air suspension welding?

[bedsled71]

how many of you are using a regular household plug in welders ( not 220) for your frames and suspension work? and what kind?

[jimmydean]

I would not use a 110 welder for frame and chassis work at all. A friend of mine has a Lincoln 175 that has been used for some frame and a lot of suspension work on various 4x4 projects without issue.

110's are great for sheet metal and body work, but I think most of them say 3/16 MAX and I wouldn't trust the max rating to be strong enough for the way I drive.

[bedsled71]

over 80 views and nobody has any input?

[itsmike2k]

i agree with Jimmy

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by bedsled71

how many of you are using a regular household plug in welders ( not 220) for your frames and suspension work? and what kind?

My first attempt at fabrication involved a 57 chevy truck, a 79 camaro subframe, and a 115V welder. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured or killed! Due to a lack of funds (high school days) the truck didn't get to see too much road time! That might have been the reason lives were spared????

Knowing what I do now, I would never recommend a 115V welder for chassis and suspension fabrication. Save up for a few more weeks/months/years and purchase the proper equipment to do what you would like... or make friends with somebody who has what you need.

Can you get proper penetration with a 115V welder..... maybe; you can for sure with a 220V.

I have a pair of Miller 210s and I love them. They are affordable and work extremely well.

[Mr79C10]

?What about this http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...eet.asp?p=7112
It says up to 5/16 steel?

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by Mr79C10

?What about this http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...eet.asp?p=7112
It says up to 5/16 steel?

Again, what Nate said about penetration. My buddy paid something like $400 for his Lincoln 175 off Craig's List with a bottle and cart. The 175 isn't as nice as the Miller 210, but it is a very capable wire feed setup that gets the job done for very little coin.

If you shop around, you can find a quality 220 for not much more. Wiring the garage for 220 was easy too. Before we wired an outlet, he used to use an extension cord off the dryer. Not convenient, but it worked.

[bedsled71]

i was asking because i was looking at the link above about the lincoln 3200 weld pak that says you can weld up to 5/16.. i have never used a 115v ... i used an old 220 arc in the back farmshed in mississippi to bag my truck at a friends house and i was looking in to buying one... i dont have a 220 plug in the garage and was thinking about using an extension cord to the dryer... my only use with a welder was stick so im new with the mig... thanks for the input

[.030over]

There are a few capable 110v welders out there. I had a Snap On (made by systematics) FM140 that was very good and had a 100% duty cycle, something that most entry level 220v welders don't have. It went bad after 10 years and I replaced it with a Hobart 185 (220v)and there is no comparison. The FM140 was way better. I haven't looked at welders in a while so I don't have a recommendation but I'm sure the FM140 is way expensive by now.

[DM310]

Originally Posted by bedsled71

i was asking because i was looking at the link above about the lincoln 3200 weld pak that says you can weld up to 5/16.. i have never used a 115v ... i used an old 220 arc in the back farmshed in mississippi to bag my truck at a friends house and i was looking in to buying one... i dont have a 220 plug in the garage and was thinking about using an extension cord to the dryer... my only use with a welder was stick so im new with the mig... thanks for the input

It will only do 5/16 w/ fluxcore wire, if you use gas it wont weld that thick. I had this welder before I steped up to a miller 251. I would not use it for frame work unless you are a really good welder. Just step up to a 220. I ran a extension cord from my electric stove

[62chevy302]

i found this welder and it says it will weld 3/16 inch steel and my frame is a heavy 1/16 at the most. am i missing some thing here or is the 3/16 if you use the flux core wire ?http://www2.northerntool.com/product-1/200332691.htm

[jimmydean]

Originally Posted by 62chevy302

i found this welder and it says it will weld 3/16 inch steel and my frame is a heavy 1/16 at the most. am i missing some thing here or is the 3/16 if you use the flux core wire ?http://www2.northerntool.com/product-1/200332691.htm

Sorry man. If your frame is only 1/16 think, you has some real issues. It SHOULD be more like 3/16.

[Frizzle Fry]

I've got a 115v welder. It's rated for 3/16" in a single pass. Our frames are no thicker than that. If you bevel the edges (for a butt weld) and weld on both sides it's more than sufficient. I just use .035 or .040 flux core for frame work and lighter stuff for bodywork.

People with 220 welders will always tell you that's what you HAVE to have, and believe me I wouldn't mind having one. But will a 115v'er do the job on frame and suspension work? If you know what your doing, work slow and hot, then hell ya.

[Mr79C10]

Originally Posted by Mr79C10

?What about this http://www.mylincolnelectric.com/Cat...eet.asp?p=7112
It says up to 5/16 steel?

Ok so if I get this right, this welder can do fram weld with FLUX core wire? If one knows what he is doing? And not use gas with it?

[bedsled71]

why would this not work for thick metal if using gas.. i thought it was better thn flux?

[Frizzle Fry]

I never said it wouldn't. Here's a good read on the subject.

[kid66]

I use a lincoln 3200 weld pak to do my chassis work. It does not really matter if you use a cheap welder or a $100,000 welder. lincoln told me if I use good wire, clean all my parts before I weld with good gas the weld would be strong. Plus you can always tell if your getting good heat if you are blueing the other side of wat you are welding. I used my lincoln to build my whole new chassis from cab back. Plus a lot of nascar teams use the 3200 weld pak as a travle welder when they are on the road.

[jlaird]

Another thing to keep in mind is when its says, "welds up to 5/16," a lot of times this is with multiple passes. You have to read the fine print. Most good welders will have their charts downloadable on their websites.

Get a 220 man. Trust me when I say you will be happy you did. It leaves room for future growth. Ya never know what you will need it for. They're not much more. I got my Hobart at Tractor Supply in a kit that included an auto-darkening helmet, cart, wire, gloves, regulator, etc. If I remember right, it was around $600

[bedsled71]

well this might be a rough topic question but are lincolns as bad as the people that have millers say they are.. i just would love to put in a bigger notch and well , pretty much re-do my rear setup minus my links and i didnt do it with a mig before, i used arc so i just wanna make sure i do it right.
maybe its a question that cant really be answered because everyone will say something different

[jimmydean]

My buddies Lincoln 175 has been going strong for about 8 years now without issue. I would say they are about as good as Miller are supposed to be.

[kid66]

I have had 4 Lincolns in the last 5 years only to trade them in on a newer one. I have not had to service any of them in that time.

[62chevy302]

Originally Posted by jimmydean

Sorry man. If your frame is only 1/16 think, you has some real issues. It SHOULD be more like 3/16.

it might be heavy 1/16 or a 1/8. at the most am i missing some thing all i need to weld is front cab mounts and maybe later on bag brackets.

[PBFAB.COM]

Originally Posted by bedsled71

well this might be a rough topic question but are lincolns as bad as the people that have millers say they are.. i just would love to put in a bigger notch and well , pretty much re-do my rear setup minus my links and i didnt do it with a mig before, i used arc so i just wanna make sure i do it right.
maybe its a question that cant really be answered because everyone will say something different

I am pretty sure the decision between Miller and Lincoln would be based on if you like blue or red better!

There isn't much of a difference in the technology the two companies use (if any).

I have both brands and like them both.

[bedsled71]

thanks for the input.. it sure helps out

[revn67]

tractor supply also has a 185 hobart welder with 7 heat ranges now, it's 600 bucks and it'll will definitely get the job done on frames and then some.