What to look for in a welder for Beginners

18406ej

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Keizer OR
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TIG / MIG
My thought is that one needs to do a lot of research before looking around at what‘s available in the marketplace. The research needs to include not only the quality of welding machines and their respective prices but also which tool is going to work best for what your fabrication/repair plans might be. As an example, I wanted to get into making architectural fittings (Arts & Crafts style and other period-specific lighting, range hoods, clocks, etc); goods which by their nature incorporated a lot of copper (sheet and plate) and which required both fine and rough work. Through my research I found that the only tool which covered my needs was a TIG, and that while a TIG was already an expensive machine in itself, that one would be miles ahead if the purchase was made through a local welding supplier. Sure, the cost was higher at the welding shop than it was online, but the purchase formed a relationship with the vendor, leading to years of reduced prices on consumables, free advice, and access to the shop for local repairs/service performed by factory-trained technicians.

Those benefits are well worth the price, especially when spread out over a number of years. I bought a welder from Lowe’s once and every time I needed a repair the service was dismal and sub-par. I swear, I never had the same Tool Department Associate twice, and am unsure that they had any formal training in welder repair at all. One time I had an Associate look at a frayed cord, and when I picked up the machine I discovered that the girl had fixed the problem by way of applying a number of pop rivets. In the girl’s defense I have to say that the formerly frayed 220v cord never did separate from its mate, although the sparking issue remained.

As far as learning TIG welding technique and skills, I relied on my reading, professional advice, and a lot of practice. I became a very good welder in a relatively short period of time, something I credit to the fact that I am verre smrt. Unfortunately, about ten years after working with a TIG I developed an unrelated medical condition and was fitted with a Nerve Stimulator implant. The implant, (similar to a pacemaker) is full of electronic parts and the manufacturer stated that the EF generated by a TIG could damage the works.
So goodbye TIG...

On helmets: I recently purchased a low-cost Lincoln 110v MIG. To make a matched set I bought a low-cost HF auto-darkening helmet which had very high ratings, although it was the cool “flame” decals which sealed the deal as far as I was concerned. In spite of being the envy of my plain-helmeted friends I discovered that the HF lens, regardless of settings, was too dark to allow a view of the low-voltage puddle (I later saw reviews stating that the same helmet “was not useable for TIG”, by which I assume the users meant the lens wasn’t sufficiently dark or perhaps was too slow to trigger). I returned the helmet AND the 110v welder, replacing those with a Lincoln helmet and a 220v welder. Does the combination solve the earlier problem I had? I don’t know, because I have been too busy writing this to have a chance to try it out.

Don‘t be afraid to go old-school and at least try out a non-auto helmet. I used one of those for years with my TIG and had no problem with it once I learned the proper technique for dropping the mask microseconds before striking the arc. Was this professional “flip” as cool looking to the observer as the sweeping red flames of the HF helmet? Sadly I can’t offer an opinion because neither lens was bright enough to to allow a view of the mirror.

PS: The Primary Rule- never be too proud to buy used!!!
 

DTuer

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barry's bay
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Everlast
I'd recommend an Everlast stick welder, they aren't that expensive. Make sure the one you get burns 6010 and I can't say enough how much better it is to go to school to learn. I did 5 courses at George Brown (night school) and you will make a lot better progress with the help. Plus you get coupons and rods to burn. I guess I'm getting old but stick welding seems like a skill that takes a LONG time to get good at. You have to watch at least 6 things at once to put down some good welds.
 

scopx

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Location
U.S.A.
Welder
MIG, TIG, STICK, GAS,
Have had exceptional luck with my Century 160A 220V. However it about 15 years old, And have completed tasks using practices NOT recommended by manufacturer such as too long stinger lead. Wire feed rate would surge a tad when starting running straight up on unclean rafter purlin about 15' up.but would settle in a tad.
To specifically address , as a beginner, would not recommend unit with lots of finite adjustments. Most transformer type units are consistent (but heavy) the inverter type not so much. Name brands are nice, but not necessary. Justmy opinion.
TLee
 

Berniebac

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Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, Canada
One thing that I think is important to look at when choosing a welder is the input amperage required. Most of the units available thru the major hardware stores do not indicate on the packaging what the unit requires for input amperage. I bought a real cheap welder, unboxed it and read thru the directions to learn that it requires a 20 amp circuit. I don't have a 20 amp circuit in my house. I realize more modern houses may have 20 amp circuits available but mine does not and my panel is full. If you look at 220V unit, they often require 50 amps of input and if you think you can get that out of the plug for your dryer, guess again.

