Buying my first welder...have questions

[nrh6.7]

This is the one I bought. dual voltage, gas and flux core capable. Made by Miller. I've had pro welders use it and even at 110, they said it was super hot for a "budget" welder. I've done all my jeep work as well as several friends and that and a bottle can be had for about a grand. (maybe more now) Great rig for the money.

Anything you don't like about the Hobart?

Since you're a novice, go with a wirefeed, not "MIG". Although "MIG" is a wire feed process, it's more advanced for a beginner. The wire spool you'd use has flux either in the core or outside so you'll have to chip and brush the slag away between (bead) passes.

Get a machine that has auto and manual adjust. Use auto until you get familiar with travel speed and puddle control. Without a firm grasp of these, you'll wonder what you were thinking in wanting to learn the weld.

I'm partial to Miller.

What would you recommend? 211 or something else?

I have a Miller 211 and it’s been great at home. It will do reasonably well at heavier duty home stuff. The dual voltage was a selling feature for me but I have 220 in the garage and have never used the 110. You need a bigger breaker and correct plug for it anyways so you can’t just take it anywhere. It came with the spool gun for aluminum but I’ve never used it yet.
At work we have a Miller 252 and a spool gun I get to play with once in awhile. If I was getting into heavier duty stuff and welding a lot, I’d look at one of these but the price is a lot more than a 211.

One last note, usually the Miller and Lincoln units in the big box stores have cheaper internals than the ones sold at specialized tool places even if they both are 180 models. The actual model numbers will be a bit different.

I love welding, nothing like building something or fixing something so many people can’t do. A few repairs here and there and it will have paid for itself easily.

Yeah, the dual voltage thing is a selling point for me because I can use the 220 at home or the 110 with my generator.

 

[TomJoad]

Congrats on taking the plunge, just DO IT!!

As for which welder… It’s all about what you intend to weld and how much space you have.

I only have space for one unit now in the metal area of my shop so it’s a torch. For me this choice is about versatility as I use it for heat bending stock as well as managing most thickness of steel welding well and brazing just about anything. Learn how to weld with a torch well and then you will have a much easier time learning TIG, the most versatile electric welder by a landslide, steel, stainless, aluminum, titanium, not much you can’t do with a TIG. MIG is fine if you need speed and ease with a focus on steel. Stick is great for thicker stock, poor conditions and dirty parts.

If I had the space I would have another miller syncrowave TIG in addition to the torch… but the unit is big and you’ll absolutely want a water cooled torch handle plus more bottles of inert gas(s) mix(es) depending on what metals you want to cover.

If I had space beyond that I’d get another MIG as they are convenient but they don’t have the versatility to make a no. 1 or 2 spot in my shop.

Finally learning MIG first is not the best IMO because anyone can pull the trigger and squeeze toothpaste out of a tube, but without the experience of learning the torch it’s hard to understand and see what’s really happening with weld penetration. As with most things 90% of welding of welding is material prep and setup. Learning that will take you a long way.

Finally I’d pickup a copy of Modern Welding. It’s an indispensable reference especially if you start TIG and are having a hard time remembering some of your machine setup for a particular metal you haven’t worked with in a few years. It will help a ton with proper prep grinding for different joints and recommended weld directions for each. Also a good visual reference for identification of bead and penetration problems.

 

[Dust Rider]

I have the older generation miller Matic 211. It’s a great do it all machine and has been used a lot in construction and around the shop/farm. The MVP power is great to use for different applications and off generator. Never a issue with it. Quality machine all around.
The new version looks great and about 40#. It was purchased at a local welding shop.

 

[Terrapin]

I’ve had a Hobart MIG for 20+ years. It’s getting pretty worn out, but it’s made me tons of money. I also do a lot of tig welding using the cheap Miller 180. I like it okay, but I miss my old Idealarc 300 with the water cooler.

Welding is not my core business, but it can be a nice skill set for exotic projects.


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[Nykki]

I've got a Lincoln wire feed that I use for most of my welding projects. A 200 amp machine from Lincoln, Miller or Hobart will weld about anything a hobby welder would use it for.

 

[displacedtexan]

I've got a Lincoln wire feed that I use for most of my welding projects. A 200 amp machine from Lincoln, Miller or Hobart will weld about anything a hobby welder would use it for.

I'd disagree with that...

I know quite a few hobby welders that tig together NHRA certified roll cages, front and back half chassis, four link suspensions, etc.

Granted, they're people pushing a hobby to the extremes, but also, here we are.

 

[sodaksooner]

Anything you don't like about the Hobart?

What would you recommend? 211 or something else?

