Got birthday money - want welding unit - help

[n74tg]

Okay, I'm saving up my birthday and Xmas money gifts.  The local welding supply has some refurbished Lincoln Work Pac Model U2699-1 flux core wire units for sale ($350).  These are suppossed to be the same unit sold at your big box stores.  These units have been used as demos at trade shows.  Lincoln has cleaned them up and replaced the guns and offers a new unit 3 yr warranty.  The sales guy says this unit is for mild steel only and is typically used by ornamental fence builders and the guys who put burglar bars on houses.  He also mentions you can buy a separate gas solenoid so you can then do stainless and possibly with the purchase of something else (can't remember what) you can do aluminum.

I'm interested in developing some basic welding capability.  I built a 4x8 trailer about 30 years ago using a stick welder at the Air Force base hobbyshop, so I've done a little welding.  It wasn't pretty, but it was strong.  What appeals to me about this unit is that the sales guy said this unit even makes his lousy welding skills look good. 

Okay, what have I not thought about yet?  What other questions do I need to be asking.  Is a small flux core wire unit like this even what I should be looking for?

thanks guys.

[NM_Shooter]

I have a little 100HD Lincoln wire feed that I love.  3/16 stock is about the thickest that it will handle, but I mostly do tube steel projects and 1/8" sort of flat stock, so this works great. 

I bought it at HD, but I can't remember exactly what I purchased it for... I seem to think it was ~$250 or so.  I love it!

[river place]

Miller and Lincoln amke good welders.  After buying a Miller 110 volt unit used and using on on various home and auto projects I would recommend the following:

Make sure the unit can be upgraded to gas and if so what's required and cost.  Mine has gas and I like the cleaner welding experience.

As mentioned 3/16 is the thickest for a 110 volt unit.  You can get a bit more penetration on 3/16 steel will flux core.  You'll need a welders hammer to chip away the flux core slag.  Flux core is gives of a lot of splatter but not a problem in most cases.

Lowes and HD may have some discounted however I much prefer dealing with the local welding supply as they will help you when you ask questions and carry parts.

I finished a job this weekend of building a metal frame to sit on my old 5x6 trailer as I needed a platform 6x10 for a new fishing raft. 

[MountainDon]

I no longer want to use or own a wire feed welder unless it is a MIG unit. Maybe I'm thoroughly spoiled. I keep some flux core wire on hand in case I need to weld outside in the wind or in case I mess up and run out of gas. I have two 40 cu ft cylinders, but sometimes forget to go get the spare one refilled. 

[firefox]

Which MIG unit do you recomend?
Bruce

[MountainDon]

I have an old Century, like 20 years.  If that Lincoln has the gas kit available it should be fine. See if the dealer will set one up if you buy it all from him.

[Whitlock]

Which MIG unit do you recomend?
Bruce

Miller 140 flux core wire with a argon back up the funest way to weld with a 110 unit.

I have used miles of wire in both the Lincons and Millers. Miller has the best unit with a lot less machanical problems.

Good Luck,W

[glenn kangiser]

I replied to this but got sidetracked.

The Miller is a better unit with an aluminum motor housing that will not break as the Lincoln will if it gets bumped hard by the gun cable exit.  It also has a bigger transformer making smoother welds especially when run on an extension cord.

NR 211mp .035 innershield will pass code for welds it is capable of.  E71TGS is not specified in the code books (other commonly available wire).

[firefox]

Thanks guys!!

[JRR]

If you have a chance and have access .. take a one-semester welding training course at a local adult education training school.  In some large metro areas, vendors offer fairly good classes ... slated toward their products, of course.

[glenn kangiser]

Note that the 120v Lincoln units break due to a plastic motor housing.  When the gun is flexed excessively hard at the base, the motor breaks in half requiring a new motor housing and no work till fixed. 

