welder

porchev914 wrote: I have a Lincoln 135SP that I used for the majority of the bikes construction. Like testatossas Miller it has infinitely adjustable amperage and wire feed making it easier to find the sweet spot. I recently picked up an import fig/arc welder. After resolving some shipping damage issues, I am very pleased with the machines performance on mild steel, stainless steel, aluminum and titanium. A goodi wouldn't be afraid of a 110v 135amp mig welder not having enough huevos to weld a bike frame though. I'm literally betting my ass on it :laugh:

I was just going to send you a pm to ask what your long term opinion of the little green box was. Now that you have had some time to burn a few rods with it. I notice that they cover some areas that Miller forces you to jump up to a much bigger and more expensive welder to cover.

I have a Miller 180 autoset. Its a 220V and in my experience it is as user friendly as my older Miller 140 which was a 110V. I have zero issues with welding sheet metal etc, works better than my old 110V welder actualy. And I can turn her up for thicker material without worry of inadequate penetration. I'd buy another 180 without hesitation.

I've had a few 110V welders, Blue Point MB120, and an MB135 were nowhere as nice as my Millers ( 110V or 220V )

M357.5 wrote: I have a Miller 180 autoset. Its a 220V and in my experience it is as user friendly as my older Miller 140 which was a 110V. I have zero issues with welding sheet metal etc, works better than my old 110V welder actualy. And I can turn her up for thicker material without worry of inadequate penetration. I'd buy another 180 without hesitation.

I've had a few 110V welders, Blue Point MB120, and an MB135 were nowhere as nice as my Millers ( 110V or 220V )

M357.5 makes a good point; You should always try and buy a bigger machine than you think you'll need. I know that may not always be possible due to space and power restrictions, but if you have the room and the juice, get as big as you can afford. It will give you room to grow.

To answer Josh's question, I am loving my tig welder! I definitely had some issues in the beginning with my first machine, but the replacement machine sovled any problems. The company has overworked staff and can't supply the demand for their product which is the crux of the majority of their issues. Since I do not rely on my welding equiptment to make a living, the cost benefits outweighed the customer service cons in choosing an import tig welder over a localy obtained Lincoln or Miller. It won't go down to 2 amps like a Miller 250 Syncrowave, but it will go down to 5 amps, and thats low enough to weld .015" titaium sheet together. I can also turn it up to 250 and melt through 3/8" steel like butter. It doesn't weigh 200lbs or take up a cubic yard of precious garage space either. The product definitly delivers. Good enough for this hack.
Jeeze, I feel like I'm hijacking the OP's thread :blush:

rustys wrote:

Boostable wrote: I am currently using a Lincoln SP125-Plus that I am able to use from the shop at the office. It does a very good job, and its pretty adequate for what we are doing on our bikes. Next week im gonna go ahead and pickup a Hobart Handler 140. Once again rated about the same, maybe a little better, but will do everything I need it to do and I can either FCAW or MIG on it down to .023

I primarily FCAW with mine on the bike to support the heavier metal, but if im overly concerned I will multi pass the weld joint.

Im certainly no expert, and others here have much more experience in this area then I.

Here is a comp chart... its on Hobarts website, so take it for what is worth, but a basic comparison none the less.

www.hobartwelders.com/pdf/comparisons/handler140.pdf

Jack

I love my Hobart Handler 140, I haven't had too much use on heavier gauage metals, but on sheetmetal it is great. Plus, it has the gas option so that really gives me some nice welds

Forgot to mention that Miller and Hobart are owned by the same company. Gota mean something right..

Boostable wrote:

rustys wrote:

Boostable wrote: I am currently using a Lincoln SP125-Plus that I am able to use from the shop at the office. It does a very good job, and its pretty adequate for what we are doing on our bikes. Next week im gonna go ahead and pickup a Hobart Handler 140. Once again rated about the same, maybe a little better, but will do everything I need it to do and I can either FCAW or MIG on it down to .023

I primarily FCAW with mine on the bike to support the heavier metal, but if im overly concerned I will multi pass the weld joint.

