Hi everyone,

I plan to purchase a Mig with shielding gas welder this weekend hopefully. I want to weld sheet metal by spot welding but I also need to weld support brackets. I looked on HopeDepot.com at the welders they have and there is a Lincoln Weld Pak 125 HD wire-feed for $419. It says it is 30-125 amps for welding and is 110ac. Will this be strong enough for some things more than basic sheet metal? Like if I need to weld the pillars up front, will this work?

Thanks for your help!!

Warren

 

I built my car with a Millermatic 135, its a 110 unit and it works fine for sheet stock (and lets face it thats what these cars are) but to be honest I wish it had a bit more grunt.

I would try to get just a bit bigger if I were you, im sure that one would work but what about the next project? Building trailers or making a bumper for a 4x4 project ten years from now it will make all the difference.

 

This is gonna get expensive so be patient. Buy a 140 rather than the 125. It's the limit for a 110V welder, anything beyond that is 220v and its only a few dollars more. Stick with a brand name, Lincoln or Miller. A bottle of 25/75 argon mix is roughly $100 to $150 in initial cost, but $25-35 to refill. Don't forget the regulator. Spend $60 on a 25 foot 10 ga extension cord. To maximize performance its best to use a dedicated 20amp receptacle. Remember, when welding galvanized metal, grind the coating off both sides before welding (PITA). Always have a good ground. Have fun. My 135 Miller has handled anything I've thrown at it, including 3/16 plate with a single pass. Prep is 90%, welding is 10% of the work.

 

I actually like the 110V over the 220V because you can weld very delicate work. 220 is great if you do allot of 1/8" and 1/4" stock (.120, .188, or .250 thick). Rarely are you going to see metal beyond 3/16" thick on a car unless you're doing older frame work or chassis and roll cage stuff.

 

I would also add that you can use CO2 as a gas, it's cheap and actually allows for a hotter weld. I worked in a fab shop that used it with a flux wire for maximum resistance to contamination and the high heat.

I used it myself because we had a bar when I was younger and we always had a spare CO2 tank.

 

I would go with a Hobart 140 mig handler welder, It will be more then enough that your Mustang will ever need. You can get them for around $500 at Tractor supply or places on line.
Lynn

 

Been looking at the Eastwood welders and seem to have good reviews.
http://www.eastwood.com/metal-fabrication/welding.html
Once my old Century welder craps out I'll probably get one of these.

 

I use a Hobart 140 and have welded up to 3/8 metal. The duty cycle is low for that heavy of a metal but for "small" 3/8 jobs it does great. Key is that all metal is perfectly clean.

 

Thanks for all of the feedback. I looked at the Lincoln 140 and it seems the way to go! Its about $120 more than the 125 model but sounds like the difference is worth it.

 

I was in your shoes a few years ago and i bought a 110 welder it was ok for body panels etc but soon realised it was not a very versatile machine so i sold it and bought my miller 180 it can go as low as 30 amp and high as 180 amps

I absolutely love this machine and the auto set is a nice feature ... ya its more $$ but when i take into consideration the cost of the 110 unit i bought and sold for a pretty heavy loss this machine is not that much more