My first welder (arc)
#1
05-30-07, 05:12 AM
My first welder (arc)
Hi im new to welding and im looking at getting a welder for around the house and i have decided an arc welder would probably best suit my needs. I need it to be able to work on a go cart frame and a small motorbike and those sorts of things, the model im looking at is 160amps, and it claims its capable of 2.5mm and 3.2mm electrodes and light gauge 4.0mm. So im wondering if anyone can shed some light on whether this welder sounds about right for me to learn on ect.
Thanks
Thanks
#2
05-30-07, 05:56 AM
IMO you'd be letting yourself in for a lot of frustration trying to weld go kart and cycle frames w/ an arc welder. It costs more but a mig w/ gas is much better suited for lite welding.
Mike
Mike
#3
05-30-07, 10:01 AM
Member
Join Date: May 2007
Location: Smoky Mountains
Posts: 47
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
Yep, Mike is right there, a person who has never touched a welder before can weld with a mig after a few hours; you won't do that with an arc welder without doing a lot of cussing in the process, especially if it's an AC which is probably what you are looking at.
Joe
Joe
#4
05-30-07, 04:52 PM
Member
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: East Windsor, NJ
Posts: 395
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
If at all possible go with a mig setup if it's in your budget
If you do opt to buy an AC stick welding setup and have no prior experience welding, be sure you have lots and lots of practice, and you are 100% sure of your welds, before attempting to weld any kind of framework on any kind of motorized vehicle. (or anything that counts for that matter).
As a rule stick welding with AC with a cheap welder is perhaps the most difficult type of welding for a beginner.
Jim
If you do opt to buy an AC stick welding setup and have no prior experience welding, be sure you have lots and lots of practice, and you are 100% sure of your welds, before attempting to weld any kind of framework on any kind of motorized vehicle. (or anything that counts for that matter).
As a rule stick welding with AC with a cheap welder is perhaps the most difficult type of welding for a beginner.
Jim
#6
05-30-07, 09:08 PM
Member
Join Date: Oct 2004
Location: Texas
Posts: 636
Upvotes: 0
Received 0 Upvotes
on
0 Posts
I have and use one of the 110 volt wirefeed welders. It works fairly well on steel thinner than 1/8" but should be used on a dedicated circuit. Not the one with the refrigerator and bread toaster plugged in as well.
