[Dalamatition]

I'm wanting to purchase a welder and I'm trying to figure out which one is the best for me. I'm looking into a Miller welder. This will mostly be for my hobby which would include roll cages, chassis modification, turbo and exhaust manifolds, exhaust systems, and pretty much anything automobile related you can use a welder for. Body work included. Does a multi-process welder mean mig/tig/stick all in one?

[GottaBeJeep]

Depending on your budget, with what you listed, I would definately look for a 220 machine. A Lincoln 175 or Miller 170 (?) are great little machines that are very versatile and not very expensive. They can run .024 to .035 wire which is great for thin sheet metal to the heavy stuff, and you can run mig or flux core. If money is not an issue, then a Miller 210 is a great machine.

[DirtyCommanche]

It's all about money.



Sure, I'd love to own a better MIG. But my stick is my main welder because it packs a huge amount of amps and a lot of versatility for the price.

[kencaz]

If you could only have one type of welder get a TIG machine. It is by far the most versitile. Being able to weld non-ferrous, (aluminium, stainless, magnesium), as well as all ferrous metal makes it my first choice.

Try and purchase a water cooled machine if you can afford, but their are good air cooled machines out their as well. If you don't have 220 available you are limited but their are also 110 machines out their...

KC

[Matt Gertsch]

Originally Posted by kencaz

If you could only have one type of welder get a TIG machine. It is by far the most versitile. Being able to weld non-ferrous, (aluminium, stainless, magnesium), as well as all ferrous metal makes it my first choice.

Try and purchase a water cooled machine if you can afford, but their are good air cooled machines out their as well. If you don't have 220 available you are limited but their are also 110 machines out their...

KC

TIG machines will also run stick better than most stick machines will. Please don't build a roll cage until you have a few years of experience under you belt and maybe some education. That would be like asking your sister to knit you some seat belts.

[Fast95Neon]

ya get a tig if possible....you can weld aluminum with mig but its hard and takes lots of practice.....thats what i have but i have yet to use it to see how hard it really is

[KC2OTE]

Originally Posted by Dalamatition

Does a multi-process welder mean mig/tig/stick all in one?

A multi-process machine is capable of doing MIG, ARC, and TIG all in one unit but typically they do not include the accessories required to do the work. In order to perform all 3 processes, you will need to purchase a stinger for ARC, a wire feeder for MIG, and a torch for TIG.

[Dalamatition]

Thanks for the recomendations!

Originally Posted by mgertsch

TIG machines will also run stick better than most stick machines will. Please don't build a roll cage until you have a few years of experience under you belt and maybe some education. That would be like asking your sister to knit you some seat belts.

And thanks for the advice. I have done mig and stick welding before but that was back in highschool four years ago. I'm sure my welds would look like chewed bubble gum. I am getting ready to take classes however to get familiar with it again.

[dirtgrip]

The BIG question is -how much do you want to spend??? Everything pretty much depends on that.

[Ryan_25]

A tig is great for an experienced welder, not a beginner. I had a Miller dialarc hf with a wter cooled tig torch and tried to use that as my primary welder. I could not learn how to use that tig on anything but new clean thinck metal. A mig is much easier and versatile and faster than a tig. Tig welding is stronger and looks better when done right.

Tig is better, Mig is much easier and strong enough for most applications.

I now have a Miller 175 mig and love it.

[Dalamatition]

I'm leaning torwards this piece. http://store.cyberweld.com/milxmt304cc.html

[bryans98tj]

Do you have that kind of money to drop on a welder? That is alot of cash and unless you plan on doing alot of work it would not be worth it. I have a Lincoln 135 and I do bumpers, sliders and stuff with that. I got it for under $500 INCLUDING a bottle. Granted I had to buy my bottle seperate but still, it was a good deal.

If all you are looking for is to get a cage welded in, I would buy a cage from PSC or someone like that and find someone local to install it. A shop may only cost you $200 or find a local wheeler guy and maybe $50 and some pizza and beer. Way cheaper then dropping over 2k for a welder.

[fourwheelhigh]

Originally Posted by Dalamatition

I'm leaning torwards this piece. http://store.cyberweld.com/milxmt304cc.html

Thats an excellent machine. I used to use one just like that everyday when I was in school and it could do everything except aluminum because they didnt have a high freq box for it. If you got it you would never need to buy another, the only thing is to do mig you would have to get an external wire feeder box so thats going to be close to another $1000 extra.

[Matt Gertsch]

Originally Posted by Ryan_25

A tig is great for an experienced welder, not a beginner. I had a Miller dialarc hf with a wter cooled tig torch and tried to use that as my primary welder. I could not learn how to use that tig on anything but new clean thinck metal. A mig is much easier and versatile and faster than a tig. Tig welding is stronger and looks better when done right.

Tig is better, Mig is much easier and strong enough for most applications.

I now have a Miller 175 mig and love it.

Anything is faster than TIG, but nothing is more versatile. Name one other welding process that can weld copper, brass, titanium, vanadium, tellurium...

My deal is that every critical component on anything really bad *** will at least have a TIG root pass, if not TIG fill also.

I also enjoy the time and effort that goes into TIG, as well as the results. I can TIG 20 ga SS and have a nice little even, well rippled bead that is about 1/8" wide. The bead is still nice and shiny and I will have very little burn through. On the other hand, I've welded 3/4" mild plate with TIG and had bend tests, etching and magnafluxing done to them. You could just barely see the edges of the weld on a cross section. When you do the same thing with GMAW, you'll be able to see clearly defined edges. Same goes for SMAW and FCAW.

[Ryan_25]

There is no question that a TIG is the best welder to have. This thread was started by a guy looking for his first welder for an automotive hobby. It takes years of welding to get where you are. You are a better welder than I am. A mig is a better choice for a beginer than a tig is all im saying.