Welding machines [Merged 9-7] welder weld TIG MIG

[trig]

i'm going to be making my own exhuast soon and want to weld it myself. does anyone know what type of welder will do the job? it's only goign to be for small things like exhuast and ic piping work.... stainless steel and regular steel.

thanx

o yea and does neone know if i can weld stainless steel and the reg steel together? or does it make a difference????

thnx

 

[GodspellPHX]

Mig is easier, but Arc makes prettier welds for the most part

huh? Arc leaves heaps more slag which you havve to chip off. mig only looks ugly if you are doing it wrong ex with no shielding gas or wrong wire or wrong speed or wrong amps.

 

[phastalon]

thank you guys so much for the input thus far. it sounds as if a mig setup would be best for my needs, i'm going to check prices on miller and see what i find. thanks again!



thank you for the sarcasm Defiant. after i read what i wrote, i realized that i couldn't have a spark without electricity

my bad

 

[seth98es]

Well after you knock off the slag, it only takes one hit if you are a good welder, it reveals a very nice weld. Idk, I just prefer the looks of an arc welder over a mig...

 

[bastarddsm]

arc welding does do a nicejob, but it is far more difficult to do a nice job with it. It isn't as delicate as a mig welder. for a begining welder i would sugest a mig welder. but one that uses sheilding gas. not one that uses the Flux core wire, I have used one and i think super glue would have worked better.

 

[GodspellPHX]

i see the price of a welder,hemet,gloves wire feed or arc rods,the exaust tubing itself being a lot more then just buying an out of the box exaust.

 

[phastalon]

Originally posted by GodspellPHX
i see the price of a welder,hemet,gloves wire feed or arc rods,the exaust tubing itself being a lot more then just buying an out of the box exaust.

it's not just about exhaust.

having a passion for working on cars is something i have and hopefully something that you have. being able to make and fix things yourself is part of the passion and gives you a better appreciation for your vehicle. throwing money at cars is not a passion, it's a hobby.

the main point of me wanting to purchase a welder is to learn the skill. i want to be able look at my car and say " i welded this, i made that, i did it all myself." but i've got to start somewhere, and fortunately there are people on this site that can give me some insight and advice. hopefully i can return the favor someday. thanks guys

 

[AWDlaserRS]

I just, about a week ago built a 3inch exhaust using an actelne torch. Its actually not that hard to weld with a torch if you get the flame perfect and don't overheat the metal, can't be too hot and if its too cool it won't bond. I think that a job done with a torch can actually be stronger because of the fact that its not just on the surface, you can get the metal to soak down into the joint. Its actually a little bit like soldering. Its tricky in the sense that everything has to be perfect but I think anybody could get good at it.

 

[GodspellPHX]

You also have to cosider what kind of plug the welder needs. If it needs one of the huge ones and your house isnt set up for it your going to have to pay A LOT to get one. I think some of the newer small migs use a regular outlet so i suggest getting one of those.

 

[97gsxboy]

http://www.harborfreight.com/cpi/ctaf/Displayitem.taf?itemnumber=9011

Is it any good to learn how to weld on? I'm mostly aiming to weld exhaust system and intercooler pipes. Any help is appreciated.

 

[wret]

I asked a professional welder I delt with about a similar machine at Harbor Freight. He gave me the old "you get what you pay for" cliché and recommended the blah-blah XP2000whatever that only costs about $500.He then took me to a back corner of the shop where unused junk was piled and pulled out a welder similar to that one. He told me to take it, which I quickly did before he could reconsider.

I haven't tried it with gas yet but it will stick two peices of metal together with flux core. It ain't pretty but I made an unbreakable weld on steel pipe my first try.

 

[97gsxboy]

Tanx for the reply, that's all i wanted to hear.

 

[OzzmosisDSM]

I would like to get a welder soon but I want to make sure I am looking at the right thing. I have never welded before but my dad has been welding for 20+ years and could help me get started once I have the right equipment. What I want to do with it is basically exhaust work and custom intercooler piping, things along those lines. I'm not a shop and I won't be using this every day, I just need something that will weld two pieces of exhaust together and hold. I was looking at the sears website and found this one on sale and I wanted to know if this will do what I want.

