New welder... sort of. Bottle question

[lschwarcz]

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and new to welding... unless you include spot welding in the 8th grade .

I've been interested in getting into MIG welding as a hobby for a while and am pretty settled on buying a Lincoln Weld-Pak 140HD from Home Depot ($600 as of this posting).

I'm also into working on cars as a hobby and am close to buying a hobby car where I'll likely need to do some body repairs.

From what I've read the kit is very complete except for the bottle with gas and a cart (not talking about all of the safety equipment I'll also need to buy).

I do have some questions about the bottle:

• Am I right that this kit has everything I'll need to connect to a bottle?
• Will I need any special adapters to connect?
• I heard from a friend that I'll want to use 75% Argon 25% CO2. Does everyone agree?
• When looking to buy a bottle, are there any difference between all the different brands and sources?
• Should I just look for the least expensive in the size I want (60 Cu. Ft., “Q1” size).

Are there any questions I'm forgetting to ask?

Thanks in advance!
Larry.

[walker]

For just a little mmore money you can get a lot better welder. Look at the Hobart handler 140, or the Miller 141, or there are several others.

https://www.weldersupply.com/C/228/GasMIGWelders

[lschwarcz]

For just a little mmore money you can get a lot better welder. Look at the Hobart handler 140, or the Miller 141, or there are several others.

https://www.weldersupply.com/C/228/GasMIGWelders

Hi Walker,

Thanks for the fast reply!

A "little" more money? The Miller is almost $300 more! But, the Hobart is just a few bucks more.

OK, I'm always game to learn something.

In what ways are the Miller and Hobart better than the Lincoln? Given that I'll almost certainly never need to weld anything thicker than 1/4" steel will either of those suggested welders give me a better weld, last longer, greater flexibility?

Since I'm new to this whole thing I guess I still have a LOT to learn!

Thanks again!
Larry.

[lschwarcz]

Hi Walker,

Thanks for the fast reply!

A "little" more money? The Miller is almost $300 more! But, the Hobart is just a few bucks more.

OK, I'm always game to learn something.

In what ways are the Miller and Hobart better than the Lincoln? Given that I'll almost certainly never need to weld anything thicker than 1/4" steel will either of those suggested welders give me a better weld, last longer, greater flexibility?

Since I'm new to this whole thing I guess I still have a LOT to learn!

Thanks again!
Larry.

I think I may have found the answer:

https://welditu.com/welders/mig/best...s-lincoln-140/

Looks like both are good machines but unless I plan on doing a lot of aluminum welding Hobart seems to have the advantage.

Thanks!
Larry.

[wb4rt]

Hi Larry.
Welcome to the WeldingWeb forum.

You can get lots of good information here but a lot of opinions based on each persons experience and circumstances so you may need to wade through a lot to find the gems of advice that best apply to you.

As far as a bottle, yes the welder comes with a regulator to connect to the bottle. Argon/CO2 mix called C25 is the most commonly used. Pure CO2 will gain you a little more weld capacity but requires a different reg. The larger the bottle the cheaper it is to fill/CF. Traditionally owned bottles are up to 125 CF and larger than that are leased bottles. That varies widely by region so check with local welding suppliers (LWS) for their specific policies and pricing. See if they will fill or exchange all bottles or only their own based on neck ring. Most smaller bottles have no neck ring identification and you simply exchange your empty for a full one and pay for the gas. Ask about environmental and other fees. I would at least get an 80 or 125 bottle.


A lot of us started with 110v welders and soon upgraded as we found more things to weld. The Lincoln 140HD, as well as the Hobart or Miller 110v welders, are not truly capable of 1/4” steel. More realisticly 1/8” is about the limit. On your project car, that should cover most of your needs. For new welders, you do not want to test the limits of your welder since this car will be on the highway.

That said, I’m not trying to discourage you at all but just so you are not disappointed. Good used 220v name brand welders are available and will last you a long time. Consider if you can put in an outlet or even access your dryer outlet to start. Don’t overlook multi volt machines that you can start with 110v and simply change switch or cord adapter to 220v later as needed.

Money is always a consideration but rebuying a better machine later is more expensive. Remember PPE, grinders, saws, etc impact the budget but once bought last a long time.

Again welcome and ask a lot of questions, post pictures, and spend time reading and practicing!

[smithdoor]

What are welding and type of wire are you using. Are welding for self or others.

My self for structures welding I used flux core and CO2.
Machine shops and some types of welding shops like CO2 /Argon but they charge more .
Solid wire CO2 is good for AG welding

Dave

Hi everyone,

I'm new to this forum and new to welding... unless you include spot welding in the 8th grade .

I've been interested in getting into MIG welding as a hobby for a while and am pretty settled on buying a Lincoln Weld-Pak 140HD from Home Depot ($600 as of this posting).

I'm also into working on cars as a hobby and am close to buying a hobby car where I'll likely need to do some body repairs.

From what I've read the kit is very complete except for the bottle with gas and a cart (not talking about all of the safety equipment I'll also need to buy).

I do have some questions about the bottle:

• Am I right that this kit has everything I'll need to connect to a bottle?
• Will I need any special adapters to connect?
• I heard from a friend that I'll want to use 75% Argon 25% CO2. Does everyone agree?
• When looking to buy a bottle, are there any difference between all the different brands and sources?
• Should I just look for the least expensive in the size I want (60 Cu. Ft., “Q1” size).

Are there any questions I'm forgetting to ask?

Thanks in advance!
Larry.

[BD1]

A 220 volt machine would definitely be a better choice. Save for a 110 / 220 machine.
Use on 110 until you have 220.
I would suggest buying local. Especially since you'll need a cylinder.
Each supplier has their own policies with cylinders. A 80 would be the smallest I would get. A 125 or 150 gets my vote.
The larger tank will give you more for money.
Check local suppliers.
I have a 125 oxygen and a 300. The larger cost around $25 more to fill.
I prefer 75/25 for a cleaner look. I do artwork so it makes a big difference. Less spatter for sure and less cleanup.
Definitely buy local and get a package deal for machine and tank.
Check facebook marketplace and Craiglist.
Post here are potential purchases for guidance.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[CAVEMANN]

Welcome! IMO, if you want to have the option to do a little heavier work, such as automotive frame repair you should consider at least a 180 amp machine and 240 volt, you'll be much happier in the end.

[G-ManBart]

As others have said, a 120/240V machine with maybe 180 amps output will give you a lot more capability. The smaller 140A machines are really best for sheetmetal and thinner tube/angle up to 1/8" and they have a very limited duty cycle, so if you have to crank them all the way up you'll only be able to weld for maybe a minute out of every ten minutes.

This comes up very regularly, and is totally understandable....folks want something affordable to start out. We're not trying to spend your money, but what frequently happens is folks buy a small machine, then realize all the other possibilities welding opens up, but the machine they already have can't handle it. They then wind up selling that machine to buy something with a little more power. If you get a 120/240 machine all you probably have to do is figure out power if you need the extra output down the road....dryer outlet or something similar.

[Welder Dave]

The Lincoln machines at box stores like Home Depot are a lower end product than similar sized Lincoln machines sold at welding supplies. There are built to fit a certain price point and use some lower quality components. See if Miller or Lincoln have any rebate programs on and look at at least a 180 amp machine. Compare the cost of an 80cu.ft. cylinder with a 60cu.ft. It might not be much difference.