New to welding, need some help.

By Cman16 Date 01-14-2007 23:24

Hello, I am new to welding and mostly everything about it. I took a welding course in high school and learned the basics and safety but nothing major. I would like to purchase a welder, but I am not sure what kind to get. I will not be working with any special material, mostly ferrous metals. I do automotive work and basic stuff around the garage, and I have come to situations where I need to weld some things together or brace certain items. Basically all I want is an all round welder to do most jobs. I do not want to spend loads of money on one or on accessories for it. I just need a basic model for a weld job here and there. If you could please give me some advice on where to start and what models might be good.

Thanks,

Caleb

By yorkiepap (***)

Date 01-15-2007 00:48

Hey Caleb,
I believe your best bet is by going to MIG. You can do most any kind of light welding and not put out a lot of cash. If you want to pinch pennies, Harbor Freight has a good 120A/ 220v MIG the Chicago Electric 151T. You will need 220v to run it. It sells for 199.00 and is set up to use gas. It will weld sheet metal thru 1/4" without a problem. You will need to practice on scrap as you go to the thicker metals. It does a nice job for the price. They have regulators for less than 35.00 and all you'll need is a small bottle of C10 or C25. It is the most economical way I can suggest. If you go to a Lincoln or Miller welder, you will be in the 400-600.00 range set up. For what you want to do, a MIG from 120-150A range should suit your needs. Hope that helped a bit....Good Luck....Denny