New to welding and you want to tackle trailer welding with a pop gun? We’ve gone down this road before and HF is all wrong. For 1/4 in. steel you need 180-225 amps. For trailer welding you need experience, or the first bump and you’ll be dripping trailer parts all over the road.

 

you need experience, or the first bump and you’ll be dripping trailer parts all over the road.

I've seen even worse. Looong ago a friend put a Chrysler Hemi in a lowered 32 Chev coupe. His friend borrowed an arc welder and built all the frame stiffeners and motor mounts for him.

First run at the drag strip the hemi revolved in the chassis. The chassis broke in many places, the coupe went on its side, and then slid hundreds of feet into a light pole. No injury but my friend gave up drag racing even before he graduated high school.

 

nah man, stay here............just fenders? buy the DC welder..........those are both AC only..........the DC welders are a lot smooother for the novices....

 

check the harbor freight section on this site........the DC inverter (harbor freight #91110) or something like that welds smooother that those AC machines and also the migs just above those 90 AC ones are DC ....

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tyuaisi2vvI[/ame]

 

Thanks for your concerns guys, that's what I call some good simple novice advice. I liked the video as well.
Thank You

 

I am looking at HF 98871, 90 amp flux wire welder and also HF 98870 Arc Welder -120. I'm new at this game and I'm looking for a machine that I can weld boat trailers / fenders and landscape trailers. Usually up to 1/4" steel on the trailer and much lighter on the fenders. I see that the Flux wire is good for sheet metal but will it work for the 1/8 to 1/4 steel as well?
Any insight would be extremely appreciated.

Do as you please.

 

...I'm new at this game and I'm looking for a machine that I can weld boat trailers / fenders and landscape trailers. Usually up to 1/4" steel on the trailer and much lighter on the fenders. ....Any insight would be extremely appreciated.

...I don't plan on building any trailers and just want to weld a fender onto one. I've been a mechanic for over 25 years and I'm sure I can handle it.

No offense, but thats not what the 1st post says. We get the same questions over and over again. "Hi I have no idea what I'm doing, and never done this before, and want to start by building something that can kill people with the cheapest POS posible..." You asked for insight and got some, as blunt as it may be. As a mechanic, would you recommend someone who has no clue and needs instructions on how to use a screwdriver, start learning by starting with a complete front end tear down and a complete soup to nuts brake job? Building a trailer is NOT a beginning project. Even fixing trailers is not a beginning project, and by that I mean structural items, frame, suspension etc. Fenders are a bit different. If some of us take public safety seriously is that wrong?

... I see that the Flux wire is good for sheet metal but will it work for the 1/8 to 1/4 steel as well?
.

FC wire is usually poor for sheet metal. It usually has too much penetration for thin sheet. A 90 amp unit is way underpowered regardless. You will find that it really doesn't do almost anything well. Mig with solid wire and 75/25 gas is best for thin metal like auto bodies. You get a clean weld with light penetration. On a 140 amp class mig, 75/25 will do from 20g or so up to 1/8" at best. If you run FC wire in that same 140 amp class machine, you can do up to 1/4" maybe. Small 110v migs have a lot of issues. 1st they need juice to run. Most machines to get the full max penetration needs to be run on a dedicated 20 amp 110v line, not the standard 15amp line with other things plugged into it or at the end of 100' of extension cord. These sorts of things significantly reduce the output power on the machine. 220v migs are a much better way to go. Do a search on starter migs and you will find this recommendation over and over. If you are a mechanic for 25 years, you ought to understand about quality tools. Would you outfit your whole shop with HF stuff, or do you get the good stuff? Yes the HF stuff will do a job, but usually not well, and you give up the flexibility that you get with name brands, like the option to add a spool gun at a later time, or convert to gas mig, not to mention the service/parts issues.

One other issue with 110v migs and new guys. With mig it's super easy to make welds that look great, but have no penetration into the base metal. They look pretty, but at best all they do is stick metal together like cheap glue. Theres no strength involved. Thats very bad for items like trailers, and leads many new guys to think their skills are much better than they really are. To get penetration, you need amps, and 220v input power.

Stick is a poor choice for most on thin steel. It can be done, but it required a fair amount of skill. Stick, especially out of position stick, requires more skill than mig. A 220v stick machine capable of 80-150+ amps is a good choice for heavier steel. The big problem with stick is the learning curve. It just takes most people a lot longer to learn stick than mig. You also have issues with trapping slag in the welds. This causes weak areas. You have the same problems to a limited extent with FC mig and the flux there.


