Renting a Welder

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Daver77

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Is this even possible?

Is so anyone know where?

I would hate to spend 600 plus but I really want to build a brewstand.

What are my options?
 
- Buy a HF special, a 110VAC mig welder without gas. Eventually you'll learn to hate and then spend more money buying it right the first time. Cheap and easy.

- Buy a good Lincoln or Miller MIG welder with gas and learn to use it. A 220VAC unit preferable since it will be more useful in the future and will stave off the need to upgrade. $$$ depending on which unit you buy and facility upgrades (i.e. 220 VAC circuit).

- Have someone build one for you. $$$ and good chance you won't get what you want unless it's a buddy or friend (but if you had said buddy or friend, you probably wouldn't be asking the question).

- Buy an already built unit (i.e. Northern Brewer version). $$$ but you know what your getting. Buy once, cry once.

Good luck.
 
When I used to work for United Rentals, we would rent wire-feed mig welders out all the time, I don't recall what they went for.
 
Buy a welder. You will find a uses for it. I don't have a wire feed welder just a stick welder but use it weekly on some project or another. You will also need cutting torch set up or a metal saw. If you NEVER plan on needing to do metal work besides now it would be cheaper to buy or have someone build what you need. Also don't plan on picking it up and welding immediately at least nothing of quality. It takes a bit to get proficient.
 
Buy a cheap HF welder and a cheap HF metal chop saw. You will be amazed at the things you will start making and fixing around the house.
Like bobby said you will break even the first week of use.
 
Get a decent brand (Lincoln, Miller, etc..) welder in good shape on craigslist. They can be had for about half the price of new. Use it for practice and then building your brewstand. If you decide after then you like it, keep it. If not, you can probably sell it for close to exactly the same price (assuming you didn't screw it up somehow) on craigslist.
 
I would buy one and keep it for a year, if you don't use it then sell it. It is amazing how often you will use it for stuff around the house. And once neighbors find out you have it be prepared to be fixing everything of theirs. I can't count how many lawnmower frames, trailer parts, and general stuff I have welded back together for myself and neighbors.
 
Rent it the way I did.

Buy cheapo Harbor Freight welder for $100,
Teach yourself to weld with it by buidling a Brutus 10.
Take a month to do it (you will need that much time)
Sell it on Craigslist for $80.

A very good $20 rental if you ask me.
 
Rent it the way I did.

Buy cheapo Harbor Freight welder for $100,
Teach yourself to weld with it buy buidling a Brutus 10.
Take a month to do it (you will need that much time)
Sell it on Craigslist for $80.

A very good $20 rental if you ask me.

The one caveat is that I'd recommend the unit that accepts solid core wire and a welding mix tank connection. They don't sell it on the website anymore but a lot of the stores still have them. Flux core is really splatter prone and it makes a beginner sloppy weld look even worse than it has to. Even though a blend is better, I've used 100% CO2 so that I don't have to buy another tank.
 
I would watch craigslist and get a decent welder in the 300 dollar range. Welders are one thing that you really get what you pay for.
You will be able to sell it easier when you are done with it also.
 
Is this even possible?

Is so anyone know where?

I would hate to spend 600 plus but I really want to build a brewstand.

What are my options?

OP, I bought one of these 3 years ago and until then I had never even been close to welder in my life. It works, it is cheap, it is not difficult to work with it and welding is definitely not black magic. You can be making very good welds for your needs with just a few hours practicing on pieces of scrap metal. You won't be qualified to be a welder in a major bridge construction job, but you'll be glad you have one for stuff around the house.

It's just like brewing. Practice makes perfect.
 
Just did this today.

Picked up the HF $110 unit (and about $100 worth of other stuff). And yes, I hate it already.

f8effb10.jpg


Never welded before in my life, and yes, it shows. My ultimate goal will be to "emulate" MajorWoody's setup.
 
I'm really not trying to discourage anyone from trying their hand at welding, but if you don't have anyone to show you how to use a welding machine or how to make a proper weld or even the difference between a good weld and an unacceptable weld, especially
with an under powered make believe welding machine than you might as well invest in a drill and some drill bits and bolt it to together because fasteners would be stronger than poor welds.
 
I'm really not trying to discourage anyone from trying their hand at welding, but if you don't have anyone to show you how to use a welding machine or how to make a proper weld or even the difference between a good weld and an unacceptable weld, especially
with an under powered make believe welding machine than you might as well invest in a drill and some drill bits and bolt it to together because fasteners would be stronger than poor welds.