I think most units are intended for a shop that is designed as a welders shop and would have the required circuits to run the welder. If you are going to run your unit off of your regular household circuits you may be disappointed in their performance.

I am able to run my unit on my 15 amp circuit, but it does not like doing very thick metal and trips its overload protector when I try to stretch it too far. I know it is a cheap unit and I know what it will do but look at the input voltage and amperage required to run the unit before you buy.
 

edonline

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Location
Warsaw, ny
Welder
hobart, lincoln
Reading this has peaked my memory. I have a Hobart stick, and have had a Lincoln stick in the past. What intrigues me is an old (maybe post WWII) Forney production stick I have owned for probably 30 years and never used. You have to plug the electrode cables directly into specific ports for what range you need-and the kind you could charge a battery with or light a light bulb. Anybody learn on one of them? I'm tempted to drag it out and try it.
 
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Location
AUstralia
Welder
Lincoln TIG, 3 or so Arc and 180Amp MIG
I have a Lincoln IdealArc 250 (Stick/TIG) but it requires 3 phase power which I don't have available. I'm thinking about taking it to a friends farm where he has 3 phase (415 volts in Australia) and leaving it there. I can go over any time I want to TIG aluminium and he can use it on his race car.
I also have an 180 Amp Unimig, a good machine but I've resorted to using it gassless and I find flux core welding crap compared to gas shielding. Not having a shed to weld in means I do everything in the open in my back yard and gas welding in windy conditions is near impossible without shields to block the wind.

Then there's my favourite all time welder, a little stick inverter I picked up new with a reduced price of $49 from Aldi, dropped from $79 (prices drop when they have old stock they want to get rid of).
It's an amazing little machine and I can carry it with my little finger, it weighs nothing.
I used it to weld up an engine crane which I then used to lift a 250KG engine from my car (and put it back in). I've done so much more with it, even when I think I should go lift my 30 kilogram MIG out of the garden shed and use it I usually decide against carrying it and settle for the little Arc unit.

I have old stick welders (3 or so), huge transformers, weigh a lot, great for welding 1" plate (with preparation) but for what I do the little throw around inverter welder is amazing.

Though I do agree with the statement of go do an adult college course.
I'd been welding in industry for years, a combination of self taught and some instruction from qualified welders along the way but the best thing I ever did is spend 3 years full time doing my fabrication engineering course. That's overboard for basic welding but my circumstances meant it suited me and what you can learn about welding and techniques is well worth it.
 

Yeames

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North Carolina
Welder
Miller, Eastwood
What kind of welder should I get for beginner and what to look for in one
There was one welder I saw which could do mig and stick
Not sure about Grizzly but it's probably Chinese. I'd check out Hobart, Lincoln, and Miller first.
 

Gary Fowler

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I have been using the HF helmet for 10 years. Now am on my second one, the batteries wont stay charged in the 10 year old one so it has to charge a second or two from the welding arc before it will darken after setting for a week or more.
I have had no problems with vision, clarity etc with the HF hood and it is for sure the cheapest on the market. The new one set in my closet for 9 years and worked perfect out of the box.
 

Gary Fowler

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As for welders, the old transformer machines are probably going to be the cheapest way to get into stick welding. I bought my Miller 250 amp AC/DC machine for $350 ten years ago and it works great. I recently bought one of the HF Titanium FCAW 110V machines that were on sale for $159. I have had no issues with it and it has plenty of power to burn in on thicker metal. I use it more and more for thin materials rather than turn on my Miller stick machine. It uses much less power than the big transformer Miller.

The inverter machines have the best portability and many can be used on 110/220 which means with a small generator, you can have a portable welding machine available to use in the back forty if needed. I have never seen a bad review on the Everlast machines even if the are Chinese made.

