I want to buy my first welder, primarily for automotive use. I want to weld thin gauge steel (18-16 gauge) for things like exhaust and roll cages and some thin steel plate for brackets. I like the Millermatic 135 and Lincoln 135 because they fit my budget nicely. I've gotten a lot of advise to save more and get a TIG, but I have an extremely nice Miller TIG at work (only problem is everything is so configurable it will take me a while to learn how to use it). Once I am confident enough, my plan would be to tack things in place at home with my welder and then TIG everything at work.
I really appreciate any advise!
i have the lincoln and think it is a good little unit. cant say anything about the thin guage steel, havent tried it. but with pure argon and .025 wire you should be set.
By smokey
Date 04-13-2005 03:37
The Millermatic 135 is a good unit. With .023 wire and a 75/25 mix of Argon and Co2 you should be able to weld about anyhing you want on a car body. Lincoln is a good unit also, but I am just partial to blue (Ford Vs. Chevrolet)
No doubt about it you can do what your asking with the Millermatic 135 just like smokey said. I would weld the entire job with it. Technique is the key, back steepping is the technique you'll need to use. You'll weld a small area then weld a small area somewhere else then just keep working in different places, the real magic is to avoid large heat inputs to avoid panel distortion because once it distorts its ugggly and no recovery.
Good luck
pjs
I have a Lincoln 215 and love it...I can get .025 wire and weld on sheet metal or run .035 to .40 and weld 3/8 to 1/2 plate with ease...Being a Ford man It seems odd but I favor Lincoln "red" to miller...price was the bigest factor next to good amps...I don't get my machine past setting E out of A to G....I think a 135 would be plenty of amps to start out...I would suggest going gas as flux is messy and somewhat blinding with all the smoke and splatter....
Well thanks a lot for the replys. I ended up getting the Lincoln 135 since a local welding supply shop gave me a nice deal on one. I figured for the price, and what I'd be doing in reality, it will do me just fine. I've been practicing a lot on scrap metal and am getting the hang of it. I need to find a reasonably priced welding class over the summer so I can feel comfortable fabricating more than butt-welding two pipes together. Thanks for the advise!
