Buying a Welder, Need Some Help Sorting Out the Vast Array of Choices

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Buying a Welder, Need Some Help Sorting Out the Vast Array of Choices rvb 03-15-2008
Posted by rvb on March 15, 2008, 12:16 am
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 I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I've been
mulling all this over for awhile and have hit a wall. I need some
help.

I have not been active in the group for a long time. I've been taking
Ernie's advice on my education plan and over the past two years I have
done gas welding and stick welding. I also just passed my 3G test in
stick. Woohoo!

So, now is the time to buy a machine of my own. I've tried to go back
through the group and look at the archived messages regarding 'which
welder to buy'. I have also been comparing things online and getting
some prices from local suppliers. As it turns out, I can get a 40%
discount through my welding school here in Kentucky. Needless to say
I'll be taking advantage of this, but believe it or not need some help
spending my money. ;)

I was recently GIVEN! a Lincoln 225 AC welder. I am adding a plug and
work clamp and it will hopefully be operational this weekend. I've
never used one of these machines, but I'm looking forward to it. I've
mainly been doing stick DCEP and really enjoy it. However, I think I
will be progressing onto MIG and then TIG. The goal is to be able to
weld all processes and, at the very least, mild and stainless steel
and aluminum.

My brother-in-law has an equipment and party rental business and rents
seeders, tractors, implements, tables, chairs, tents, etc. Stick is
really handy for a lot of the heavier stuff, but a lot of the party
stuff is aluminum. Aside from that, I do some art/general
blacksmithing and am learning horseshoeing. Stick will be good for
these as well.

So, I'm trying to decide if I should just buy a Miller Bluestar 185 DX
so that I can have portability (for back and forth to my
brother-in-law's shop, field repairs, etc.) OR buy a Millermatic 252
for the speed, ease of use, and the ability to add a spool gun for
aluminum OR to buy a Synchrowave 200 machine for the ability to weld
everything, albeit slower. What say you all? Keep in mind that I
have single-phase 100 amp service in my barn (which is where the
equipment will live and work most of the time) and need something that
will fit the panel.

Any advice about these machines or Lincoln versions of similar?
Anything else I should be considering; a Miller Maxstar 200 (SD, DX,
LX?) perhaps? I'm open to any and all advice. I don't need to buy
the end-all be-all machine, but want to make a smart purchase that
will serve me well now and as my needs grow.

Thanks,

rvb

--
As Iron Sharpens Iron,
So One Man Sharpens Another.
Proverbs 27:17

Posted by Grant Erwin on March 14, 2008, 11:38 pm
Please log in for more thread options
 rvb wrote:
> I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I've been
> mulling all this over for awhile and have hit a wall. I need some
> help.
>
> I have not been active in the group for a long time. I've been taking
> Ernie's advice on my education plan and over the past two years I have
> done gas welding and stick welding. I also just passed my 3G test in
> stick. Woohoo!
>
> So, now is the time to buy a machine of my own. I've tried to go back
> through the group and look at the archived messages regarding 'which
> welder to buy'. I have also been comparing things online and getting
> some prices from local suppliers. As it turns out, I can get a 40%
> discount through my welding school here in Kentucky. Needless to say
> I'll be taking advantage of this, but believe it or not need some help
> spending my money. ;)
>
> I was recently GIVEN! a Lincoln 225 AC welder. I am adding a plug and
> work clamp and it will hopefully be operational this weekend. I've
> never used one of these machines, but I'm looking forward to it. I've
> mainly been doing stick DCEP and really enjoy it. However, I think I
> will be progressing onto MIG and then TIG. The goal is to be able to
> weld all processes and, at the very least, mild and stainless steel
> and aluminum.
>
> My brother-in-law has an equipment and party rental business and rents
> seeders, tractors, implements, tables, chairs, tents, etc. Stick is
> really handy for a lot of the heavier stuff, but a lot of the party
> stuff is aluminum. Aside from that, I do some art/general
> blacksmithing and am learning horseshoeing. Stick will be good for
> these as well.
>
> So, I'm trying to decide if I should just buy a Miller Bluestar 185 DX
> so that I can have portability (for back and forth to my
> brother-in-law's shop, field repairs, etc.) OR buy a Millermatic 252
> for the speed, ease of use, and the ability to add a spool gun for
> aluminum OR to buy a Synchrowave 200 machine for the ability to weld
> everything, albeit slower. What say you all? Keep in mind that I
> have single-phase 100 amp service in my barn (which is where the
> equipment will live and work most of the time) and need something that
> will fit the panel.
>
> Any advice about these machines or Lincoln versions of similar?
> Anything else I should be considering; a Miller Maxstar 200 (SD, DX,
> LX?) perhaps? I'm open to any and all advice. I don't need to buy
> the end-all be-all machine, but want to make a smart purchase that
> will serve me well now and as my needs grow.

