One thing to consider is AC Tig for aluminum, most of these machine don't have that functionality. But if your okay with a spoolgun for aluminum then that machine is fine.
Welder advice
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One thing to consider is AC Tig for aluminum, most of these machine don't have that functionality. But if your okay with a spoolgun for aluminum then that machine is fine.
SpaceBus
Minister of Fire
I don't anticipate welding aluminum much on the farm, if I were building a race car I may feel differently.
EbS-P
Minister of Fire
I have the big tank of 75/25 and it'd through air gas. I got it switched out last year for less than $90
tlc1976
Minister of Fire
How much welding does that last for? Considering regular mig wire is usually quite a bit cheaper than flux core wire.
I’ve only ever used flux core just for the simplicity, and for years I had nowhere to put the tanks, but now I do.
It depends on how much welding you do and what you have your air flow set on. My welder has a presser and flow meter. I think when I'm welding the flow is around 12 to 15. I would have to double check.
Standard 5ft tall bottle holds 330 cuft. Exchange on that bottle right now is $75-$100 depending on where you have an account and your pricing.
Production sized fluxcore 0.045" or 1/16" wire with a 5/8" or 3/4" nozzle is 35 cuft/hr.
Hobby sized Mig is with 1/2" nozzle is going to be 20 to 25 cuft/hr. You might be able to get away with 15 if your welding in a shop with still air.
Tig is going to be 10-25 cuft/hr, largely dependent on nozzle size and material being welded.
Production sized fluxcore 0.045" or 1/16" wire with a 5/8" or 3/4" nozzle is 35 cuft/hr.
Hobby sized Mig is with 1/2" nozzle is going to be 20 to 25 cuft/hr. You might be able to get away with 15 if your welding in a shop with still air.
Tig is going to be 10-25 cuft/hr, largely dependent on nozzle size and material being welded.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I've started my search again because I have the money saved up. I'm back to 2 options. The Hobart 125 or Forney 140mp. I doubt I'll ever TIG (and if I do in the future, I'll just buy a different machine. I also already have an older lincoln easy weld stick 110v. So I don't need the extra options the forney has. Both are gas capable. I'm leaning towards the hobart because I have a Rural King and TSC within 10 minutes of my house. The hobart only has 4 heat settings, but its such a popular machine, it must not me a big issue. I used my neighbors hobart 140 with only 4 settings and it seemed to be fine. Someone talk me out of the hobart lol.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I would (and did) go Hobart. There's a lot to be said in favor of using the same machine everyone else already has and uses, especially when working on a project on a Saturday and Sunday, and realizing you need parts or consumables.
Laugh if you want. I have an ancient Lincoln tombstone 180 and an even more ancient Forney 225. Both copper-wound. Both bullet-proof. They will both ac stick-weld like crazy (I am slow changing sticks, so I never have to stop) and make beautiful welds that penetrate and stick! This on a 40amp 220v breaker that never trips.
so many mig welds look pretty, but are completely useless.
so many mig welds look pretty, but are completely useless.
Ashful
Minister of Fire
I grew up using an old (1960's?) Lincoln AC 225 tombstone buzz box, and my father also had it on 40A fuses, despite the spec calling for 60A. Never had an issue welding with it myself, but a buddy did once blow our fuses trying to cut shapes out of 1/2" plate with it.
They certainly work, but it takes a much higher level of skill to get pretty welds with them, versus MIG. Now, whether "pretty" and "strong" are the same, is something we can debate, but I will say I can see what I'm doing and be sure I'm getting a good weld much easier with MIG.
I actually sold the buzz box a few years ago, when I was moving shop and realized I had not used it in then nearly ten years since buying the MIG. They get the job done, but they're definitely more work, more mess, and require more attention to having fresh rod on hand for each job that pops up.
They certainly work, but it takes a much higher level of skill to get pretty welds with them, versus MIG. Now, whether "pretty" and "strong" are the same, is something we can debate, but I will say I can see what I'm doing and be sure I'm getting a good weld much easier with MIG.
I actually sold the buzz box a few years ago, when I was moving shop and realized I had not used it in then nearly ten years since buying the MIG. They get the job done, but they're definitely more work, more mess, and require more attention to having fresh rod on hand for each job that pops up.
Gearhead660
Minister of Fire
The old Forney is designed to run on a 40amp breaker. It was made back when rural power did not supply enough to have huge draws. I think that was the issue anyway. I could be wrong, but the old Lincoln is similarly designed.
I thought I was in heaven when I finally broke down and bought a cheap auto-dimmer helmet, as I never did get very good with "the flip".
for my infrequent farm welding of mostly fairly heavy steel I don't need anything else. My dad was a welder. Old school. He could stick anything to anything with anything. He told me one time to just get an old Lincoln tombstone. So I did. He also strongly recommended to get an oxy-acetylene set-up so I could torch weld. That's a big part of sticking anything to anything with anything. I never did and sometimes I wish I had that capability. Many times, actually. But I've done without. No biggy.
my nephew is a very highly skilled welder/machinist/inventor who suggested I never get rid of the Forney.
I made this stove tool in a few minutes the other day from an old garden hoe and a piece of tubing I had laying around. Old rusty stuff. 1/2 hour of prep and 1 minute of welding and voila! An ash scraper for the new, deeper stove.
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I thought I was in heaven when I finally broke down and bought a cheap auto-dimmer helmet, as I never did get very good with "the flip".
for my infrequent farm welding of mostly fairly heavy steel I don't need anything else. My dad was a welder. Old school. He could stick anything to anything with anything. He told me one time to just get an old Lincoln tombstone. So I did. He also strongly recommended to get an oxy-acetylene set-up so I could torch weld. That's a big part of sticking anything to anything with anything. I never did and sometimes I wish I had that capability. Many times, actually. But I've done without. No biggy.
my nephew is a very highly skilled welder/machinist/inventor who suggested I never get rid of the Forney.
I made this stove tool in a few minutes the other day from an old garden hoe and a piece of tubing I had laying around. Old rusty stuff. 1/2 hour of prep and 1 minute of welding and voila! An ash scraper for the new, deeper stove.
Another vote here for the Hobart, consumable availability and service are everything when it comes to welders.
Regardless of what you read online, Hobart and Miller are effectively the same machine, they are both owned by the same parent company and the machines share most of their parts. So even if you can't get "Hobart" parts Miller parts often work.
I've got a vulcan 220 multiprocess from HF. It welds pretty damn good and is comparable to the miller multiprocess that I use at work. Only downside is it doesn't weld very good with 6010 stick, and no AC Tig for aluminum so you'd have to use a spoolgun. I've mainly used it with stick and tig and does both extremely well, finally just got the wirefeed setup (im lazy and prefer stick) and since I dont have 25/75 I just used the fluxcore wire it came with. Used it to perform some repairs on an old tractor wheel. It produced some really nice welds, and I was able to weld some paper thin sections without any trouble.
I must admit, I am spoiled with my Lincoln Mig rig, do the right prep and make sure everything is clean and its easy to lay down good welds. Sure someone can lay down crap beads with no penetration but it pretty obvious when they are doing so. The key is surface prep and grinding the edges to form a "V", try to weld rusty metal that hasnt been ground and it will fight you. The other thing is buy a good auto darkening helmet. I started out with a cheap one that sort of worked and upgraded to a known brand with proper adjustments and it makes a big difference. A small Mig is slower than rod as multi passes is normally needed on thicker stock.
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