Yeah, the dual voltage thing is a selling point for me because I can use the 220 at home or the 110 with my generator.

It has been a great little machine. The only issue I have is that the ground cable is cheap and crappy, but good ones are readily available cheap. The 220 wouldn't work when I first got it. Called them, they told me what to check internally and it was just a simple wiring issue that I was able to fix in just a few minutes. For a hobby welder, I think it is a great machine. I know the duty cycle isn't phenomenal, but we aren't welding beads all day long with it.

 

[roadrunner]

I'd disagree with that...

I know quite a few hobby welders that tig together NHRA certified roll cages, front and back half chassis, four link suspensions, etc.

Granted, they're people pushing a hobby to the extremes, but also, here we are.

Do you know why they "TIG" those roll cages together instead of "MIG"?

 

[roadrunner]

Anything you don't like about the Hobart?

What would you recommend? 211 or something else?

Yeah, the dual voltage thing is a selling point for me because I can use the 220 at home or the 110 with my generator.

A Millermatic 211 would be sufficient. I have a Millermatic 180 which has been discontinued. The closest thing to it is the 211.

 

[displacedtexan]

Do you know why they "TIG" those roll cages together instead of "MIG"?

You have to TIG chromoloy.

Also, you can TIG around finished interior surfaces.

 

[Azone]

I would highly recommend a multiprocess machine, stick/tig and wire feed capabilities all in one for a hobby garage setup. If you out grow that, someone at a welding supply store will gladly take your money for something bigger and better. In my shop it’s a mix of Miller and Lincoln with one ESAB in the line up.

 

[Topo_trekker]

Unless you’re using for prodo work and/or heavy duty for long periods, no need to spend the money on either of those. Go buy a Prime, Everlast, or AHP.

 

[CCooper]

Lincoln 260 or older 255/256 setup for DS/ Hard wire have been pretty decent wire machines for us. Have never been impressed with multi process machines- do everything okay, nothing great,

 

[stanginthe11s]

of the welders you are looking at, in that price range, Lincoln would be the best brand overall. not saying they don't all get the job done, just that Lincoln has less issues.
as far as the question of what process is better, well there's no real answer because each has its pro's and cons however they all accomplish the same thing. the idea that one style produces stronger welds over the other is false. the average home hobbyist welds mostly mild steel and has a thickness of 3/16 or less which brings a requirement of roughly 145 amps or less. now the difference between cheap welders like hobart and such is duty cycle and voltage output, where most good welders will carry a min of 80%, cheap welders can be well under that. these specs are important because you want a welder that actually produce the amperage you need consistently without taxing the machine.
as far as usefulness, thats a hard debate simply because no 1 welder fits every bill. yes, a tig machine can weld everything but with that comes a steep learning curve, and higher prices. a mig can weld most common materials and is easier to learn and can move faster as well as be used with or without gas. A stick welder allows use outdoors on not so clean metals more so than a mig however stick isn't ideal for thin metals. All 3 can weld steel, stainless and aluminum. another thing to keep in mind for all welders, if aluminum is a thought, there is roughly a 30 % increase in needed amperage for aluminum over steel for the same thickness material due to heat dispersion.
last, never buy a machine that has an auto feature. besides being one more thing to go wrong, I have yet to see one that is actually correct. they may work ok for perfect flat fillet welds but rarely is that the case and you dont want to fight your welder when doing out of position welds.

 

[roadrunner]

You have to TIG chromoloy.

Also, you can TIG around finished interior surfaces.

That's not the reason. Chromoly isn't process specific. It's input specific...

 

[stanginthe11s]

not sure what input specific means, but in his example per NHRA rules dictate moly must be tig welded.

 

[displacedtexan]

That's not the reason. Chromoly isn't process specific. It's input specific...

NHRA spec for cages mandates TIG for chromoloy. I know at least one person who has bought a TIG machine specifically to build a cage, because his existing wire feeds couldn't.

 

[roadrunner]

NHRA spec for cages mandates TIG for chromoloy. I know at least one person who has bought a TIG machine specifically to build a cage, because his existing wire feeds couldn't.

Because it is input specific, not process. There is a difference...

Unless someone's welding hobby is specific like your example is, a GTAW setup isn't practical.

 

[stanginthe11s]

still wondering what you mean by input specific? what input are you referring to?

 

[HuntWyo]

Miller Multimatic 215 has been a great machine for me, multiprocessor, 120v 240v, ability to weld anything thick enough for homeowner use and light commercial, my thought when getting one was buy once cry once. It’s been a great machine and have been more than pleased with my purchase, got mine during Black Friday and saved a ton!