Decent welder for a newbie?

[bizzo15]

Hey guys,

I'm thinking about picking up a welder when I get my income taxes this year. I'm a total newb when it comes to welding but I find more and more I need a welder especially for this truck since I'm going to do cab corners next year and a outer rocker. Plus I know it will come in handy for other projects. I'm not looking to get something real expensive to start out with since i'm a total newb. I was looking around and thinking about getting this one

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200403263_200403263

For one I need something that runs on 110 since that's all my place is wired for and the reviews for it seem decent. Think this would be a good welder for starting out and welding sheet metal like cab corners and such. I figure if I get good at welding I can always step up to a better welder down the road when I have my own house and a garage. Let me know what you guys think.

 

[Swims350]

used almost the same one on my cab corners, worked good. I think it'd be fine for a beginner on a tight budget. Mines an all power flux cored mig and runs about the same amps and all as that one. I'll have to dig up specs so you can compare, but we had never welded anything before and it was our first, worked good.

 

[DRAGGIN95]

I would suggest a couple of thing's, if you can afford it try to get a welder that has a hookup for gas, I have a small lincoln that I use solely for body work, 0.23 and gas make thin sheetmetal welding so nice, you may not use it now but if you ever decide you want gas you will be stuck having to buy another welder. Secondly whatever you get check the duty cycle first, I have a friend who bought a wire feed welder from a tool sale recently and it only has a 10% duty cycle and you can't weld for very long at all before it shut's down to cool off, and he paid $350 for it, it's a real piece of crap. Good luck and let's see some welds when you get one!

 

[Swims350]

http://www.handandpowertoolshop.com...erica-apew7305-flux-cored-welder_5865030.html

that's the one we got. We paid less though it was like $200 new, comes with all the stuff shown too.

 

[bizzo15]

Yeah I kinda do want one with gas but I won't be using gas at my current apartment since all welding will be done outdoors since I don't have a garage. Seems that if I want to step up to one that accepts gas I'm looking at $350 plus

 

[Swims350]

are you sure there's not a kit or something to make the one you want gas? I don't know if mines setup well could change to gas or not, but it works for me. I welded in my cab corners with it.

 

[bggrnchvy]

Gas is worth it.

When you outgrow a 110v, at least you can load it with .023 and designate it for sheet metal.

Honestly, while the price may sound attractive, you'll outgrow it in a matter of months if you use it on any regular basis.

 

[bizzo15]

yeah the one I linked to isn't set up to take gas. I was looking at a hobart one on the same site and now i'm debating between it http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200447703_200447703 or the one I originally posted. I've got some time to think about it since tax season is a ways away.


***EDIT****

Will the hobart be able to weld sheet metal as easily as the original flux core welder? I ask because starting out that is what I'm going to be using the welder for .

 

[Aloicious]

if your choices are the hobart and the other one, I'd get the Hobart, hands down. hobart is a great brand, its one of the 'big three' in my opinion (i.e. Miller, Lincoln, and Hobart). sure it would be better to get 220v, but that hobart is one of the better 110v setups. I wouldnt even waste my time on the northern industrial one, it reminds me of the harbor freight welders.

here's some points to consider when comparing the two:
-the hobart will do everything the northern industrial one will do, and then some. both will run flux core wire without an issue. (think of the northern industrial one as a 'flux core welder' and the Hobart as a 'flux core welder AND MIG')
-the hobart will run a wider range of wire sizes (.023-.035 vs .030-.035), which translates into a wider range of materials that it can handle well (22g-3/16 vs 18g-3/16), as well as more types of metal that you can use it on (with shielding gas)
-the hobart has a better duty cycle rating which means it can be used continuously for longer (20% at 90A vs. 20% at 80A)
-the hobart is setup to accept a shielding gas, whereas the northern industrial one is not (welding with shielding gas or MIG, will give much cleaner welds with less slag IME)
-Hobart is a well known american made welder which you'll be able to get parts and supplies for at practically any local welding supply store, the northern industrial one is likely chinese made and parts/supplies may be difficult to find locally
-the Hobart has a 8ft cable ground clamp and a 10ft work lead, vs the northern industrial which only has a 6ft ground and unknown length of work lead. which would give you more working room on larger pieces without having to move the actual welder
-the northern industrial only has 2 heat settings, whereas the Hobart has 4 to better control your welds
-if you look at the two pictures of them side by side, look how small the ground cable is, and how cheap and 'toyish' the gun looks on the northern industrial one, vs the heavy ground cabling and much better gun on the Hobart
-despite being smaller than the northern industrial one (10x12x17 vs 10x12x18), and includes the same accessories, the Hobart weighs 15lbs more, to me this indicates better quality, and more robust internal components as well as better engineering of the rig.

I'm not a pro welder at all, but those are the things that stuck out to me when I was able to take a good look at the 2.

 

[DRAGGIN95]

I have heard that Hobart is made by Miller, just a subsidiary brand, should be a good one.