Welder

 

[Masakari]

for exhaust work your going to want a mig welder..you can get a good cheap miller for around 600-700.....a 200 dollar lincoln electric buzzbox would work, but it wont be pretty when your done

for doing work on intercoolers your going to want a welder that has TIG ability...you will need a bottle of argon and the TIG hoses and stinger ( fairly cheap ) but with that function your going to be pushing close to a grand for a welder...the lincoln invertec machines can do stick, mig and tig...and i think they are in the 1200 price range now....

hope this helps, if you need to know anything more just ask

EDIT:

call them and ask what the duty cycle is on that welder....something like that would be fine for exhaust work but i wouldnt expect it to do much more...you are better off paying the extra money for a quality machine..the one you are lookign at will weld carbon steel only...dont use that on stainless or chrome or anything or your going to make a mess

 

[trbotaln]

If you want to do exhaust and intercooler piping I wouldn't suggest getting an arc welder. Get a mig welder (its worth the extra money) and if you can I would recommend that you get a 220 instead of a 110. Oxy accetylene setups work well to and are not very expensive. I would stay away from the craftsman brand and look into miller or Lincoln.

 

[OzzmosisDSM]

According to the description it says that this one is a wire fed MIG welder. I'm pretty cheap so I'm really not looking for anything over $300 tops. If it's gonna cost any more than that to do what I want then I'll continue going to the exhaust shop. What I'm looking to do is just simple stuff like weld a new muffler on to my car and weld flanges onto my cat so I can swap in a test pipe whenever I need to. Will this not be sufficiant?

 

[LaserDad91]

According to the description it says that this one is a wire fed MIG welder. I'm pretty cheap so I'm really not looking for anything over $300 tops. If it's gonna cost any more than that to do what I want then I'll continue going to the exhaust shop. What I'm looking to do is just simple stuff like weld a new muffler on to my car and weld flanges onto my cat so I can swap in a test pipe whenever I need to. Will this not be sufficiant?

Main problem is the amperage rating on the Sears machine, it just is not really enough to do anything but sheet metal. In order for you to weld the exhaust, you will be running the welding machine max out all the time, and your travel speed will be slow, so that you get the proper penetration.

For exhaust work, I would be looking at something that puts out close to 200 amps and about 20 -30 volts. Check with some stores like Quality Farm and Fleet, TSC, etc. Heck, even Walmart has welders now, but they little ones like the Sears…..

For the intercooler, you could do it with a mig welder and 100% argon gas, but it would be hard to control the heat input. To EASILY MIG weld Aluminum you need a machine that will “pulse” the current, and they are expensive. That is why most small shops etc, use TIG. Yes, Miller, Lincoln, Panasonic (yes, they make welding equipment and robots), ESAB etc all make equipment to do the above, but not at $300. Maybe look for a good used unit, and stay with the 220 volt input, like the previous post have recommended.

I once welded in a strut tower on a VW rabbit with a Hobart 130 amp unit that ran on 110 volts, but it was slow going with the machine maxed out, weaving the arc all the way!!

Do you have any welding supply shops around your area? Farm implement stores, etc.

Good luck, and hey, ask your dad too!!

 

[OzzmosisDSM]

Thanks guys for the input. I'll have to give my dad a call tonight and see if he has an extra welder laying around (I know it sounds stupid but it wouldn't surprise me). If so I'll have to see if he's willing to part with it. I think I have a pretty good idea of what I'm looking for now, although it doesn't look like what I need is within my budget.

 

[Coup D E'Tat]

My friend has a wire-fed, gasless, Craftsman MIG welder that he bought from Sears. I believe it was $200 (it was the bottom of the line model.)

I think it welds fine, and we have welded my intercooler pipes, as well as a few exhausts.

Pics of the welds

 

[92redman]

You can't use a FCAW on aluminum. It does work good for welding steel outside, though, since wind won't blow your shielding gas away. You just need to chip away your slag when you are done, and don't expect the welds to look remotely clean.