OK - I have fixed one for a bit with bailing wire and glue but it broke again.  I have broke several of them so quit buying the small Lincoln.  I currently have 2 of the Millers - a 135 and 140 I think - no major problems.  Tips clog easily - keep them clean with a torch tip cleaner or replace with a new one.

The Millers have the gas valve on the ones I have as I recall.

[n74tg]

Glenn:
Is the plastic motor housing you are referring to the same as the plastic roller wheels where you tension the wire.

thanks

[glenn kangiser]

No, Tony.  The motor housing in the Lincoln is black plastic with steel drive wheels.  My preferred method of breaking the motor in half was to load the welder into my truck or sit it down and have the gun cable bump up against something where it enters the front of the welder.

Repair parts are available on order but never at the time you need the welder it seems unless you were to stock a new motor frame yourself.  A friend of mine got one of my old ones and replaced the plastic frame to make it usable.  It seems that they have had so many problems with this that they are making the parts available at a fairly reasonable price.

I would say that more important than that is the fact that on a long medium gauge extension cord that the Miller welds much better than the Lincoln due to the bigger transformer and other technology.  The Miller also produces better welds easier under normal conditions.

I welded the dump bed onto my Dodge truck using the Miller wire feed and solar power as well as many other major projects such as an "I" beam frame for my rock crusher, quite a bit of a frame for a ball mill, solar tracker, etc.

Welds over 3/16 can be made with multi-pass technique although the NR211MP is not code approved for over 1/2 inch.  If you have very many welds over 1/4" this welder would not be practical anyway and of course you would go to a bigger welder.  Weld metal for these welders is generally rated around 70,000 PSI tensile strength, so if you have the skills to make a good weld, a small weld holds a lot.  The base metels in most cases are in the 50,000 PSI tensile strength area.

[n74tg]

Thanks Glenn, all the Lincoln units I have been looking at have plastic front facings and metal for the rest of the "box".

[glenn kangiser]

The facings are not the problem.  The metal box is the holder for the motor frame.  The side cover will open up to where you can put a 10lb roll of wire in.  The wire is then fed between two drive wheels.  If it has not been improved since the last one I bought, the frame holding the two drive wheels for the wire is plastic and it is what will break in half.

The same frame in a similar location on the Miller is made of aluminum and will not break.

Here are the Lincoln details and part numbers





Taken from a current parts manual, they appear to be the same black plastic motor frames as the ones that broke easily on mine.

[glenn kangiser]

The problem area.



Note how the plastic casting is only about 1/16 to 1/8 or so thick at this area and is easily broken by leverage on the solid mounted end of the gun.

Proper name 7.  Gear Box Mounting Plate

[n74tg]

I looked at a Lincoln 125, 140 and 180 yesterday at Lowes.  If memory serves, all three had plastic where you say it breaks. 

Thanks for taking the time to publish the drawing.

[glenn kangiser]

My pleasure.  I have done a lot of welding with the Lincoln but use it commercially and am a bit rough on things.  Not saying if you have one it will for sure break, but it is much easier to make a nice weld with the Miller also.  At this time I have 2 Millers and no working Lincolns.

If you decide on the Lincoln I would recommend keeping it on a cart or just be careful with the gun mount area.  The repair part is pretty cheap I understand but it is frustrating if it happens when you are in a hurry.

[n74tg]

Anybody know anything good or bad about the Hobart BetaMig 250 unit.  There is a used one locally I can pick up for around $400.  Yes, I know it's a 240 volt unit.

I am now also considering getting a spool gun so I can develop some aluminum welding capability.  Anybody know if this Hobart unit is compatible with a spool gun?

thanks

[glenn kangiser]

I have never used much Hobart, Tony but in the old days they were a good name.  As I recalled my welding supply guy told me that they had been bought out by Miller.  He had recommended them as a cheaper alternative to the Miller.

This story verifies that.  http://www.weldingtipsandtricks.com/hobart-mig-welder.html

I have used spool guns and own one old one.  They work great.  I do not know about that unit at all, but would think that a call to a good major welding supply should answer that .