That's actually not bad advice. I might go that route since I already have a good drill. Probably save me some money too
 
"under powered make believe welding machine"? Ha! Good one.

Well, my under powered make believe HF flux core welder is doing just fine on my stand.

If I had to spend $400-600 on a welder to build a stand and be considered a "big boy", I wouldn't have a stand. Instead, I spent $89 and practiced.

Can I weld? Yes. Some things. Adequately. Would I say I am a welder? Hell no.
 
Looked at the specs on harbor freights 90 amp flux core welder.
This thing doesn't even use DC current, and make a false claim of welding up to 3/16" material with a max of 120 amps when the suggested range is 160-170 amps. This would result in cold welds without proper penetration.
MIG welding is done with DC current.
If you guys insist on WIY at least spend the extra 100 bucks on harbor freights 240 volt DC current model Item # 68885.
At least you'll be welding with the proper current.
 
If you guys insist on WIY at least spend the extra 100 bucks on harbor freights 240 volt DC current model Item # 68885.
At least you'll be welding with the proper current.
To say just spend 100 extra bucks for a 240v model is false for most diyers working out of there garage. Most houses have only 1 or 2 240v outlets and neither would be in the garage. This would add the expense of materials and an electrician if they are not handy with electrical to run a 240v line from there panel to there garage. Some houses this may not be a problem because the panel is in the garage. My panel is in my basement on the opposite side of my house it would cost me over $100 in materials to get a 240v outlet to my garage.
 
Welding is one of those professions/hobbies where its literally a minute to learn, a lifetime to master. I'm a hobbyist welder that has a decent Lincoln welder. If someone asked me "do you know how to weld", I'd say yes. If someone asked me "are you a welder", I'd say no. My general rule is that I'm willing to give it a shot for anything where a busted weld won't cause injury/death. I don't weld/fix trailers or structural steel, but if I want to live a 55 gallon drum off the ground and put a tippy dump on it, I'm doing it (and have).

The point is, there's lots of things that span the experience scale and there's no reason to get upset if someone is less/more experienced than you.
 
I am thinking you better use a soldering gun on the router and keep the 7018 rod for your steel plate.
 
Quite the thread...I've been lurking in the boards for awhile and I'm sorry to hijack the post but I've been struggling with this for a few days now.

While I have welding experts in the room, can you reccomend a gas fill for doing some mig stainless 304 and/or 316

Airgas is suggesting something like a 81He/18Ar/1co2

GeneralAir is telling me something like 61Ar/31He/18co2

I'm wanting to try and weld up a larger kettle with tri-clamps from an old keg...for grins.

Oh and to the OP...best decision I made in the last year was giving my neighbor his HF welder back and buying myself a miller 211, a few tanks of gas and a spool gun. You won't regret the purchase after a few projects.

Thanks,
-scott
 
scottcsu said:
Quite the thread...I've been lurking in the boards for awhile and I'm sorry to hijack the post but I've been struggling with this for a few days now.

While I have welding experts in the room, can you reccomend a gas fill for doing some mig stainless 304 and/or 316

Airgas is suggesting something like a 81He/18Ar/1co2

GeneralAir is telling me something like 61Ar/31He/18co2

I'm wanting to try and weld up a larger kettle with tri-clamps from an old keg...for grins.

Oh and to the OP...best decision I made in the last year was giving my neighbor his HF welder back and buying myself a miller 211, a few tanks of gas and a spool gun. You won't regret the purchase after a few projects.

Thanks,
-scott

I use straight argon. MIG or TIG for stainless.
I am not a certified welder but my father was and did it for several years. That is what he recommended to me for what I was doing. Which was welding old kegs. Easy and cheap and it works.
 
Welding is one of those professions/hobbies where its literally a minute to learn, a lifetime to master. I'm a hobbyist welder that has a decent Lincoln welder. If someone asked me "do you know how to weld", I'd say yes. If someone asked me "are you a welder", I'd say no. My general rule is that I'm willing to give it a shot for anything where a busted weld won't cause injury/death. I don't weld/fix trailers or structural steel, but if I want to live a 55 gallon drum off the ground and put a tippy dump on it, I'm doing it (and have).

