Thinking of a new MIG - looking for advice

I've been using the same MIG welder for about 15 years. It's a cheap 110 volt Clarke; I converted it from flux core to gas. 95% of the time I'm using it for sheetmetal stuff. It has 4 settings for amperage, plus wire speed. It looks like hell, but still works as good as it ever did. I think that's my problem...

I've never been really happy with the quality of welds I get, especially when trying to butt weld sheetmetal. It seems no matter how much I screw with amps/wire speed, I can not get it just right. Low amps = crappy spot welds, but turning up the juice a notch leads to blowing holes as soon as I squeeze the trigger. It works better on the heavier stuff, but still not what I'd call great.

My old man always said "It's the crappy carpenter who blames his tools", and I try to follow that mantra when I can. But I'm really starting to wonder if this cheap welder is part of the issue. I struggled for a long time spraying paint with cheap guns; I finally got a decent one, and it made a world of difference. Maybe it's time to upgrade the MIG as well. What do the welders out there reccomend? And to all the smartasses who are going to tell me to learn to gas weld, I'm already working on that...

 

Novice welder here but I own 2 lincoln migs. The first one is a weldpack 100 that is my first. It is a 110 volt welder that I have had for 15 years. The secound welder is a lincoln 185 that is a 220 volt welder. There is a night and day difference between the two. If I had spent the extra money in the 220 volt first, I would only have one welder.
Get the most welder that you can afford and try to get a 220 volt model. Tractor supply has a good deal on Hobarts from time to time as well as lowes and home depot on lincolns or check on ebay for a lincoln or miller. I bought my lincoln 185HD on ebay and paided $450 and got free shipping. Just had to watch out and look for deals. Most of the welders on ebay that are new have full warenties (sp) and can save you some money.
Mike

 

I bought a new Miller 211 last year and in my opinion it is the best small welder out there, hands down!

It can run on either 220 or 110 volts with the change of the plug. Comes equipped for shielding gas, has auto set which is rather nice.

I have spent over 20 years of my life either as a welder or an engineer involved in welding and must say this machine is just awesome.

Cost was $900 out the door with my discount.

Should be able to get it for around $1000 with no discounts.

Worth every penny.

 

Spend the money to get a good welder. Besides performing better, it'll pay dividends if/when you need replacement parts. Lincoln and Miller lead the crowd- either is good and opinions will vary, kinda like a Ford vs. Chevy arguments.

I have a Lincoln 140C. Its perfect for old Ford sheetmetal using Co2/Argon mix and ESAB “easy-grind” 0.025” wire. I highly recommend it if you're doing mostly sheetmetal.

If you plan to do frame work, you'll probably be happier with a 220v machine.

Hope this helps.

 

x2 for getting a quality welder. Mine's a Miller 211 and produces excellent welds.....of course this depends on the prep too. Work with clean metal, and the weldments are superb.

 

I agree with above. The Miller 211 is a great machine, can't go wrong. I have a 251, and it works great, but is likely more than you would need for bodywork. Hard to beat the Blue MIG units, about as nice as they come. Although for engine drive arc welders I'm a diehard Lincoln guy!

 

We have six Millers in our sheetmetal shop ,if that tells you anything. The 211 is an excellant choice, and you can't go wrong with it. Glad the Clarke lasted so long, you will love the Miller, however.

 

Just bought a miller 180 auto set. Very nice machine! Actually I upgraded from the same clarke welder you mentioned.

 

I have a Hobart and have used miller and lincoln machines at two different rod shops. I can honestly say that a $450 hobart handler unit will perform just as well and will be all you will need. I don't have the model # off hand, but it will weld up to 1/2" and I continously weld sheetmetal to 3/16" with no problems. I have been welding for over 25 years and firmly believe the bigger miller/lincoln units are just wasting money......Unless you can get a deal. Those machines are great machines, but Hobarts are not inferior and are less exspensive. Parts are easy to find, etc. I think the Hobarts are even a line from miller if I am thinking right. Anyway, there's my recommendation. good luck

 

You will find fans of either red ones or blue ones..........we happen to like the blue ones (Miller). My Son Dan has a 210 that is about 6 years old and it has been FLAWLESS, and has laid down literally miles and miles of welds. My other Son Don just bought the newer version of it, a 212, and has used it a few times and loves it as well.

A good welder is the cornerstone of any rod building project.........if you have a good welder, and know how to use it, you can do anything. A good one does cost money, but is an investment that will last you probably for the rest of your life.

BTW, so far we have bought a 210, 212, and Sycrowave 200 tig from Cyberweld and they had the best prices and free shipping. Can't say enough good things about them.

