So I'm trying to get into welding, but have no place to start. I'm not sure what a good beginner welding setup is, I've read countless articles, but they all say something different. I just wanted to take this issue directly to real people.
ps. this is very budget minded considering im broke
MIG machine with the capability to add gas if it doesn't come with it. Preferably 220v if you have it, or both inputs 110/220. Hobart, Eastwood, Miller, Lincoln all have good basic MIG machines. Buy the best you can afford... best to stretch a bit on the budget and buy quality.
I have an everlast Mig 140 which works wonderfully for me. You just have to be aware that a 110 machine will definitely have it's limitations.
I'll second Rodan's suggestion for going with MIG and the capability to add gas. I have the smaller Eastwood welder and it's a nice little machine. It's 110V because I don't have 220v in the garage (except the dryer), and don't find myself needing it. Being budget conscience and a first time welder, it's tempting to buy something like a Harbor Freight model, but the concern is it'll frustrate a beginning welder.
Since you don't know what to look for yet being new, I'd be careful of used systems. But, if you want to stick with the name brands (Hobart, Lincoln, Miller) it's a cheaper way to go.
If there's one around you, Tractor Supply has argon tanks for swap. The first tank is expensive, but then it's a swap out each time. It's convenient because Tractor Supply is open more days and hours than any welding shops I've found.
-Rob
I learned with a 89 harbour freight Flux core. Still use it for a lot of different things.
I have a small 110v wire-feed welder from Lincoln. It was pretty cheap and I can do basic stuff with it, but I pretty quickly get frustrated by it's limitations. I would shop for something used and get a better model if I had to do it again.
I had a cheapie Chicago Electric MIG first, save your money. Parts are hard to come by and hardly any cross to any other brand or parts. Mine was flux core and ran on 110, OK if you need to tack up a tailpipe at the track, but other than mostly a PITA.
I wish I knew how to TIG but so far in all the crap I've repaired and built, MIG has been just fine.
I have a Hobart 130 now with tri-gas.
If you really want to learn how to weld, and do it for cheap, go find an old $50 Lincoln stick welder and buy a box of 6010 rods. Then weld things together and try to beat them apart. Once you have learned how to strike an arc, control a puddle and what all, find a decent quality mig.
+1 on everything Rob said. I have no experience with the HF Mig, but Duster knows his stuff. Eastwood has decent cheap stuff, too.
My advice would lean towards the Hobart 115 at Tractor Supply. Burn through some flux, then get on the gas (CO2/Argon). Watch everything you can find on Youtube.
For the money, the HF MIG welder with gas capability I think is hard to beat. I have an older Italian version and it is my go-to welder. I also have stick (SMAW) and oxy-acetylene.
Would a small 110v like those work for welding in floor pans on old beetles and such?
I do better sheet metal world with my flux core than with the Lincoln mig.
Start at your local community college with a welding class, it will give you broad and basic skills. One class doesn't cost much but has a lot of value. Our apprentices tell me a mig/tig class is offered now. I started with Gas/stick, then mig/tig.
Realistically, a gas torch and some stick is very good practice. Even a map torch, coat hanger, rod or brazing rod with some .125" holes to fill in clean sheet is a good place to start. Practice with heat and flow.
A flux core will do most of what you want on a car. It will be somewhat limited for thicker material, but most of the car is sheet metal anyhow. I have used mine with the stainless feed wire to make up stainless exhaust, it worked but not ideal. The limitation was the thicker stuff like the flange plate. A flux core will never make pretty welds, it tends to be a tad messy, there is some stuff to be cleaned up with a grinder after. But for cheap welding that is easy to use, flux core. If / when you have more money to spend then a real mig unit with gas. A good gas torch, can be handy for brazing but most stuff you could do with the cheap flux core.
I got a Lincoln 3200 HD Weld Pak used last year for $150, set up for flux, but also had the regulator for going to MIG.
