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Thread: DIY Welding

  1. #1
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    Default DIY Welding

    Looking to learn how to do some basic welding for farm equipment/utility trailer repairs etc and see where it goes from there. what's easiest for beginners, stick? flux core? Mig? What's a good starter unit that has room to grow? preesh
    “If ye love wealth better than liberty, the tranquility of servitude better than the animating contest of freedom, go home from us in peace. We ask not your counsels or arms. Crouch down and lick the hands which feed you. May your chains set lightly upon you, and may posterity forget that ye were our countrymen.”
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  2. #2
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    For most welds under 3/8" I would go with a mig. I learned on a Lincoln but recently bought a Miller and have been very impressed with it.
    Last edited by thunderchicken; 11-23-2021 at 08:28 AM.

  3. #3
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    I'm not a your guy for the answer as I want to learn myself. That being said, I have a Mig welder. I've never purchased gas and have used flux core wire for the things I've done. Were they good welds? The things stuck together and have held (including utility trailer spring brackets). Ugly as hell, but I stuck it together. The flux core is messy. I really need to go get a bottle of argon and start playing around with it a little more.

  4. #4
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    I learned with an arc welder but got a Miller 120V MIG 25 years ago and it's still going strong. Spend the money to set it up for the argon mix and I would use the 030 wire if you go with a smaller machine like that. You will get better penetration and cleaner welds. I've got a couple a bigger Miller MIG now at the farm but still use the little one to fix things around the office occasionally. I know a lot of people praise the Hobart, but the Millers I've got have been going for years and I know I can always get parts for them. The biggest trick with the MIG is getting your metal clean before you weld. A wire brush and/or flap wheel on a grinder is your friend. An arc welder will do much better with rusty, painted, or galvanized metal but a MIG likes it clean. Go ahead and get a decent auto hood, also. The ones at Lowe's, etc are junk. Go to a real welding supply place and get them to quote the whole setup.

  5. #5
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    Buy a Mig machine and use gas.

    Lots of good options out there, but I’d rather spend a tad more upfront and end up with many other options down the road then trying to be cheap and limit yourself.

    My thoughts are as follows:

    Buy a machine that welds on 110v and 220v. If you’re welding anything farm related 110 is not going to get hot enough for 3/16 or greater.

    Weld with gas - 75/25 mig mix. Much better looking welds without all the mess of flux core or stick.

    Buy a multi process machine that will allow you to add processes as you get better or have more interest. Many machines these days will MIG, TIG and Stick.

    Mig with gas is nice when you’re in a shop and a semi controlled environment and stick is nice if you’re welding out the back of your truck working on an implement. Having those options without owning three different machines is really nice.

    I’ve had several machines and just bought a Miller Multimatic 215.

    It’s what I’d recommend if you can swing it.
    Last edited by Chessbay; 11-23-2021 at 09:21 AM.

  6. #6
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    Spend the money and get a good multiprocess one if your just gonna use it around the house, shop, or farm.

    This one works fine for a hobby welder. It’s almost impossible to mess up.

    https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en/products/k3963-1

  7. #7
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    Quote Originally Posted by Chessbay View Post
    Buy a Mig machine and use gas.

    Lots of good options out there, but I’d rather spend a tad more upfront and end up with many other options down the road then trying to be cheap and limit yourself.

    My thoughts are as follows:

    Buy a machine that welds on 110v and 220v. If your welding anything farm related 110 is not going to get hot enough for 3/16 or greater.

    Weld with gas - 75/25 mig mix. Much better looking welds without all the mess of flux core or stick.

    Buy a multi process machine that will allow you to add processes as you get better or have more interest. Many machines these days will MIG, TIG and Stick.

    Mig with gas is nice when your in a shop and a semi controlled environment and stick is nice if your welding out the back of your truck working on an implement. Having those options without owning three different machines is really nice.

    I’ve had several machines and just bought a Miller Multimatic 215.

    It’s what I’d recommend if you can swing it.
    This. Mig w/gas. The gas will help you to see the weld much better making the learning curve that much shorter. Once you learn mig, you will want to do the others. I wish I would of bought a combo machine when I got my Miller 120A.

  8. #8
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    I think stick welding is the easiest to master. Just be sure to get a DC welder if you are going to stick weld as is makes much less splatter and better penetration than AC welding. If you are going to weld for strength stick and TIG are the only way to get 100% penetration. When mig welding on thicker material we always do a root pass with stick or TIG and use the mig for filler and cap. There is a spray call Splat Cat that makes clean up much easier especially useful for the MIG. I use stick for most welding and Oxygen/Acetylene for thin tubing or small sheet welds. TIG works well on the thin stuff too. Stick welding requires much less prep than TIG or MIG.
    Last edited by centurian; 11-23-2021 at 09:27 AM.

  9. #9
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    I learned on a Miller Stick welder welding up pipe casings and the boom of an old 555D backhoe lol
    I am a nobody, that met somebody, that can save anybody.

