Think I found a pretty good deal on a welder

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200447703_200447703

I'm in the market for a small, portable welder to learn on and eventually do small stuff with (exhaust systems, random repairs, brackets, maybe weld up a small cargo basket for the trailer hitch, no roll cages or anything like that). A 220v one isn't really viable for me (I live in a house split up into apartments, and don't have a garage, and if I did, it'd be rented and probably not have 220v outlets). This one can also be upgraded to full on MIG eventually. Plus the deal is free shipping and a free cart for it. I can't find used ones on Craigslist for that cheap. So what does the GRM universe say?

As a side note, my practice material will be all the scrap stainless left over from zee Germans building the new brewery, there's bins upon bins of it. Most of it is tubing, probably 1/8" or 3/16" wall. How suicidal is it to try to learn on stainless tubing?

My dad has the 140. It's a great machine.

You should be fine learning on scraps as long as they aren't so thin they melt. I use a harbor freight one I haul around and keep in the shed. I've done exhaust successfully. I taught myself. If you call it portable and affordable, go for it.

any practice is good practice but if you're going to weld mild steel primarily practice on mild steel, all shapes, sizes and different thickness

Toyman01 wrote: My dad has the 140. It's a great machine.

i agree. this is the one you want...

i have welded every project from 22g to 1/4 plate with it for 10 years. AWESOME welder. you will be glad you did, it's ready for gas, and will plug into any 110v outlet.

stainless and mig is not a good mix. but it is the easiest metal to weld with a tig.

That's a good price. Makes me want it.

I believe the problem with stainless is the fumes.

This welder is a flux core unit, not a true MIG. You will not successfully weld stainless with flux core. I did mig a bit with stainless, but it requires straight argon, not the mix that works with regular steel. And stainless wire, too. Never tried mix gas and regular wire, hey, it might stick.

if any way possible splurge for gas... all my stuff has been flux and it's a PITA (all i've used so far... its messy and ugly)... if nothing make sure whatever you get can be upgraded to true MIG vs flux (as you mentioned that one can)

The Lincoln 140 is a "real" welder - I'd wait if at all possible for a Miller, Lincoln or Hobart machine over anything of Chinese manufacture. The Italian machines made by Cerbora aren't terrible - I did a huge amount of work w/ a $250 used Daytona Mig 130.

The best bet is, if you can swap time for value, to trawl criagslist via searchtempest for a used larger machine. I ended up with a Millermatic 185 which is excellent. Plenty of power for big stuff, capable of little stuff, I never run up against the duty cycle limits.

@ mr2peak - you may be thinking of galvanized steel. The welding fumes contain hexavalent chromium (iirc) which is some seriously nasty sh1t. Stainless is clean - TIG welding stainless is the cleanest thing I do in my shop...

Stainless releases hexchrome

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hexchrom/

In fact, I have never heard of galvanized steel releasing hexchrome, just zinc.

The only metals that are truely safe to weld is mild steel and supposedly the carbon steel varieties like 4130.

Aluminum welding releases aluminum oxide, which if you look at your deodorant, is usually the #1 active ingredient. I don't do lines of Old Spice, so I wouldn't look to inhale aluminum welding fumes either.

motomoron wrote: I ended up with a Millermatic 185 which is excellent. Plenty of power for big stuff, capable of little stuff, I never run up against the duty cycle limits.

Bingo, I have that one too. Great all around machine. 60% duty cycle is fine as I'm not into production work but I really push it when I rarely have to. From body sheet metal to 1/4", occasional 3/8" works great w/ .035, rarely have to change the spool to lighter gauge wire... just cause I'm lazy. The 185 was phased out but I'm glad I snagged it when I did, no complaints here.

I stand corrected, and will commence use of an appropriate respirator when welding...umm...anything.

Do a survey of your abode before you reject 220V units. If you have a dryer or kitchen range close to the garage, you can (usually) run a 220V line off that circuit.

Rog

Is there a quick primer on the various kinds of welding technologies, pros/cons/appropriate applications, costs and other considerations? Looking to potentially get a unit and really don't know where to start educating myself. Zero experience and will self teach using online videos, etc; would use for exhaust, fabbing metal racks, etc. Is there a setup that could be configured to cut also?

Get a Lincoln 140C or a Millermatic 140.

Then if you want a cutter get any plasma cutter rated to the size of metal you will be cutting. Pilot arc is nice.

But to be honest a chop saw and a good bench grinder will do 95% of everything car related

Finally go get a lot of scrap metal and practice until you can lay beads in your sleep.

I love my lincoln PowerMIG 180. Do not get their ProMIG 180.

Teggsan wrote: Is there a quick primer on the various kinds of welding technologies, pros/cons/appropriate applications, costs and other considerations? Looking to potentially get a unit and really don't know where to start educating myself. Zero experience and will self teach using online videos, etc; would use for exhaust, fabbing metal racks, etc. Is there a setup that could be configured to cut also?

good place to start:

http://www.millerwelds.com/resources/articles/search/

lots of videos and articles

I think that's the same one our fsae team has. We've had it for 6 years now and its been great! I believe it's either made by miller or at least uses miller parts.

motomoron wrote: @ mr2peak - you may be thinking of galvanized steel. The welding fumes contain hexavalent chromium (iirc) which is some seriously nasty sh1t. Stainless is clean - TIG welding stainless is the cleanest thing I do in my shop...

http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/welding-fume-extractor.html

Actually Hexavalent Chromium is released when welding corrosive resistant alloys and metals, including stainless and galvanized metals. So yeah, good idea to wear a respirator!

Maybe GRM should do an article on welding safety :)

I had noticed that all zee Germans at work are using TIG...only problem is, most TIG machines start at the resale value of a typical GRM reader's daily driver, not a welder. Well, I meant to say they're expensive, perhaps that was a bad analogy

There is a 220v outlet in my apartment behind the stove, and there's one in the basement behind the driers, but I'm pretty sure my landlord would be pissed about that one, because he pays the bill on the circuit in the basement. I can imagine welding draws quite a few amps...so I'd either need a super-long extension cord that runs from the kitchen out the window and down the side of the house to the driveway, or steal the landlord's electric...

Maybe I'll put this off for a bit, $350 was even pushing my budget. We own a MIG/stick welder at work, perhaps I'll just use that to learn and fab up my exhaust system. It's finicky, though (amp controller is broken intermittently), and having your own is nice, but I'm poor. No one ever got rich brewing beer unless their name was Pabst, Busch, or Coors