Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Welding advice

If a guy wanted a welder for basic fabrication tasks at home, what would you recommend? I know it’s a very loaded question but I figured I’d start the conversation. I’ve welded before but not even close to being comfortable with picking out a welder. I have to start somewhere and it’s a nebulous subject.
S.

Go girly girl easy. MIG, like a Hobart Handler 140. Or even just a cheap flux core-only unit. Of course it depends upon what you want to fabricate, bigly.

I bought a basic Klutch from Northern Tools... 110/220v stick machine for $400. It works best on 1/4" and under

Vevor makes a similar machine VERY CHEAP...



With that said... if you are doing more than basic level stuff... invest in a MIG.

The Klutch is great because it can travel in a large ammo can, run on a smallish generator and fix fence gates etc. in the field.

I own several Vevor things. They are legit.

got an older Miller 211 mig unit with MVP(multi voltage plug) can use 120 or 240 volt... does everything i need from auto collision repair to heavier fabrication... many similar units available from Lincoln, Esab, Hobart ect...

You might want to look at some of the posts on youtube also.

I have a Lincoln EasyMig 140. It works and I've done a lot of welding with it but I don't recommend it. I've had too many problems with it. The cable is a weak point and they don't include it in the warranty. I got an aftermarket replacement on Amazon that's twice as good as the original.

I have an old Century stick welder and a much newer Hobart 140, which seems to work well, but I've only used flux core so far. I should probably get a small tank of Argon at some point. I recently started welding again after a very long time. I would describe my current welding abilities as fairly terrible. I was planning on welding new floor plans into my old Studebaker, but I don't yet have the skills. I need to take a welding course.

Working inside or outside?
MIG isn't great with moving air, you can work around it but it's another thing to deal with. Flux core avoids that, but you have flux to deal with.


How thick of metal do you want to weld?

Nothing short of a 230v unit

Miller makes nice MiGs with full auto settings

This

I have a Millermatic 141 in my shop. Does everything I need a MiG to do, running gas shielded .024 wire. It will run 030 wire but I like the .024 for the bulk of what I do. It's rated up to 3/16" but I've welded up to 1/2" a few times with it multi pass. Duty cycle is better than any other 110v I've used. I've ran it off my generac portable generator but had to rig up one leg of my 220v plug to do it and the duty cycle was about halved.

I run a Miller Deltaweld 500 at work, contiually burning wire for 7 hours out of 8. Miller makes a good welder.

My gun builder has a Harbor Freight Vulcan power source set up with TiG. I've used it several times and it's a legit unit for the money.

I've welded for decades (industrial maintenance, farming, bodywork) and if was starting from scratch and could only have one tool it would be an oxy/acetylene set up. Absolutely the most versatile welding tool you can own hands down bar none and sadly welding classes gloss right over its use these days.

With a good torch rig and a tombstone you can repair most anything in the mild steel world and a few things a little more exotic.

If you want to actually fab anything that’s going to be structural and might hurt someone if it comes apart when it’s going down the road or supporting you or someone I’d recommend against a small MIG. It’s very easy for someone who doesn’t know what they’re doing to make nice looking welds that won’t hold together.

If you aren’t doing bodywork or something else requiring lots of sheet metal just buy an AC/DC tombstone. Fiddle with it for a while and by the time you burn 20lb of rods you’ll likely be decent enough to get by.

$100 bill at estate sales, garage sales, and farm auctions will often buy a usable cracker box stick welder.

Hobart Handler 120/240 volt MIG for light to medium duty work, up to 1/4" thick stock or slightly heavier. Definitely get the shield gas system if you want clean-looking welds. Flux core wire leaves a butt-ugly weld that requires a lot of cleanup. Above 1/4" nothing beats a good AC/DC stick welder. Welding of any kind requires a lot of practice- - - -and it's a skill that will deteriorate if you don't do it regularly.

I have a Forney Flux Core 140 MiG that I have used a ton with .030” wire. I built a set of bumpers for my Samurai from 1/4” wall steel to house my 10k pound winch. I’ve hooked it to things it had no business moving and every weld has held. Little stuff to 1/4” stuff it’s been fantastic. The tips made for flux core wire make welding with them much easier.


I just bought a Lincoln AC225 buzz box for $100 so I can weld stuff a little thicker and stick seems to do better in the wind. So far it’s been great.

And we're off and running with no idea what the intended fabrication is. LOL which is to be expected...


They're not going to get you any Made in USA cred, but, solid stuff according to what I've read on the forums. I recently got their well-equiped AC/DC Tig 225X (w/DC stick up to 180A) and CUT520DP plasma cutter. There's way worse import machines out there, again, from what I have read. Good deal on 6/3 extension cord too, and argon cylinder delivered full.... Have those too. (They send discount codes for stuff left in your cart, run sales, offer free shipping sometimes iirc). Real American CS with welding knowledge - per the reviews... No hoaky BS like having to ship back at your cost for service, like AHPs tig. And awesome informative manuals.
https://primeweld.com/

I have a Hobart that's 220 only. If get one that can do 110 or 220 for more flexibility.

MIG

Doesn't take a huge imagination to know what the OP is asking for.

That’s true, not many guys can do that, welded some barrels together not long ago. I would have had hell trying that with a stick machine. I have a Miller 250 stick machine, bought it in 1989, never a problem. It has a 100% duty cycle with a 1/8 rod.

GFY

Please do tell what the other man is thinking? He himself knew it was wide-open to interpretation. That's what makes it fun.