Good 110 volt welder

[xj-jake]

Okay I've been considering buying a small welder to do some body repair on the Jeep. In the long run it'll be easier and cheaper if I buy one and do the work myself as opposed to trying to find one to use blah blah....

Hobart Handler 130 is what I'm looking at

Hobart 500549 Auto Arc 130 Wire Feed MIG Welder - Mig Welding Equipment - Amazon.com@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41p8Hn-zO2L.@@AMEPARAM@@41p8Hn-zO2L

Along with the Hobart Handler 140

Hobart 500559 Handler Wire Welder - Mig Welding Equipment - Amazon.com@@AMEPARAM@@http://ecx.images-amazon.com/images/I/41-elSqu1XL.@@AMEPARAM@@41-elSqu1XL

I don't need anything more that one of these and I own a jeep therefore am cheap. The 140 comes with the gas regulator and is supposed to weld up to 1/4" material. The 130 comes with out the regulator but it can be added and will weld to 3/16" material.

I'm looking at doing tube rockers and eventually floor pans, along with whatever comes along and other projects. What say you :xjtalk:?

[bluedragon436]

Those are both nice looking units... I am looking forward to seeing reviews or opinions of the others, especially the ones that do fabrication & welding work to see what they say.. as I've been looking at picking up something similar to either of these units to get started with welding myself..

[autotech98]

I always liked the hobart units.I'm assuming that either one can be used without gas? Flux core wire is okay but gas is better.I would go with the 140.You can never have too much power!:bacondance:

[Pookapotamus]

I used to have the Lincoln mig pack 140 was a great machine, only reason I got rid of it was to upgrade to the 220v 180.

[XJ Wheeler]

I would go with the 140. Actually that is the one I plan to get when I get one, instead of using my brothers. The reason I suggest it is so you can step up a bit once you've got the hang of it. And honestly for the home mechanic I don't think you'll need anything more.

[4.3LXJ]

Get the 140 so you can use the gas. This makes body repair much easier. There will be a couple of upcoming pod casts with Jeep garage what will address the type of welding required and how to do body repair

[bluedragon436]

We should take all the welding segments of the show and put them all together once they are all done... and make a special :xjtalk1: welding podcast segment.. Figure that way folks can reference back to the welding segments for information or tips when they are looking to pick up new equipment or do something to their XJ's

[xj-jake]

I should say that I am not a rookie welder. I built industrial trailers for 6 years before getting into sales. So the Lincoln welder states that it can weld up to 5/16" material. Between the Lincoln 140 and the Hobart 140 which way would you go?

[msmoorenburg]

I own the 140 and love it. It had no issue burning in the frame stiffeners on my old XJ

[KMW-NWXJ]

I would go with the Hobart. If you plan to do any body work you need to have the gas. I know the 140 claims 3/16, but realize that is with flux core, and multiple passes. And I would still not ever try anything critical. Realistically the 140 is a solid 1/8" machine with gas. Anything more is really pushing it. If there is any way you can step up to a 220V machine you will never regret it.

[slipinkramer]

Hmmm,

I'm just a welding hack. I simply throw a 2,700 Watt inverter and my Harbor Frieght 90 Amp wire feed welder in the back of the Jeep. I have been able to stick things back on after I broke them off.

[xj-jake]

I pulled the trigger last night on a Lincoln Weld Pak 140. Decent price, claims material up to 5/16, and gas is optional. Came with 2 lbs of wire, one flux core, the other for shield gas. Now someone correct me if I'm wrong but can't you weld with flux cored wire with a shielding gas? We did at my previous welding job.

[autotech98]

You can but the whole reason for flux core is so you dont need gas.kinda like soldering.you can use flux core solder to eliminate a step.

[autotech98]

Id rather use reg wire and gas.much neater welds

[xj-jake]

Roger got it. I'm excited to get started on my projects.

