welder info needed

[T]

I was considering looking into getting a welder, but dont know where to look or what to get. What type of welder do I need to weld steel and which for aluminum. Any recommendations on what to get and what to look out for?

[96s10]

it really all depends on what you're gonna be welding, especially thickness wise. a good mig welder should handle just about anything you'll need. make sure you get a 230v mig and not the 125v. you can weld thicker metals with that. your penetration will be much better and the welds will be stronger. the gas welders are better than the flux core. you have a greater range of adjustability with the gas than with the flux core. you can weld anything from 18-20ga sheetmetal to 1/4" steel. i'm currently using a Miller Millermatic Challenger 172. its a 230v with the 75/25 argon/co2 mix and i love it. some other good brands are lincloln and hobart. i've heard good things about those.

i also have a lincoln "buzz box" arc welder. arc welding is difficult. it requires a lot of patience and a lot of practice. its a whole lot more messy because of the slag and is difficult to run a good bead. but its great for really thick metals.

aluminum wise, you're gonna need a tig welder. there are kits out to turn buzz box welders into tig welders for like 500 bucks. you can weld up to 1/8" aluminum with it. a really good tig welder is gonna cost you at least a grand. plus you need an air compressor. miller makes good tig welders as well.

price wise, a good mig will run you anywhere from 350-800 bucks. home depot has the lincoln welders for about 350 for the 220v with the gas attachment (i haven't checked on them in a while so it may be different). an arc welder will be about 250-400 bucks. and a tig is over a grand easy. its really all up to you and what you'll be using it for. sorry for the novel. i'm waiting on my heater to heat up the garage so i can work on the truck some. i had some extra time so i decided to write it all out. if you have any questions, feel free to ask me.

[Slow ET]

Good reads:

Lincoln Electric (http://www.lincolnelectric.com/knowledge/articles/list.asp)

[T]

I appreciate the info. The more the better.
How hard is it to learn on your own?
Are there any books or anything to help me learn?
Want to teach me :) ?

I want to be able to weld things like: SFC, Cages, exhaust and intake piping.

So where should I look to buy one?
Are there any sites to get an idea of what I need?
What is a list of things to look to get and why do I need them?

230V
Mig
Gas
?

[96s10]

its really pretty easy to learn how to mig on your own. just pick up some scrap metal and start practicing. as soon as my digital camera charges, i'll take some pics of what i've been working on and show you. i can't weld great by no means but i like trying. it just takes practice.

i'm not sure what sfc means but a mig will allow you to weld any of the other things you mentioned.

some local welding supply shops should have some welders, or you can look online. ebay is always great. i'll try to find you some places later. i have to get back to work.

[96s10]

here is one real quick

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2575872330&category=45032

[T]

Thanks I appreciate all the help.

SFC = subframe connectors

Pretty much I need someone to hold my hand through all of it. :lol:

[T]

Whats an arc welder? And whats it for?

What about wire?

[96s10]

an arc welder is a stick welder. you use a stick to strike an arc and then move it back and forth while pushing it in to make the weld. its very difficult to get it right. it takes a lot of practice. wire welding (mig) uses a spool of wire. when you press the button on the gun, it pushes wire out the nozzle. then you just guide it where you want it. its hard to explain online. i wish i had a welder there to show you.

[T]

here is one real quick

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=2575872330&category=45032
I was looking on ebay and saw those, but are they all that expensive. Is there a better place to look? With that I still need the gas right?

[96s10]

the millers are going to be that expensive. you can run by home depot and look at the lincolns. they are cheaper there. or look them up on ebay. you'll still have to get the gas either way. i'm not sure if the ones from home depot come with the regulator and parts for it or not. i dont know how much it is for the bottle, but most places just rent them out. then they trade you when you run out. i just had to get mine filled and it was like 13 bucks or so.

[T]

the lincolns on ebay are around the same price. is there a difference? are the lincolns crap?

[Slow ET]

Lincoln, Miller, Hobart are all great welders. I would get a nice Mig, it will handle all the jobs you mentioned unless you need to weld a CM cage. The link i posted has all the info you need to learn to weld and whats needed.

[Highway Hero]

i have one of the wire feed arc/mig welder from lowes... It is the 112v or what ever standard house hold current is and works great for all the projects i have worked with. The power goes up to d (a being for thin metal and d for thick) and the higest i have gone is to be and still get good welds. I would say dont even mess around with flux cored wire. Go straight to ar/co2 or something of that nature. The welds will turn out much cleaner and it is worth the money. Another good thing to get right off the bat is a auto dimming helmet. The filp down ones are a pita and you cant see the puddle veary well. Tig welder are great but carry a large price tag and the welding process will be much slower but will turn out veary nice welds. If you go tig you want one that can do both dc and ac. Dc is for steel and ac for alum iirc.When you go to look at bottles for gas i would reccomend getting a larger size because they end up being cheaper to fill up down the line. They also have renting programs that may be worth looking into for the bottle. I go to holox by the stadium. HTH

Eric

[96s10]

i have one of the wire feed arc/mig welder from lowes... It is the 112v or what ever standard house hold current is and works great for all the projects i have worked with. The power goes up to d (a being for thin metal and d for thick) and the higest i have gone is to be and still get good welds. I would say dont even mess around with flux cored wire. Go straight to ar/co2 or something of that nature. The welds will turn out much cleaner and it is worth the money. Another good thing to get right off the bat is a auto dimming helmet. The filp down ones are a pita and you cant see the puddle veary well. Tig welder are great but carry a large price tag and the welding process will be much slower but will turn out veary nice welds. If you go tig you want one that can do both dc and ac. Dc is for steel and ac for alum iirc.When you go to look at bottles for gas i would reccomend getting a larger size because they end up being cheaper to fill up down the line. They also have renting programs that may be worth looking into for the bottle. I go to holox by the stadium. HTH

Eric

werd. you definately need an autodarkening mask. its a must. also, depending on if you're going to be doing a lot of overhead welding, a welding jacket is nice.

[T]

thanks for the info guys! Im really excited about possibly getting one now

[XS CASH]

You could also check Grainger's and Tallahassee Welding for prices and info.