What Type Of Welding Machine Should I Buy?

by David Capito
(Evans, GA)

I need some advice on what type of welding machine to buy. I have not done any welding myself but have some projects that I want to do. They will involve welding 2" to 3" steel or aluminum tube, or 2" to 3" square shape steel or aluminum. Fairly thin wall. I am considering a Tig welder. Would this be the easiest to use? If so, would I need 110v AC or 220v AC?

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Jan 25, 2014
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Tig
by: ldowdy@live.com

They do make mig welders that you can put a spool on the end of the feeder cord that you can weld alum. with. But, I think if you want a quality weld to go with the Tig because your welds will be complete and your beads will look beautiful. That's my two cents.

Jan 25, 2014
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Mig welding
by: Rick Tanguay

I forgot to insert this on my last post. You will also need a welding helmet. I went to Harbor Freight and bought an auto-darkening helmet for less than 50 dollars. It much easier to watch where you are going to start your weld than using the old fashion flip-down type of helmet. Also pick up some thick leather welding gloves that go up about 6 inches over your wrist.
Rick

Jan 25, 2014
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mig welder
by: Rick Tanguay

After using a stick welder for more than 30 years, I bought a Millermatic 211 for about a thousand dollars. Best investment I ever made. Within minutes, I was welding vertically and overhead with no problem. The best part of gas mig welding is that there is no slag to clean up and the wire just keeps feeding to the gun automatically so you don't need to load up your back pocket with welding rods before you start welding as you would using a stick welder. I haven't tried tig welding so I can't comment on that. If you weld aluminum, you need a spool gun attachment for the welder and you use a different gas for welding aluminum than you would use for welding steel. Buy yourself the Millermatic 2l1, the spool gun, your gas tanks, and welding wire and you won't regret it. With the 211, you can weld thin sheet metal up to 1/2" thick mild steel even though the specs say up to 3/8" thick steel. You can plug it into a 120volt household outlet or use 230volt connection and weld, but on 120 house current you would be limited to I think 1/8" or 5/16" thick steel.
PS: I don't have any connection to the Miller company, I just love the welder.
Rick Tanguay

Jan 25, 2014
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Agreed.
by: Anonymous

A MIG welder is the easiest to learn, especially with aluminum.

I have spent 20 years in the aluminum railing business as a designer,fabricator and welder.

The most common mistake most people make is to weld too cold. This is a common mistake and the major cause of weldment failures.

Also aluminum is a weird metal when it comes to welding; we had several people with incredible steel welding certifications and experience test out at our shop; they all failed due to their steel welding experience.
One guy, who was an underwater steel welder, lasted three days before throwing up his arms in frustration declaring us crazy and it was "impossible to weld this stuff!!".
Basically, the less experience you have in steel welding, the easier it is to learn to weld aluminum.

Some people say there is only one way to weld aluminum, that is the "push
' method. I have proved them wrong for 20 years by using the "pull" method.As you gain experience in welding you will understand what these terms mean.

Jan 24, 2014
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Get This MIG Welder or Stick Welder...
by: Jaco

Tig welding requires practice and they are more expensive. It's the next 'level' in welding once you start Arc and or MIG welding.

But many long time welders don't even use a TIG welder because their projects don't require it. I know good veteran welders who build bikes and work on cars and have only used a stick welder due to money issues, and it works just fine. It's more 'messy' compared to a MIG welder, and requires two hands.

A MIG welder is much easier to use and requires almost no skill to use well these days. A newbie could make nice welds after a few passes. But you can't use it in windy environments. Also, you will only use one hand, and the welds are cleaner.

You're best bet is a good low cost Lincoln or a Hobart MIG welder, and get one that comes with extra stuff (see links above). You don't need anything super powerful for the kind of work you want to do.

Also, you'll need other tools on hand like a grinder etc.

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