How do I pick a Welder? MIG or TIG?

[V]

I've wanted to get a welder for years now and now with almost getting started on my GTA build, this is as good a time as ever to start looking around.

My main question is to go MIG or TIG. I've done a little mig work in the past with a gas setup but never tried tig. The reason I'm considering tig is mostly because of the ability to do aluminum. But i'm not sure how much I would do. So its not a real requirement I guess. I think I've heard that is is somehow possible to mig aluminum but not easy nor recommended. I mainly would use the welder for basic steel. The first job would be to modify and reinforce a 3rd gen K-member. As well as any necessary body repair, such as patch panels(if needed even). I'd also use it to smooth out areas of the engine bay. I do like tig a lot due to the fact it does not splatter/spark like mig. My garage is already set up for 220v so no need for a smaller 110v welder. And I do know TIG would be at least twice as expensive as a MIG.

Does anyone have a TIG welder I could try out? I would obviously pay in order to cover the cost of the consumables.

What is everyone's opinions? MIG or TIG


If I can't really decide, I may just buy a $300 mig from harbor freight and add gas shielding for the few jobs on the GTA and decide on a real machine later one

[NJSPEEDER]

The biggest thing is to be honest with yourself about how often and for what you will be using it. I have seen far too many guys buy big bad ass welders and have wiring done just to tack panel work together then leave their expensive equipment to sit for the rest of eternity.

For 90% of what needs to be done on a car you just need a good 110 MIG. The other 10% is high end fabrication. If you get to that point you are going to keep whatever MIG you started with around to tag in jigs and do little touch work setting panels anyway.

Pretty much any Lincoln or Miller or store brand (if you look at boxes you will see Lincoln and Miller make 99% of the store brands) Second hand units are fine as long as they have been cared for as well.

You want one that comes with the gas line and fittings. They almost never come with bottles but most places that do fills want you to use their bottles anyway so that's not a problem.

For convenience sake plan to either buy or make the first thing you build a cart. Building a cart is a good way to pick up welding actually. Welders don't seem heavy when you just pick them up but after you move it 80 times to work around a car you will want a cart.

Spend money on a good welding mask, Its totally worth it. Get yourself some good wire brushes, a variety of clamps and portable vices/vice inserts, and stop by your local exhaust or metal fab shop and ask for scraps so you can practice. 99 time out os 100 they will point at a box or bin and just tell you to grab some pieces to play with. Grab stuff of different shapes and thicknesses so you can play around and get the hang of laying bead across various materials.

Hope this helps.

[Dudbird113]

you can pick a machine up that does both but thats like getting a tv with a built in dvd player. ones gonna eventually break. you can weld aluminum with a mig you just need the proper gun for doing it.

[WildBillyT]

Originally Posted by NJSPEEDER

The biggest thing is to be honest with yourself about how often and for what you will be using it. I have seen far too many guys buy big bad ass welders and have wiring done just to tack panel work together then leave their expensive equipment to sit for the rest of eternity.

For 90% of what needs to be done on a car you just need a good 110 MIG. The other 10% is high end fabrication. If you get to that point you are going to keep whatever MIG you started with around to tag in jigs and do little touch work setting panels anyway.

Pretty much any Lincoln or Miller or store brand (if you look at boxes you will see Lincoln and Miller make 99% of the store brands) Second hand units are fine as long as they have been cared for as well.

You want one that comes with the gas line and fittings. They almost never come with bottles but most places that do fills want you to use their bottles anyway so that's not a problem.

For convenience sake plan to either buy or make the first thing you build a cart. Building a cart is a good way to pick up welding actually. Welders don't seem heavy when you just pick them up but after you move it 80 times to work around a car you will want a cart.

Spend money on a good welding mask, Its totally worth it. Get yourself some good wire brushes, a variety of clamps and portable vices/vice inserts, and stop by your local exhaust or metal fab shop and ask for scraps so you can practice. 99 time out os 100 they will point at a box or bin and just tell you to grab some pieces to play with. Grab stuff of different shapes and thicknesses so you can play around and get the hang of laying bead across various materials.

Hope this helps.

I agree with all of this with a small footnote.

I welded plenty of stuff with a 110V Lincoln and it worked well, however after stepping up to a 220V Miller I noticed the welds I was making were smoother and cleaner with no other changes. I want to say the waveform or something is better with a 220. Not sure exactly what the term is but it was very noticeable.

[V]

All good points. thanks.

When I borrowed a mig years ago, I bought a small tank full of gas from the supply company and it wasn't that expensive so yea, I'd expect to buy their tank or buy gas with a deposit on the tank.

I think I would go for a 220v right off the bat since I have the outlet for it already.

I'd like the ability to weld aluminum intake manifolds one day, that's where the TIG would come in handy.

So as my frist machine, any real Mig with gas would be fine huh? and then I can always upgrade to something bigger and better later on.

I also have a ton of scrap metal laying around to practice on, including angle iron of all different thicknesses, flat plate steel, auto body panels etc etc.

[deadtrend1]

Too bad your not down here, I deliver for a welding supply company. With bottles you rent them montly and pay a deposit.

Dont waste money on the harbor freight or any knockoff.

[Featherburner]

I own my bottles outright and trade them when empty. I wouldn't waste my time on a 110v. Pick up a Millermatic 180 and a spool gun and call it a day. Indiana Oxygen had the very best prices years ago when I bought my Mig and Plasma cutter.

[grazi]

Originally Posted by Featherburner

I own my bottles outright and trade them when empty. I wouldn't waste my time on a 110v. Pick up a Millermatic 180 and a spool gun and call it a day. Indiana Oxygen had the very best prices years ago when I bought my Mig and Plasma cutter.

I have a lincoln 180 and I own my tanks also. How do you like the spool gun for that setup? I've been thinking about gettinf one. Are you using straight argon or Tri mix when your running the spool gun