mig welders for bumper

hey guys i was thinking about fabbin up a backbone system and a roofrack

now, i was looking at welders. i can get a hold of an oxygen welder but ive never used, one. i was thinkin of buyin a mig, but i dont no how many amps i need to go. the roofrack should be good with a 90 amp right its only maybe 1/32 thik steel maybe a tiny bit more, but for the backbone system i have a sheet of 3/16 diamond steel. i wanted to know if anyone had experience in welding and if they think that a 90 amp mig would be enough to get some good penetration?

thanks guys
travis

The 110volt units from the big manufacturers (Miller, Lincoln, Hobart) are decent and will do great on 1/8" steel. If you anticipate doing 3/16" or 1/4" you really ought to step up to a 220v unit, the 175/180 amp units are a good size for hobby use.

FWIW
I have owned a Lincoln Mig 135 (110v) and now have a Clarke 180EN (220v). The Lincoln was a quality piece of equipment with a very good guide for heat/wire speed settings per metal type, thickness and wire type. It would weld 1/4" using multiple passes, but realistically, 1/8"-3/16" is the most it should be used for.
I got the Clarke because I wanted a 220v welder and was on a budget. I got it with a cart, gloves, auto-darkening hood, two spools of wire, extra consumables, gas kit and tank for less than it would have cost to get a 220v welder alone from one of the other companies. The biggest downside to the Clarke is it is made in Italy, so repair may be an issue if it ever breaks. The quality seems pretty good, only the torch and cable of the Lincoln were better. Also, it took me alot of trial and error to find the right heat/wirespeed combo for a given metal thickness because the "guide" was poor.
Overall, I am happy with the Clarke. It serves its purpose well, but if I had the money, I would have preferred one from a major US manufacturer.

so now i have found a 110 volt 125 amp welder for pretty cheap. if i wanted to build the backbone system, (3/16" steel) if i make multiple passes, and prep the steel well, how do you think it would hold up?

thanks guys

I've got a pro mig 100 from Lincoln and it works great. You'll have no problems with 110v welder with what you want to weld. Just turn the voltage up and go slow and you'll be fine. I've burnt through more than enough 3/16 steel with it, so go for it.

thanks thats what i was hoping for

BrettM said:

The 110volt units from the big manufacturers (Miller, Lincoln, Hobart) are decent and will do great on 1/8" steel. If you anticipate doing 3/16" or 1/4" you really ought to step up to a 220v unit, the 175/180 amp units are a good size for hobby use.

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I totally agree with Brett. I also have a 110 volt Miller mig machine and love it, but anything over 1/8" I tack first with the mig machine then finish with my Lincoln 220 volt stick welder. Works for me. Good Luck

Woody

well it says its a wire fed non gas "mig" welder, so is it not a mig? i know its not a stick cause they said that wire was needed after the purchase..
so would this be stronger or weaker than the stick welder that you are talking about?

a mig weld could be as strong as a stick, but a mig is more forgiving, if u havn't used one before test on sone scrap metal.

and as for it not being a "mig" . a true mig runs with gas, and the oned that dont use gas need innersheild wire(gas in wire - like solder with flux inside it)

I have a 110v mig without gas and 220v with gas , I use the 110v way more.

www.readywelder.com

It costs a bit more than your bottom line 110v, but all you need is 2 batteries and you can weld any place any time. I have used them a whole lot, and we used them in Afghanistan when things had to be fixed NOW out on the road.

The company also does a great job of standing behind its products.

rocklandxjer said:

well it says its a wire fed non gas "mig" welder, so is it not a mig? i know its not a stick cause they said that wire was needed after the purchase..
so would this be stronger or weaker than the stick welder that you are talking about?

Click to expand...

No gas uses a flux core wire, the polarity is different if you use gas or fluxcore. it will say on the inside cover.

Fluxcore is less clean then MIG (soild wire shielding gas 75Argon 25 CO2 or 100% CO2). Fluscore burns hotter on the same settings so if limited by current one cheapie 100-135AMP Machine its to your advantage. But the MIG is better, and way better and cleaner then ARC welidn wher eyour flux is a powder on the outside of the rod. Most Stick welders are 220V High current so they can burn thick stuff, on the cheap alot of guy use the ARC for thick stuff and thier flux core for thiner stuff.

Now if your working out side fluxcore is better cuase if the wind blows it dosent splatter all over like a MIG.

I ran 135A hobart MIG for years but it sucked, now a 220V 210A Miller and Im good to go. If I bought a 175-180A I probibly would still be satisfied.