Kent,
I was taught to weld at 13 and I'll be 70 in a few months. Learned on stick and
probably still consider that the easiest way to learn. I currently have stick,
MIG, TIG, and oxygen/acetylene and usually choose stick.
I usually use MIG with a flux core wire so the gas isn't necessary. If your
work is outside a breeze will affect the effectiveness of the gas to shield the
weld from oxygen. If the work is inside and positioned flat then MIG will
produce the best (prettiest) result. Be aware that to use gas you'll need to go
to a welding supply company and purchase a cylinder. Once you've purchased the
cylinder, refills are pretty reasonable. There are a lot of little incidental
supplies needed to keep MIG welding afloat.
I use TIG for exotic metals (stainless or aluminum) and also like it on sheet
metal repair for the pinpoint heat. Much better control of warping. You still
need the gas cylinder but it can be swapped off to the MIG setup.
Stick welding requires little other than welding rods. The main difficulty
newcomers experience is the rod sticking to the metal when they try to get an
arc started (called striking an arc).
Do you have 220 readily available? If so, how many amps? The 110 volt MIG unit
will probably be a big disappointment. Well, not a big disappointment because
they don't cost much. They don't do much either.
Now if you have 220 the stick welder will need more amperage than MIG. My MIG
or TIG is plugged into a 30 amp breaker while the stick welder is on a 50 amp.
The fellow who taught me to weld years ago said, "Hell, I can teach a
chimpanzee to weld, but I can't teach him to build anything."
--
Gale Gorman
Houston
On Aug 17, 2010, at 9:21 PM, Kent S. Butler wrote:
Fellow ole truckers:
Looking for a little guidance. I want to begin to learn
how to weld so I need
to get a basic MIG welder. Attached is a link from
Northern Tool (part # 164611
in case the link doesn't work). Please let me
have your thoughts on it. Would
like to keep the budget around $350. Just
need something basic (as I have no
welding experience) to start out with and
if I get into it then I can step up to
a better name like Millermatic or
something.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200332691_200332691?cm_sp=Upse
lls-_-Top%20Sellers-_-Product%20Page
Thanks in advance and look forward
to hearing opinions.
Kent S Butler
'56 Chev 3100
Houston, TX
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