need welder advice

As a welder I would not reccomend anything under 130 amps. there are many welders out there and one that does flux and mig would be a better investment

 

I'd spend a bit more and get a small Hobart, Miller, or Lincoln. All that Deca stuff is made in Italy, and if it's like any other power tools sold by P.A., when the time comes for parts they're either non-existent or 8 weeks away, like the compressor flywheel a guy was looking for a couple of months ago at the shop. At least with a brand name welder there's the hope for some parts at the local BOC or Liquid Air dealer. I used a flux core Clarke welder a few years ago, and I couldn't believe the mess is made with weld spatter.

 

Nah, Clarke is cheap stuff, Chinese stuff with a Anglo-Saxon name attached to it. My boss bought a Clarke grinder, and with a wire wheel on one side it creates enough drag to prevent the motor from spooling up. The wheel that came with it is so out of true (~1/4") I don't even feel like using it.


You would be amazed what turns up at pawn shops though. I got a really nice 140W Weller soldering gun for $5, and a Fluke clamp-on multimeter for $100 (regularly $300).

 

Sno, lay out the extra cash for a MIG auto feed. You'll get spoiled in a hurry. Both Welderflame and MacMcMacmac have very good points (and I'm not a welder, I'm like you, I want too). I've done the pawn shop thing and gotten good deals on wrench kits and so on. Shop it, you will find what your looking for. 70 amps will let you attach a paper clip to your mail box. You won't get the through penatration your looking for on the thicker pieces of framework. I'm with the boys on this one, get a better unit, your wasting your money otherwise.

 

If you have Craigslist in Winnipeg, I would check that out, too.

 

the shop i work at has a 70amp flux welder and trust me when i say it doesnt do a very good job. if your filling a small hole in a oil pan or tranny pan it works ok, mig is the only way to go. a flux welder will not get hot enough to hold real metal together for very long. it doesnt get the penatration you really need.

 

ARC welders work great for good sized jobs, mig allows you to do small to large jobs and adjust your flow rate along with temp. ARC you have to manualy adjust your flow by how close you have your stick. alittle practice tho and ive seen awsome results.

 

www.harborfreight.com

Multiple welders to choose from. All made in China and imported to the west coast.

From China to you, ya!

 

Spend a little more for the big-name brands (Lincoln, Miller, Hobart). I know that Lincoln sells a unit as the Weld-Pak that is suitable for home/hobby use. It comes with everything that you need, even has the regulator and hose to hook up the shielding gas for MIG operations. Flux core wire will work for most light uses, just be prepared to spend a bit of time cleaning slag, and grinding and redoing the welds until you get good.
I've got one that I use around the house and farm, set me back about 300USD from Home Depot.

The cheaper units are fine, as long as you dont expect too much. Get a cheap, off brand unit to learn with, but dont do anything critical or where it will show. Start off with scrap metal and experiment, then move up to lawnmowers etc... I would not do anything on your bike until you are pretty good and confident in your skills. When you get good at it, sell the cheap unit and put the money into a better machine.

Beginner users should stay away from the stick welders. There are too many variables to get a good weld (rod type, rod size, amperage, polarity.)

My pedigree with welding: started in highschool, went on to a local trade school, worked for several years in fabrication of safety devices where looks and strength are of the utmost importance.

 

I just recently bought a Lincoln MIG welder and I couldn't be happier. It wasn't terribly cheap. I think it was about $400 and then the MIG gas was about another $75. That did include the purchase of the tank though and refills are like $20.

Since it works as MIG or flux, I've tried both. MIG is much cleaner and easier, but I don't find flux to be that bad. Given a choice, I do mig though.

Greg

 

Got it at Home Depot.

This isn't the exact welder, but it's very close:

http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Catalo ... asp?p=8961

It may be the same welder, mine just came with a little roll around thingy.

I'm very pleased with it.

Greg

 

Actually, this is the exact model:

http://www.homedepot.com/prel80/HDUS/EN ... 0&MID=9876

I thought I paid less than that for it, but it has been a while.

Greg

dang. link doesn't seem to work. Go to www.homedepot.com and search for Weld Pak 3200HD

 

As a thought, in many cases fibreglassing parts together, or creating ones you need is generally stronger and lighter than just plain steel welded ones, this process is waht holds th rear end of my bike to the frame.

 

You are aware that it is impossible to weld fiberglass together, right Sno? It can be chemically bonded but electrically welded? You'd have a pretty neat little (if not toxic) fire on your hands if you tried that. Maybe I'm reading into this way too far and you responded the way you did to be humorous. I'm just slow on the uptake.