If you can afford it, get an inverter machine with multi-process function AC/DC/MIG/FCAW. BTW- any stick machine will run TIG also. If it is AC/DC you can add a high frequency generator to it and run aluminum also.
 

Torch1

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Saskatchewan
Welder
Hobart stick, Lincoln MIG
Some very solid advice for sticking to the major manufactures as indeed they have the resources to back up the product and normally the advice to go with the product. The technoligy and products are constantly updated and only the builder has the resources to support all their products. My only concern in that regard is for those of us that live rural, I am 2-3 hours away from a major center so big box is often my only choice and indeed there support is close to zero. Online is ok but not always speedy.
Great input, I. Am a 70 year old rookie welder but really enjoy this site and helpful comments, very awesome. ??
 

Jarhead76

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Texas
Welder
Miller
Any recommendations on cheap but functional helmets? Would be a started but I don;t want to waste money buying a second one if the first just doesn't cover basic welding needs.
I like the Pipeliner. they run about $60.00
 

mr_puddles

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Western NY
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Lots of welders
Buy an old American transformer stick welder to start. Become competent at stick, and *proper* mig welding is easy. TIG can be done on any DC stick welder when you add a scratch-start TIG rig.

+1 on the pipeliner welding hood mentioned above, and +10 on taking a welding class or several. Their supplied consumables make it worth it alone. Also you usually have many different machines to try out and weld with. When you get really good, buy an Everlast welder. They weld every bit as good as Miller, Lincoln, Hobart, Esab, Linde, etc. and are affordable.
 

California

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I had an earlier version of that HF 'Blue Flame' helmet and it wouldn't adjust down far enough to see the puddle with a 110v flux welder. Finally I read the manual that came with the helmet. Something like 'suitable for welding at 125 amps and up'. No wonder I couldn't see the puddle well. I bought a different helmet.
 

Oldtoad

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Kennebec County, ME
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Looking
Buy an old American transformer stick welder to start. Become competent at stick, and *proper* mig welding is easy. TIG can be done on any DC stick welder when you add a scratch-start TIG rig.

+1 on the pipeliner welding hood mentioned above, and +10 on taking a welding class or several. Their supplied consumables make it worth it alone. Also you usually have many different machines to try out and weld with. When you get really good, buy an Everlast welder. They weld every bit as good as Miller, Lincoln, Hobart, Esab, Linde, etc. and are affordable.

By "Old American Transformer stick welder," can you give some examples?
Assuming one would look on Craigs list?
How much would you spend if you were looking?
 

California

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What kind of welder should I get for beginner and what to look for in one
There was one welder I saw which could do mig and stick
The Grizzly brochure in your post looks nearly identical to the Grizzly stick/tig I have. I bought it used for nearly nothing. The manual indicates it is a model from 10 years ago. It seems to be good quality but I think its an unsupported orphan.

Grizzly is a company that imports decent-quality gear, similar to 'Jet' (and many other trademarks) that were on those big drill presses long before HF introduced their better quality lines. I don't know what support exists for Grizzly. Find out before spending money on such an obscure brand.

There's another thread here with answers to many of your questions. My several posts there are from the perspective of a cheapskate hobbyist/DIY'er :). Actually my welding is occasional farm repairs and simple fabrication using the least expensive equipment that will do good work. A welding tradesman would spend 10x s much for top quality gear. I don't spend enough hours welding to justify that expense for me. You might specify where you are re inexpensive vs top quality, to get more relevant advice.
 
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kingoharts

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Alpine Arizona
I have a wire feed made by Lincoln. I only do small stuff here at home as I know that the wire feed doesn't weld like a stick welder, however, I've been advised by my Doctor that I can't use a stick welder due to the fact that I have a pacemaker. I can't work on my truck with the engine running for the same reason. Doesn't make sense to me but I ain't a Doctor. I have welded a few broken parts on my tractor, or a trailer but then take it to a Buddy who is a welder with a stick welder and he welds it up tight for me.
Had a terrible time seeing where I was welding for a long time until I found out that my hood had an adjustable lens.l Yep! I'm a newbe
 

Halfcabnut

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Shelbyville Indiana
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Multiple Miller's
Any recommendations on cheap but functional helmets? Would be a started but I don;t want to waste money buying a second one if the first just doesn't cover basic welding needs.
Please don't think Cheap on hoods. You only have one set of Eye balls! I've been a fabricator welder for 35+ years. I know it's about saving money but at the end of the day yours eyes are damn valuable assets! .
Protect them .
 

