Welder Advice
 

Need peoples Advice,
I want to by a wire feed welder to do some mods on my trailer.I see these 115v 90 or so Amp Gasless wire feed welders on ebay.Does anybody have any experience with these small welders and would they be up to the job.If not what size welder do you think I need?
Thanks
Fish

if you are welding on the frame of the trailer, NO WAY, those things are strictly for sheet metal

They are junk. I weld a lot, I have a Mig, Tig, Arc, and gas and have tried to use the one like you are talking about and the don't work. I would buy a 220 volt if I was you but if you want to get a 110 get the biggest one they have. If you are welding galvanized metal you souldn't do it because gives off a poison gas but I do it all the time just don't breath.

Millermatic 210, on ebay all the time for ~$1200. I'm shopping too, and that is the machine our welder at work recommends. It is more money than the 110v machine, but you can actually do something with it. We borrowed a 110 machine to weld a new jack on my flatbed. It is on there, but it ain't pretty or very strong

First off I do not care what kind of welder you end up with If you don't know what you are doing a million dollar welder is still going to lay down a ten cent weld. So you might want to think about learning how to weld on what supports your pride and joy.

As far as a 110AC welder I have both 110 and 220. As long as I am welding 3/16 or less I like my 110AC unit. If you buy one look at the duty cycle. on most 110 welders it is 20% This means you can only weld for 2 minuets than rest the welder for 8 minutes. My 110 MIG welder is a Snap On FM140A that has a 100% duty cycle. when shopping for a 110 unit the duty cycle is in direct proportion to price and quality.

Normally the reason most people fail with their 110AC MIG welder is they are to far away from their power source. Out in the garage that is feed by 14 Gage wire 100 feet from their breaker panel. Or using a long extension cord. What this does is drop the supply amperage to the welder. A 110AC MIG welder needs every last amp it can get to preform at its best so keep it close to your power source. A 220 volt welder uses half the amps, the higher the voltage the less the amps. This is why 220AC welders are easier to use with greater succes by the less experienced.

My advise to you is unless you for see your self welding a lot pay a pro to do it for you. You will save a ton of money in the long run.
And remember your boat trailer is not something to F around with.

Just my .02
Russ

Mig welding can be very deceptive. You may think that you are welding when in reality you are ''caulking with hot metal''. That is, no fusion, just ''casting'' a weld.
Performing a critical weld on something that your life or the life of others depends on is no time to ''learn how to weld''.
I would suggest that you enroll in a welding class at your local community college before you do any welding at all. They are usually inexpensive and will save you a lot of grief and frustration in the long run.

Hey Roger

You get that Checkmate out on the water yet? I hope to be back together by the june run.

Russ

What would you guys recommend for a plasma cutter? I bought the compact 220v Miller mig [don't know the mod #...I'm at work] I don't do anything proffessional....just want a quality companion for my mig. Any suggestions?

I too have a snap on 110v with a 100% duty cycle and (not sure of model #) but for what I weld ....usually 1/4" or less I wouldn't trade it for anything. Anything over 1/4" I will usually Arc it. I wouldn't hesitate for one second to weld on my frame with my mig. It's a matter of knowing what your doing and not just making sparks. I found a key for a good weld is getting your work area clean down to good metal. I usually try to clean at least 1.5 inches past your weld and make sure you have a good ground. :cool:

Those dinky welders are hard pressed to lay a 1" weld on 10g. Not nearly enough power for 1/4" tube. You'll want at least 180 amps-more if you can afford it. You'll have little use for anything over 250 amps.