welders I need your help.

[GT-Racer]

What are the benefits or drawbacks to MIg welders versus flux core welders. I know that by definition a "true" mig welder uses the shielding gas. But now days any wire fed welder is refered to as a mig by the average Joe (me).

I am a very novice welder but I want to buy one and learn how. Which is most forgiving and which is easiest yo use? which gives the best results?

Thaks guys

[spartman]

I would like to know this as well.

See I don't make everything difficult.

[GT-Racer]

LOL just poking fun BACK at you for a change.

[spartman]

How RUDE!!!!!!!

hehehehehe

[flyboy2610]

A flux core welder uses wire that has a core of flux. It produces its own shielding gas as it welds.
The advatage is that the shielding gas doesn't get low away by the wind when welding outdoors.
The disadvantage is that it produces more smoke, and the weld has slag on top of it that must be chipped or brushed off.
A MIG welder uses an external tank of shielding gas supplied through a hose and regulator.
The advantage is that the weld has a clean, finished appearance with no other work needed.
The disadvantage is that the gas tends to get blow away by the wind when welding outdoors, plus the cost of the gas.
But you don't really have to buy a welder for "either or."
You can have "both and!"
Most of the portable home welders made by the reputable manufacturers are capable of doing both. You can go with flux core wire when welding outdoors, or when welding heavier material. You can also set it up as a MIG welder for indoor use, or when welding lighter gauge material such as sheet metal.
Lincoln electric make good welders available in kits that have everytrhing you need to do both, except a tank of shielding gas.

[MadMaxetc]

I whent with a Hobart 140 from Tractor Supply. It was cheeper and had a better range and duty cycle than the equivalant Lincon.

You will NEED to run with sheilding gas to do GOOD body work without a LOT of work.

I would grab a few rolls of flux cor to practice with. It is cheeper.

[Leadfoot]

it all depend on what you are doing.

say you are in a shop yes gas is better they say, it not only leaves a weld with less slag, but also cools the metal. but say your a hobbies/back yard mechanic welding in the wind or drive way, you will find the gas sucks bad because the wind blows all the shielding away. Meaning a crappy looking weld so a shielded wire would better in this case.

Also with gas you loose some heat so on the heaver metal you ability get good penetration is heart badly.

there are arguments over body work with shielded wire being harder to use, and burning metal up but if you got a machine with some adjustment thats bull. and for clean up? I grind most of my weld. I never had a big problem with slag when painting.

So if you are looking for a good starter welder the little lincoln will kick the clarks units around the block. before you slap down any cash look at the amount of speed settings and power settings you need some adjustment there so If there is only high and low pass up on the machine and spend the extra 100 bucks. the lincoln 100 or 110 (with the optional $49 gas kit) is the pick in my shop for most of the guys. they hate the snap-on blue point machine although bigger, the adjustment are hard to nail out, and the clark machine looks like some one got ticked & drop kicked the thing with reason to, I must say not a very useful peace at all and a wast of cash.

[19674x4]

i prefer a mig with shielded gas, less slag, more penetration, and a better looking weld.

[Big D's 69]

I agree go with a 175 or bigger gas shielded welder. I just got the Lincoln 175 HD set up for 220. Great welder especially for the money. If money is not an option then for the Millermatic 215.

[GT-Racer]

Thanks alot guys. Thats just the kind of information I was looking for. Gracias

[Galaxie64]

I use a Lincoln 110 or 125 gasless, can't remember the number for quite a bit of welding and use it for body work, it can burn through but is still usable if you get used to it. I also have a chicago electric or clark I picked up out of harbor freight it is 170 or so amp 220Volt gasless and works great for the bigger metals, the lincoln could do the same work but it takes longer nd more weld. I do like the variations the lincoln has for speed and 4 heat settings. The Chicago electric has hi/lo and 1/2 but still works out fine for the $180 or whatever it was I paid for it, the lincoln was over $300 IIRC.

I've done a lot of odd fabrication stuff and the lincoln has worked fine for it, the welds can be a bit weak but they hold up rather well for such a little 110V machine.

[hardtailjohn]

I actually use a process called "dual shield" that I found out about when we did some major repairs to locomotives. It's a flux cored wire, with gas as well...the penetration is unbelievable, and the control is awesome! If it's just for light stuff, I don't mess with my mig, but gas weld it or tig it. (I'm used to gas welding very light tubing in aircraft)
JH

[spartman]

What exactly is TIG welding anyway?

I have looked up some info on the net and it almost looks like high power soldering.

[Leadfoot]

[

quote="spartman"]What exactly is TIG welding anyway?

I have looked up some info on the net and it almost looks like high power soldering.

[/quote]

its more like welding with a torch, but you heat is from the spark, controled by a foot pedal,
and yes it takes a little more talent than most other forms of welding, its not a point and shoot type system. but if you do get the hang of it its the cats asss for nice looking welds, and has the least metal distortion when done proper.

[71 LONG BED]

Gas tungsten arc welding (GTAW), also known as tungsten inert gas (TIG) welding, is an arc welding process that uses a nonconsumable tungsten electrode to produce the weld. The weld area is protected from atmospheric contamination by a shielding gas (usually an inert gas such as argon), and a filler metal is normally used, though some welds, known as autogenous welds, do not require it. A constant-current welding power supply produces energy which is conducted across the arc through a column of highly ionized gas and metal vapors known as a plasma.