Chuck Thoits
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When I had a yard full of iron I had one of each welders MIG, TIG and stick each machine had it's place in the shop and each got used.
Probably depends on what types of projects you are working on.
For the kind of stuff I'm doing, clean metal, small fabrication projects in the shop, Sheet metal, I think the stick welder would be overkill.
Now welding up heavier duty frames, fixing machinery, I'd think stick would be the way to go.
When I had a yard full of iron I had one of each welders MIG, TIG and stick each machine had it's place in the shop and each got used.
I would agree with that statement Unless your welding tractor buckets back together.I still think that for most a good MIG welder should be the first electric welder you own, will do 90% of anything most guys need.
Cheers!
I would agree with that statement Unless your welding tractor buckets back together.
Stu said:a good MIG, 220V (230V 240V whatever it is in your neck of the woods) and one on a gas bottle. The cheap 110V HF unit will work, but there is a reason they don't cost very much money, it's because that is all they are worth.
Well if you are welding together tractor buckets as your first project, I'd say you don't fit the 90% of all hobbyist category
I have a 110v hobart handler 140 wire core/MIG, really nice welder for smaller projects (which is pretty much all I do so its still fine for me), hadn't wired the shop for 220 when I bought it or I'd have really had to consider that. So far I've just been using the self shielded flux core that came with it and haven't tried switching to gas. The big problem with flux is that it splatters like no tomorrow, less as I've gotten better at tuning the power levels and striking/holding the bead but still sprays a pretty wide swath. So unless you want to grind not just your welds but also the whole surrounding area some welding blankets are a big help. It also leaves a fair bit of slag behind so if you need to do multiple passes its "weld, grind, weld, grind, weld, grind grind grind" (I'm leaving out the fill, prime and paint as implied ).
One other note is that I have a relatively strong sense of my limitations on welding. I think that that's a healthy place to be. A garden trailer - sure I'd tackle that (I'd say "no problem" but that would be highly optimistic ). On the other hand, I wouldn't try to do a structural weld on a road trailer or a bridge at my current level. Its just to easy to get what looks like a good bond that ain't (and the difference is pretty hard to see, a friend works on for the road department doing bridge welding and they x-ray a lot of their work where it matters).
"The worlds most expensive Garbage Cart/Trailer"
You still have a ways to go at spending $$$ on trash collection.
The one below is one time use only. It burns up with the trash but I think they spent a little more than your project. Your's still was a nice/fun project.
" Private supply ship Orbital's Cygnus cargo craft departs space station after 5-week visit: 1 big trash incinerator."
Hey Brent, remember "A grinder and paint, makes a weldor what he ain't!"
Looks very cool. Now tell me are you just playing tricks on me or is Logan "the fox" getting too well fed. Looks like he has grown a fair bit since burning woods 2013.
Me thinks this is just camera foolery.
I don't know about Logan, but it looks to me like it's almost time to mow the lawn...that gravel's getting pretty high