Thinking of a new MIG - looking for advice

I have a weldmark 140 it has the gun and face of a hobart handler 140. Been pretty solid for me doing sheet and lower gauge structural.

 

i've got the miller 211 also... a great machine. i got it last year at Airgas for $877.00 without any kind of discount, just asked for the best deal they had and quoted the price at one of their competitors

 

Millermatic 211. I've had it for one year now and it peforms miracles for me and I AM A TRUE NOVICE WELDER.

 

x2 I used a 211 miller and I was amazed how well it welds on just 110 I would recommend it to anyone.

 

I just bought a Miller 180 Autoset at Columbus Goodguys Show. Could not be happier! I went back and forth between it an a Lincoln. Looks to be a better made unit. Love it!

 

I weld pipe for a living and the company i work for only uses Miller welders and that what i have at home and have had the best luck with.

 

I also have a Miller 211 . I m a beginner, so the welder has more capability than I have
I ve used it from gauge 18 to 3/8 heavy metal with success .
I can even weld body panels with cheap 0.30 flux core easily ...

I don t know the other welders , but this one is a best tools I ever bought .

You in US are lucky .... It seems the cost is 900 or 1000 $ for you .... In Canada it was 1500 CAD $ 2 years ago

 

Thanks again for all the input. Great advice is why I love the HAMB.

I checked out a local shop that sells both Lincoln & Miller, so price checking was easy. I looked @ the Lincoln 140 and 180, and the Miller 180 & 211. All fell into the price range of $825 for the Linclon powermig 140, to a little over a grand for the Miller 211. All have variable amperage control that I think should do the trick.

Question for the guys who have the Miller 211. What guage wire do you use on sheetmetal? I noticed the Autoset feature of the 211 was set up for .030&.035 wire; I'm used to using .023 with my cheapo welder.

 

Like many others, I bought a miller 211, and its been awesome so far. Im not a hugely experienced welder, but the machine has performed greatly for me so far.

 

miller 211

 

There's a good bit of truth in that statement, but- take his favorite hammer, saw the handle off 1" from the head, hand it back to him and remind him that it's a crappy carpenter who blames his tools.

I've used lots of Millers, and love them. Used Lincolns and love them, too. But the best MIG I've ever used, hands down, was a Hobart.

You're not going to go wrong with any of those. Just remember one lesson that your Clarke has taught you in a hard way- do NOT get a welder with a set number od predetermined amperage settings. Get one with a dial so you have infinite adjustability in the amp range of the unit.

Also- I go with .025 wire when welding sheetmetal. With .025, I find it easier to find an amperage setting that works well for both the wire and the metal. But, that's with MY welder. The one you get may be different. You may want to experiment

 

Any good brand will do, I have the 220 Lincoln and am very satisfied with it.

 

Yep, get a 220 volt, much better welds the 110s work but are a pain in the ass sometimes

 

I prefer using 0.25 with gas , of course , but when I m out of $$, I use 0.30 coreflux, and with a little practice , it s not so difficult .
Not perfect , or "metal finish" , but really decent results with it .
Considering the fact I m still a beginner , if I can do it , quite anyone can too
This was done on a OT car , with 0.35 core flux Lincoln from Canadian Tire
Can t remember the gauge , but a 92 car is usually thin ...