looking for a dirt cheap mig/tig

grumpyvette

Administrator
Staff member
andy said:
grumpy Im, looking for a dirt cheap mig/tig to replace some floor panels and a rusted trunk floor and lower quarter panel on my GTO, I see HARBOR FREIGHT HAS THOSE CHEAP WELDERS???
Sorry, I meant this welder: Flux Core Arc Welder (FCAW)
Link

[/quote]
https://weldingpros.net/best-mig-welder-reviews/

http://www.usaweld.com/TIG-WELDER-Invertig-221-Welder-p/70221-12.5-1.htm

most of us are consistently on fairly limited budgets and that's always a real P.I.T,A,
but cheaper equipment that won't do the job is totally wasted money

because the better quality welders DO make welding easier and they do have additional features.
every once in a while I get some spare cash and it usually goes into new tools.
what I'm trying to say, here is that
you'll rarely regret buying better quality tools and in many cases you'll try them,
out and wonder why you struggled so long with the old cheap crap after buying them.
IVE used a great many low cost welders and of the lower cost welders available I think this is one of the better bargains.
now that being said Id step back and think about what you intend to do, if its a single minor repair it will more than likely be cheaper and easier to buy the replacement panel and have some local body shop or local member of a muscle car club with a welder help you replace it.
Duty cycle on that HF flux core welder and the lincoln is listed at 20% @ 90 AC amps the difference is the LINCOLN IS A TRUE MIG WITH A GAS SHIELD AND REGULATOR, which will allow far nicer weld quality and less splatter, less porous welds that require far less grinding to clean up.

the listed DUTY CYCLE is 20% that means that in any 10 minute time period you can weld for TWO minutes and MUST LET IT COOL 8 Minutes or RISK BURNING IT UP, you won,t be using a full 90 amps on sheet metal but you must be aware that the machine can be damaged if over heated thru constant or near continual use

ID advise getting a cheap face shield that works, these HF are a decent low cost value
facem.png

http://www.harborfreight.com/adjustable ... 46092.html
facema.png

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... -_-Welding>Wirefeed%20Welding-_-29999

a good quality 130-140 amp MIG is almost ideal for body sheet metal welding jobs,its a darn good choice if your unlikely to use it on much more than auto sheet steel, and rarely over about 3/16" thick metal
much superior to the cheap flux core wire welders I see a few guys using.


http://www.welders-direct.com/mm5/m...t_Code=THA-W1003141&Attributes=Yes&Quantity=1

http://www.welders-direct.com/mm5/m...e_Code=WD&Product_Code=907612&Category_Code=M

https://www.weldingmart.com/lincoln-power-mig-140c-k2471-2

https://www.bestreviewslist.com/best-mig-welder/

Ive used a friends lincoln mig several times on body sheet metal at his shop with good results, but remember as you turn the amps up the duty cycle goes down and the cool down time between welding sessions increases
PM140C.jpg


http://www.welders-direct.com/mm5/m..._Code=WD&Product_Code=K2471-2&Category_Code=L

https://www.bestreviewslist.com/best-mig-welder/

keep in mind shield gas and wire selection,
surface prep, plus experience,
all effect the weld quality,
and the larger amp migs can generally do the jobs that the lower amp rated migs can do, while the larger amp migs can also do the thicker stuff that out of the lower amp migs effective range, one other difference is DUTY CYCLE, the larger amp rated migs can be used almost constantly at the lower amp settings without over-heating or needing cool down time, something not generally true in the lower amp range migs

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/shield-gas-selection-for-welding.1108/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/mig-wire-selection.1283/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/mig-or-tig.72/

http://garage.grumpysperformance.com/index.php?threads/most-versital-shop-welder.1594/

now if you want a decent welder that can do a good deal more than sheet metal repairs the price naturally goes up, but so does the capability's, and a bit of research helps as will taking a welding class or two to gain some skills.
you can certainly shop for a good used welder at a significant discount, but obviously you need to know what your looking at and how to test its function.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
I watched this video, mostly out of curiosity , and several times the guy says something like
"wow, this 170 amp titanium welder is noticeably better than the 90 amp flux core HF welder"
well ignoring the fact thats a damn low bar of performance too use for comparison
hes impressed with the welds (THEY LOOK LIKE CRAP) and,
I certainly would NOT recommend you get that welder
,if the video is the result of the proper use of that welder.
Ive seen a rather similar LINCOLN 110 volt MIG welder produce much better-looking welds
honestly I can,t see anything that impressed me,
in fact I'd suggest you skip that class/ brand of welder.
keep in mind technology tends to improve over time, so about every 5-7 years ,
theres a very noticeable improvement in welder technology,
this results in prices dropping and older welders coming up for sale at discount prices.

watch for deals as shops upgrade to newer equipment,
and trade in older technology welders that still work well .
 
Last edited:
https://weldingpros.net/best-mig-welder-reviews/

never heard of these guys but they got a decent review so far

https://yeswelder.com/products/tig250p-acdc

 
Last edited:



 
Last edited:
Back
Top