I need a welder

[LeeC]

That is why I said above to get a mig over 200. That way you can mig up to 3/8"
For a new user, the Millermatic makes it stupid simple. Just set the knobs to the thickness you are welding, and it spools the wire you need for that setting....Just start welding.
I can have a new welder welding decent in an hour or less, and I am not that good.
Did not look up specs, but I do believe that the 180 can weld to 1/4", so if that is all you need, than its fine.
I got the bigger one because I am not sure what I will run into, and wanted the extra power.
With rebate the 211 is the same as the 180 in price..soooo.
I am not just a blue, guy, red is good too. I only talk about Miller, because that is what I have.

Edited one more time.
I was looking at the 210 Lincoln, and with it being able to do stick, tig, and mig, with aluminum spool..its a hell of a deal.
If I was new, it would be a hard choice..

[Gcooker]

I'm considering this very thing. Can the Lincoln mig welder a handle a variety of metals for bike frame building? Cro-mo, stainless, aluminum? Have a local guy who teaches....

You'll need different gas and wire feeder (I think) for aluminum and stainless. I've only welded steel with my Miller 180 but it can handle different metals with different gas, tips and wire.

[snoqpass]

Aluminum and stainless is way easier with tig

[hawkgt]

I was looking at the 210 Lincoln, and with it being able to do stick, tig, and mig, with aluminum spool..its a hell of a deal.
If I was new, it would be a hard choice..

was out looking, about walked out of the store with the Lincoln 180 for $650, then I saw the 210. dam...... on hold for now. more research

[LeeC]

Sometimes you just cant get in spots with mig, so having stick as a backup, is really nice.
That aluminum spool is probably 200.00 by itself...
I am just saying, I would look hard at it, but its for you so you need to get what suits you.
I did not watch the video, but this guy is legit. Watch all the videos you can of him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T9WbwS54B-0
I spent alot of hours watching this guy before I bought anything.
he has a great website for welding knowledge.
http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/

[LeeC]

[warthog]

No Roll Tide? Must need that War Eagle business too.

[DoWork]

I'd just like to sing the praises of a Miller Dynasty 200ish TIG box for a second.


I freakin love that line. What a fantastic little machine, seriously. If you can find a deal on one, do yourself a favor and buy it.

[exsparky]

I could buy a motorcycle for what a dynasty costs. They are cool but seriously that's a lot of money.

I have a miller 130xp that I have used for 10 years with little complaint, it is now for sale so I can buy a lincoln 210.

I hate this place sometimes.

[LeeC]

Tig would never be my first choice, especially for a beginner.
For what I do, it comes in a distant 4th.
I don't want to deal with wind, and mixture. It gets pretty windy here, so mixture is pretty much fucked.
I choose stick, or fluxcore mig. It does 100% of what I need it for.
If you are doing tig work, and are looking for that, then yes a Dynasty is a great choice, but for a beginner, tig won't be high upon the list.

[NoPostholio]

In case it wasn't mentioned already, if even a 1/4 of your welding is going to outside and out of position, you really do not want a mig or tig - inside for a shop welder it for sure would be a great choice, but the versatility of a bobcat or trailblazer type machine is hard to beat if you have the need or want for a quality power back up. Even with the price tag being 1500-2500$ for a quality used with low hours on the clock, it is something that you will get ten times the use out of than anything you plug in the wall. If you have a big spread/farm/any biz working outside, and it is solid investment. I bought one 20 yrs ago with ~150 hrs and took it up to around 7-800 hrs over 3 yrs and sold it for 400$ less than I paid for it.

[EEC]

fluxcore mig

I'm guessing you mean flux core arc welding or fcaw, if you are not using a shielding gas.

Tig=tungsten inert gas
Mig=metal inert gas
Smaw=submerged metal arc welding, aka "stick"
Fcaw=flux core arc welding aka "innershield"

[TAFKALVS]

There is such a thing as fluxcore mig. You use a shielding gas in addition to a flux wire.

[NoPostholio]

fluxcore mig is shielded by the internal flux core and does not need ar/he/etc, just wire speed/amperage - so it is bottleless. There is great reason that this is practical for very little outside of showing people what it does (for like 5 seconds). I mean it is great to not need the bottle/regulator/etc - but it is a dumbed down version of welding that has little practical use outside of putting soup cans together to make a castle.

Mig welders are for robots and auto/muffler peeps

[snoqpass]

There is such a thing as fluxcore mig. You use a shielding gas in addition to a flux wire.

My inner shield wire says otherwise

[snoqpass]

fluxcore mig is shielded by the internal flux core and does not need ar/he/etc, just wire speed/amperage - so it is bottleless. There is great reason that this is practical for very little outside of showing people what it does (for like 5 seconds). I mean it is great to not need the bottle/regulator/etc - but it is a dumbed down version of welding that has little practical use outside of putting soup cans together to make a castle.

Mig welders are for robots and auto/muffler peeps

It's used a lot for welded connections in structural steel buildings

[Chugachjed]

Oh the joys of innershield and dualshield.

[EEC]

There is such a thing as fluxcore mig. You use a shielding gas in addition to a flux wire.

Ah yes kinda forgot about dualshield, I've never used it before.

It's used a lot for welded connections in structural steel buildings

Yes I am an iron worker and we run 5/64 diameter innershield wire for larger connections. Things like moment welds and larger fillet welds.

[DoWork]

Ah yes kinda forgot about dualshield, I've never used it before.

I do a flood welding procedure that runs dualshield. Pretty cool stuff.

[snoqpass]

Ah yes kinda forgot about dualshield, I've never used it before.


Yes I am an iron worker and we run 5/64 diameter innershield wire for larger connections. Things like moment welds and larger fillet welds.

You spell better than most rod busters

[digitaldeath]

You need a philosopher

[shirk]

I'm considering this very thing. Can the Lincoln mig welder a handle a variety of metals for bike frame building? Cro-mo, stainless, aluminum? Have a local guy who teaches....

No you won't be mig welding a bike frame. Unless you want it to a 60lb frame.

If you've never welded and want to build a frame it will be a long run before you get to stainless or aluminium.

Get a torch brazing set up for your first frame and learn to braze. You'll need it anyway for things like cable guides and bottle bosses.

The learning curve on brazing is easier/shorter than tig. Also the margin of error is larger for a newb.

[GeezerSteve]

Joining the tubes, whether via TIG, fillet brazing or sweating lugs, is the easy part of building a bicycle frame.

[drlutton]

If you're planning on doing any chromoly or aluminum bike frame work, tig is going to be your way to go. Make sure the machine has both ac and dc features as well as a place for remote amperage control(foot pedal).

[nickwm21]

You spell better than most rod busters

A rodbuster and an ironworker are very different tradesmen. Spelling isn't required for either though.