Not really sure where to even start. I want to learn to weld. Was thinking of taking a class at community college, but then the CV19 took hold. Did a quick google and this one seems to pop up and gets rave reviews at Amazon.

Everyone says its easy to use. What do you guys recommend?

https://weldpro.com/product/mig200gd...mig-tig-stick/

 

I've been going down this road myself. Got a free cheapo HF MIG to learn on. Tons of information out there on Youtube.

You could learn on something like this, but the one you linked is much nicer. When I buy a better rig I'll be aiming for something like yours.

 

That one you linked looks like a nice welder. I bought a Miller MIG years ago and love it. I had a cheap Harbor Freight MIG once too and I guess it was okay to learn on, but a good quality welder is MUCH nicer to use and makes it easier to lay down a good weld. Always buy the best you can afford.

 

I picked up a similar welder from the same company and I've been happy with it so far. https://weldpro.com/product/mig155gs...age-220v-110v/

Assuming they're set up the same way, it's really easy to use and maintain. Just read the instructions thoroughly.

I ran through the roll of flux core wire they provided playing around with scrap metal, and I'm actually picking up a tank and MIG wire tomorrow so I can practice with that. My eventual goals are to fabricate an engine run stand, fill in some holes on my firewall, and weld in my own subframe connectors.

Should mention I've had zero formal training. 100% internet educated.

Good luck!

 

The worst thing you can do to "learn" to weld is to buy a cheap welder, and the second worst is to start with MIG. MIG is REALLY EASY - deceptively easy. And it will not prepare you for making quality welds (with or without MIG).

You need to learn puddle control, state change, crystallization, and all those happy fun aspects of welding - which MIG won't easily teach you because it's essentially the welding equivalent of a hot glue gun.

It's best to learn with gas. Also if you invest in an oxy-acetylene setup you can torch, heat, and weld with it. So you get more value for your investment. And you actually learn what it really means to weld and once you get a MIG and later a TIG setup you will be able to use them immediately and you will understand the value of what gas welding taught you.

You also aren't going to want to start with thin gauge sheet metal. You want to start with thicker material for learning.

And if my qualifications are necessary - I learned welding in the Army (gas, MIG, and TIG) and then in the industrial machinery world. I own a performance shop and I have oxy-acetylene, a Miller 275, and a Snap-On TIG setup.

GD

 

That looks like a pretty versatile machine for the price. I like that it’s dual voltage as well.

I have a 220v HF mig that I bought about 7 years ago. Used it a lot when I first bought it but haven’t much lately. For me it wasn’t something I needed to have but it damn sure has come in handy when I needed it. And I bought it on a close out or something like that and got it dirt cheap for like $230. It’s a good size, on its on cart with a spot for a full size bottle in back. Says it will weld up to 5/16” but I’ve not tried it, nor do I expect it to lol.

Have also in the past used a Hobart Handler 110v mig that was decent to weld with.

As with any tool the nicer the quality the better the performance, or as you get what you pay for maybe. If you’re just starting out I’d say find a machine you feel comfortable with and then watch some videos. Maybe find a friend that knows and can give you some pointers. That’s pretty much how I learned. It was intimidating initially but once I got in there and did it a bit it’s a bit like riding a bike. Just make sure you have the proper safety gear and equipment to guard yourself and your assets from damage. Judging by your work and progress with your own car, I have a feeling this is something you can pick up and learn no problem 👍🏻

 

This made me chuckle. But that's also the first time I've heard of starting with gas welding. Not arguing; just saying I haven't heard that before.

Maybe I'll look at a torch setup too...

 

I bought HF 220Volt Mig, many years ago and I could NOT get a proper weld out of it. Since I had NO MIG experience and training, I thought it was me. Years later a friend who is a welder, tried my HF MIG and said it was junk. HE could not get a proper weld, out of the HF.

Since then, I took 2 welding courses at the local JC. GREAT way to learn, except they were very crowded! JC ok, IMO, better to pay a welder to teach you, if you can find one and afford it.

NO MORE HF welders for me!

 

I have a Miller 211 with auto set and it is a great hobbyest welder since you don't already know how to weld. They have taken a lot of the guess work out of the settings on the front. On the front you just select your metal thickness and wire speed. If that is too simplistic or you need more detail, like different wire size, there is a nice chart inside the door that will help you chose the correct settings for your job at hand. I am far from a good welder, but the machine helps me make decent welds. I won't pass any certifications, but I can stick metals together and it won't fail. My friend that is a welder even complimented my DSE SFC install welding.