[NW99XJ]

We should take all the welding segments of the show and put them all together once they are all done... and make a special :xjtalk1: welding podcast segment.. Figure that way folks can reference back to the welding segments for information or tips when they are looking to pick up new equipment or do something to their XJ's

This is a great idea Blue!
I'll recommend it to Tony tonight during the show.
:patriot:

[bluedragon436]

This is a great idea Blue!
I'll recommend it to Tony tonight during the show.
:patriot:

I have those occasionally!! LOL :keegirl:

[4.3LXJ]

Now someone correct me if I'm wrong but can't you weld with flux cored wire with a shielding gas? We did at my previous welding job.

Yes, it is done. There is some flux core designed to be used with shield gas that can be used to weld in all positions, such as for welding pipe. I have never seen it done, but it supposedly is really slick

[xj-jake]

We used a flux core wire with stargon cover gas for welding on the new trailers. Super clean welds and easy to clean and prep for paint. Might be a slightly different flux or something.

[adm1997]

We have miller MIG welders at my high school, and we use shielding gas for flux core. Super super clean and smooth welds, much better than solid wire welds!

[WestSide95XJ]

I was a welder for about 15 years, but I haven't worked in the trade for a long time, and there have been a lot of technology advances since I was welding.

Back then, flux-core was not very good. I ran a 220v Miller wire-feed machine with 75-25 CO2/argon gas. We were welding "air-tight" wood stoves (they aren't actually air tight, of course, otherwise they wouldn't burn, LOL.) The fire boxes were built out of 1/4" mild steel plate with certain structural parts out of 5/16", and that Miller was way more machine than 5/16" mild steel required. On the other hand, I have tried welding 1/4" plate with a rinky-dink flux-core machine with less than optimal results. Lots of spatter, the welds were cold and I had to grind everything spotlessly shiney to get it to penetrate even marginally. In my opinion, more is better. I'd go with a 220v machine if you can afford it, and one that can run both flux-core AND cover gas. You don't want one of your welds failing in a mechanically stressful situation.

[denverd1]

hey jeep fabbers,
just ran across a deal on this little guy. He says I can run it off of 110. Decent little welder? the price is right....
http://images.craigslist.org/00h0h_Rl6G2p2ur_600x450.jpg

[denverd1]

or would I be better off with something like this:
http://www.harborfreight.com/welding/mig-flux-welders/90-amp-ac-120-volt-flux-cored-welder-61849.html

I'd like to add frame stiffeners and weld them on. maybe build some long arms in the distant future. nothing major.

[4.3LXJ]

You want a TIG instead of a MIG?

[xj-jake]

Tig will be extremely difficult if not impossible for stiffeners. Me personally, I bought a wire feed and it works well.

[denverd1]

You want a TIG instead of a MIG?

I don't know enough about them want anything! I grew up on Lincoln stick w/ gas and then a smaller wire feed, not sure what model it was.

Can you rent a welder? I can see my wife pointing to it in 6 months and asking what it is/why we have it/when was the last time I used it/can it go to goodwill....

[4.3LXJ]

This is a different kind of machine from what I think you want. MIG uses a wire feed. TIG uses an arc to melt metal while you feed a metal rod into it. It is like acetylene gas welding, only better

[denverd1]

This is a different kind of machine from what I think you want. MIG uses a wire feed. TIG uses an arc to melt metal while you feed a metal rod into it. It is like acetylene gas welding, only better

LOL! thank you. I'll keep researching things. united rentals does rent a wire feed unit. That's really what I should do as I don't need 2 hands to count the things I want done.

[4.3LXJ]

When you do, check the pod cast for Jeep Garage. I give welding tips on those segments

[denverd1]

part of XJTalk cast? or separate?

[4.3LXJ]

Part of the pod cast. I have three different types of tech sections. Jeep Archives, the history of Jeep, Jeep Tips, the usual tech stuff and Jeep Garage, which so far has centered around welding and fabrication. Unfortunately, Tony has called it all Jeep Tips I think

[denverd1]

steve,
Thanks. I'll check it out.

so is there anyway to know which episodes to check out? other than you recalling which ones? I've missed quite a few....

[Firemanray]

I would stick to Hobart, Lincoln, or Miller, and from personal experience buy at least double the welder you think you will use. Welders are addictive, once you start you can't stop. When I joined this site in 2010 I had a Millermatic 175 and it did everything I needed at the time. It got to the point I was over running the duty cycle constantly so I bought a Miller 211 last year.