Don

 

I have a Miller 180, a Miller 250, and a 250 Synchrowave. That said the 140 gets 95% of the worlk in the shop. I use it damn near every day, and do everything from sheet metal to building my rotisserie. I found the Miller has a smoother arc then the Lincolns I have used, and the Lincolns have a smoother arc than the Hobart I used for a while

I'm a Miller man

 

Thanks to everyone for their input! I'm going to start doing a little shopping, see what I can come up with for on pricing on a better rig. I like the idea of a machine like the Miller mentioned above that can run on 110 or 220. I have 220 in my garage but when doing patch panels & bodywork stuff, it's way eaisier to be able to move the welder to the car & still be able to plug it into any outlet.

 

When you switched your flux over to mig did you switch the polarity on the gun?

 

Even though some of those welders have the ability to use 110 too, odds are you will never want to do it, unless welding the much thinner stuff like you mentioned. 220 is really the only way to go for the thicker welding jobs.

Don

 

AS you stated stay away from the cheap imports. I tell my potental customers and friends they are better off with a good used welder than a cheap new one. Just check avaibleity of parts for what you buy. Lots of good used stuff on Ebay and Craigs. Also make sure it has the rainge you need, Goes low amp.

 

I bought a Hobart Handler 187 on sale from Tractor supply last year and haven't looked back. My buddy has a Miller with autoset and the damn thing will nearly weld by itself, but it won't weld any better than my Hobart. Depends what you want to spend, but get a 220 volt and make sure you have an adequate feed cable from your box...

 

was readind your reply about mig welders when you mentioned easy grind mig welding wire can you tell me more about it and were to get it

 

Miller 212 is the answer for me.

Bob

 

I also have a miller 212 and it's just a great welder

 

I have an HTP 160 bought in 1993. It's been an excellent machine. Absolutely no problems in 18 years of hobby use.

 

I ran a Miller Millermatic 211 for several years in college and LOVED it. I also spent some time on a lincoln. When I went to purchase my own, I was able to get a good deal at tractor supply on a comparable Hobart Handler 140 (350$, it was awesome). I like it a lot, and I love it for the price, but I do miss the variable amperage range (came in real handy for what you mentioned, sheet metal) of the 211.......

Depends on what kind of cabbage you want to spend, bout 1k for the miller versus 500$ for the hobart. If I could afford it, I'd go with the miller. However I can't complain with my hobart it does real well with 18 ga. and up stuff.....

Hobart and Miller are both subs of ITW so they have a lot of comparable if not of the same parts in them.

 

for a nice home shop Mig. Miller 180 auto set..hard to beat for the price and reliability

 

It's already been said and said well by by everyone above. Buy a Red (Lincoln), White (Hobart), or Blue (Miller) machine. Go for the best machine you can swing and go 220. I have a Miller Maxstar 150sth, a 12 year old Miller 130xp mig, and a Lincoln Ranger 225. they are all fantastic at what they do. Don't cheap out on yourself and you will fall in love with welding, rather than doubting your skills. Happy shopping! Let us know what you go with!

 

The best advice I can give you is, to deal with a local welding supply co.. I've been in this game for more than 35 years and found it's best to have a good back up source for service and supplys.I've got gas, mig,tig and sitck welders plus a plasma cutter in my inventory . Buy the best you can afford from a local dealer and you will always have a place to have your questions answered and problems solved.

.........Jack

 

I had the same clark welder and used it for 20 years. Just got a Lincoln 180 (220v) and I love it. I finally can weld thicker material with nice penetration. No more worries about cold welds. I can switch the wire and also do thin stuff too. It sucks spending the dough, but sometimes you just gotta go for it. Good luck!!

 

USED MILLERMATIC 2OO Handsdown the best contained wirefed machine miller ever produced. do a craigslist search for one. This was the pinnacle soild state mig machine for miller. it old but it'll outlast most people on this site. It does not have fancy guages or lights, but it welds better than any new produced machine. most actually have spot timers and pulsers.

 

Miller owns Hobart.......My Hobart came with a Miller gun.

I suggest buying your gas bottle, but don't put your name on it. When you need another bottle. Just swap it out. That way, you always have a certified bottle.

Don't rent the bottles......that is for suckers.

 

I'm going shopping this afternoon. I'll start with the local shops first; I've got no problem with mail order, but since I'm in Canada the cost savings sometimes aren't there by the time you pay the extra customs fees, etc...

 

I had the Hobart 125, very nice machine, after 5 years I blew the board out. The welding supply gave me some nice trade in coin on it and I got the Miller 180, beautiful machine, I love it!

 

I replaced my cheapo import with a Miller 140 Autoset and love it. If I had 220v. available everywhere I weld I'd have gone to the 180, but the 140 using 120v. gives a lot of flexibility when you're not doing all your welding in one spot.