In a message dated 6/18/00 11:27:02 PM Central Daylight Time,
<< I'm looking to buy a 110V welder, for small projects. Anyone have
suggestions, caveats, etc. as to brand, model, best place to get one, etc?
I'm guessing Northern Tool is the best source, but open to suggestions... >>
I agree with the other posts, a big name brand may cost a bit up front, but
it will probably be much cheapoer in the long run. I have a Hobart Handler
150. It is reletively compact, but built well, runs off 120V and will do
decent welds on a 15 amp circuit, but if you get serious, it will trip the
breaker. My friend ran a 30 amp breaker with 10 gauge wire to a 120 volt
outlet to run it to full output. The cord gets warm, but it will them weld
1/4 inch plate. Dialed all the way down it can still burn holes in body sheet
metel if you are not carefull, I sometimes use a 50 foot 12 gauge extension
cord to drop the current a little more for doin sheet metal.
Flux core wire does work if you don't want to deal with the gas bottle, but
it is messy, and makes a brittle weld. I use CO2 / Argon mix and the welds
look perfect and are as strong or stronger than the surrounding metal.
The only thing I don't like, is having to mail order the parts since noone
around here carries Hobart on the shelf. The tips are a different thread than
Miller HTP etc, so I have resorted to running a die on them to thread them
into my Hobart gun. You will use up tips, so this is a concern. Since the
tips are soft copper, re-cutting the threads was actually easy. But I will
order more from Hobart to have on hand.
Gary M.
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