1. Sell the AC buzzbox
2. Buy an AC/DC buzzbox for stick welding
3. Buy as much MIG welder as you can afford (the MM252 is a great choice)
4. Add a spoolgun when you need it and can afford it

If you need to haul over to your brother's, you can easily load a small
buzzbox (my fave is the Miller Thunderbolt from a few years ago with
detachable leads, commonly sold in my area - Seattle - for as low as $100
if you watch Craigslist) into your car. Standardize welding receptacles
between your house & your brother's. Buy a 50' length of 8-3 or 10-3
and make up a welder extension cord. If you need to go weld in a field,
rent a gas-powered welder or borrow one.

When you need to start TIG welding, then come back.

GWE

Posted by Rick Barer on March 18, 2008, 10:47 am
Please log in for more thread options
> rvb wrote:
> > I apologize in advance for the length of this post, but I've been
> > mulling all this over for awhile and have hit a wall. I need some
> > help.
>
> > I have not been active in the group for a long time. I've been taking
> > Ernie's advice on my education plan and over the past two years I have
> > done gas welding and stick welding. I also just passed my 3G test in
> > stick. Woohoo!
>
> > So, now is the time to buy a machine of my own. I've tried to go back
> > through the group and look at the archived messages regarding 'which
> > welder to buy'. I have also been comparing things online and getting
> > some prices from local suppliers. As it turns out, I can get a 40%
> > discount through my welding school here in Kentucky. Needless to say
> > I'll be taking advantage of this, but believe it or not need some help
> > spending my money. ;)
>
> > I was recently GIVEN! a Lincoln 225 AC welder. I am adding a plug and
> > work clamp and it will hopefully be operational this weekend. I've
> > never used one of these machines, but I'm looking forward to it. I've
> > mainly been doing stick DCEP and really enjoy it. However, I think I
> > will be progressing onto MIG and then TIG. The goal is to be able to
> > weld all processes and, at the very least, mild and stainless steel
> > and aluminum.
>
> > My brother-in-law has an equipment and party rental business and rents
> > seeders, tractors, implements, tables, chairs, tents, etc. Stick is
> > really handy for a lot of the heavier stuff, but a lot of the party
> > stuff is aluminum. Aside from that, I do some art/general
> > blacksmithing and am learning horseshoeing. Stick will be good for
> > these as well.
>
> > So, I'm trying to decide if I should just buy a Miller Bluestar 185 DX
> > so that I can have portability (for back and forth to my
> > brother-in-law's shop, field repairs, etc.) OR buy a Millermatic 252
> > for the speed, ease of use, and the ability to add a spool gun for
> > aluminum OR to buy a Synchrowave 200 machine for the ability to weld
> > everything, albeit slower. What say you all? Keep in mind that I
> > have single-phase 100 amp service in my barn (which is where the
> > equipment will live and work most of the time) and need something that
> > will fit the panel.
>
> > Any advice about these machines or Lincoln versions of similar?
> > Anything else I should be considering; a Miller Maxstar 200 (SD, DX,
> > LX?) perhaps? I'm open to any and all advice. I don't need to buy
> > the end-all be-all machine, but want to make a smart purchase that
> > will serve me well now and as my needs grow.
>
> 1. Sell the AC buzzbox
> 2. Buy an AC/DC buzzbox for stick welding
> 3. Buy as much MIG welder as you can afford (the MM252 is a great choice)
> 4. Add a spoolgun when you need it and can afford it
>
> If you need to haul over to your brother's, you can easily load a small
> buzzbox (my fave is the Miller Thunderbolt from a few years ago with
> detachable leads, commonly sold in my area - Seattle - for as low as $100
> if you watch Craigslist) into your car. Standardize welding receptacles
> between your house & your brother's. Buy a 50' length of 8-3 or 10-3
> and make up a welder extension cord. If you need to go weld in a field,
> rent a gas-powered welder or borrow one.
>
> When you need to start TIG welding, then come back.
>
> GWE

