[Healeys] [Shop-talk] MIG Welders

[Roland Wilhelmy]

I have had no serious problems MIG welding 1/4" steel plate pieces
with my Hobart Handler 120, -.023" wire and "C25" gas.  It isn't fast
with multiple passes but it has held up and actually looks pretty
good, too.  I wouldn't want to do it every day for 4 hours a day but
for occasional stuff it has not been a problem.

I would only use flux core for welding outdoors in a breeze or if I
were out of gas.  I agree about buying your own cylinder and
exchanging it when empty.  Probably a good idea to buy a bigger
cylinder than you first think :-)

-Roland

On Sat, 16 Aug 2008 17:25:06 -0700 (PDT), Doug Braun wrote:

::One point about Flux-core vs Gas:  With the wire sizes
::used by 120 volt welders, you can weld stuff only up
::to about .100" thick.  To do thicker stuff, you will
::have to switch over to flux-core.  So if you plan to
::weld mostly things like angle iron and reasonably
::heavy tubing, and not thinner sheet metal, you may use
::the gas only a small part of the time.
::
::Also, if you want gas, you should just buy a cylinder.
::
::Also also, I have a good 120 volt welder, and for me,
::there has been almost nothing that it was too small
::for.  Make sure you have available a 120 volt outlet
::on a 20-amp circuit, that is close to the main panel.
::If you must run a new 120-volt circuit a long distance
::to the garage, consider upgrading to 10-gauge wire, to
::minimize the voltage drop.
::
::Doug