Looking for a welder (wire)

[Adicted]

My son is looking to get into welding for little chit around the house.  Such as roof rack, gate, little bs.  Any recommendations and anyone have one for sale.  Looking for wire feed.  I know most say get gas but for what he needs is it necessary.  

[rpowell600]

https://www.harborfreight.com/titanium-easy-flux-125-amp-welder-56355.html

That has great reviews on youtube and inexpensive. If he wanted something to last a lifetime and great resale value you cant go wrong with a Lincoln 140 or 180. I personally have the 140 and does everything I have needed it to do around the house.

[HyNoon]

Gas is a little easier to weld with  and definitely looks cleaner. They both have pros and cons.

[Boarman03]

Some of the community colleges and East Valley Institute of Technology (EVIT) for highschool have great programs to learn welding. 

Aluminum welding, aircraft certifications, make pretty good money and are in demand.

Choose welder based on duty cycle and thickness of metal being welded. I have a large, bulky Miller with gas for heavy steel and capable of aluminum with the TIG attachment and proper gas. Smaller "shoe box" with flux wire for lighter all around welding.

Wouldn't hurt talking to a welding supply house about your intentions and purpose.

As a farmer/rancher wannabe, I've had to use two different welders, stick and wire. I should take classes at the community college so I would know what I'm doing better, and perhaps learn Tig for aluminum.

Best wishes. Hope this helps along with the other better advice.

[Edge]

PM enroute

[sjvcon]

For small stuff the Hobart 140 Handler is highly rated.  Gas or flux core.

[Hoss50]

Hobart, Miller, Lincoln. Get good tools the first time. A 140ish amp 115v model will do alot of things in the hands of a decent welder. 

My personal favorites are Miller. Hobart is owned by Miller so it is like entry level Miller. 

Fluxcore will do alot of welding without the need for a gas bottle, and the dragging around of a gas bottle. It isn't as clean of a weld because of the spatter, but can be more versatile of a wire. Most wires that require gas are not as forgiving when your materials are not perfectly clean. 

[johnrr65]

1 hour ago, Hoss50 said:

Hobart, Miller, Lincoln. Get good tools the first time. A 140ish amp 115v model will do alot of things in the hands of a decent welder. 

My personal favorites are Miller. Hobart is owned by Miller so it is like entry level Miller. 

Fluxcore will do alot of welding without the need for a gas bottle, and the dragging around of a gas bottle. It isn't as clean of a weld because of the spatter, but can be more versatile of a wire. Most wires that require gas are not as forgiving when your materials are not perfectly clean. 

+1

[Nuker]

Put 40+ lbs of wire through a flux core only Campbell Hausfield I bought for $80 back in 2007 or so. After 8 years I sold it to a friend for $50.

That would be my recommendation for an entry level machine.

Have a Miller 215 now and would recommend that for more serious work but its $1800 or so.

[AZkiller]

I have a Miller 141. You can run flux or gas. I love it

[brademan76]

I recently bought a titanium 170 from Harbor Freight. Flux core works well. Haven't run shielding gas yet don't know if I will. They have a 200 model that does wire, TIG and stick that I'm kinda wishing I got instead.