me and some friends are planning to go in to buy a welder, cause welders friggen rock.

We're planning on using it for small stuff like exhausts and things like that?

What kinda is best for our needs? ARC stick or mig or tig or fig or wahtever?



thannks in a advanccce

MIG/GMAW/FCAW are super easy to use.. these are the wire feed ones.. so its one handed.. and depending if you go with Flux cored wire(no gas required) or solid wire will require gettin gas for em. I think Banzai or Rob told me that Gas welding is not good in windy situations since the shielding gas gets blow away.. thus resulting in Bad welds.. in which case you may want to switch to Flux Cored Gas.. shouldnt be a problem if welding in a shop.. or garage.. remember about proper ventilation though.. and you will need different wire spools for different metals.



If you get a SMAW/Stick welder its cool since its all electric. and you can just change sticks and polarity for different metals.



TIG is on the higher $$$ side of the spectrum.. but will yield the best results supposing the welder is experienced with TIG.



I say Mig or Stick.. and just remember Safety First.. get leather and the helmets.. Auto darkening ones are nice.. dont do like those fools in these discovery channel shows not using Eye protection.. it will **** up your vision..



And make sure stuff is cut to fit correctly and clean for welding.. that will make a world of difference

I just bought my MIG last week. Millermatic 135 115v, so it's nice and portable. If you want to do body work, and exhausts, you want a MIG/ You can literally learn how to MIG weld in a day, stick takes lots of practice, and TIG takes too long, is way too expensive, but more versitile.

Frank-I really have no first hand welding info, so I did not tell you that



you must be getting old

If you want to do body wor the only way to go is a Tig becouse when you mig a panel it saturates the metal with more heat than a tig so you run the risk of warpage plus since most mig wire (especially flux core) is harder than the panel you will never get it to hammer out right it will require more grinding sanding and filler than necessary.



I have used all types of welders even the submerged arch mig. If my two cents is worth anything pay the extra couple bucks and get a Tig becouse there is no limit to what you can weld with it ie stainless allum brass and copper along with mild steel.



If you can not afford a decent Tig at least stay far away from a stick welder they are for heavy duty work and will be too much for the average shade tree mechanic.

im not really looking to do body work at all

mainly exhaust work and other small things for fun

There is some mis-information going on here.



First: WELDING is about puddle control, the machine is only the ends to the means. Before you go out and shell out some $$$ on a machine, take a class or ask a PRO to give you lessons (offer to pay or at least be the shop rat for a while)



ANY idiot can take a mig and ATTEMPT to stick 2 pieces of metal together. And the 110V migs can make the prettiest weld that is also the weakest POS in the world.



1. Define what you are going to weld.

1A. Find a decent welding supply shop

2. Get a decent OXY-FUEL setup, you'll need it

3. Buy a decent MIG, Hobart/Miller/Lincoln: You wont go wrong. MAke sure it is equipped with gas.

4. Auto-Darkening Helmet. Dont skimp on the quality

5. Practice and test your welds before you actually perform a weld you are depending on.

Lincoln all the way, practice with aluminum, if you get good and the welds are strong it's all downhill after that.

Basic steel welding. exhaust , tacking body parts or heavier steel stuff like brackets mig is the obvious choice , make sure you get one that uses gas it has a much better apperance weld. If you plan on welding stainless or aluminum or just want good looking welds tig it must be . If you have no experience pay extra and get tig with pulse. Pulse = less distortion and easy to weld. if you plan to weld alloy you will need ac/dc tig with a min amp of 160. If you pick things up fast you should be able to do a good weld in about 5 to 10 hours of practice. It always helps to get a few lessons.

There is a lot to know about welding.



How to control the feed rate. The current. How much shielding gas (flow rate of gas). Heat affected zones. Proper penetration of the welds. Pre-heat, post heat of peices. Chamferring edges to decrease weld size. Technique. Operation of the equipment.



I took a TIG class at a local community college and it's definitly a practiced skill. Making welds look pretty doesn't mean it's strong. You have a lot to consider, such as what filler wire/rod to use. What type of electrode for TIG. AC balancing.



Nismo Convert should know. He's frigging working in the nuclear industry. They don't let joe blow from down the street weld in the plant. You gotta have papers, tests, certs, and qualifications up the ying yang to even touch a welder in a nuclear power plant. He's exagerating how easy it is to weld.