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80 Amps Sufficient?

N

NXJ

NAXJA Forum User
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Hi!

I have a brand new Lincoln Handy MIG (45A - 80A, up to .9 mm. wire, and with the possibility of flux-core wire use) sitting in my room now, and I'm unsure what to do with it. I'm pretty certain it's too weak for most of the things I weld, you know, frames, suspension, axles, cages, etc. Will it be better on sheetmetal than a high-amp welder, anyhow? First off, any words on this?

Anyone have experience welding with flux-core wire? How does the weld itself compare in strength to a stick-welder weld?

Well, I'm thinking about swapping it for a bigger Lincoln (must be) MIG, obviously that demands more coins. But I want a welder I can have a looong time, that works well, and that can weld a lot of different materials/thicknesses with. Does around 230 amps sound right, I want to be able to weld things like Rockwell axle tubes too. Are there any other things to consider, I know things like, infinitely variable of wire speed and output power and “Eurotorch”-connector (are Americans familiar with those anyway?) are clever to have. How many amps does the biggest 1-phase units have? Are there any disadvantages with an item like that?

What do you have, and what thickness wire and output power do you find yourself using the most?

Suggestions?

Thanks! :viking:
 
Miller > Lincoln, but lets not agrue

as far as the 80a, about all its good for is sheet metal, i use my little 120 flux for for some suspenion stuff, but it never touches over 1/4"
 
Well, I most likely can't get my cash back, so no Miller for me, either way I thought Lincoln was a well respected brand?

You say about exactly what I thought. But how is flux wire to weld with?
 
NXJ said:
Well, I most likely can't get my cash back, so no Miller for me, either way I thought Lincoln was a well respected brand?

You say about exactly what I thought. But how is flux wire to weld with?
Click to expand...
Flux core is a lot like mig but with better penetration, but you have to chip off the slag when done. You don't need shielding has with flux core but can use it if you want for even better shielding/penetration.

Kyung
 
I've read a lot of misinformation in this short little thread... Flex core welds fine, but can be messy. It does not penetrate any better or worse that a wire / gas setup. Your little welder will be good for little more than thin sheet metal & auto body work. Lincoln is all we run in our shops. They put up with a lot of abuse & keep on ticking. Lincoln or Miller is a lot like a Volvo or Saab kind of thing. Pick the one that floats your boat. My toy is a Lincoln 255. Your 170 will do well up to around 3/16" steel. I'd recomend going with 030 wire as it's more versitile & can handle think & thin metals easily without having to change out for different sizes. Save your money & go gas, you won't regret it.

Matt
 
With an amperage range of 45-80 I don't see much use for it. The amperage doesn't go low enough to weld thin sheet metal yet doesn't go high enough to weld anything 3/16" or thicker. Do yourself a favor and get something 220 volt.
 
Max 3/16" thickness with the 170? Houston, we have a problem - I don't have 3-phase electrical system, and I want to be able to weld atleast 5/8" thick steel. What to do??

Abugarcia, you're right, it doesn't go very low on the amperage.

Thanks!
 
In that chart, is a Millermatic 210, 160A, not 210A? It looks like I really have to step up in the big league to be able to weld to axle tubes (around 1/2"?), and that means 3-phase, right? What are the biggest machines other companies offer with 1-phase el?

Oh, and the current welder I have is 230 volt.
 
In that chart the Millermatic is rated at 210 amps but has a duty cycle of 60% while operating at 160 amps. All of the macines listed can be used single phase.
 
welding 1/4" brackets to 1/2" tubes, means you only need to be able to weld 1/4"

even with my miller 251, to actually weld 1/2, the thing is cranked up, and i weld both sides if i can
 
2X on Farm Boy's post


I've got all big Hobart 3 phase machines (500-600 amp) in my shop but just bought a little Lincoln 135+ last year.
With .025" wire it welds very nicely and would do fine on most of the work you'll likely be doing on your XJ.
And like Matt said, spend the extra $ to get a bottle of gas instead of flux core wire.
 
Last edited:
Well, the thing is, I want to be able to weld more, and thicker than the average XJ owner.

Appreciate the help.
 
NXJ said:
Well, the thing is, I want to be able to weld more, and thicker than the average XJ owner.

Appreciate the help.
Click to expand...
The info you're getting here isn't coming from average XJ owners.
 
What Brad was getting at is that he owns a large metal fabrication company in Chicago. I own a large farming company & trucking company in California. The majority of our welding knowledge & experience comes from these lines of work rather than the hobbiest welding on a spring perch every now & than.

A 230v 250 amp machine will do most anything you could want & yet still remain single phase. You could get buy with a unit around 200 amp, but I would save & buy the unit that you know would be adequate. I laid down $2000 for mine by the time I bought extra consumables, wire, & gas...

Matt
 
I have a 100 amp 115V welder that I use regularly. It does sheet metal and small brackets just fine. If you plan on welding sheet metal definitely get the gas. Welding sheet metal with flux core is miserable. For my larger projects (like bumpers, etc) I cut, mock up and tack weld the pieces into place in my garage. Then I go over to the hobby shop and use their Lincoln 230v 500 amp (?) machine to burn everything in place. I’m not sure what model; its quite a bit older, on wheels, about 4’ tall x 3’ wide x 3 ½’ deep. It’s a BIG machine and I’m sure it cost a few dollars. I don’t know the exact amperage rating, but I’ve never had a problem with it. I accidentally burnt through ½” plate once (didn’t check settings before I started). :doh:
 
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