I , my self own 2 welders, both MIG, one for 1/4 and up and the other for 1/4 and less.
What cha got or want?
Jim:tour

I do not own one, But I play one on TV.

Miller Bobcat 225 Weld And Gen. hooyah!

I have Oxy and JB Weld... I also voted for I want one because I'd like a TIG someday when I win the lotto and have lots of money to spend on something that I'll only use a few times a year. I hate bolting things together because the closest hardware stores are about 10 miles from my house.

Gazza

Don't have one (coincidental, since I don't know how to weld), but I know a few guys who do know and have access to their shop welders. I want to learn the mechanical side of the bike a little better first, but in the next few years, I'm going to start learning how to weld.

a simple wire fed 110 vac arc welder would meet my needs just fine. just like the one i am borrowing right now. Good neighbors are hard to find, neighbors that are bikers and have tools to lend are worth thier weight in gold in my book.

I really want the Miller Econotig! Perfect for the hobbyist because it doesnt need any special power, it has the capability to do stick and TIG, and its not too expensive. To really do it all you have to have a TIG and a MIG machine, but thats just an unreal amount of money for something I would use so little. You need TIG for the fine work, MIG for the quick work, and stick for the heavy duty work so its just an expensive situation. I can TIG, and MIG pretty well, but stick is definitely my weak point so if I bought a TIG machine it would be mainly used for TIG anyway. :dunno

Mig, Arc and Oxy/Acet. Just about covers all but exotic metals.
Was a Navy welder, high pressure steam pipe certified.
Ted

Not yet!
With my project starting I have to get one. (and practice)
I haven't welded in over 20 years and then it was gas.

Neighbor has a MIG and I'd like to get a TIG maybe next year....:wonderlan:wonderlan:wonderlan

I'am always borrowing a machine and i don't like to do that so i really need to get one. The thing is i pipe welded and pressure vessel welded for a long time and i know a good welding machine from a not so good one and well the cost! But anyway i would like to get a stick/tig combo welder. Anybody thinking about getting a welding machine and your new at it, a mig would be the way to go. There the easyest to learn with. When i say mig i mean gas sheilded, it uses argon/c02. A flux-core sucks, it works like a mig and looks like one but it is sheilded by power flux in the middle of the wire and you have to chip and clean it off after welding. With the mig it's a clean weld, no cleaning and a better looking weld and easyer to weld with. Worth the extra money! As far as learning mig and flux-core are the easyest then stick (arc) then tig (heli-arc)

My father in law owns a welding shop.

My father in law owns a welding shop.There's a guy with some brains... forget marrying into money... marrying into a family with good tools is better any day!!!

Gazza

Miller Bobcat...Can weld the crack of dawn anywhere with one!

Kev

There's a guy with some brains... forget marrying into money... marrying into a family with good tools is better any day!!!

Gazza
I wouldn't go that far but it has come in handy over the years.

I learned to arc weld while stationed at SIMA in Norfolk but prefer MIG. This poll is kinda funny because just today I realized I have the opportunity to get a MIG, but now I don't really need one. :(
I'll hafta come up with something 'cause I think it's fun. :D

I have a harbor freight 120v Mig unit I bought 8yrs ago, still works good. Ive done alot of floor pans, 1/4panels ect. Very reasonable priced for the hobbiest. I learned on miller equipment at community college auto body repair class at night. There is a big difference in quality but you get what you pay for.

I have a small (and I mean small!!!) arc welder, but I work in a machine fab shop so I have access to anything I need anytime:)

No, but I did stay at Holiday Express last night.

Then theres the JB Weld.

Seriously though, I have been looking at the 120VAC stick/MIG setups off an on for a while now.

I probably need to take a class and then get one. I hope to someday build a bike, so...baby steps.

I have an ARC welder that someone gave to me. He needed a bunch of crash courses to get his EMT in WA state, he didn't want to move it and I figured I'd learn how to weld (still haven't 3 years later). It's just sitting in my garage collecting dust. My new neighbor has a MIG, TIG, O/A and just bought a plasma cutter. ;)

I have an ARC and a MIG.

Just remember to take notes to remember your settings once you figure out what works on the material at hand...........