 

[Sourpatch]

Just see if you can get a tig welder it's the cleanest looking weld out of all the form's of welding and you can weld anything with it Alum,steel,stainless,cast, it's the best form of welding in my oppinion

 

[miteclgst]

Many people are suggesting a tig welder, and while that is the best option, it just simply dosn't work. That is like someone saying "hey I want a nice performance car, will a 02 Evo work?" and then somone suggesting the McLaren.
Many people will not need more than a 120V "pocket mig". My suggestion is that if you don't want to shell out the money for a mig right off the back get a wire fed welder that can be converted to a mig welder. Al that is really rrquired for the mig conversion is a bottle, selenoid some tubing and a different hand piece. Flux core welds are usually ugly and don't get great penetration. I have experiance with a 120V Mig and can say that it will be enough for you to do just about any kind of exhaust/intercooler/sheetmetal fab that you will require. Once you get into thicker stuff it will be necessary to V joint out and build the weld up.

 

[MKM]

Many people are suggesting a tig welder, and while that is the best option, it just simply dosn't work. That is like someone saying "hey I want a nice performance car, will a 02 Evo work?" and then somone suggesting the McLaren.
Many people will not need more than a 120V "pocket mig". My suggestion is that if you don't want to shell out the money for a mig right off the back get a wire fed welder that can be converted to a mig welder. Al that is really rrquired for the mig conversion is a bottle, selenoid some tubing and a different hand piece. Flux core welds are usually ugly and don't get great penetration. I have experiance with a 120V Mig and can say that it will be enough for you to do just about any kind of exhaust/intercooler/sheetmetal fab that you will require. Once you get into thicker stuff it will be necessary to V joint out and build the weld up.

I got a wire feed with gas welder (Craftsman) from a pawn shop for $100. I built my exhaust with it, but I had some SeaBee welder freinds who taught me how. Ask your dad whats the best thing to do, and get him to teach you. Welding aluminum is best left to pros or people who have the serious welding kit. Its a great skill, I wish I was good at it.

 

[2.4 turbo Hyped]

Brand new campbell hausfeld wire feed unit. Welds everything. It has hookups for argon gas. I have welded everything you can imagine with it. Less than 300 bucks at home depot and it comes with gloves and a face shield. Sean

 

[deth2u]

I would reccomend a Hobart Handler 125. You can pick up a gas kit for it and weld MIG with shielding gas...EG you can weld aluminum, and make nice beads on any metal. If you had the money I would definately reccomend a tungsten inert gas welder (TIG), but those sometimes can be hard to manipulate and take a lot of time to learn.

And finally never ever buy a cheap welder

You'd be better off not buying a welder rather than a cheap one.

 

[OzzmosisDSM]

Brand new campbell hausfeld wire feed unit. Welds everything. It has hookups for argon gas. I have welded everything you can imagine with it. Less than 300 bucks at home depot and it comes with gloves and a face shield. Sean

Is this the one you are referring to? Looks like the craftman one but slightly better. I can't tell if this one has the gas hookups.

Part of me agrees with deth2u about not buying a cheap one but all I'm going to be doing are little shit jobs that I'd rather not drive my car all the way into the exhaust shop for. For example if it will weld a new muffler and hangers onto my exhaust then I'll be satisfied.

That Hobart Handler looks pretty nice. Slightly over my price range but if it can be converted later on to a MIG welder then it may be worth it. After researching a little bit I can say that a TIG welder just simply is not an option, it's way to expensive and I really don't need something that gonna make beautiful welds like a professional shop, I just need to weld two pieces of pipe together. If I end up getting something cheaper and the welds break apart after a year or two, so what, I have a welder and I'll just do it again, hopefully with more knowledge and experience by then and I can do an even better job.

Unfortunatly my dad lives 5 hours away so he can't really "show" me what I need, and he's never touched a computer in his life, so it's not like he can send me a link to what I need. He wouldn't even know how to turn one on. I guess I'll try calling him this weekend, lately it's been a PITA to try to get a hold of him. He's got a new girlfriend and she ties him up on the phone all @#$%ing night long. He's 42 for God's sake, I thought only high school kids spent that much time on the phone. OK, enough rambling, keep the suggestions coming, I want to try and make the best informed decision possible escpecially since I'm broke anyway