It is a 110 or 240 volt machine, you just change the plug on the cord to switch voltages. If you're using 110, you just can't go up very high. I wasn't actually able to get full use of where it said it would work at 110VAC, kept popping the 15 amp breaker but I didn't care since I was just trying it out, I have 240 setup in the garage a;ready.

This is the new model and has some nicer features than mine has, like the drive roll and the on demand fan instead of constant,
https://www.millerwelds.com/equipmen...-welder-m30024

I think I got mine from cyberweld, they have good pricing on a lot of stuff.
I would spend the money and go for a quality welder instead of something cheap.

 

I too wanted to learn to weld and signed up for a class last summer/Fall best $250 I've ever spent. class was 4hrs every Saturday morning for eight weeks. We went through the basics and then were given time to Acetylene, Stick, Mig, and Tig. After the basics were laid out you could focus on the area you were interested in and I chose to do MIG and TIG, sincethe acetylene welding was just like soldering to me and I really had no interest in stick. YouTube is a good resource for tips, but just getting some coupons and laying down some beads is what helped me the most.

Buy the best welder your wallet will allow and have fun!

 

To save some $$$, you can check the pawn shops in your area.

 

^^^^THIS, by a country mile. Even the best equipment (IMO, Miller and Lincoln) will eventually require replacement parts. Both of the aforementioned brands have A1 customer service, with parts availability locally just about everywhere.

 

I've had good results using the harbor freight titatium 140 mig welder. It was around 400 bucks and got really good reviews.
And an auto darkening welding helmet helps a ton!

 

IMO, Used w/ no guarantee might be OK for an experienced welder, who can test it and know how good/bad it is.

 

Thanks for your responses guys. Here is an equivalent machine to the one I posted.

About 2X the price. https://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-u...incolnElectric)

https://www.millerwelds.com/equipmen...-welder-m30090

BTW - what is a good helmet? Was looking at Amazon and prices vary widely - i don't want to go blind, got enough problems as it is !

 

I use the Vulcan one that was around 150.00. Got great reviews and works great.
https://www.harborfreight.com/weldin...met-63749.html

 

make a decision about exactly what you want this for, what do you want to weld. after that, it's pretty easy to find out what tool (mig, tig etc.) you need to know. If yer gonna build light structural parts, you need to to learn to tig. for mig, the MM 211 212 is a great tool to learn on, and will handle some serious pro werk as well (3/8" single pass). the main diff there is the price and the 211 has the 110V option.

 

I also have the Titanium welder from HF. I wasn't too fond of the Chicago electric one, so I picked up the titanium 200 to be exact. Can do Mig, Tig (DC only), and stick. So far, so good. Runs extremely well. Even a friend that only uses millers says that it runs extremely well. https://www.harborfreight.com/unlimi...put-64806.html

 

I have the weldpro 200 ACDC TIG and Stick welder, I will say its a fantastic TIG welder for the price, came with a full CK flex torch setup and all, I can imagine the MIG welder would be good quality as well. I have had zero issues with it so far. I would say especially for a first welder to learn on, spending 1000+ on a miller or lincoln is a waste of money, down the road if you want something nicer to perfect your craft I would say then go for that. Especially with the newer inverter based machines they are all very similar in quality.

Just keep in mind if you want to do serious TIG welding (aluminum, stainless, etc) the 3-in-1 welder although it is TIG capable, does not have all the full features of a dedicated tig welder like High freq start, AC, etc.

If you just want to stick to MIG you may want to get their cheaper MIG/Stick welder and save some money. I personally only wanted full TIG and stick welding, so I got the more expensive TIG setup.

 

Just an FYI and a plug for a reason to join the SCCA...
SCCA members can buy used Lincoln equipment that is from various tracks and race teams that are supported by Lincoln.
All the stuff has either a 90 day warranty or if it's under a year old a 1 or 3 year warranty ( I forget what one ).
It's subject to what they have but every month they update what is available.
Again a shameless plug from a board member of Western Michigan Region SCCA
Dave

 

Just my 2 cents... I have a MIG setup from Eastwood.... variable control on wire speed and arc heat.. I like it a lot... No complaints here.

that said... i echo GD on this... learn how to really weld first.. you learn tough principles on the harder forms of welding... i took 2 night classes on stick welding before i ever picked up a MIG gun... learned technique, puddle control, penetration, etc....Once you get that down, MIG doesnt seem so hard.. until you try thin sheet metal for the first time... then you remember what burn through is!