Need help with welder decision..

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Looking at buying a welder finally my 2 chice's are the lincoln handy welder and the lincoln weld pack... I chose these 2 small welder's cause I don't have a garage and would have to haul the thing into the house when done..
weld pack=120 v,weld's steel from 24 guage to 1/4'' thick and is easily converted to mig from flux..flux sux.
369.99 is the price..

handy welder
out put current from 35 to 88 amp's plug's in to 115 hose hold current also easily changed to mig from flux..
299.99


I have 500 to spend would like to get the best welder for the money if anyone else has any suggestion's I am more than willing to listen ...

[rage'nrat638]

WHAT EVER YOU BUY GET ONE THAT USES TANKS AND GAUGES..
not one that don't....
my snap-on mig welder is the best thing that i have ever bought..
i can make parts...fix parts...you name it....

heres the rear bumper i reworked on my 69

[Blue Beard]

Take a look at this site for some of your welding needs:

http://www.cyberweld.com

[BOSS]

I knoe i am probably going to get bashed over this but my son bought me one of the mig welders from wally world,and would like your guys imput on those ok?It would be a very long time before i could replace it with anything nice.By the way i couldnt tell him i didnt like it ya know?

[Mike C]

Buy the Lincoln 135 SP. Best bang for the buck in a 125v machine. You would prefer the plus with its faster wire feed of 400in/min, but the regular 135 is 300in/min and $100 cheaper. Here is a link to a vendor with free shipping. $440 for the 135 and $539 for the plus. IMO, anything less than 125 amps isn't worth your time. The Hobart is another machine for less than $500 worth looking at. http://www.weldingmart.com/migwelders.htm somebody I was looking at had reconditioned machines. If I come across the link, I'll post it as well.

[FRENCHBLUE72]

Anybody else got a sp135 it is a pretty sweet deal and small enoughf to carry into the house when done ....

[FRENCHBLUE72]

T.T.T. WOULD LIKE TO GET A LITTLE MORE IMPUT ON THIS WOULD LIKE TO BUY THE WELDER BY WENSDAY AT THE LATEST....

[Hooter]

get a Hobart 135 or a millermatci 135, I have a Hobart, it came from the box ready for gas, good warranty and it works awsome

[Alexis]

I got a Miller 135 with argon/co2. it's the sht. i love just bringin two pieces of metal together. the only differeance i was told about hobart and miller was that hobart used a plastic part to push out the wire unlike miller with the aluminum pice instead. Both are good machines.i have not dealt with a Lincoln welder but have seen plenty of shops using them. i got 2 helmet, one normal old schoolone and auto darkening by miller.

[Hooter]

you are talking about the rollers in the wire feed, cuz in my Hobart they are both aluminum wheels

[Crank]

Dude, I'll tell u what, every day that I go to skool, we use a Lincoln SP 135 Plus baby mig welder. We welded our roll cage together on our school race car with this thing, we use it everyday, NO PROBLEMS WHATSOEVER. Our school also has one of the same kind in our sheetmetal class and has 8 of them in Autobody. It's worth you're money and trust me, it's an awesome tool to add to your collection, I'm gonna get one to put floors in with. It comes with the wire rollers for flux and solid wire and regulators and everything... Add shielding gas and go, unless you're fluxing. And whoever said flux sucks doesnt know what they're talkin about.... in a few years, Flux Cored Arc Welding may take the place of stick welding, turn up the heat and it'll burn in same as a stick weld..... But seriously. LINCOLN SP 135 PLUS!!!
Brandon

[Crank]

Also, they're called Feed rollers, and Miller and Hobart are now one in the same... so it no matter in that aspect. Lincoln welders are just plain the sh!t.
Brandon

[Alexis]

There th word, feed roller. The main piece which hold the roller is what differs miller from hobart but they are the same welder. Crank is a lincoln guy cause he has been rasied and taught with them. I was taught on a miller which was tossed around more then a dirty whore so i trust a miller over a lincoln anytime. it was used from frame modification to doing exhaust, everyone had a run with the miller at the shop i worked at. Day in day out on 8 hours shifts that machine did its job and not once gave sht out.

[Hooter]

where's the pic?

[Alexis]

aaaaah it's called 'drive assembly'

[Hooter]

oh I think you are talking about the knob where you put the tension onto the wire, ya mine's plastic, but it seems to work just fine

[Alexis]

yeah i don't see much of a fatal break down due to that part, even the local shop said it wasn't even a big deal. one more picture just cause i already wasted the time to crop it.

[Hooter]

and if it ever does break, ill get a metal one off a broken down miller somewhere

[ZOOMY]

Lincoln SP 135 Plus. It's good for all auto body work, including frame work. 110 household voltage. Carry it around or build your own cart for a first project until you get used to it. ...Zoomy

[Rooster's 67]

lincoln miller or hobart they are all good machines. I personaly use the millermatic 135. solid machine but a little more than 500 bucks and then add in the price of a cylinder. but comes ready for gas out of the box. and extra consumables. got about 850 tied up in the welder,cart, and cylinder. Last welder I had was a lincoln 135 plus, sold it to buy my miller and I like the smoothness of the miller when it comes to adjusting the weld parameters. but I was a good machine. I like to think of the small lincolns as a hobbiest welder. my miller is more adjustable.

[fatfords]

I caught an open house at the local welding shop during race week at TMS last year. They had company reps and displays for both Miller and Lincoln there and set up for demo's. I welded with both the Lincoln 135+ and the Miller 135 and both did a very nice job. I chose the Miller because of fewer plastic parts in the drive system (see above) and the company rep threw in a cart at no charge. They were both the same price at $529, I think. Add a tank of CO2/Argon and I was welding for just a little over $600. I have used it for sheet metal up to 1/4" thick plate. It works great. I have learned that prepping the weld area to clean bare metal is key to producing good mig welds.
Good Luck!

[67Fleetsidedream]

Get a Lincoln, Hobart or miller. Stay away from anything Century. Century is JUNK.

[chevy71super]

I have a Century 130 and it works just fine. No problems what so ever but I am not a production shop, I'm just a guy in his garage. Paid $225 but I believe retail was around $325.

[smitty62]

Everyone tends to reccomend what they put out there hard-earned $ for and I am no different, but if there is a Tractor Supply in your area, ask the manager when they are going to have their next sale. I bought a Hobart (Miller) 175-- 220V with cart, gloves, self-darkening helmet and regulators for $599 a while back and it's the best economy welder I've used. I've had real problems with 110V welders in the past and in my opinion, they don't really suffice.

[Mike C]

Perpetuating the Century myth... I have had a couple of Century welders, and no problems with either. Both were 230v machines and not "as low as" units. My current machine is a Century 250. 100% duty cycle at 160 amps. 60% at 200 amps. Weld half inch in a single pass. NOT a wimpy machine. Built in spot and stitch controls. Infinitely adjustable heat and wire speed. Thump on any of the other machines mentioned yet, Blue or Red. I gave great consideration to this purchase as it was expensive. But dollar for dollar nobody could touch its features, warranty, duty cycle, and price combination. I was pleased with my first Century as well, but its 145 amp output was not suitable for some of the larger projects I have planned. I like their square cases which adpat well to tool box bottoms. That is what I have made both of my carts out of.

If I was going to buy a 120v machine, as I said, it would be the Lincoln SP135 Plus. The Miller is more money and no better, but I have used one and they weld nice. If you have seen the exploded view of the Miller Synchrowave 180 TIG vs. the Lincoln Precision TIG 185 you wouldn'e even THINK about buying blue...