  10. #10
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    They all have their uses and advantages. Stick welding is basic fundamentals starting off with Tig being more advanced. Mig while nice fails more often in my eyes as people don't take time to do proper prep work and if a Mig weld is made without good penetration and know how it is generally cold rolled and doesn't hold up as well. Farm equipment in my eyes is best done with Stick welding. Got a spare Brand new Miller Stick/Tig and Thermal Dynamics Plasma along with about 4k lbs of 7018 rods I'm gonna sell!

  11. #11
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    Im getting ready to sell this machine20211017_105943.jpg

  12. #12
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    If you want bottom line cheap go harbor freight flux core for a while.

    If you want long term go Miller 211 auto set

  13. #13
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    I bought a cheap DC stick welder off Amazon and have had a great time messing around with it. Someday I'll step up to a nicer rig.

  14. #14
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    I started with the basic Miller stick welder and it does a nice job on farm equipment. Have added what I consider to be the minimum MIG welder with a Hobart 140, using gas and .030 wire, but also have some flux wire in case I run out of gas in the middle of a repair.

    If I were to do it again, I'd buy the best combo unit I could afford, within reason. But the two basic ones I've got will do any normal repair around here I need to do, including rebuilding the bush hogs, etc.

    Plan on getting a cart for the welder, a good auto helmet, and a little larger gas tank than you think you'll want. I have an 80 cf, but will be stepping it up to at least a 125 cf, just because I have a bit of welding coming up and I hate to run out in the middle of a job.

    https://weldingpros.net/welding-cylinders-tank-sizes/

    You're welcome to stop over some time and try them out to see what you'd like to do.
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  15. #15
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    Any good brand mig with gas for learning. Flux core wire is good to. Not as pretty and splatters a lot more but will do the job. Once you get decent with mig, start messing with stick welding. I learned on an old Lincoln buzz box stick machine. Took me a while. Then my dad showed me the mig setup and I was in heaven then.

  16. #16
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    You can get by with most any of the cheap SMAW machines to get started and make a few repairs. The DC machine is a little more money but worth it. If you are going to be doing a lot of welding i would get something a little more high end. Lincoln and Miller are both good product and standard in the industry.

  17. #17
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    Leave that 110 stuff alone and buy a 220v machine from the start, you’ll be happier in the long run. Flux core is fine but I’d prefer a bottle of shield gas and solid wire over the flux core. Miller, L*****n or ESAB.
    "Any man who thinks he can be happy and prosperous by letting the government take care of him better take a closer look at the American Indian" - Henry Ford

  18. #18
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    Quote Originally Posted by Fowlmouth30 View Post
    Leave that 110 stuff alone and buy a 220v machine from the start, you’ll be happier in the long run. Flux core is fine but I’d prefer a bottle of shield gas and solid wire over the flux core. Miller, L*****n or ESAB.
    Fowlmouth30 is right about going with the 220v welder if you have or can easily run a dedicated circuit. The only caveat I’ll add is that if you don’t have the wiring set up right now, or can’t afford the better welder, I’d say don’t let a 110v unit stop you, as long as it’s at least the Hobart 140 (made by Miller) or better level machine. At least you can get started with smaller projects and learn how to run basic welds. You might just need to run one level hotter and preheat the metal with a Mapp torch to get good welds, etc.
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  19. #19
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    I'm looking at PrimeWeld for an AC/DC TIG/stick unit that I can afford. And maybe (gasp) a Harbor Freight Titanium or Vulcan MIG unit. I won't be doing enough work to warrant anything higher end.

    You can do a lot with oxy/acetylene if you are patient.
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  20. #20
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    I'd been wanting to learn to weld for years and picked up a little MIG machine from someone on here a couple years ago. It has saved me a lot of money being able to fix my own stuff and make improvement/alterations to tractor implements, etc. A few months ago, I picked up a small multi/TIG machine from Chessbay and I am having a lot of fun learning to TIG. Most things that I do with the TIG I could do with the MIG but I can be more precise with the TIG. There is a bit more learning curve with TIG.

    I almost never use flux core MIG but my friend who is a real welder says you can get better penetration with flux core wire and gas.

    MIG requires mixed gases, different gases for carbon steel, aluminum or stainless. TIG uses straight argon for almost everything.

    If you plan to do any serious aluminum welding, MIG units have a hard time feeding aluminum wire through the hose/lead from the main unit so you'll end up needing a spool gun.

    Many of the small units can run 110 or 220 with an included adapter.

    You need a unit that will do AC for aluminum but DC for most other stuff.

    I completely skipped the stick welding part. I can do it but the welds are so ugly I prefer to take the time to clean and prep and do it MIG or TIG.

    I'll echo what's already been said, get a bigger tank than you think you'll need. Remember to budget for the tank because it isn't cheap.

    Get a good 4.5" grinder. You'll be using the grinder more than the welder.

    Get a GOOD auto hood. I had a Northern Tool hood and finally upgraded to a Hobart and the difference is considerable.

    There are also some nice aids that make stuff easier, like clamps, magnetic square blocks, special welding pliers and good gloves.
    Last edited by Palmetto Bug; 11-24-2021 at 09:04 AM.

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