I have a very old buzz box that has saved my bacon more than once. It was ancient when I bought it at a flea market over 30 years ago. Best $25.00 I ever spent. Came with rods, gloves and the mask. Use it only about once a year - but for those times - nothing else will do.

I'm seriously considering taking some welding classes, not so much for the bike but for this old farm I live on. I sure can't buy replacement hardware when something breaks on my old outbuildings, and it would be really nice to just be able to reproduce the stuff myself!

I have to borrow one as well (mig) It's a shame been welding for over 20 years as a trade and dont even own one.

my job requires that I weld aluminum and galvenised steel from time to time .
so I now how to use a welder .
I had a lincoln at one time but found I was fixing everbody elses stuff and seldom used it for my own presonal stuff so I traded it for a browning a-bolt 300.mag and have no desire to buy another.

A 120 Gas Mig here, Look in my sig block and you'll see why :D Seriously I'd love to have a 220 but for the few times I've needed it's not cost effective. My Neighbor (if you can call it that, he's two miles down the road) has a Trucking company and has one of the biggest Lincoln Mig welder I've ever seen, even makes my welds look good

I , my self own 2 welders, both MIG, one for 1/4 and up and the other for 1/4 and less.
What cha got or want?
Jim:tour

I always wanted an acetelyne wrench :laugh.....

I wouldn't have the first idea how to use anything else... :o

I don't own one, but my wife is a journeyman (journeywoman?) tool and die welder at Delphi. So I do the fabricating and she does the welding. Also my son is a millwright, welder and fabricator, so I can always count on him to help me out.

Got em all...now just need a garage big enough to hook em all up..lol...SUCKS having to drag them out in to hte yard and do the work...ust be why my VW trike projects keep getting delayed...lol

Got a old Miller Stick welder and torch set-up!!!:D

I , my self own 2 welders, both MIG, one for 1/4 and up and the other for 1/4 and less.
What cha got or want?
Jim:tour
If I did have one I guess I would have to put it in my kitchen.I got 2 bikes in the living room!I would really love to have a TIG.I can use the mig we got at work.

thats one of the next things to go in the new garage

I've got a Smith's O/A rig medium sized. The arc welder is a Monkey-Wards AC buzz box,but is durable. The TIG welder I've yet to use as I haven't bought a pedal,torch,cooler,or gas regulator for it. It's an old Miller Gold Star,
about 450 amp (in AC mode). The career welders have told me that these
units would go forever and take alot of misuse.:smoke

........ The arc welder is a Monkey-Wards AC buzz box,but is durable.......


Hey, so is mine. Got mine over 25 years ago......


My MIG is a Harbor Freight that I've had about 7 years....

I have a Mig and a Tig at work. The Tig will do Arc welding also. In my garage at home I have a small Mig welder, I rarely use it, it's easier just to go back into work and use the Tig welder.

i have a lincoln 135. i love it. i just into welding about 2 years ago, would have a tig but dont have the money right now.

I've got an old Miller Arc welder and an oxy-acetelyne rig, and for the moment I'm borrowing an old Hobart Beta-Mig 225 for making a boat cradle for a 38' Sabre.

That Miller is a tank. I've been using it mostly for the cradle for the horizontal beads that are easy to get to. Back in the day, my dad used it on a low amperage setting to melt the ice in a water line. He just hooked it up and let it go all night. Still works good too.

Got a buzz box and OA setup...MIG is about three weeks away :)
Part of me wants a TIG setup, but I wouldn't use it enough to justify it.

Kim

A Miller 210.

Got a couple of stick welders

and an 160 amp AC/DC TIG/Stick

plus Oxy/Acc


I mainly use a stick at work these days... low hydrogen positional stuff .. site structural welding..... but have used MIG, TIG and Submerged ARC (both single and dual wire), metal sprayers ( hot and cold) extensively over the years..


