mig welder or tig welder?

[Doms86Shortbed]

im planning on putting new cab corners on my 86 shortbed regular cab since mine are just a mess of caulk,duct tape, and rust (not my doing!). I'm probably going to buy a harbor freight welder for cheap and just keep it around after im done for tinkering. Do i want to get a mig welder or a tig welder? I had my frame cut in half since from the cab back was rusted so badly it was not driveable and i had to done professionally since im not experienced in welding i definitely didnt want to learn on a critical part like the frame. Also what is the difference between mig welding and tig welding? thanks in advance!

                -Dom

[1980c10]

I would use a mig welder, I tried the harbor freight version and it was horrible and I returned it, I now have a Clarke and it works great.

[silverj]

Mig vs Tig are two totaly different processes, mig being the easier of the two by far.  You need to start with a mig welder and practice.  Watch some videos on youtube and get an idea of what you are getting yourself into.  Mig, can be fairly easy if you are willing to take your time and learn.  A good machine can make a huge difference too.  I run Miller machines, though higher priced they are worth every penny in my opinion.  Good luck and enjoy.  Welding is something that can open all sorts of doors for you!

[reload]

I agree, go with a mig.  But furthermore you need to do some reading so you understand what you are doing.  Everyone has to start somewhere and you will only get better by practice, but understanding whats going on makes such a bigger difference than just pulling the trigger.  I have seen some good looking welds fail tests because they didn't penetrate for crap.  I know you are starting on thin, non-structural metal, but the principles are the same.

That said, welding is very fun, and very rewarding as your skills progress.   

[VileZambonie]

MIG Metal Inert Gas

MIG Tungsten Inert Gas

MIG is very sersatile and handy but you will need to lease a tank from your local gas company.

[1979C20]

MIG Metal Inert Gas

MIG Tungsten Inert Gas

MIG is very sersatile and handy but you will need to lease a tank from your local gas company.

You may need to revise that post Vile, haha.

[1979C20]

Forgot to actually reply, haha. My dad worked for a corporate entertainment company for like 20 years. They built stages and bars and platforms for corporate events, resturaunts, etc. so hes a handy man all around. Weld, lighting, electrical, sound, wood working, design, the list goes on. A couple years ago when the economy started getting bad, the company closed the doors.unexpectedly, and didnt give then their last check. So, my dads "last check" ended up being a plasna cutter, oxyacetelyne torch, 110 lincoln welder, 220 miller welder, oxy tanks, ace tanks, and thkusands of various tools. And those welders have come in hanfy. The 110 is a mig and im not sure about the 220, but ive watched my dad repair things, weld my exhaust, weld a twin stick back together on our jeep transfercase. And its a bit tedious. When he did my exhaust, he had it turned up too high and was burning holes, and when the the tip of the gun got blocked with slag, the gas didnt flow wdll and it spattered a lot. So, there a bit to keep track of. One of these days im going to have him teach me to weld. Its just another learning experience, like learning to drive manual gor the first time. Good luck, post results!

[Irish_Alley]

http://forum.73-87chevytrucks.com/smforum/index.php?topic=15537.0
heres some more info to help

[ssapach]

Always be careful with terminology of "MIG" welders.......the process is also known as GMAW - Gas Metal Arc Welding

TIG is also referred to as GTAW - Gas Tungsten Arc Welding

Different people use different terminology sometimes, and I've noticed people trying to sell a "MIG" that was actually a gasless wire feed welder, in otherwords a fux core welder.

In my experience with welders, the "gasless" wire feed machines are usually cheap and don't do as nice of a job as an actual MIG welder that uses shielding gas.  And if you actually want a flux core welder for any particular reason, you probably want it because of higher production rates and therefore the little gasless unit won't be ideal there either.

My honest opinion, if you can afford a good MIG welder (with actual shielding gas) it would be the way to go for body work.

Its going to be easier to learn on than tig, cheaper for initial setup, faster to use, and probably cheaper to run.

After you learn how to use it well enough to satisfy yourself, in many cases its still nicer to use than the TIG.  Its handy for tacking and for small jobs that you need done quickly.

[1980c10]

or the combination of the two my clarke is gasless but has the option of adding gas to the welder with a simple kit if needed. this kept the price down and If i want to upgrade later I can do so without replacing the welder.