It can go up to 135amps. I havent gotten a bottle yet, but if you use flux and turn up the heat you can get good penetration on 1/4" steel. That being said, with gas, it apparently goes down to 14ga (0.075") steel max penetration. So, it falls short for welding up a roll cage, but will do almost all bodywork stuff and can do some heavier lifting with flux wire.
I got a steal on it. I consider it a good first welder and may look into a TIG at a later date if I go for roll cage work. That said, good place to start for my money.
Agree with others, buy Hobart, Lincoln, or Miller. If just for parts and accessories availability if nothing else. They will also have better resale if you look to upgrade later.
I rented a flux core wire feed and practiced, but that was probably a 1/4 of the way to the Lincoln Home Depot Special that I bought. Then I played around with any scrap metal I had to try and get better - haven't improved as much as I'd like (much like my autocross skills...), but then I don't do enough of it (much like autocrossing...).
Everything here is solid advice, and the one thing I wish I'd done is a class at the community college (I still might one of these days...).
+1 on taking a class. You can try out different machines and get some solid feedback/advice. Only down side is getting spoiled by the great equipmemt.
NoPermitNeeded wrote: Would a small 110v like those work for welding in floor pans on old beetles and such?
Yep, arguably better than a more expensive machine. For body work I like the smaller wire. .023, .026, I forget.
We have a Lincoln 175SP (?) at the shop and I have a Lincoln 180HD at home. Mine's the Home Depot special model - the HD does not stand for Heavy Duty 
. Both running gas, both 220v. The only difference that's obvious is that the 180 has continuously variable wire speed and the 175 has a handful of discrete settings. But there's a really big difference in how they work. The 175 tops out a lot sooner than my 180. I can't explain it from reading spec sheets, but it's way underpowered for anything much past sheet metal.
I'm going to pile on here and recommend one of the starter kits from the big manufacturers like Lincoln, with future gas capability. Personally I prefer gas for just about anything short of fixing a trailer in the wind. I prefer the power of 220v but it is less convenient than a 110v unit. Still, you'll probably outgrow 110 so I think it's better to buy the good one from the start.
It's a shame you are sufficiently far as to require shipping
I've got a barely used (one day at a trade show) Lincoln 110V flux core I'm looking to get rid of.
Flux core is kind of a pain on thinner metal, or at least it is in the cheap machines with only 2 power settings, you really want gas shielding for auto body work.
The only problem with the 120 volt machines is that while they come with a 15 amp plug, they really need a good 20 amp circuit to run well, 14 gauge wiring and light duty extension cords will give you grief.
I have had a good experience with my little hobart. I cant remember if its 130 or 140. Its a 110v and will run on gas or flux core. Ive done work on thin sheet metal up to 1/8" and not been disappointed.
I got a Hobart handler 187 when I was in your shoes. I don't really wish I had bought any nicer, and perhaps cheaper would have been fine. I see this machine meeting my needs into the distant future and I have put down quite a bit of wire at this point. I think I would rather have a cheap mig and expensive tig machine than the other way around. Absolutely make sure your machine can drink gas for later and buy a bottle of gas as soon as you can. Mig doesn't suck gas like tig does, so you don't need a big bottle for Mig even 60cf is fine. Flux core sucks unless it is windy.
I also wanted to comment about 220V. It is nice to have the power. However I have one 220 drop in my shop, so my 220V welder isn't very portable which sucks because mig more than tig is something that you don't have as much control over where you get to do it. So you either need a long lead and ground, or a hefty extension chord, or a generator. None of which are cheap.
NoPermitNeeded wrote: Would a small 110v like those work for welding in floor pans on old beetles and such?
Sure will. I have a small 110v Lincoln and that is what I used to weld floor pans into my 64 Spitfire.
The Eastwood welders get good feedback, not because they are uber reliable, but because Eastwood gives good customer service on them.
Hang on Craigslist and/or Kijiji depending on where you are. Have cash in hand and be ready to go
I grabbed a Millermatic 180 off Kijiji for $350 CAD that has never had a foot of wire through it. Up here they retail for $900. I emailed the guy at 1 am when I saw the ad and I picked it up at 2 pm the same day.
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