beginner w/ $ for 1 welder, advice?
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Teching In
Joined: May 2011
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beginner w/ $ for 1 welder, advice? i welded in high school and was pretty good. (nothing like the welds i see on here) but i was the second best in the class next to the teacher and i always thought i could be a good welder if given the time to get better. i've been out of school for 4 years now and haven't welded a single time since then. i'm going to start a turbo build and can only afford ONE welder (and not a $2,000 one) i would like to pick one up used somewhere but i have no clue what would be the best for me, any suggestions? the most versatile/affordable one would be the way to go in my case, what do you guys think?
I second this. I picked my Hobart 140 up off Craigslist for $300 (brand new!) then grabbed a C02 tank for a soda machine ($30), and ebay regulator for C02 ($25) some wire and gloves for another $40. It works great for everything I do. I will probably pick up an argon/c02 tank from harbor freight when I got to welding the sheet metal.
I'll agree with the Hobart part, but I'd suggest spending a little more and get the 210MVP. I own a 140, and it's great thin stuff, but single pass it doesn't do more than 1/8th inch with gas. My 210 does everything my 140 does on 110, but if you have 220 access you can go all the way to 5/16" plate. Sure, you can weld 1/4" flux with the 140, but who wants to look at a flux weld? The 210 also gives you the option to pick up a spool gun for aluminum down the road. Look to spend shy of $900 on the MVP vs $450 for the 140.
