120v or 240v, single phase. Recommend me some. Preferably <$400. Looking to start making bumpers, etc.
A stick welder is probably fine right? I'll be teaching myself how to do this. :P

 

Get the biggest welder you can afford, you pay for what you get when it comes to welders, if I was you I would save my money tell i could get a miller 252,251 but if you just looking to learn how to weld and make yourself some bumpers you could go with someting smaller and less money. The same when it comes to plasma's and saws just my thoughts tho.

 

Basically I want something I can learn with and make myself a couple bumpers. Trying to save money and learn a new trade at the same time lol. Like cars, you don't buy a 16 year old a lexus. :P I want a 1985 honda.

 

Hobart welders appear to be in my price range. With sticks can I get a nice bead going? I don't want these to look like poo.

http://www.hobartwelders.com/products/wirefeed/

 

I am an amatuer as well. I know how but I dont own one. Right Lincoln has big deals that benefit us all. I believe their 180C model does both 120 and 240V just with a flip of a switch. It has a $75 rebate or an autodarkening helmet.
Go to Lincoln welders and check it out!

 

It's a little harder to stick weld but the beads will look good with some practice. We use monster 500 amp Lincoln Electric stick welders (run at about 125 amps max for our purposes) at work outside and have great results All of the wire welders you mentioned from Hobart should do the trick as well unless you intend to weld with material thicker than 3/16th, then you would need the Handler 140 or better.

Also get the welder with the best duty cycle so it will keep up with the project at hand. The higher the percent number the better.

 

What does the duty cycle do on a welder?

 

I saw those, if I go stick it will probably be the lincoln. I really like the auto-darken helmets.
If I get a wire feed I'll go with the hobart. Do I need gas for these hobarts or is that just tig?

 

Duty cycle is a way for manufacturers to define the number of minutes, within a 10 minute period, during which a given welder can produce a particular welding current.

For example, a 150 amp. welder with a 30% duty cycle must be "rested" for at least 7 minutes after 3 minutes (30% use/70% rest) of continuous welding.

A 100% duty cycle needs no "rest" period and can be used continuously.

Of course the higher the duty cycle the more the welder will cost.

 

With the gas you will get a much nicer weld with less spatter. The cheapest Hobart mentioned is for flux core wire only (no gas). All of the others can use flux core (no gas) or solid core (gas required).

At home I have a Lincoln Electric weld-pac 100 set up for flux core wire but is able to run gas with a regulator. The welds are ok but gas is the way to go. I should someday get around to setting mine up for gas.

 

get a millermatic 180 220 machine and never look back. It will weld anything you want. I've welded anything from thin sheetmetal to 1/4 plate to roll cages in nhra legal cars.

 

Do they just get too hot? Do they have auto shutoff/reset circuits?

 

They will pull more amperage from your circuit breakers and will trip them. Perhaps some come with built in shut offs....not sure on that.

At work they must be 100% duty cycles and at home maybe 30%. At home mine will trip the breakers if I have it turned all the way up welding 1/4" steel in under 20 seconds. With the welder turned down (welding thinner material) it is much happier.

 

What do you have? The hobart wire feeds have a 20% duty cycle. Looks like the main difference between the prices is the duty cycle. I want something I can plug in at my house. The circuit breaker is next to the garage so that should be a big deal, but if it plugged into a standard outlet that would be awesome because I am lazy. :P

 

I would bet it is a 20% duty cycle and is regular house current.