Sparkinboot

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My friends father built his own arc welder and we would use twisted coat hanger to weld 1/4" plates together and then put them in a big vice and smack them with a big hammer to see how many wacks it would take to break the weld to prove who was the best welder. We snuck into the garage when he wasn't around (which was forbidden) and cranked the machine up to high and twisted 2 hangers together for a bigger rod and when we struck an arc the rod stuck and we couldn't pull it off and it started glowing red and the welder was humming very loud when all went dark. We didn't know he had wired it to the wires coming into the electric meter and we blew the pole transformer, needless to say we were banned from the garage after that and he had to do some fast talking to the power company saying we were lucky we didn't kill ourself wiring it like that blaming us for connecting it like that, he had to pay for putting up a new transformer.
 

Yeames

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North Carolina
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Miller, Eastwood
I weld mainly with TIG, a little less with MIG and about no stick.
Stick basically disappeared for me being able to do both MIG and TIG and I have no use for it with what I do.
Mig is just way better for me than stick and actually easier to weld, IF the MIG is a good machine.

My suggestion and advice:
Find out first exactly what you would be doing most. If you are going to do mostly aluminum and precious metals, then TIG is your primary source, then MIG. If you are going to do a lot of inside corner work, then MIG is your ticket.
If you will be doing a lot of flat Precious Metal work and outside edges and corners then TIG is the ticket.

If you will be doing steel mainly, then MIG would be the way to go. Buy a good wire feed MIG with a Gas capability. With Gas you can do precious metals too.
Fluxcore go a long way to do fancy gassless MIG worik.

If you are not willing to buy a good MIG then and only then just buy a stick.
An ordinary cheap stick on steel will be way better than a cheepo garbage MIG such as Lincoln makes.
I started with two Lincolns and they were so bad that I will never use the brand again. I now only use HTP and Miller that runs rings around the Lincolns at a lower price and better portability.
Use user groups to find the best affordable MIG. Only buy taking advice from users and not manufacturers.

Again a bad MIG or TIG will ruin you and you wont develop, where a STICK is the cheapest way to get things done and even cheepo sticks can do a way better job than a mediocre more expensive MIG.

That is basically I think what the other poster above wisely tried to convey to you without explanation.
What do you mean by "precious metals?"
 

Yeames

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North Carolina
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Miller, Eastwood
I can't find any reviews on that model or say I've heard of Grizzly.

For that price point, I would consider an Eastwood MP250I Welder 120/240V MIG TIG Arc/Stick ($750 at amazon). that would be a full multiprocess machine and a bit better known brand (with a few reviews on amazon) - or perhaps an equiv Everlast. more amps and mig/tig/stick for about the same $ and something you are unlikely to outgrow.


It used to be quite unusual to have a mig/stick machine (mig being constant voltage (cv) vs stick being CC) but I guess that has changed.

I have a thermal arc 181i inverter mp welder which I really like, easy to move, use and a professional brand (Esab/TA). I believe it is now sold as the Firepower MST 180i 3-in-1 by Esab. I've used it on all three processes and just added a remote finger control for Tig (similar to a pedal).

One thing I haven't seen in this thread is mention of AC vs DC TIG. Machines like the Eastwood MP250I Welder mentioned above have AC output only! That means they are not able to TIG weld aluminum, only steel and stainless. To weld aluminum with this unit you need a spool gun and different (pure argon) shielding gas for MIG. Eastwood makes the The Eastwood TIG 200 Amp Digital TIG welder for about $1,000 when on sale. It's a true multi purpose. Stick AC or DC TIG.. I just bought one based on the Eastwood name and a lot of of YouTube videos but I haven't used it yet!
 
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