cheap welder for fun and profit
 

I used to do MIG, TIG and oxy acetelyne welding back in high school shop class (long time ago..) and want to get back into welding. Can anybody make a suggestion on a cheap protable MIG welder? Can you get one that does a decent job that runs on 15amp house socket so I can take it around places, or is there no such thing. I would mostly be using it for thing like butt welding exhaust pipes and stuff like that. I guess I really never welding anything less than 1/4". Would a crappy MIG welder still burn though exhaust pipe?

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

I dunno what kind of exhaust pipe you're using that uses a 1/4" wall, but a little 110 mig welder should be able to get penetration into 1/4" steel, but probably not much thicker than that. And as far as cheap goes, the cheapest welder that is able to use gas I've been able to find is a little north of $500. You can get flux core only welders for a little cheaper than that, but you can't run gas through them.

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

Thanks, i was saying i've never welded anything under 1/4" and was wondering if MIG was overkill.

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

Ohh, ok, sorry for the misunderstanding. Mig won't be overkill, When I was doing body work I was regularly welding 20-22 gauge steel with a mig and it was just fine. You just have to dial in the wire feed speed and voltage.

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

The gas wirefeed welder I used to do my exausht was able to burn thru.... buuut Im also a less than great welder, and I had my voltage and speed cranked to try to get done faster.

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

you can get a self shielded flux cored welder at ace farm and home for pretty cheap and they work with just a regular outet. its what i have used on everything i do at home.

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

So what do you end up buying? Weld much stuff yet?

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

Hobart Handler.

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

Woot, I purchased a Hobart Handler 140, and it seems to do the trick. If anybody wants stuff welded for free, let me know. I want stuff to practice on. (I'm not bad)

Re: cheap welder for fun and profit
 

Yeah I got a pic of Shane welding last night, it's pretty bitchin' having a welder I must say. Gonna have him fab me up a custom bracket for my Evo VII center console/armrest and fix my bilstiens after Mitsu's fuckup.