Grant,

Thanks for the info. I have another question for you. Will a spool
gun be the best choice for welding aluminum for say farrier rigs? It
looks like all the welds are TIG welded on this

See the links:
http://www.3wtruckandequipment.com/veterinarian-farrier-truck-bedse.htm

http://www.horseshoes.com/supplies/alphabet/georgiafarriersupply/media/truckbodyflatbed.jpg

I already have some farriers wanting me to add some shelves and stuff
to their rigs and to make repairs so I'm curious whether or not I
should buy the spool gun or a TIG machine.

Posted by Ernie Leimkuhler on March 19, 2008, 2:55 am
Please log in for more thread options
In article

>
>
> Thanks for the info. I have another question for you. Will a spool
> gun be the best choice for welding aluminum for say farrier rigs? It
> looks like all the welds are TIG welded on this
>
> See the links:
> http://www.3wtruckandequipment.com/veterinarian-farrier-truck-bedse.htm
> http://www.horseshoes.com/supplies/alphabet/georgiafarriersupply/media/tru
> ckbodyflatbed.jpg
>
> I already have some farriers wanting me to add some shelves and stuff
> to their rigs and to make repairs so I'm curious whether or not I
> should buy the spool gun or a TIG machine.

A spoolgun is much much easier to use for welding aluminum, especially
on a truck.
You will still need to get the truck inside a building or build a tarp
tent around the work so you won't get a breeze.


I stand behind the Readywelder as an excellent spoolgun solution.
I love mine.

www.readywelder.com

BTW it is very hard to tell the difference between a pulsed MIG weld and
a TIG weld on aluminum if using a high end aluminum MIG machine.

Posted by rvb on March 19, 2008, 9:28 am
Please log in for more thread options
On Tue, 18 Mar 2008 23:55:17 -0700, Ernie Leimkuhler

>In article
>
>>
>>
>> Thanks for the info. I have another question for you. Will a spool
>> gun be the best choice for welding aluminum for say farrier rigs? It
>> looks like all the welds are TIG welded on this
>>
>> See the links:
>> http://www.3wtruckandequipment.com/veterinarian-farrier-truck-bedse.htm
>> http://www.horseshoes.com/supplies/alphabet/georgiafarriersupply/media/tru
>> ckbodyflatbed.jpg
>>
>> I already have some farriers wanting me to add some shelves and stuff
>> to their rigs and to make repairs so I'm curious whether or not I
>> should buy the spool gun or a TIG machine.
>
>A spoolgun is much much easier to use for welding aluminum, especially
>on a truck.
>You will still need to get the truck inside a building or build a tarp
>tent around the work so you won't get a breeze.
>
>
>I stand behind the Readywelder as an excellent spoolgun solution.
>I love mine.
>
>www.readywelder.com
>
>BTW it is very hard to tell the difference between a pulsed MIG weld and
>a TIG weld on aluminum if using a high end aluminum MIG machine.

I got to use a spool gun with aluminum last night for the first time.
Wow! So darn fast!

I looked up the ReadyWelder and it seems awesome! And it looks like I
could use a DC only Constant Current power source and still be able to
weld aluminum? The only thing that gives me pause is this from their
FAQ:

5. Can I connect the RW-II to my Miller/Lincoln etc MIG or ARC welder
to use as a "spool gun" attachment?

Answer: Quite possibly. The RW-II was designed for pure DC and does
not tolerate AC, voltage spikes or input levels which exceed 48 volts.
The circuit board brain of the RW-II is very sensitive to waveform
distortions as well. Welding machines with "constant voltage" and/or
"constant current" DC outputs which can be adjusted to levels between
24 and 36 volts DC, may work just fine, but keep in mind that the
RW-II was designed for batteries and any other power source may cause
problems.

Ernie,

How do you use the ReadyWelder and what would you recommend as a
setup? I'm thinking of buying a Millermatic 252 and would want to use
it with that. And if the ReadyWelder will work with a DC CC power
supply, I might actually buy the MM 252 with a Maxstar 150 for
portability.

Input is appreciated.

Thanks,

rvb
--
As Iron Sharpens Iron,
So One Man Sharpens Another.
Proverbs 27:17

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