Sorry, you walked into a hot subject. Take a while, do a lot of searches and read and read. All this stuff has been covered to death, and yet the same questions get asked again and again. You will also find if you ask good questions, you get better answers. It's not easy to ask those questions at first. The best way is to read and begin to understand why people reply the way they do. Also if you read the same thing from 25+ people, you can probably figure out that they have some kind of clue compared to the 3 or 4 dissenting replies.

 

No offense, but thats not what the 1st post says. We get the same questions over and over again. "Hi I have no idea what I'm doing, and never done this before, and want to start by building something that can kill people with the cheapest POS posible..." You asked for insight and got some, as blunt as it may be. As a mechanic, would you recommend someone who has no clue and needs instructions on how to use a screwdriver, start learning by starting with a complete front end tear down and a complete soup to nuts brake job? Building a trailer is NOT a beginning project. Even fixing trailers is not a beginning project, and by that I mean structural items, frame, suspension etc. Fenders are a bit different. If some of us take public safety seriously is that wrong?






FC wire is usually poor for sheet metal. It usually has too much penetration for thin sheet. A 90 amp unit is way underpowered regardless. You will find that it really doesn't do almost anything well. Mig with solid wire and 75/25 gas is best for thin metal like auto bodies. You get a clean weld with light penetration. On a 140 amp class mig, 75/25 will do from 20g or so up to 1/8" at best. If you run FC wire in that same 140 amp class machine, you can do up to 1/4" maybe. Small 110v migs have a lot of issues. 1st they need juice to run. Most machines to get the full max penetration needs to be run on a dedicated 20 amp 110v line, not the standard 15amp line with other things plugged into it or at the end of 100' of extension cord. These sorts of things significantly reduce the output power on the machine. 220v migs are a much better way to go. Do a search on starter migs and you will find this recommendation over and over. If you are a mechanic for 25 years, you ought to understand about quality tools. Would you outfit your whole shop with HF stuff, or do you get the good stuff? Yes the HF stuff will do a job, but usually not well, and you give up the flexibility that you get with name brands, like the option to add a spool gun at a later time, or convert to gas mig, not to mention the service/parts issues.

One other issue with 110v migs and new guys. With mig it's super easy to make welds that look great, but have no penetration into the base metal. They look pretty, but at best all they do is stick metal together like cheap glue. Theres no strength involved. Thats very bad for items like trailers, and leads many new guys to think their skills are much better than they really are. To get penetration, you need amps, and 220v input power.

Stick is a poor choice for most on thin steel. It can be done, but it required a fair amount of skill. Stick, especially out of position stick, requires more skill than mig. A 220v stick machine capable of 80-150+ amps is a good choice for heavier steel. The big problem with stick is the learning curve. It just takes most people a lot longer to learn stick than mig. You also have issues with trapping slag in the welds. This causes weak areas. You have the same problems to a limited extent with FC mig and the flux there.


Sorry, you walked into a hot subject. Take a while, do a lot of searches and read and read. All this stuff has been covered to death, and yet the same questions get asked again and again. You will also find if you ask good questions, you get better answers. It's not easy to ask those questions at first. The best way is to read and begin to understand why people reply the way they do. Also if you read the same thing from 25+ people, you can probably figure out that they have some kind of clue compared to the 3 or 4 dissenting replies.

My apologies for taking out some frustration on your posting. I thank you for taking the time to respond and for the amount of information you responded with. You brought up the point about safety and I respect that. My motto has always been "safety is no accident". This is why I research and ask before I jump into anything. Been repairing, rebuilding and restoring boats, cars, trucks and motorcycles for over 25 yrs. The only thing I haven't done is weld and I've been surrounded by it over all that time. I was a little insulted to be thought of as some yahoo, as the first responder did, who wanted to play with steel after my day job behind a desk....thanks again

 

If you have never welded before then you will find the fluxcore wirefeed is easier. The stick welder is more versatile but harder to use.
If you get the 90 amp wire feed make sure to use decent wire. The Lincoln NR 211 .030" is a good choice and does multi-pass which you will need with a low output machine. I would multi-pass anything thicker than 1/8" mild steel with it. Also V-groove to get good penetration with multi-pass. Pre-heat would help. Keep the wire stickout as short as possible for thicker stuff and drag toward you.
You can do sheet metal with that wire just move fast and push away from you. The Arc will do sheet metal with 1/16" rod but will be harder to do compared to the wirefeed machine.
I see a lot of Lincoln 225 stick welders for sale in the classifieds for $100-$150. It is a 225 amp machine that will handle thicker stuff.

