What welder are you using?

I am still wanting to build my own brew stand, however, I don't feel it will be worth it money wise if I have to buy a $600 welder, plus materials. I have been looking for welders and found this one:
http://www.harborfreight.com/90-amp-flux-wire-welder-98871.html

I plan on using 2"x2"x16ga tubing for the stand, please give me feedback on the welder itself, and I would be curious to see what welder you guys are using.

I would purchase a quality welder, Miller, Lincoln, etc. because you will use it much more than you think. My dad gave me a small miller wire feed and I thought I would use it every now and then, turns out I use it all the time. So, with that being said, think of it as a good investment that will soon pay for itself.

What about one like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

I think most people have had decent luck with the HF welders, but I would suggest going a bit higher on the amps. And I would not even consider getting a MIG welder without a gas setup to go with it. The ease of use and quality of welds with gas is amazing IMO.

I spend a fair amount for a Lincoln HandyMIG and it works pretty good, but I've already had to replace the heat range switches on it, so they are not infallible.

If you are a handy person, just owning a welder is a good thing. I bought mine to do body work on my old mustang and have found a TON of other uses for it. It makes fixing and building things a whole lot easier.

But my advice is to spend closer to $200 and see if you can get a gas rig for that, even if it's a 110V HF model. And if you weld a LOT, going with a Miller or other big name is going to be more important.

I have a Lincoln 140 Mig Welder. I bought it used on craigslist for $250 including helmet and gloves. Definitely worth it.

If you don't want to spend the money, maybe see if they have a tech shop near you where you use the tools in their shop and just pay for time. I know they are popping up all over.

Deuce said:

What about one like this:
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

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That is exactly the model I have and it works well. Note that you get a gas option with that, but you still have to buy a cylinder and have it filled.

It should weld brewstand material very easily. Car body panels might take a bit of practice. 1/8" stock seems to be pretty nice with it.

120 volt Miller Mig. My other hobby is tinkering with motorcycles and this is a great set up to own. Yes Harbor Freight is a cheaper in price welder and hey you might love it, but IMO, do yourself a favor and buy a nicer welder.

I bought this one harborfreight 120A 230V mig-and & flux welder a few years ago. I have it set up for mig welding with gas instead of flux wire. It works very well for me. It took me a while to learn the process (lots of test my skills welds) but it does a nice job. As much as I use it, the price was right for me. I didn't want to dump a bunch of $'s on something I would only use once in a while.

Edit: BTW, I also do SS welds with it. With the correct wire, it's good to go.

I'm pleased with my Lincoln 140HD. It will do most anything in my relm of experience and know how. LOL I may regret it one day not getting its bigger brother in the 220v category. But right now it does a nice job with what I want it to do.

BTW, the right shielding gas makes a world of difference. I dunno if yours has the regs or does gas as an option. But there is a whole lot less mess. Especially since I am a weekend warrior/welder.

Diver165 said:

...
BTW, the right shielding gas makes a world of difference. I dunno if yours has the regs or does gas as an option. But there is a whole lot less mess. Especially since I am a weekend warrior/welder.

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You have that right. I use shield gas with a regulator and also back gas shield the weld when I do SS work. Works great for me.

I like my Hobart handler 140 I got from Northern Tool. It's a very good machine for the money, and comes with everything but a bottle. It has paid for itself many times over.

I'm a hack when it comes to welding, so take my advice for what it's worth, which isn't much. The 90 amp HF welder won't allow you to do solid welds with thicker material, but if you're doing light work (under 1/8" thick), it's supposed to be a nice little welder for the money. The two HF welders a step up from that one have mig capabilites and can be modded and turned into pretty nice welders. They are the mig 151 (linked by P-J above) and the mig 171. There are a lot of tutorials for the mods on the welding web forums. One downside to the HF welders is that they're all hot tip, which is both frustrating in tight spaces, and makes the learning curve for those just starting out a bit more difficult. The other downside to the HF welders is that it only has 4 output settings (min/max and 1/2). If you want a cold tip and good performance without any mods, I'd look at Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart.

The only problem with a lot of these 120A models is they require a 220 source, which I don't have. I know nothing about welding, but would love to be able to do some SS welding as well.

So lets say I was to be building a stand out of 2"x2"x16ga tubing, would the lincoln handy welder I linked above work fine. Only other work I would be doing is maybe building some kickass bunk beds for the kids

Without 220V you're not going to have enough power to get solid welds with thicker materials, but the 120V welders have more than enough power for 16 gauge steel. The licoln above would be fine for a brewstand or bunkbeds.

What should I expect to pay for a bottle of gas?
-or-
has anyone used a gasless welder like this one:
http://www.homedepot.com/h_d1/N-5yc...splay?langId=-1&storeId=10051&catalogId=10053

Deuce said:

What should I expect to pay for a bottle of gas?

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Mine was 225ish filled.

Don't buy it. Go to Air Gas or another place and rent it. You pay a deposit (refundable when you quit) and then pay for the gas charges. You come out way ahead on the scheme of things.

I went with Hobart 140.

The unit with 20lb bottle and cart was about 800 so its not free. That said...I can't really imagine a more perfect around the house welder. It will do anything *I* need it to do and it runs on 110.

The new inverter based Lincoln welders are very sweet, will run on 110/220 and go up to 160A TIG/stick. Small as can be too, you can through it in your trunk and away you go.

mkm193 said:

The new inverter based Lincoln welders are very sweet, will run on 110/220 and go up to 160A TIG/stick. Small as can be too, you can through it in your trunk and away you go.

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Link Please?

http://www.airgas.com/browse/productDetail.aspx?Category=226&product=LINK1845-1

Pricey, but considering you are getting into the TIG world and the portability I think it has really good value.

If you really only care cost you could always pick up a used torch set and do gas welding...