Gas or Fluxcore

Im thinking about stealing my fathers mig welder and was wondering what you fabbers prefer. Currently the thing has a spool of flux core wire on it and no gas bottle. Will this be decent stuff to learn to weld with or should I get a gas bottle and the other associated stuff instead. Its a small 110V Miller Mig welder if I remember right.

Im getting sick of watching all you build your own sheeeet and I wanna do it too

Mike

My friend started welding with just wire until he knew what he was doing, then he bought some gas. If YOUR buying the gas, its not something you want to waste for a first time learner.
my thoughts.

GAS all the way! Like Honkey said,though,you may wanna try and learn with flux core,but you'll get much nicer welds with gas. I started out with flux core until I learned some gun control,then moved on to gas and would *NEVER* go back to flux. It was like a whole new machine when I hooked the gas to it :thumbup:

Where will you use it? Gas is incontestibly better if you work indoors, but if you're outdoors in a breeze it will blow away.

But unless you intend to spring for a regulator and a tank, you might as well stick to what's in it.

Wel the sad news is the welder is not big enuff to do what i want to do. so its back to wishing or time to loosen the wallet and buy my own

I really dont mind getting one im just a cheep ass

Mike


BTW, Ill be using it in my garage, Most likely right at the open garage door.

Gas Gas Gas, that is all I can say.

Buy a mig, 110v 135 or 175 amp will work perfect for garage type fabrication. They run around $400 +/- with the regulator combo kit to convert into gas welding when you are ready. Make sure you buy a welder with this or you will have to spend another $100 on top of welder cost when you decide to need it. And you will.

I have a Craftsman 110v 175 amp at the house. Love it !

Mark, on that Craftsman 110V 175A what is the thickest metal you can weld in a single pass?? Im looking to wedling up to 1/4 inch.

Mike

110v welders have low duty cycles, and as my certified welder friend put it "are only good for exhaust and sheetmetal"

I am just learning to weld and take it from these guys... Go gas! My little Sears welder is gas-less and it spatters all over the darn place. I need to sell it and get a gas equipped one. I imagine you will see your welds as they get better, but with the gas-less unit they almost always look a little crappy.

Burley

Backdraft said:

Wel the sad news is the welder is not big enuff to do what i want to do. so its back to wishing or time to loosen the wallet and buy my own

Click to expand...

...or, borrow Pops 110 and chop saw and start building your bumper, rock rails, whatever and use the 110 to get it together. Then bring it to a bud or pro with a MIG and have them finish weld it. That is how I built my first two bumpers.

Thanks for the advice guys. Think ill practice on pops stick welder and get my wife to get me a good gas welder for Christmas

Mike

Just a few thoughts, like the guys mentioned, a 175 is a good choice. Don´t know about the 110 volt though. If your looking to weld thicker material, it will probably require a pretty large fuse. My 220 volt, occasioanally, pops a 15 AMP fuse. I made a seriously thick/long extension cord to go looking for the clothes drier plug (often 220), when I´m at a buddies house.
a 175 or a 225 amp is just about all I can load in the XJ by myself and then Ím flirting with a hernia.´ Something to be said for portabilility. I´ve got a 10 AMP generator, that with the middle heat range, welds just fine. I´ve paid for the welder many times over, welding tractors and farm machinery at remote locations.
I forget the wire sizes in inches, but the 0.8 mm is standard, the 0.6 mm is easier to learn on and better for spot welds and thin material. The .06 also requires less AMPs to get a good burn, just requires a little more time and maybe a second pass (no big deal). I´ve go two pistols for mine, one for fine tip and one for standard, the smaller tip with the slightly cone end, is easier to learn on. You can more often see the point of attack, much of wire welding is by feel. A hands free mask, with a photo cell controlled filter, makes life much easier. Be careful of reflected light, I´ve sindged my eyeballs on numerous occasions. A can of anti-splatter spray, tip spray is a must, as is an assortment of tips. Straight C02 works just fine for most sheet metal and mild steel ( a lot cheaper than the Argon mixes). 18% Argon will help make the tips last a bit longer. Good thing about wire welding, is you can wet (lightly, I use a pump sprayer) your material while welding, reduces sheet metal warp and some temper problems.
I learned on acetylin, changed to rod, learned heli arch, then got into wire welding. I´m a convert, makes welding much easier.
A 3/16-1/4" hole in the top peice of sheet metal ( with an overlapping joint), a little talent and practice, makes a spot weld as good as anybodies.

I have a 110v 130 amp Firepower mig I picked up for 2 bills. I figured it would be a good one to beat up and drag around. Its on its 5th year and I have welded .190 wall pipe fencing (thousands of feet) to shop fab and everthing in between. I have beat this thing and it won't quit. It will drip 3/8 metal, so it gets plenty hot.

My experience is gas is awesome, if your in a shop and can lug around a tank and cart. I don't like lugging crap around and all I use is flux wire. My experience with flux wire is the cheap stuff doesn't weld at all, dirty and nasty welds. If you get the good high quality wire, it welds remarkably clean and depending on wind and other conditions, i can weld a bead just as clean with gas, only thing is you have to chip some slag with the flux.

Whats most important, use what your comfortable with.