Welder recommendations for my son

[HighUintas]

My son's 18 birthday is coming up and he'll be attending MTEC's welding program in Utah this August. He already has a welding cert from a year long class he took in highschool, so knows his way around it a bit.

I do not. I know zilch about welding, other than I know there's tig, mig, stick.

I was thinking I'd look into getting him a welder for his birthday so he can hone his skills and maybe do some odd jobs in his spare time, and he would enjoy making various metals arts with it.

I'm unsure if I'd actually be able to find a way to get a dedicated 20-30 amp circuit in my house for a welder, but I'd try.

So.... If he is attending this https://mtec.edu/programs/welding-technology/ (you can see courses scrollling down and opening menu) what type of welder would be useful to him?

Is there a functional, decent welder that would be available for $200 or so that would function on a 20-30 amp circuit that would be useful to him ? Any recommendations?

 

[RepeatPete]

Good for you/him! At that price point you’re probably only looking at a stick, flux core, or used mig machine. Stick teaches good welding fundamentals and mig is really flexible and easier to learn so he will get into it quickly. There are lots of flux-core only machines for cheap, but I would stay away as flux core is not as versatile as stick or mig, although cheaper overall as you don’t need a gas bottle.

For new:
- the new Chinese machines (in my experience) are actually pretty nice. I would focus on getting one with as few plastic internal parts as possible. I’ve used Klutch (Northern Tool’s house brand) and Forney machines and they run well.

For used:
- the older Lincoln Tombstone stick machines are pretty much bombproof, and there are thousands of them out there so I would think you could find spare parts
- a used Hobart MiG machine (Handler 120/140) is probably what I would look for and in my opinion is the best bet at this price range. New they’re ~$500, but can be found used in great shape cheaper, and often times someone is unloading a whole package of machine, cart, bottle, and a few spools of wire. They have good internals and you can actually get spare parts.

One more recommendation is to get good quality wire even if that means a slightly cheaper machine. A cheaper Chinese machine with good wire will run better than a nicer machine with cheap/old wire.

 

[MallardSX2]

Buy him this. It’s freaking awesome. I’m going to buy another one.

Welding is easy, fabrication is that hard part. That plasma cutter feature will be a huge step in the right direction to bridge that gap.

I use my machine several times a week. I have a Hobart handler mig machine loaded with flux core and I use it a good bit too. But if I had to choose a machine, I would get that flameweld, all. day. long.

Flameweld 3 In 1 Plasma Cutter Welder Machine - 50Amps Pilot Arc Plasma Cutter, 200Amps TIG Welder, 200Amps Stick Welder, Cut Tig Stick Dual Voltage 110/220V, 60% Duty Cycle 50/60Hz https://a.co/d/0esHFMT6

 

[Cedarsavage]

My son's 18 birthday is coming up and he'll be attending MTEC's welding program in Utah this August. He already has a welding cert from a year long class he took in highschool, so knows his way around it a bit.

I do not. I know zilch about welding, other than I know there's tig, mig, stick.

I was thinking I'd look into getting him a welder for his birthday so he can hone his skills and maybe do some odd jobs in his spare time, and he would enjoy making various metals arts with it.

I'm unsure if I'd actually be able to find a way to get a dedicated 20-30 amp circuit in my house for a welder, but I'd try.

So.... If he is attending this https://mtec.edu/programs/welding-technology/ (you can see courses scrollling down and opening menu) what type of welder would be useful to him?

Is there a functional, decent welder that would be available for $200 or so that would function on a 20-30 amp circuit that would be useful to him ? Any recommendations?

I have an AC/DC Hobart stick mate. It was $500 in 2017 when I bought it. I can’t speak to the cheaper Chinese welders but Lincoln n miller are quality American made, with Hobart being made by miller on the same production line. Anyway the stick mate lets you AC/DC stick and dc tig with lift arc. I do sheet metal downhill with stick or tig and heavy stuff however I want. Anyone that can run stick will be able to run mig/wire feed.

I would avoid anything that’s 110, it just runs too cold to be reliable. As far as plugs I ran mine off a dryer plug til I wired in 220 in my shop.

 

[summs]

I have a yesweld 160. It's 220/110. flux/mig, stick, and lift tig. It was $250. It works. At this point, i can't out weld the machine. A grinder and paint make me the welder I aint.

Mostly small things, body panel work occasionally, bracket making. Nothing structural or critical.

