Basil Exposition wrote: Agree. A 220v welder has more flexibility and isn't terribly more expensive. I think the Eastwood one comes with a hand reel to weld aluminum, for example, something I haven't found on any 110v welder.
For what it's worth, pretty much every 110v MIG will take a spool gun. For aluminum, I believe 100% argon or trimix is used.
e_pie wrote:Strike_Zero wrote: I think a I see a Welder on the XMAS list for this year. I'm tired of seeing you guys build cool E36 M3. I wanna build some cool E36 M3 tooFrom everything I've read you will want a 220v if you have the hookups for it.The Eastwood MIG looks good and Tractor supply had some Hobarts just waiting to plucked from the shelves . . . I can't decide on 110v or 220v. I have both in the garage. The 220v was a requirement when we built the house
the only reason i can think of NOT to get a 220v if you're already wired for it is if you plan to use the portability of the smaller machines and where you bring it wont always have 220v available (assuming the welder isnt a 110/220 unit). i've dragged my 110v all over the place and as long as i'm not welding much more than 1/8" it's been pretty happy using longish extension cords even.
I just checked Eastwood out on E-Bay. They have a deal with a 110vac/ 135 amp welder with a spoolgun, for 499.00 with free shipping. THAT is a deal!
I run aluminum wire in my little 70 amp HF MIG welder, 110V. I have even, on occasion, successfully welded something aluminum with it.
The advantage of the 110V wire feed is you can load it up with flux core wire and take it anywhere. Friend's house, porch, trailer in the driveway, wherever. There's always 110V available. I suspect the 220V welders are better for heavier work.
The Hobart Handler I used had nothing on my HF. It also had the always on thing with the trigger just running the wire. I didn't like that.
Good god, man, tell me more (ALL ABOUT) this aluminum wire thing before my head explodes from anticipation.
I guarantee i will be ghetto-welding aluminum ASAP upon hearing your explanation..
If you're using a gas setup with it well then.. thats not cheap/ghetto enough for me, hehe.
In reply to Dr. Hess:
Ho-ly Mo-ly - never thought about being able to run aluminum wire through the small HF welder.
I do like the portable side of the 110V models
Toyman01 wrote: Learn to put down a pretty bead with a cheap MIG, and you can use an expensive one with your eyes closed.
I do some pretty good exhaust welds with that one, so I must be friggen Picaso now... Wait.. Do I really want to compare myself to a guy who was known for.... never mind.
I enjoy working with that welder and I think I paid the same amount for it. I also busted to handle on it, but its no problem for my 130 lb ass to carry it around under my arm.
Next project is bumpers for the F150 made of diamond plate steel similar to those used on A&E's "Jacked." Mine will be prettier and likely mount more lights. Because I don't have enough lights.
Big ass indestructable bumpers from "Jacked." Me likey.
Yeah, guys, it ain't no big deal. 99% of what I weld is stainless, and 99% of that is 304. Like this, for example:
You can weld stainless with either mixed gas (argon and some CO2) or with straight argon. I use straight argon because when you want to weld aluminum (about 0.4% of what I weld), then you need straight argon. I don't do a lot of aluminum, but when I need to, it comes in real handy. Like, for example, the shifter lockout on my Esprit. The English, in their engineering magnificence, put a little plastic button over a bolt and had that rides up against the an aluminum block for the reverse lockout. The button, of course, disintegrates and the bolt head gouges out the aluminum block. So, I changed out my wire to my aluminum wire spool (available anywhere welding supplies are sold), set everything on high and cranked up the wire speed and filled in the gouge, then ground it back down smooth. Worked fine. Broke an aluminum bottle opener, our only bottle opener besides my pocket knife. Apparently the 3 lb sledge hammer was a bit much for the fine tuning I was attempting. Anyway, clamped it back together, hit it with the MIG set up for aluminum, fixed good as new. Better, actually, because it now opens bottles again.
Anyway, I suggest splurging the extra fifty bucks or whatever and getting the HF welder that can do gas or flux core wire. It is well worth it. Unless all you ever want to run is flux core on carbon steel.
Oh, when I broke down in S.D., limped in to Pierre and took my bike apart, shown here, behind the motel:
the cause was eventually determined to be a shattered crossover tube, the exhaust pipe tube that comes out of #2 cylinder. The dealer didn't have one, of course, as they are now unobtainium, but let me use his Hobart Handler MIG on what I had. That was the worst, ugliest welding I have ever done, and that's saying something, but it held up just fine and got me home. As I said, that Hobart Handler had nothing on my HF Italian made MIG.
N Sperlo wrote: I also busted to handle on it, but its no problem for my 130 lb ass to carry it around under my arm.
The handle broke off mine when a friend dumped it out of the back of his truck at 30mph. I just flipped the machine on and welded it back on. First time I've ever used a welder to weld something to itself. Kind of nervous when I started. Just waiting for that big puff of magic smoke to rise out of it.
In reply to Toyman01:
Hmm.. How do you weld plastic with that?
N Sperlo wrote: In reply to Toyman01: Hmm.. How do you weld plastic with that?
Metal handle, metal box on my little welder. It's kind of old. 
Thats kind of like a bridgeport mill making itself
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