Im certainly no expert, and others here have much more experience in this area then I.

Here is a comp chart... its on Hobarts website, so take it for what is worth, but a basic comparison none the less.

www.hobartwelders.com/pdf/comparisons/handler140.pdf

Jack

I love my Hobart Handler 140, I haven't had too much use on heavier gauage metals, but on sheetmetal it is great. Plus, it has the gas option so that really gives me some nice welds

Forgot to mention that Miller and Hobart are owned by the same company. Gota mean something right..

Which company own both of them ?

AbnousGabri wrote:

Boostable wrote:

rustys wrote:

Boostable wrote: I am currently using a Lincoln SP125-Plus that I am able to use from the shop at the office. It does a very good job, and its pretty adequate for what we are doing on our bikes. Next week im gonna go ahead and pickup a Hobart Handler 140. Once again rated about the same, maybe a little better, but will do everything I need it to do and I can either FCAW or MIG on it down to .023

I primarily FCAW with mine on the bike to support the heavier metal, but if im overly concerned I will multi pass the weld joint.

Im certainly no expert, and others here have much more experience in this area then I.

Here is a comp chart... its on Hobarts website, so take it for what is worth, but a basic comparison none the less.

www.hobartwelders.com/pdf/comparisons/handler140.pdf

Jack

I love my Hobart Handler 140, I haven't had too much use on heavier gauage metals, but on sheetmetal it is great. Plus, it has the gas option so that really gives me some nice welds

Forgot to mention that Miller and Hobart are owned by the same company. Gota mean something right..

Which company own both of them ?

Illinois Tool Works, and the hobart 140s use a miller gun on them

I don't know if miller owns hobart but hobart doe's use older miller technology. As far a mig welding goes the upper end Millers got their game on and is what I prefer. When it comes to tig welding, Lincoln wins hands down. I'm not saying the others won't do a very good job, I have a Lincoln Mig and Miller DX250 Tig. Both good machines and I won't bash them, very cost effective at the time is why I've got them and I'm not looking to replace any time soon.
FYI, I weld just about everyday and have for almost 20 yrs, from simple fabrication to titanium, aluminum, and tool steels. I've used quite a few different welders and these are my personal experiences. Hope it helps
Les Holt

The Hobart (same company owns Miller) Handler 140 always has great reviews, and in my opinion, is one of the best deals going for a fluxcore or bottle MIG setup using a 110v outlet. It comes with flux core and the regulator and attachements for a bottle, which is why it' such a good deal.

I think it can even do aluminum, but you'd probably want a spool gun for that.

I have a 110V welder but it's rigged for gas and not flux-core. I'm not a fan of flux-core, I like the gas. Wife says I have a lot of gas, but that's not the right kind! lol..

You can get home welders with the gas option, I'd go that way. Plus, Airgas Company is literally right down the street from my house so I can snatch a new tank of Argon rather smartly if I need one...

Not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but harbor freight has a 90 amp flux wire welder that ROCKS. it totally suitable for making gocart frames and welding tabs and stuff like that. It says its not good for aluminum. The only i thing i dont like about it is the tips and wire that came with it. Your gonna want some some lincoln tips and wire i think, just something higher quality. Also the only voltage settings are "Min" and "max" but it does have a potentiometer for wire speed. I have heard there are ways to mod them as far as voltage goes. One of them was as simple as using a long extension cord Its about 120 bucks but they go on sale for about 90 bucks all the time. Is what im learning with and its got great penetration, easy to use, and pretty damn cheap.

I started with a hobart 140 and moved up to a miller 180 when I found one on sale. The 180 is about double the price but also handles big things like the brackets that hold the axle under my jeep. I have wanted a tig forever for aluminum but a good one cost 1500+ and I dont use it enough to justify that. Ive decided to work on brazing and aluminum welding with a torch and see how that works out. Definitly a lot cheaper. Whatever you do go for a gas Mig. Makes all the difference.

I got a 135 Lincoln, works great, gas or flux, thing is now u can find tools CHEAP, if u look around