Im looking for a used generator that has 7000w continuous power 220/30A on facebook marketplace so I dont have to bog dog the 100amp service in the house.

 

[doc holiday13]

Is there a functional, decent welder that would be available for $200 or so that would function on a 20-30 amp circuit that would be useful to him ? Any recommendations?

$200 welder... That would get you a used stick welder. Ain't nothing wrong with stick welder. In construction, stick is used A LOT. You could find a "mig" at that price point but it would be a waste of money. Just don't do it. Flux core mig you'd want a 220v model. When you get a true mig you need to get a bottle of inert gas and yada yada.

If he's going to be going to trade school, i'd recommend buying him a good helmet. $200 will do that. The school will have the machines

 

[HighUintas]

$200 welder... That would get you a used stick welder. Ain't nothing wrong with stick welder. In construction, stick is used A LOT. You could find a "mig" at that price point but it would be a waste of money. Just don't do it. Flux core mig you'd want a 220v model. When you get a true mig you need to get a bottle of inert gas and yada yada.

If he's going to be going to trade school, i'd recommend buying him a good helmet. $200 will do that. The school will have the machines

His dad already got him a helmet (I'm actually his step dad). I thought if I can't figure out what type to get him soon enough or if it won't be possible on my houses electricity, then there's some other items he still needs for the school, like canvas coat, a few different tools, etc

 

[HighUintas]

I've got an electric clothes dryer on a 220 line in the garage.

Is it feasible to just unplug the dryer and use that outlet when he wants to weld?

 

[Mighty Mouse]

If $200 is your hard limit, a small wire feed machine from Harbor Freight or Amazon is your only option for a new welder. You might be able to find a used Lincoln or Hobart stick or small wire feed for around $200. I haven't used one of the off brand welders, so I can't comment on their quality.

I'll disagree with some of the comments above about 110V vs. 220V. IMO a 110V welder works just fine for a hobby welder working with light to medium gauge steel. I've burned miles of (mostly flux-cored) wire with a 110V Hobart Handler 140. Most of my use has been on 3/16" or thinner steel, but I've occasionally welded 1/4", which is doable with good joint preparation and multiple passes. The great thing about a 110V welder is that it will run fine on a typical household circuit. You may not be able to run much else on that particular circuit while you're welding, but any 15A or 20A 110V receptacle in your house should be able to operate a 110V welder. If you go with a 220V welder, you're likely looking at some electrical work, which can get expensive in a hurry.

 

[Wellsdw]

My cousin owns a shop welder repair shop, and is a dealer for several big brands, but he swears up and down that the blue demons are as good as anything. Maybe worth a look

 

[mxgsfmdpx]

Lincoln makes the “Century” brand 120V wire feed welder you can get at Home Depot. That thing works shockingly well and is a great little practice mig welder. I prefer it over any of the other cheap 120V wire feed units that I’ve used.

I wouldn’t hesitate at all to buy him that welder and let him have some fun with it.

 

[HighUintas]

My cousin owns a shop welder repair shop, and is a dealer for several big brands, but he swears up and down that the blue demons are as good as anything. Maybe worth a look

Blue demons?

 

[Blearning13]

I just bought a Lincoln 210mp last year to compliment a huge old TIG I've had for years and absolutely love it. It's a mig/tig/stick combo machine and at the time with discounts it was only about 100-200 more than just their 110/220V mig only machine. It will only do DC TIG, which means no aluminum welding, but its a nice small machine that will run on 110 or 220V and its super easy to get familiar with and use. I mainly bought it for the mig welder so I cant comment on TIG or Stick welding, but thought it would be nice to have the option of a mobile TIG welder if the need ever came up.

 

[Weldor]

I've got an electric clothes dryer on a 220 line in the garage.

Is it feasible to just unplug the dryer and use that outlet when he wants to weld?

Yes, as long as the welder does not draw more than 30 amps. Most new machines require a 50 amp plug. The old 3 prong 30 amp plugs are long gone. Don't know how new your place is, it could already have the correct plug. Check your breaker, probably 30 amp for your dryer?

 

[Mighty Mouse]

I've got an electric clothes dryer on a 220 line in the garage.

Is it feasible to just unplug the dryer and use that outlet when he wants to weld?

