Author Topic: Best type of inexpensive welder?  (Read 5031 times)

Rick

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Best type of inexpensive welder?
« on: December 11, 2001, 02:32:00 PM »
My arc welder died some years ago.  I'm looking for a small welder just for body panel repair on my 86 3/4 chevy pu.  Eastwood advertises an 80 watt stick welder and an accessory called a stitch welder for welding panels down to 22 guage.  Sears has a 100 watt no gas mig type welder that welds down to 18 guage.  There is a very small price difference between the systems.  I'm more concerned about which would be easier to use or perform better.  Any suggestions?  Thanks in advance.


Offline ChevyGuy

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hey
« Reply #1 on: December 11, 2001, 10:57:00 PM »
We used a small lincoln wire welder that does a good job of weldin body panels or metal up to about a half a inch thick. And if you go this way go with gas for the thinner metals. It will be easier and faster and neater for body panels. But for like doin metal work with angle iron and steel i would go with a stick. The cheapest one i ever seen was at sears.


Offline 73K20

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Welders
« Reply #2 on: December 12, 2001, 03:14:00 PM »
I totally agree with chevyguy about the sears/craftsman welder.  If you are going to be welding body panels go with a mig welder.  Most mig welder systems can be converted over to gas if they dont come with it.  I would NOT buy a mig welder that cannot use gas.  When i put new cab corners and a rockerpanel on my truck this summer i borrowed a sears/craftsman 110 mig welder off of a buddy and it worked extremely well.  If I can give you any advice it would be to use gas not flux core wire in the mig.  Go with the sears 110 mig with gas all the way.
Craig


Blazin

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Welders
« Reply #3 on: December 15, 2001, 06:38:00 PM »
I'm a auto body tech. and as far I'm concerned stick welders are not for body panels. I have a 110 volt mig but I haven't used it for a while since I bought my 220 volt Snap On mig. I used the 110 for light steel 1/8 inch about max. The 220 will weld up to 1/2 inch. My AC/DC stick welder dosn't see much use since I bought the 220 either. Definitely DO NOT get a flux core welder they don't have as good of penetration and the finished product looks like crap. Pretty much you will get what you pay for. Anything under $200 or  $300 is not going to perform very well. When you buy pay  attention to the duty cycle, you want at least 60 or 70% duty cycle. Duty cycle is how many minutes out of ten you can run continuously, 70% is about 7 out of 10 minutes. Well good luck.


Rick

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Thanks
« Reply #4 on: December 20, 2001, 10:02:00 AM »
Thanks for the input.  I'm going with the sears $300 gas ready wire welder which can use flux core.  Local gas supplier sells large tank (forgot size, about 5 feet tall) for $150 full at purchase.   Also dropping 50 bucks on a better helmet than comes with the sears kit.  Plans are to strip my 86 heavy C20 to frame, sandblast, fill and paint frame than rebuild.  Very long list of what's to be replaced.  The present 305 engine and worn out 4.10 rear will go.  Anyone wants some long stories, ask why I'll keep this old friend.  Short version: 100% reliability. 265,000 mi. auto tran and engine both rebuilt one time.


Offline ckuper

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Re: Thanks
« Reply #5 on: April 01, 2002, 07:54:00 PM »
hey i am looking at the welder that you are looking at and i just wanted to know what you thought about it thanks