The TIG gets used a fair bit for bike repair and fabrication ..... the stick side gets used with low hyd's for general workshop fabrication stuff... don't do any OXY welding now I have the TIG ... ya sorta get spoiled :D

My first post here....go easy.
Thermal Arc 360 Tig, Firepower 130 mig.
I uploaded a welding manual at my Yahoo site if anyones interested.
hXXp://groups.yahoo.com/group/CHOPPERDOWNLOADS/
COPY AND PASTE XX=TT

JIM:wonderlan

I have an HTP mig welder that was bought for autobodywork mostly. These welders cost little more than the Miller but are worth it IMHO. Compare the specs to Miller HTP blows em away. http://www.htpweld.com/

miller matic 350 here.... and thinking about getting a tig welder too maybe a lincon or a dynasty somthing.....


i went to school for welding so i can weld with anything you put in my hand....i also work with robot welders thru john deere............and their we also use miller pulse mig welders.

Nope but I do have access to 3 of em!I would like to get my own when I get a place with a garage.

I have 2 Millermatics... 1 in the shop with gas for clean welding and the other on a 2 wheel dolly with flux core for outside stuff.... and a 220v lincoln stick welder that will weld 2 manhole covers together.:laugh

Ww

Yes I Have One Miller Syncrowave 400? Or:doh 450 Dx Or:doh Dxl Not Sure What Its Called But Was Aronund 9 Grand With Bottles

I currently have a Lincoln 175 MIG with gas and a Thermal Arc 185TSW TIG. The thermal arc does both AC and DC TIG with HF start and also works great as a stick machine. It has more modes than I'll ever need. I also have a Hypertherm PMax 1000 plasma cutter. Talk about having fun cutting stuff up! It will cut up to 1" steel but gets used mostly with my PlasmaCam CNC table for cutting mechanical parts and yard art.
For those of you that are looking into getting a welder, welding with MIG is pretty easy and can be learned on your own but I would recommend a class for TIG. If you plan on doing any real structural welding, I would also recommend a class or help from an experienced weldor.
It is addicting though :D

I have an oxy/acetylene rig I took from a dead man. I have no idea how to use it. Gotta try it once before I get rid of it right?

Nope but I do have access to 3 of em!I would like to get my own when I get a place with a garage.



You weld too.....:love1:love1:love1


Ever make it down to Texas? ;)

I have an old buzz box stick welder, it's probably a Miller 225 that was sold in Canada under the name "CANOX Sparkler".

Koot

Miller Side Kick

I was pissing and moaning one day about if I had a welder it would make my life so much easer. The next weekend my wife showed up with a welder. Gotta Love that women!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I own a awsome 115v wire welder that I bought about 20 years ago. I mean that it is a true power supply type not an inverter based power supply, big frickin' copper transformers. weights a ton but small, on wheels. The problem is that the wire feed and gun are junk and there are no parts available. It is an aircomatic mini-pro 125 distributed by ESAB and mfg'erd in Italy. I was wondering if it was possibly to use an external wire feeder like a miller22A or s-54d. I build a control interface with the appropriate contactors etc. Any help would be appericated.

last summer i pick up a centre 110 mig and a miller blue star 6000w gen./arc welder.iam going to learn how to use them i hope. i have never use a welder before should be fun.

I have an AC/DC stick, Mig, Tig, Oxy Ace, Carbon Arc torch,Plasma arc , but you know sometimes JB Weld still has it's uses.A friend told me his dad could weld anything but the crack of dawn .I'm getting close .

You weld too.....:love1:love1:love1


Ever make it down to Texas? ;)

are you hittin' on my girl?:laugh:laugh:laugh

Ww:smoke

Yes, I have an arc welder bought at a time when I still believed welding was as simple as using a hot-melt glue gun.

I've given up trying.

I have an older 225A AC/DC stick machine. It's built a bunch of bikes and trailers over the years.

I've got a lincoln 175. It works great, and was a very good price. I'd love a tig welder.
-Aaron

I own a Miller Syncrowave 250 TIG/Stick welder that I haven't used in over a decade. Runs on house power. Have the torch, gas, etc... Live in Pittsburgh, PA and will sell it to a good home. PM if interested.

i have a little Lincoln weldpac 100 runs on 110 volts. uses the innershield wire so there is no gas to worry about. The way I understand it the innershield process is stronger than MIG. It is a little dirty though with a lot of weld spatter. I just scrap it then sand the surfaces. I welded my sand rail together with it ten years ago. It's still in one piece after countless jumps, never even cracked a weld.