Yes, with a couple of caveats:

1. Most welders have a 6-50 plug. Your dryer receptacle is likely either a 14-30 (4-prong) or a 10-30 (3-prong, standard up until the mid-1990s). The cheapest way to make this work is to cut the existing plug off the welder and splice on a plug compatible with the dryer receptacle. A better method would be to buy/make an adapter cord with a 6-50 receptacle on one end and a dryer plug on the other. Amazon has short adapter cords for around $25.
2. Most dryer circuits have a 30 amp breaker, which will limit how large a 220V welder you can use. A 30A breaker would probably be sufficient for a smaller 220V welder (or a larger 220V welder operated at the lower end of its range), but a 50A or 60A breaker would be better. If you want to know what size breaker you're working with, open your breaker panel and look at the number printed on the breaker handle. Not saying you would try this, but know that upsizing a breaker on an existing circuit is generally a bad idea; the breaker should be matched to the size of the wire used in the downstream circuit, and upsizing the breaker could allow more amperage in the circuit than the wire can safely handle.

 

[Weldor]

If $200 is your hard limit, a small wire feed machine from Harbor Freight or Amazon is your only option for a new welder. You might be able to find a used Lincoln or Hobart stick or small wire feed for around $200. I haven't used one of the off brand welders, so I can't comment on their quality.

I'll disagree with some of the comments above about 110V vs. 220V. IMO a 110V welder works just fine for a hobby welder working with light to medium gauge steel. I've burned miles of (mostly flux-cored) wire with a 110V Hobart Handler 140. Most of my use has been on 3/16" or thinner steel, but I've occasionally welded 1/4", which is doable with good joint preparation and multiple passes. The great thing about a 110V welder is that it will run fine on a typical household circuit. You may not be able to run much else on that particular circuit while you're welding, but any 15A or 20A 110V receptacle in your house should be able to operate a 110V welder. If you go with a 220V welder, you're likely looking at some electrical work, which can get expensive in a hurry.

Hobart and alike require a 20 amp cicuit, even though they will weld with 15 amps. If run them at max amps it will take out a 15 amp. Also amp drop if you use a extension cord. I agree you can do alot with the 140. $200 bucks is limiting for sure. I think the best I have seen for close that is HF Titanium. Buy the warranty for a couple bucks and you should be good to go. Lots of plastic parts but at that price point and warranty you get a new one if it crashes. Good luck to Him. Great career if he goes that way. I retired after 43 years of doing it.

 

[Weldor]

Yes, with a couple of caveats:

1. Most welders have a 6-50 plug. Your dryer receptacle is likely either a 14-30 (4-prong) or a 10-30 (3-prong, standard up until the mid-1990s). The cheapest way to make this work is to cut the existing plug off the welder and splice on a plug compatible with the dryer receptacle. A better method would be to buy/make an adapter cord with a 6-50 receptacle on one end and a dryer plug on the other.
2. Most dryer circuits have a 30 amp breaker, which will limit how large a 220V welder you can use. A 30A breaker would probably be sufficient for a smaller 220V welder (or a larger 220V welder operated at the lower end of its range), but a 50A or 60A breaker would be better. If you want to know what size breaker you're working with, open your breaker panel and look at the number printed on the breaker handle. Not saying you would try this, but know that upsizing a breaker on an existing circuit is generally a bad idea; the breaker should be matched to the size of the wire used in the downstream circuit, and upsizing the breaker could allow more amperage in the circuit than the wire can safely handle.

Yes Sir, the good thing is most of the new inverters run under 20 amps at full amperage welding.

 

[Mighty Mouse]

Hobart and alike require a 20 amp cicuit, even though they will weld with 15 amps. If run them at max amps it will take out a 15 amp. Also amp drop if you use a extension cord.

Fair point. But tripping the breaker is the worst that's going to happen if you try to weld too much on a 15 amp circuit. Hopefully the OP's garage was wired sensibly with 12 gauge wire and 20 amp receptacles and he won't have any issue running a 110V welder.

 

[doc holiday13]

His dad already got him a helmet (I'm actually his step dad). I thought if I can't figure out what type to get him soon enough or if it won't be possible on my houses electricity, then there's some other items he still needs for the school, like canvas coat, a few different tools, etc

Auxillary things like slag pick, apron, chats, etc would be a good gift. Tell you what.. A good set of OSHA boots would go a long way for him. He could get them resoled when he wears them out every 6-8 months. Welders are on their feet ALL day. Generally hard concrete or expanded metal platform

 

[Weldor]

That's for sure. There is a long list of Fab. and layout tools needed. Thorogood makes some comfortable ones. USA made.