My first welder was a HUGE Lincoln SP200, I bough it from a body shop, it had undoubtedly been used and abused for years, and I couldn't break it! It was a tank.
My brother in law is a welder fabricator by trade and swears by Miller. Thanks to his preferred customer discount, I have two miller machines now that quite honestly make me a better welder.
The big SP200 was great for heavy work, but did not at all like dealing with sheet metal stuff - even rougher stuff like floor replacement, that's when I started looking for a newer smaller mig. I ended up with the first generation of the auto-set Millers in 220v since my shop was already set up for 220. The auto set is really REALLY nice. Measure the thickness you're welding, that's your input. No fooling around with wire speed / amperage / voltage settings. It's allot faster to get you to the right setting for those of us that don't weld every day.
I've heard allot of folks swear by all the major brands, Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, Esab, HP (I think Squirrel has one of those) and I have heard a few folks say that the Eastwood branded welders are good too.
IMHO a welder is NOT a thing I would buy from Harbor Freight (along with anything you expect to be hardened or keep an edge - their drill bits are a one time use item!)
If you can't find a good one used - look around for the black Friday sales, maybe you can pick up an Eastwood for a good price. Then make friends with a local gas supplier to get you set up with the proper gas bottle. Flux is OK for outdoor structural stuff, but you can't beat gas shielding for welding on a car.
Believe it or not I've had some luck getting wire, breakers, and breaker panels used, might save you a few bux running that 220 plug out to the garage.
My brother in law is a welder fabricator by trade and swears by Miller. Thanks to his preferred customer discount, I have two miller machines now that quite honestly make me a better welder.
The big SP200 was great for heavy work, but did not at all like dealing with sheet metal stuff - even rougher stuff like floor replacement, that's when I started looking for a newer smaller mig. I ended up with the first generation of the auto-set Millers in 220v since my shop was already set up for 220. The auto set is really REALLY nice. Measure the thickness you're welding, that's your input. No fooling around with wire speed / amperage / voltage settings. It's allot faster to get you to the right setting for those of us that don't weld every day.
I've heard allot of folks swear by all the major brands, Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, Esab, HP (I think Squirrel has one of those) and I have heard a few folks say that the Eastwood branded welders are good too.
IMHO a welder is NOT a thing I would buy from Harbor Freight (along with anything you expect to be hardened or keep an edge - their drill bits are a one time use item!)
If you can't find a good one used - look around for the black Friday sales, maybe you can pick up an Eastwood for a good price. Then make friends with a local gas supplier to get you set up with the proper gas bottle. Flux is OK for outdoor structural stuff, but you can't beat gas shielding for welding on a car.
Believe it or not I've had some luck getting wire, breakers, and breaker panels used, might save you a few bux running that 220 plug out to the garage.
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