Welder Q's

[WhatIsChazaq]

What is a good all-around welder to use around a small farm? Repairing/modifying/building equipment, fences, etc...

I haven't welded since high school and that was 25+ years ago...so I'd be going at it from scratch.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

I have a Lincoln AC/DC tombstone. Could do light work or build a bridge. It's hard to beat for farm work, but requires 250V. If you need it portable, then think about a generator/welder setup.

 

[fossil]

I've got a little Lincoln 120v. MIG outfit. Works with gas or with flux-core wire. Stitch kit for sheet metal work. Slick little rig, but too light for your purposes, sounds like. I can weld 1/4" plate, but it takes a couple or three passes. Mostly for lighter work than that. Rick

 

[Stubborn Dutchman]

I have a Lincoln AC/DC tombstone. Could do light work or build a bridge. It's hard to beat for farm work, but requires 250V. If you need it portable, then think about a generator/welder setup.

+1! Great value and very versatile. Having AC/DC is nice. My little Lincoln SP175Mig is great too but doesn't handle the really thick or rusty stuff like the stick welder can.

 

[WhatIsChazaq]

Is this what you mean by "tombstone"??

(broken link removed to http://springfield.craigslist.org/grd/1720212175.html)

 

[Highbeam]

That's a tombstone. Made by Lincoln and still available today at big box hardware stores. There are straight AC models (the most common and cheapest) and then the AC/DC model to allow DC welding. I have the AC only as you pictured and do all my big welding with it. It is not the right tool for sheet metal or exhaust pipe. It is the right tool for anything heavy whether it is painted or rusted or clean and new. All you need is 220 power and welding rods available at the same hardware store. There are no other things that need to be replaced or filled up.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

No gas required, and little/no surface prep were the big drivers for me getting one. I'm doing mostly angle-iron type work, so it's perfect. Stuck a ball hitch on the bagging adaptor for my tractor recently so I could haul my splittah around the yard- perfect example of the $#!t I do with it.

 

[flyingcow]

I have a Lincoln AC/DC tombstone. Could do light work or build a bridge. It's hard to beat for farm work, but requires 250V. If you need it portable, then think about a generator/welder setup.

Same here. Lincoln Arc AC/DC. For what little welding i do, but i do need it from time top time, it works great.(Store your rods in a airtight container)
For a novice, I think it's best bang for the buck. It will outlast you until your dead and gone and the grand kids will be using it.
Having a small set of cutting torches with a welding tip is a nice tool. Smoke wrenches.

 

[atvdave]

Heres what I use when I'm on the road for my job. I just use it to tack in some angle for support. Works good for what I need it for.

http://www.hobartwelders.com/products/wirefeed/handler125ez/

 

[oldspark]

If you can afford it go for the AC/DC unit, welding with DC gives you more options and the DC welds a little smoother and holds an arc better in some situtations (outside windy).

 

[Beowulf]

I like the old linc welder tombstone AC unit (looks like a red tombstone.) Did lots of projects with one as a kid on a farm. Added an arc torch (holder for a couple of carbon rods) to braze with, since we did not have gas.

Recently picked up a Victor Oxy/Acetylene outfit for most of the stuff I do now. #000, #0, #3 tips plus cutting head. Won't do lot's of the stuff that I would like to do with MIG or TIG, but for general purpose welding on 1/4" or thinner stuff and brazing on whatever, it's lot's of fun. The little tips are great on sheet metal. Great on exhaust pipe, as well.

 

[Archer39]

i have a hobart handler 140 ( this unit http://www.hobartwelders.com/products/wirefeed/handler140/ ) and really like it. it works well well for the light stuff but can also weld up to a 1/4" with two passes.

 

[JustWood]

I have a Miller Bluestar 180 gen/welder. It set me back some phat coin but you can weld anywhere with it and power my home in an outage. I've taken it to camp for power, built deer condos in the middle of BPhuqtEgypt with power tools, welded broken trucks/equipment onsite,run block heaters and jump started equipment on site at 0 degrees,runs an air compressor on my service truck, etc ,etc. It really is a life saver and can do many things away from power where it's needed besides weld. I think Miller, Lincoln and Hobart are all very good welders. I only bought the miller because at the time it was my only option that came with a Honda engine. All three are good IMHO. If you buy a buzz box I wood recomend getting at least a 150A. They're not that much more bang for the buck.

