Miata Turbo Forum - Boost cars, acquire cats. - Looking to purchase a welder ...

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- - Looking to purchase a welder ... (https://www.miataturbo.net/insert-bs-here-4/looking-purchase-welder-12935/)

Quote:

Originally Posted by nester (Post 157336)

I would spend about 600 on a good miller or even a lincoln, and then the rest of the money on accessories (gas, wire, clamps, gloves, hood, etc)

I like the Miller stuff, but the Miller vs Lincoln thing is like Ford vs Chevy.. They are both good welders.. just one is red and one is blue. :)

You can't get a good miller for $600 unless it's used!

Anyway, the HF 180 I have does spot welding (not on the 170A). It has 6 heat settings and infinite wire speed control, it also has burn back and upslope settings (which the 170A lacks.)

It has been a really solid little welder and I have done fine work with it and heavy work (building a trailer hitch for instance.) Does it all pretty well. Reversible polarity makes it possible to weld aluminum too with a teflon feed line.

The 151T has infinite wire speed and 4 heat settings, which really is enough, the settings are spaced almost the same as the 180A welders. You will hardly ever use setting 1 and would spend most of your time on 2 or 3.

Mark

If you know what you're doing, you can get great results mig welding. You're probably going to grind down any welds on your body so a mig welder is fine for this job. If appearance is important to you, Tig welding is the way to go. Tig welds are generally smaller in size and the weld beads are more precise.

Quote:

Originally Posted by magnamx-5 (Post 157390)

Would the 151T be ok to do some body work rewelding etc? Or is it to course, for something you want to look pretty, or is that something that can be tuned out?

Quote:

Originally Posted by paul (Post 157268)

damn it i need a garage!

Yeah me too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by nester (Post 157336)

Anyone use Lincoln MIGs? I've only used Lincoln TIGs and liked them...?

All things being equal between the two, I'd go (uhh..did go) with the Lincoln cause OCC uses Miller.

I looked at the Joe Gibb's/Tony Stewart Foundation OCC chopper yesterday up close, and their welds S U C K. Fuck, if I had their money :vash:

most people welds suck. The two professional welders I have seen blow!!

Quote:

Originally Posted by TurboTim (Post 157473)

Yeah me too.

Anyone use Lincoln MIGs? I've only used Lincoln TIGs and liked them...?

All things being equal between the two, I'd go (uhh..did go) with the Lincoln cause OCC uses Miller.

I looked at the Joe Gibb's/Tony Stewart Foundation OCC chopper yesterday up close, and their welds S U C K. Fuck, if I had their money :vash:

We had a miller and a lincoln mig.. I used the miller a lot, it was a little 110v unit... 135amp, it worked great.

I never used the lincoln, but i saw the work it did, and it did well. It was a bigger 220 unit.

I used the big lincoln tig a number of times, and it did as well as my skill would allow. I saw what it was really capable of though, and it did it well.

220 lincoln MIG. Argon/co2 blend. Awesome.

A little over the 1000 budget, but I think it's worth it.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Stripes (Post 157402)

That is good to know, I gotta do some steel body rust repair. And so long as this thing is adjustable enough to where i can actualy join the sheetmetal instead of just making big holes in it. Then i will most likely try to pick one up.

I used a 220V miller, and it was eeehhh ok. I like my clarke better for consistancy.