Good all around shop welder ???

[Jeremy Soule]

I believe it’s time for me to upgrade my welder. I currently have a little” bread box” 110 volt mig flux core wire(no gas shield) welder by Mack Tools. The wire keeps jamming up where the wire feeds into the cable.
I’m thinking of either a medium size Oxy acetylene set or a good used Miller mig welder, looking like $500-$700 either way. I don’t plan to build new race cars from the ground up just some brackets here and there, Duz spring plates, repair a crack in my trailer frame, that sort of thing, nothing to structural at this point. Your thoughts??? Jeremy

[Dietmar]

Jeremy:
Sure you'll get lots of opinions on this one.

You were doing fine until you got to...frame repair on the trailer. The Oxy-Acet set up will do everything you mentioned- except frame repair. You can do it, but it will require a lot of heat and unless you opt for a large set, it will be difficult.

I would find out what is wrong with my wire welder. Sounds to me either the tension is incorrectly set or you need a new liner.

I have been very happy with my HTP welder, but it is a 220 amp and probably too large for what you need to do.

Hope this helps.

Dietmar
http://www.quixoteracing.com

[Jeremy Soule]

Thanks Dietmar. So you are saying that the tube that the wire feeds through can be removed from the cable and replaced? Hmmm.
The welder is very small and only has a toggle switches for high and low amp settings and a dial for wire feed. If I got a bottle for it , made the repair and replaced the flux core wire with solid wire it would probably produce better welds but then I would have close to $400 into it. I was thinking of selling it and putting the money towards something better. J

[shark32]

You can find a lot of used MIG welders on craigslist. I've got a Genex 140 that runs on 110 that does everything I need. Used stick welders are usually available for $100-125 and they can definitely fix your trailer. Welding with a gasless MIg gives a lot of smoke and does not have a lot of penetration. Mig with gas is definitely better.

Barry