Will a 90amp welder work for body repairs?
09-09-2009, 03:44 PM
#11
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Location: SFV, Calif.
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Nope, they are older houses in L.A. Calif. Ours as almost all run with Natural Gas for the Clothes driers and ovens/stoves. Almost everyone runs this setup, only the newer houses that are custom built in our area would have electric. I would not envy them their electric bills!
09-09-2009, 03:47 PM
#12
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You haven't been looking hard enough. You can get a nice 140 amp Mig welder that runs on 110v with multy amp settings all day long at Lowe's and Home depot for around $550.
You can also run the electric wire from your breaker box to were you want it, attach it to 220 socket and just have the electrician tap into the box and it would only cost you the $$$ for the parts and his time to hook in the fuse box.
Lynn
You can also run the electric wire from your breaker box to were you want it, attach it to 220 socket and just have the electrician tap into the box and it would only cost you the $$$ for the parts and his time to hook in the fuse box.
Lynn
09-09-2009, 03:59 PM
#13
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I wouldn't mess with MIG unless you have a shop. You'll have to rent gas bottles and if you weld outside with a breeze you risk your shielding gas blowing away, then you'll get contaminated welds. And like I said flux core will get about 2x the penetration for the same voltage power source.
I do most of my work in an enclosed (walled) car canopy, mostly to protect from 100+ degree sun!), so unless it is really windy, I don't think that would be much of a problem.
I am looking at a flux core/Mig unit in case my son decides to work on the projects he is planning<grin> The unit I am looking at right now is the Hobart Handler 140.
http://www.hobartwelders.com/product...ed/handler140/
It is a Flux Core, Solid wire/Gas system running at 110 volts. It looks like the power and wire feed are completely controllable and allows .023 - 035 wire. the current rating is 25-140 amps. I would think this would be ideal for body work (and my sons massive ideas as well!)
Or even the Maxus Pro 140 mig/flux 25-140 adjustable amp welder. This one is a lot cheaper.
http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_1...me=Arc+Welders
Any down sides to this setups?
Last edited by MetalEd; 09-09-2009 at 04:04 PM.
09-09-2009, 04:31 PM
#14
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Location: California
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Keep in mind that with MIG welding on a 110v unit you can barely weld .125" steel. But, that's where a dual flux/MIG is nice, weld the smaller stuff more easily with the MIG(if you have an enclosure) and if you ever do bigger structural stuff then use the flux core wire. Flux core CAN weld smaller stuff but it's not easy, and flux core isn't as forgiving of machine settings that MIG is. MIG is a lot cleaner as well, flux core has spatter just like a stick welder does, just not quite as bad.
09-09-2009, 04:40 PM
#15
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Location: Albuquerque, NM
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There's lots of good advice in the previous posts: I weld with a Millermatic 140 that runs on 110v house current.
While I agree if you are going to purchase a welder and you weld a lot, go for a 220v welder, but here's my logic in picking the welder I have.
First, I can pick up and go anywhere and find 110v.
Second, my hobby has always been cars, and my repairs have never involved anything over 1\4 inch sheet metal.
Third, if I am welding something vital, I'd use TIG, I have plenty of friends who have TIG welders, and enough here in the area if they are busy.
I spent about $1100 to weld at home. That involves the welder, cart, helmet, gloves, wire, and gas bottle.
Savings so far $400 for the first repair,$250 for a repair on my car hauler and another $100 for a repair on a boat trailer.
That means so far the welder has paid for itself, the rest is the gear.
While I agree if you are going to purchase a welder and you weld a lot, go for a 220v welder, but here's my logic in picking the welder I have.
First, I can pick up and go anywhere and find 110v.
Second, my hobby has always been cars, and my repairs have never involved anything over 1\4 inch sheet metal.
Third, if I am welding something vital, I'd use TIG, I have plenty of friends who have TIG welders, and enough here in the area if they are busy.
I spent about $1100 to weld at home. That involves the welder, cart, helmet, gloves, wire, and gas bottle.
Savings so far $400 for the first repair,$250 for a repair on my car hauler and another $100 for a repair on a boat trailer.
That means so far the welder has paid for itself, the rest is the gear.
09-09-2009, 04:46 PM
#16
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Every thread talking about welding that I've read on here said the same until what you just posted.
Lynn
09-09-2009, 04:52 PM
#17
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Location: PA
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I guess we must be lucky around here. I have a friend at work that would connect that for free or if I called my electrician he "may" charge me only $20 if he would even charge me that much because it would take 5-10 minutes tops to do. Hell it is simple enough to do it myself and I have seen my friend put in breakers for me a few times, but I hate electricity.
Lynn
09-09-2009, 05:03 PM
#18
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Location: California
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Because it depends on what "need" means. For most people a MIG welder would probably be fine with 110v, it's easier to weld with than flux and cleaner, and most people never weld much over .100 thickness anyway(if even that large). But, if you try to weld something like a cage for instance, using .110 or larger steel, then you may have a hard time, especially if you have to run the machine off an extension cord, then you might not be able to get enough power to penetrate well. It really comes down to what you want to do with it. But I know a lot of people that got 110 MIG machines and found that they could never use it for much beyond minor sheet metal stuff, it's just not enough power to MIG weld structurally(depending on the size of what you weld). That's the advantage of the dual MIG/Flux machines, what you can't get with MIG you can get with flux cored.
Damnit...
