caged

i have a lincoln 140c, a lincoln ranger 255 gas powered welder/generator, a lincoln tig and a 90amp inverter stick.

i use the 140c the most. it's a good machine, has infinite current control, not potted like the tractor supply machines. i use a 75/25 mix mig gas.

i had a migpak 10 before, it sucked big time.

i wish i still had my lincoln wirematic 255 tho.

BNJeepsta

There is nothing wrong with tapped voltage settings if you are a good welder. I agree that the extra adjustment is nice, my 350p is infinitely adjustable, but not necessary if you are a competent welder.

XJwonders

I agree. In most cases, tapped voltage are just perfectly fine.

whowey

Over the years, I've used alot of different welders. I'm not a 'trained' weldor and I do some for work. We now have Miller 450s at work with auto feed and auto voltage settings. Really trick machines. But total over kill for anything around the house or Jeep. We also have an enormous Airco II, wicked powerful machine, but once again stupidly over powered for home use.

I had a Lincoln 140... biggest, overpriced piece of junk ever built. Three times back to Lincoln for repairs in the first year. And still has feed issues.

I have the HF 90 amp machine. Understand its limitations and it works just fine. It has a rated duty cycle of 10% for a reason. It will weld 1/4 inch stuff perfectly fine. Turn the wire speed up and max the voltage and go slow... Your work pieces need to be clean and usually you need the scale removed. The HF wire is some crappy stuff... Just about any other wire is better, except maybe the Tractor Supply branded stuff. I use mine gasless at home. The gas setup is pretty cheap to set-up, but I haven't taken the effort to get it. If I really need to use gas, I take it to work.

But hey... you already have a whole bunch of answers from people who have never used one.

lukes_ranger

I'm hearing what everybody's saying about getting a nice one. But wouldn't a $100-$300 be ok for starters?

XJriot

Id personally get the best machine I could afford. There's no point in spending money on a cheap one just to spend more money on a better one later on. Plus it should be easier to learn on a machine that functions properly I'd assume.

lukes_ranger

That's true. Guess I'll just have to keep saving.

93xjrig

I just recently bought a clarke 190en from amazon for 387 dollars shipped. It is 220v mig or flux core. It's made in china now but there are a lot if replacement parts and a lot of other brands work with it. I've welded 3/8 in a single pass and looked good too... I agree miller Hobart Lincoln are the way to go if u can afford it but for the money the clarke 190 can't be beat. It's easy to setup and use. Has six voltage settings and they make smaller machines if u don't have access to 220v

lukes_ranger

That would definitely be around my price range more than the Miller and the like.

caged

that's why you want to stay away from the department store lincolns, like the 140/180 easyweld and easyweld hd, or migpack ect.

i bought my 140c on sale for the same price as a department store model at full price.
reason i say about the tapped voltage control, is if you find one that has infinite control, then you have a pro model machine with steel feed wheels rather than plastic crap.

but you're right, tapped doesn't make or break it, as long as it has metal parts inside.

lincoln sp models are tapped and are just as good as the c models.

you can start with a hf model, but you will be replacing it a year or two down the road. guaranteed.

DanB98TJ

I have a Millermatic 251 and it is a great welder, but overkill for most home fabricators (probably myself included). It will do 1/2" single pass and I can burn holes in a lot of different things. When I bought it I had intentions of starting a small fab business, but the market became so flooded with CJ/YJ/TJ bumpers that it wasn't feasible. Now that I have it I'm not getting rid of it....

I started out on a Marquette 110V wire feed, and while it was nowhere near the quality of a Miller, Hobart, Lincoln, etc., it worked for a few bumpers for my TJ, a trail rack, and a camping trailer. The duty cycle sucked and I had to stop frequently, and had to make multiple passes on 1/4" or thicker material to get decent penetration. The one thing I do miss is being able to plug into standard household current - something not possible with the 251. That is something to consider - a unit that will run on 110 or or 240 like mentioned earlier would be a big benefit.

Jeepineasy

if you have the money get the dual voltage welders like the miller 211 or hobart 210.

XJwonders

I agree. U won't believe how often the feature comes in handy. Especially if u need to do mobile repairs

BNJeepsta

This is very true. The Hobart mvp is basically the same as my 190, but it can run on 110 and 220. I already have a 110 Lincoln so I didn't need both, but it could be very handy say, if you're going to a buddy's house to work on the jeep and all he has is 110.

XJwonders

Or on the trails. It come in handy when u have a generator too.