Nice getting all that cool stuff. Can't wait until the weather breaks and you can start working on your Jeep......exciting!
Welders...Ever use this one?
- Thread starter Squatch
- Start date
That's so great that she is so supportive and looking forward to your work on it and wanting to drive it. My wife is the same way....she loves the Jeep. She likes to help me when I work on the Jeep. She was a huge help when her and I installed the ARB rear bumper and tire carrier.
I love hearing stuff like that. When I told my wife I was buying the half-doors, I explained that I wanted the "total Jeep experience". LOL As corny as it sounds, it's true. It doesn't mean I have to dump a bunch of money into it, necessarily, but some of the stuff can get pricey. Still, it's not a "priority" in my life, just something I'm enjoying. If I had to sell it all tomorrow, then that's what would happen. Priorities. 'Nuff said.
As long as you are enjoying what you are doing.....that's what counts.
I am. This forum has made this a very unique experience for me. Quite the community here.
Man I really want to learn how to weld...almost bought the cheapy harbour freight a few times just to screw around, but then I got to thinking that if it is a really bad welding machine, what am I actually going to learn!
I am where you are, but a couple of years ago, my g/f bought me a cheap lincoln that only uses shielded wire. I ended up using it all of the time. It is good for thin stuff. (body work & trailer repair) The thicker it is the harder it is to use but works, just not as clean.
I just welded up some support braces on my new trailer with it. The welds look subpar at best, but they worked. I figure if I can get it figured out with the cheap crappy one, by the time I buy a good one like @Squatch, I will be an expert like @bobthetj03.
I really need an issue to arise so it will make me go out and get one...at least then i could justify it. I would love to do some light resto work later including panel replacements so shielded gas would be the way to go. I wonder how good the eastwood models are? or do you really need to spend $500++ for anything worth while.
I have found some really good deals on craigslist for used ones. The cheap one works ok for body work. The welds aren't as pretty as gas, but at the end of the day you end up grinding the weld back down and covering it with some kind of filler. or maybe not if you are a top notch sander, but really you can do body with with a crappy welder.
Honestly, I don't remember the brand but about 20 years ago, I bought a 100 dollar wire feed shielded wire machine and restored a 74 blazer with it. I replaced all of the rear panels and foot sills and I drilled out spot welds and re welded. In fact it actually looked better because I took the time to sand the welds flat so it was nice and smooth when I finished. I even welded up holes in the doors from old lawn chair trailer mirrors that left were on it.
I don't think staring with a cheap crappy one is all bad, but maybe you can find a quality one on craigslist for cheap enough?
The issue that arose for me actually appeared in plurality: I have SO many projects that could stand some welding repairs that I'd be paying someone $10,000 to do the jobs. This way, buying a nice machine will: 1) Tell me how well (or not) I'm doing at welding, rather than having it be a question of whether or not it's the machine. 2) Save me a ton of money in paying someone else to do the job. 3) It's on my schedule, my budget. And 4) It's always good to learn something new. Been a helluva lot of years since I last welded. It's like starting over for me. I'm fine with learning something new!
I know I am at the other end...I have no projects to weld, so it would just be a "toy" for now I am wondering if I could get away with this, has provisions for shielding gas,The issue that arose for me actually appeared in plurality: I have SO many projects that could stand some welding repairs that I'd be paying someone $10,000 to do the jobs. This way, buying a nice machine will: 1) Tell me how well (or not) I'm doing at welding, rather than having it be a question of whether or not it's the machine. 2) Save me a ton of money in paying someone else to do the job. 3) It's on my schedule, my budget. And 4) It's always good to learn something new. Been a helluva lot of years since I last welded. It's like starting over for me. I'm fine with learning something new!
https://www.eastwood.com/mig-welder-110vac-135a-output.html
Well, all I can say is that if I was where you're at, I'd give it some serious consideration. Take a look at what Lincoln, Miller and Hobart have to offer near that price range. Maybe something worth having, or maybe nothing at all. Worth a peek, however. As far as Eastwood goes, I've purchased things throughout the years from them and been satisfied with their products. Good luck!
What I can tell you from my limited welding experience, is the more you practice the nicer your welds get. While doing my trailer project, I'd found it helpful to weld some beads on a piece of scrap first before tackling something that needed welded. I would go days or even weeks between finding time to work on the project, so getting friendly with the welder before tackling something really helped me.
That is my intended approach, to be sure. I even saved some scrap sheet metal strictly for that purpose.
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