Sno_Blynd

ive been scouring the local CL to find a cheap welder. and i have no clue whats good or bad. i want to be able to biuld a good sturdy front and rear bumper. along with other stuff for the jeep. so im on here asking for what should i be looking for? whats good and whats bad? stick vs wire? and im tryin to get one for $150 or less.
any help is appreciated.

brutalxj

150 is not a lot and you might not get what you need that cheep. The best thing for you is a Hobart (lunchbox) welder 115 volt with a argon gas tank. Flux core wire will work but like crap and for being new to welding it will be real hard to get a good weld. Gas and wire and not cheep ether. If I were you I would go to a tech school, we have gateway around here and its were I went. My instructor told use to feel free to bring in stuff. So I did all the time. My first class cost $144. I had to buy all my jeep project material but didn't have to pay for gas or wire. I went through a lot more then 144 in gas and wire. And I had an instructor there to make sure it was safe before hooking up a strap and risking the lives of by-standers. So that's my 2 cents.

PingPong

X2 what he said.

You will have an extremely hard time finding a welder that cheap.

Going to the local vocational school to learn to weld is an excellent idea. Thats how I learned to weld.. took 3 semesters.. and learned a lot about welding. ALso since I went to the school, I can weld with just about any welder I pick up.


In the price range you are talking you are more then likely going to end up with a used stick welder. while not as versatile as a "MIG" when used properly it can be. I personally use an old lincoln for my welding task at the house.. and prefer it to most migs.. do to it is what I learned to weld with.

Sno_Blynd

thanks for the info guys. and the closest thing around here is RCC and i cant find anything on how much the class is or how much the book is. and ive searched literally everywhere i could. i even went to talk to teachers and students that go there and no one knew

Tural

if u head down this way, hit me up... i might still have the college book. besides, i've got a couple of welders that you can look at...

brutalxj

The book we used in school is the same book they sell at the local welding store Welders Supply it was cheep to. Might want to pick it up and give it a read through before you start the class. Then after you know the basics its just practice and lots of it.
As for stick I love it and that's what I got my cert in. But mig is way easier to learn first and better for thinner gauged steel.

PingPong

Brutal is right.. mig welders has made it possible for just about anyone to learn how to weld. I prefer my stick welder cause it is what I learned with, and I find it easier to control the weld puddle with it... dont get me wrong.. I stil use my Lincoln sp 150.. just prefer my old lincoln tombstone.

I have been looking at buying a used Tig setup... the buy in price is so high that it is detering me from learning that process.. as the local College welding classes doesnt have the equipment for that process.

Sno_Blynd

about how far from danville is lynchburg?
and when u mean look at you mean talk about buying? or what?
and we dont have any welding shops or fab shops. the only thing we got around here are a ton of body and mech shops, a walmart and a tractor supply. walmart doesnt have anything, and tractor supply has a very limited selection and nothing under $350. no books or anything.

Gee oh Dee

That tractor place or Walmart should be able to order a boom for ya. Just a thought.

Tural

lynchburg is just under an hour from danville... i was more thinking about giving you an idea on the capabilities of welders, since i have both 110 and 220, gas and flux mig and a 220 AC stick. and i've got some scrap metal laying around in the back yard... if u can lay a decent bead with either the stick or the mig, we can probably work something out... i don't really need either one of them... i just keep em around for small jobs.

Sno_Blynd

alright that sounds kool. when are you free?

JeepCoMJ

when it comes to welders, crap brands may get the job done, but to be honest, you're going to learn to hate them.

I have a little 120v off-brand welder that's older than I am. it works, it's actually awesome for sheet metal and exhaust...but it's got quirks, and i'm the only one who can use it because of the way you have to constantly twist the gun in order to keep the wire feeding. the liner in the whip is shot, and I just can't get the proper one for it.

my brother has a miller matic mig welder, new it was $1900..that's a good price for them, and is heavy duty enough to weld things like axle perches.. he also bought a miller matic dynasty 180 tig welder yesterday, new, for $1800, and a miller matic spectrum 625 plasma cutter.


this stuff is expensive. a small bottle of argon first time buying will run $100, and not last long. fill ups are $20 after that...but you really need two bottles right off the bat if you are going to use small ones.

I buy the larger bottles now, because I literally have to take off of work in order to get them refilled, as I work all hours that any normal business is open.

Tural

it's gonna have to be a weekend... how soon do u need it?

Sno_Blynd

not anytime soon. just more of wishful thinking i guess. do i want one yes. do i already have plans for stuff, yes. do i need it no. do i have any money at this time, no. could i use it for more than i have planned, oh yea. just wanting to know what the pros and cons off different ones before i buy. and if anyone had one for cheap i might could pick up here in a month or so when i get money.
and im free pretty much any weekend, or weekday for that matter.

Tural

well, i'm usually never free. lol... and we're getting ready to have an addition in the house, so, we'll have to get this done sometime soon.