I got me a MIG on clearance sale at ACE. The guys on here (Flatty for one) helped me to learn how to use it:)

DC

I've got a Lincoln SP135 MiG on a cart for outside stuff, a Millermatic 175 220v for inside "Bench stuff" and a Lincoln Square Wave 175 TIG/Arc for fine work. Oxy Acetylene for Preheating steel and Annealing Aluminum, but not used for much else, since I got the TIG welder and Plasma Cutter.

I only have a Hobart Stickmate AC welder. the only drawback, I have to use 220V to make it work. it has all the cables and such. I need welding gloves, a helmet, some knowhow, and sticks. I am thinking of ebaying said welder, then use the cash to get a combo stick/mig welder that works on 110 or 120v AC. I know how to use a mig, but stick is taking some practice.

man i want one soooo bad, i normaly just borrow my buds, he has a mig with flux. its a lincon electric. i have seen small migs for sale (enough for anything i would need) for $120 but they are chicago electric and i have heard they suck, anyone else here this?

It's funny that this thread poped up cause I have been looking at them on ebay. I don't know how to weld at all, but I want to find a small one that I can teach myself on. Nothing to exspensive, just enough to get the job done. I am wanting to build a bobber(rolling chasis), but I want to learn to weld first. For all of you guys that weld what should I look for. My only real requirement that I have is that it will run off of 120v. Also which is easier to learn, MIG or TIG?

i think you can get a little buzz box for under 50 bucks to learn and practice on but that certainly won't weld up a bobber for ya just a cheapo practice tool

i own a light mig and an oxy/acetelene setup for cutting, brazing and welding.

It's funny that this thread poped up cause I have been looking at them on ebay. I don't know how to weld at all, but I want to find a small one that I can teach myself on. Nothing to exspensive, just enough to get the job done. I am wanting to build a bobber(rolling chasis), but I want to learn to weld first. For all of you guys that weld what should I look for. My only real requirement that I have is that it will run off of 120v. Also which is easier to learn, MIG or TIG?


Were I you, I would look into taking a welding course at the local city college. It's cheap, and you will learn all of the basics.

If there are no courses available, head to the library and read up on the subject. There are quite a few very good books out there that will help you to get started.

But if you decide to just jump in with both feet, get a Mig welder. Anyone can stick two pieces of steel together with a mig. If you want to learn to use a Tig, learn first how to weld with an Oxy acetylene torch. The motions are the same, and it will teach you how to run/control the weld puddle.

Were I you, I would look into taking a welding course at the local city college. It's cheap, and you will learn all of the basics.

If there are no courses available, head to the library and read up on the subject. There are quite a few very good books out there that will help you to get started.

But if you decide to just jump in with both feet, get a Mig welder. Anyone can stick two pieces of steel together with a mig. If you want to learn to use a Tig, learn first how to weld with an Oxy acetylene torch. The motions are the same, and it will teach you how to run/control the weld puddle.

I second everything he said. :smoke

Larry:tour

what do ppl here about chicago electric migs? i hear they are not that good but i have found one for 120 bucks. anyone?

Most of the Chicago Welders don't have many adjustments. Maybe two power settings and 2 speed settings. I think the frustration it would cause wouldn't be worth the money you save. Spent $300-$400 on a decent Lincoln or Craftsman welder with several power adjustments and feed adjustments. A gas bottle would make it even better. I need the bottle myself. You'll especially need the bottle on thin stuff like fenders, tanks, etc. I've done some without it, but it's a PITA. End up with pinholes and have to go over the same spot several times.

bummer i thought someone was gonna say that LOL

thanks for the info man; i will take it

Im also thinking of buying a welder. I see those 110 0r 115 household current models for sale pretty cheap and am thinking it might be the way to go to get started. Im hoping its not going to be too frustrating although I have got some patience. Anyone have good experience with these types? Thinking I could do some metal work on my poor truck.( damn road salt).

had one most of my adult life. can"t weld anymore. i have a brain shunt that is adjustable. if i got grounded it would change the setting. i gave it to a friend. i knew if i kept it i would get tired of waiting on somebody to weld something for me. and fire it up. but of all the things i have lost i miss my mind the most:laugh. the welder is a close second though;)