Subject: Re: MIG Welders

From: [email-masked] (Mark McDade (303) 673-6841)
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 1995 14:43:07 GMT

Jim Janecek ([email-masked]) wrote:
: In article <[email-masked]>,
: [email-masked] (Arlen) wrote:

: > Has anyone had any experience with the small,wire feed MIG welders,either
: > the 110 volt units or the 220 volt models. I would be using it to weld
: > 3/4" and 1" square tubing and thin wall 1" round tubing.  Any comments
: > would be appreciated

I've worked quite a bit with a friend of mine to fix a cheap British
MIG unit - we've about given up.  The wire feed isn't smooth enough and
can't be controlled at slow speed.  The feed motor and drive should be
bigger and have constant torque at any speed.  Also, he replaced the
entire feed tube from the unit to the tip with an American one that's
smoother - that helped some but the wire feed is still not adequately
controllable for really precise work.

An unrelated problem was that the unit used huge amounts of expensive
shield gas.  I found a tiny Dwyer flow gage and put it in the
line and we could see that the regulator was set way too high (it's
been several months but my memory is that we ended up as low
as 0.8 cubic feet per hour when we were getting best results).

Mark McDade

[email-masked]

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From: [email-masked] (ErnieLeim)
Date: 5 Apr 1995 23:33:36 -0400

Baby MIG welders ?

The miller 130 and hobart handler 120  are the only two worth considering.
They both come with a gas package and are both capable of good dependable
service with legit warranties and customer support. Both run about $600
for a package with a 34 cu.ft. tank of 75/25.
I love my handler 120 and I've had it for 2 years. The most important
thing to remember about baby MIGs is to let  them cool down between
passes.
The only people I know of who have managed to burn them up forgot this and
tried to weld 1/4 in. plate continuosly.
Also the longer they run the more amperage they draw, since the coil heats
up and gets less efficient, so if you want to do anything extensive you
should try to give it a clear 20 amp circuit.
 If you need the xtra power that a 220 volt machine would give then jump
up to the 170 amp machines. They run about $1100 but are a much more
serious machine. I once rented a hobart Betamig 170 and was very
impressed.
One of my most memorable welding experiences was welding at 2:30 AM on a
hard deadline project . I blew one of my basement fuses which also took
out half the lights. Instead of reseting the breaker I switched to another
outlet and after 10 min. POP!
I was standing in a pitch dark basement trying to figure out if I even had
a flashlight in the house that worked.
I currently own a Hobart Handler 120, Hobart Betamig 250, and a Miller
EconoTig.
Hope this helps

@---------------------------------------------------------@
                    Ernie Leimkuhler                                      

                  Stagesmith Productions                                  
                                          
                 Custom Metal Fabrication                                 
               
*    ABANA   SCA     AWS    USITT   IATSE local 15, 488   *
                        Renton, WA                                        
   
*"Rich gifts wax poor when givers prove unkind" the bard  *
@---------------------------------------------------------@

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From: [email-masked] (Jim Janecek)
Date: Wed, 05 Apr 1995 18:39:20 -0600

In article <[email-masked]>,
[email-masked] (Arlen) wrote:

> Has anyone had any experience with the small,wire feed MIG welders,either
> the 110 volt units or the 220 volt models. I would be using it to weld
> 3/4" and 1" square tubing and thin wall 1" round tubing.  Any comments
> would be appreciated

Although I don't own one, two friends of mine have HOBART HANDLERS, which
retail for about 500 bucks. (110v)  They are only available at welding
supply houses.

You can use them with both flux core wire and gas with reg. wire.

I'm not aware of any small cheap 220v models, 110v should have sufficient
amperage for what you are doing.

Also- some of the REALLY cheap 110v mig welders (that you buy at the
lumber yard or home center) don't have a trigger to feed the wire, you
have to strike an arc and then it feeds by itself.  Not a particularly
user friendly feature.

Has anybody had any experience with the really CHEAP mig welders from
Builder's Square or Home Depot or any place?

-- 
Jim Janecek
Personal Effects inc.
Chicago IL
voice: 312-733-7531
fax:   312-733-7517

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From: [email-masked] (Arlen)
Date: Tue, 04 Apr 1995 19:55:03 -0800

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From: [email-masked] (Carla Fong)
Date: 6 Apr 1995 11:54:55 -0700

>>3/4" and 1" square tubing and thin wall 1" round tubing.  Any comments

I got one of the little Lincoln wirefeed machines that costco had for 
about $275 to supplement my shop welder. It's a flux core unit that works 
fine on sheet metal to about 3/16" in one pass, and will do acceptable 
work with multi passes on thicker material.

If this is going to be your only wirefeed machine, opt for the most 
amperage you can, and get the gas feed attachment so you can do real gas 
shielded welding. If you are mainly interested in portability, then the 
flux core/110 volt is a super deal.

BTW, the "hood" that comes with these machines is a joke, so get a good 
one and salvage the filter out of the one they give you in the kit. Throw 
the rest of it away...
-- 
[email-masked]          God has angels to help with her work, 
                             The devil has politicians

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From: [email-masked] (Carla Fong)
Date: 6 Apr 1995 11:54:55 -0700