 

[burntime]

I've got the ac/dc lincoln and a 220v lincoln 170 mig welder. Pretty much have it covered. When its thick stuff I lay down the rod with the tombstone. Other stuff or tacking big stuff I use the mig...

 

[ikessky]

Like Archer39, I have a Hobart 140 and really like it. So far I've only run flux core through it, but I need to get a bottle of C25 so I can start doing some sheetmetal work. Heck, I've even cranked up the voltage and used it as a poorman's plasma cutter! For the thicker stuff, I use my FIL's Lincoln tombstone.

 

[kenny chaos]

I use a cheap 220v lincoln stick welder off e-bay.
I still burn a lot of rod at times, all a/c.
Mig is for pro's only. Amateurs never burn them hot enough but are just impressed with how easy it is to get a good looking weld.
They'll argue the point because their welds are never tested.
Farm equipment needs to be "welded."

 

[ikessky]

Mig is for pro's only. Amateurs never burn them hot enough but are just impressed with how easy it is to get a good looking weld.
They'll argue the point because their welds are never tested.

As with any tool, you need to learn the proper way to use a welder of any sort. I'm far from being a pro, but I know enough about the importance of weld penetration to make a solid weld with my mig. My beads are far from perfect, but I'd rather have good weld penetration and spend a little time with the grinder rather than have a good looking bead on something that hardly scratched the surface.

 

[kenny chaos]

[As with any tool, you need to learn the proper way to use a welder of any sort. I'm far from being a pro, but I know enough about the importance of weld penetration to make a solid weld with my mig. My beads are far from perfect, but I'd rather have good weld penetration and spend a little time with the grinder rather than have a good looking bead on something that hardly scratched the surface.

My thinking exactly. That's why I suggest staying away from mig.

 

[Adios Pantalones]

Ya, for me I mostly just buy 6013's and drag them. I test the heck out of my settings on scrap, and live with whatever they look like. I often say "I'm no welder, but I can stick metal together"

 

[burntime]

Kenny, if you do it right there is no issues. I have not been welding that long and for sure am not certified but If you make a pass or two they will hold what they are supposed to. I welded up shackle supports and then put 2 ton on a trailer. I am thinking that they are good enough considering it tool the weight and sat overnight before I could unload it. Your right though, its easy to just top dress it if you do not turn the heat up enough or have the wire speed too high!

 

[burntime]

Adios, I always say I am a much better grinder then I am a welder! ;-)

 

[oldspark]

For general all around welding the arc is the way to go, with the different rods you have more options, you never know what your are going to be welding on the farm. Depending on the size of the mig welder you could have penetration problems.

 

[kenny chaos]

Kenny, if you do it right there is no issues. !

Everytime I say that too many people don't use MIG the right way, people always want to tell me "just do it the right way."
Listen everyone, you can't change what I've seen.
I don't just make this stuff up.
Holy cheese.

And, I bet most of you amateur experts are NOT using mig properly. So there.

 

[Elderthewelder]

Kenny, if you do it right there is no issues. !

Everytime I say that too many people don't use MIG the right way, people always want to tell me "just do it the right way."
Listen everyone, you can't change what I've seen.
I don't just make this stuff up.
Holy cheese.

And, I bet most of you amateur experts are NOT using mig properly. So there.

So can you be more specific about not using it the right way? you have mentioned people do not weld hot enough with a mig a couple times.
There is more to it than cranking up the heat as I am sure you are aware, surface prep, travel speed, correct wire diameter etc all play major roles in a good welds no matter what welding method you are using
I to have seen some pretty crappy welds in mig, stick , tig methods by alot of so called professionals

Now if you are going to be out in the middle of no where a diesel powered welder/generator may be a better option. they are pretty expensive but offer alot of welding options

To stay on topic as to what welder to buy, think of it like a stove, get the biggest one you can afford. there is nothing wrong with a mig, just read up on proper welding techniques and practice, practice, practice. If you need to weld some thicker materials with it you can always run a flux core/dual shield wire/ just make sure you have a machine that has high enough amperage to run it, this would mean a 220 volt unit rated at least 175 amps in my opinion

 

[ikessky]

Saws, air compressors, and welders...... You can never go too big on any of these!