 

As a people person and someone that deals with the public, I would ask the person to clarify their question before I assumed that they were attempting to build a POS. Even still, one can be blunt without being insulting. My question was nothing like the question you post.... ("Hi I have no idea what I'm doing, and never done this before, and want to start by building something that can kill people with the cheapest POS possible) However, that's what you seemed to have heard and responded accordingly. That's called shooting from the hip. Perhaps you have seen the same questions over and over but you should also realize that I'm asking it for the first time. If one cannot interact properly with the public in a diplomatic manor, they shouldn't be participating.

 

Thanks to all for the advice and pointers, even the "do as you please" comment! I found a few videos on you tube and other articles relating to the subject. My apologies for any misinterpretations as I don't quite know how to speak welding yet. I thought this was a forum where you can discuss topics and have some have conversation. I thank those who did. However, If I want a lecture, I'll go back to college or just watch Obama on TV.

 

I've welded quite a bit of 1/4" angle iron together with 80 Amps. DC and 3/32" 6010 rod. It's not fast but everything has stuck together for years.

 

This is the one I have,the 98871 90 amper,I know it has limits but I have had no problems with it as long as I stay 1/8" and under on thickness of my weld material.My only problem with this welder is the limit on how low the amps can be set.I wish it would go down lower on the amp scale,say down to 30 because it is limited to at least 16 gauge and thicker up to 1/8"..........doug

 

Have you tried running that fluxcore machine on DCEP with fluxcore wire just to see if you could get more on the low end scale?

 

dugndeep...That has to be the best answer given to the simple question asked. (1) pertained to the equipment asked about, (2) short to the point, (3) didn't have to diss any equipment no matter what the brand. So all i'll say is tyvm...

 

It is one answer. With prep work and proper wire thicker material can be welded. Thinner material can be welded but takes longer and more technique. But yeah, just picking up the gun and going for it I would say 16ga - 1/8" mild steel.

 

If you do get the 98871 go and get a knurled drive roller for the wirefeed,mine started slipping so I went and purchased a knurled drive roller and it hasn't slipped since.I can't believe these flux-cored welders don't come with a knurled roller.I got mine from Bob the welder in Australia for 15 usd and 9 usd shipping,I couldn't find none here in the USA that would fit,WeldUK.com has them also,the cheap Sip welders they sell across the pond have the same size and configuration as the chicago electric brand do.24mmX7mmX7mm square bore in the middle......doug

 

The knurled one from bob the welder is on the left and the stock one is on the right.

 

to the guy that said the HF 90amp flux core wire welder wont weld worth a crap, i have one, i made a hitch for my lawnmower witch runs 35mph, i hookd it to the back of a truck with a 30 foot rope, hauled *** till the rope ran out, and didnt break my hitch. that was with barely 1 week welding experience And the original crappy HF wire, Dirty metal, and a single pass. You cant tell me that the welds from these arent strong. If you use them properly and dont try and push its limits then these work fine. i dont have a single complaint out of mine. Other than i didnt feed the wire through right the first time and it got tangled up, and i couldnt get it out. so if the wirefeed speed is really high or really low it kinda jumps a little, *but thats my fault.* To all you people that complain about the HF welders, SUCKIT.

 

Here's my views...

I don't know for certain but that HF 98871 welder pictured above may be an AC only output machine with no ability to upgrade to gas shielding. I would not go that route. Even the HF DC output wire feed welders seem to be lacking some vital internals that are standard on brand name (Lincoln, Miller, Hobart, etc.) welders - there are plenty of posts herein with fellows trying to add internal capacitors, voltage regulators to control wire speed etc. Seems to me, if you buy a name brand machine to begin with, you avoid all that future hassle. Also name brands provide more welding power to begin with - usually 80-100 real amps instead of '90 amps rated' but deliver 70 real amps at best.

The posting by DSW provided a lot of good advice.

In my opinion, you would be best be served for a long time to come by purchasing a used Lincoln, Miller or Hobart 220 volt wire feed welder that comes with the gas plumbing. Such used lightly machines are on Craiglist or Kijiji for about $300.
Then you got a good tool - continuous welding at up to 130 real amps with 30% duty cycle.

• With flux core, you can weld up to 1/4 inch thick - may take a few passes but you have the power (heat/penetration) to made a solid weld.
• With solid core wire and CO2 or C25 gas, you can easily deal with steel metal as thin as at least 20 guage without problems - without blowing through with flux core or having flux-core residue bleed through after painting.
• Buying good used brand-name gear, you half your investment compared to buying new and you can always sell the brand name later for what you paid.