'll be shot on site for doing your own work. You need a licensed electrician to pull the permit, do the work and have to get it inspected by the town. Sure I could just not tell them, but I'd have a better chance of surviving a witch trial.

I believe inspected is inspected, no matter who does the work. If I change a light switch the same way a seasoned electrician does, who cares! Lots of very unqualified people just choose not to pull permits and do dangerous work themselves...and end up in deep doo-doo. But if it passes inspection, what is the difference?

Sorry for the rant, its a sore spot lol.

You have to pull a permit and then have an inspection to change a light switch?

 

[Yoda]

You have to pull a permit and then have an inspection to change a light switch?

Yes, if you were to play by the rules. Some towns will allow the homeowner to do the work and have it inspected, but mostly towns require a licensed, insured electrician.

MA law also states NO ONE but a licensed, insured plumber can do plumbing work. It is a misdemeanor offense if a homeowner was to replace something as simple as the wax gasket under your own toilet.

Makes perfect sense!

 

[bucky]

I bought a used Hobart Handler 140 110V for $350 a few years ago. It did 80% of what I needed. 2 years ago I upgraded to a Hobart Ironman 230 220V and man what a difference. With the better, AKA more expensive machines, you get more power but the big difference is the increased settings that allow you to fine tune your welds. I use solid wire in the shop and switch to flux core when outside. I also spent the big $s and got a 25’ extension cord to use when welding for repair of large equipment. Buy it once or buy it twice either way you have to spend some money.

 

[bucky]

Yes, if you were to play by the rules. Some towns will allow the homeowner to do the work and have it inspected, but mostly towns require a licensed, insured electrician.

MA law also states NO ONE but a licensed, insured plumber can do plumbing work. It is a misdemeanor offense if a homeowner was to replace something as simple as the wax gasket under your own toilet.

Makes perfect sense!

Wow even here in Ca we do not have those types of restrictions in most cities.

 

[WSS]

Wow even here in Ca we do not have those types of restrictions in most cities.

No kidding. I would have a life sentence.

 

[BlueC]

Yes, if you were to play by the rules. Some towns will allow the homeowner to do the work and have it inspected, but mostly towns require a licensed, insured electrician.

MA law also states NO ONE but a licensed, insured plumber can do plumbing work. It is a misdemeanor offense if a homeowner was to replace something as simple as the wax gasket under your own toilet.

Makes perfect sense!

That's the result of union and political racketeering.

As to a welder, I'd stick with a name brand, preferably Miller or Lincoln, and get one that can run on 110 or 220. If you're new to welding, consider a welding class at a local community college. That's what I did, and for like $200 I quickly learned the basics and found out that I love TIG.

 

[PCO6]

My first MIG welder was Clarke 100 and I loved it for the 15 yrs or so that I used it. It was a pretty basic 110V welder but it had gas and that made all the difference. It was great for sheet metal and up to about 3/16" (non structural, no axles, etc.). I built the cart in the pic below and still use it (with a few mods) for my current Lincoln 180 which I bought when I installed 220V in my garage.

 

[Ron505]

Sub'd.

 

[matkal]