The point is, there's lots of things that span the experience scale and there's no reason to get upset if someone is less/more experienced than you. I am a highly trained network performance and security specialist. I get paid well for my experience but I don't tell anyone with a web browser that they don't know how to use the internet.

I agree with this. I'll work on stuff for people, I won't charge for it, nor will I work on life-safety equipment. I can weld, but I'm not a welder. Doesn't mean I can't get **** done.
 
I'm of the same opinion. always happy to weld stuff up for myself or others.

Straight Argon I've heard for TIG, but I didn't realize it'd work for MIG process. So is that a spray transfer then or direct?

Thanks for the feedback,
-scott
 
I'm of the same opinion. always happy to weld stuff up for myself or others.

Straight Argon I've heard for TIG, but I didn't realize it'd work for MIG process. So is that a spray transfer then or direct?

Thanks for the feedback,
-scott

Same set up that you use for regular steel.
You could use the 98% Argon and 2%CO2 setup but then you would have another tank of a specialty mix.
100% argon for me has more uses. and it is one less tank I have to have.

You need to be very careful to not use the same tools that you use on ferrous metals on your stainless welds or they will be contaminated. Wire brushes for example. Only use Stainless brush and keep separate grinding wheels.
Sorry don't mean to Hijack the thread.
 

It's a good welder, within its limitations.

The problem with 110vac welders is that they don't generate as much "heat" (heat being a relative term - I'm meaning heat as in penetrating power, as in getting the heat INTO the material so that the weld is not merely surface but all the way through the piece) as a 220vac one.

For doing light duty stuff, it will do just fine, and since it's Lincoln, they will stand behind it.

Light duty - stuff we do for our brewing. . . just fine. Fence repair. . . just fine. Adding wheels to a "thing" so you can move it around. . . just fine.

Realize it is going to push it to make 1/8" - that's what it says is max and that means it's the MAX. If you need to do 1/8", practice on scrap first. get a few pieces of scrap that you can break apart. Bevel the edges just a touch, then weld them together - just do a 1-2" seam. Then take it to your vice and break it! If the WELD breaks, keep practicing. If the METAL breaks. . . that's the ticket.

Does that make sense? :tank:
 
Same set up that you use for regular steel.
You could use the 98% Argon and 2%CO2 setup but then you would have another tank of a specialty mix.
100% argon for me has more uses. and it is one less tank I have to have.

You need to be very careful to not use the same tools that you use on ferrous metals on your stainless welds or they will be contaminated. Wire brushes for example. Only use Stainless brush and keep separate grinding wheels.
Sorry don't mean to Hijack the thread.

BTW - same for aluminum (or aluminium for those across the pond, LOL) - I have a set of brushes for aluminum, another for stainless, and another for general work. Keep them separate! :D It's MUCH easier to weld clean work!
 
Glad I saw this. It caused me to look in craigslist and find a 90 amp flux welder for $50. I know a lot of people be hating, but after a few welds, I am able to get very good penetration on the bed frames I am using as material.
 
on bed frames? Oh definitely! :D You should have good success on bed frames - they're what, 1/16" or so which means your 110v (I'm assuming) welder should do very well.

And getting it off Craigslist? No hating there! What brand is it?


You won't get hating from me. I try to give good constructive advice where I can. :D
 
It is a Chicago. I got it off Craigslist. I figured I can sell it for what I paid when I get tired of it.

I think the bed frame is 1/8 inch, but I have not measured it.
 
So that's a harbor freight one, I believe.

In any case, I would take a few scraps and test your weld to destruction as I described above... Just need a vice (or something) and a pair of pliers (channel locks or vice grips...) - that will show you objectively how well you're penetrating...
 
I welded some scrap, clamped it and hit the crap out of it with a hammer and the metal bent and the weld did not break. I figured it was good enough for what I was doing. By the time I weld everything together, there will be so many welds that if some arn't up to snuff, there will be plenty holding it.
 
I'll second the craigslist recommendation. You can likely find a Lincoln or Miller 110V wire feed unit there for slightly more money than you can get a new HF brand unit, and it will be of much higher quality.

I spent 5 years with Sunbelt, and have their current rate sheet, $63.00 currently for a Miller 110V unit, plus fees, consumables, etc. You will be over $100.00 to get out the door for the 1'st day. I got a decent miller myself on CL for $250, and the seller even through in 2 rolls of wire.

the little small units are very handy for around the house, as long as you stay within their limitations.
 
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