Time to upgrade the welder

It's time to upgrade. I have been using a Harbor Freight 100. Up till now just for sheet metal, I am currently replacing the floor on a cj2a. Last night it kept going off becuase of the thermal switch. I was looking today at Home Depot and they cary Lincoln. My question is what do you think about the HD3200 vs the HD175. The 175 is about $150 more and is 220v. My garage doesnt have 220 but I could run it from an unused dryer plug in the house. I would like to do sheet metal repair and fab a front and rear bumper. I think 5/16 is the heaviest I would weld and the box on the 3200 says up to 5/16.

 

The 175 at 220V would probably never shut off doing sheet metal. For 5/16s you would still hit the duty cycle on but it would happen a lot less then what you currently have.

I am still a novice but people I know who are experienced say go to a 220 at least 175 for fabrication work. Most want somethign bigger then that.

 

I bought a Lincoln 175 / 220V and now wish it was bigger! Buy the biggest machine you can, you may not think you need it now, but later on you will.

 

I just bought the Hobart 140, I have access to larger machines outside my house. I thought the 115v would be nice to be able to use it in different places. With flux core wire it will weld up to 1/4". It can aslo use shielding gas.

Kent

 

Don't discount the MM DVI, runs on 115 or 220, with a simple switch of the plug. Might try www.cyberweld.com for some comparison shopping, as they have downloadable product specs... I love mine!

 

Instead of buying at the big box (i know they have good prices), I would go to a welding supply house and see what kind of deal(s) they have. tell the counterma what needs/wants are go from there. there is a BIG BIG difference between casual use (what the big box carries) and industrial use (the welding supply house) as far as duty cycle and can it be upgraded/repaired later on? If the local one is like the one by me, they also sell former rental/used/traded in machines.

 

Hi I have the Hd3200 110 volt It works very well for sheet metal, The "a" setting does a nice job if you get your wire speed right. I have only used the gas and thinner wire a few times. Its nicer but not worth the extra cost. 0.35 flux cored is cheap and works great. I have also built 3 large bumpers out of 1/4 plate with it. On the 1/4 plate you need a good ground and have a short duty cycle. maybe 2 inches before it cuts out or trips a breaker. I like the welder for its size price and flexibility. Actually brought it to the guys house and welded tow points into the bumper so I could tow my jeep home when I bought it. 110 volts can be found anywhere and has allowed me to do a lot of project I would never have done if I had to drag the big machine out and find power for it. I think its a great light duty general purpose welder. That being said I want something something bigger for bumers and some other projects I have planned. But most things on a jeep are easily handled by the 110 volt. The frame is the thickest piece of metal on a jeep and the 110 can burn right through that at setting c. D will do 1/4 and I have welded 5/8 with it, but had to go very slow and do 2 passes.

 

Thanks for the input, I have lots to think about before the purchase. I really like the idea of the versality of a 110v setup but i have gone the cheeper route and would now like to make a long term purchase. The 110v rig would give me the option of using it in the garage but I have a back room at the office I could use in the winter when I see working on a project like front and rear bumpers. I will check out the local welding supply but they have Miller which seems overkill for the weekender. at this point I am a rank amature but would like to get better.
Thanks again for the input.

 

Another option is to see if you can add a fan to your current welder. I have the Chicago Electric (Harbor Freight) Dual Mig 310 (?) and it was constantly tripping the thermal. Problem is, besides being annoying as heck, that those thermal switches are designed to wear out, thus shortening the life of your welder. I found that in my welder, not only was there a vent hole that was exactly the right size for a computer fan, there was also terminals for the hook up already on the switch! It was like they designed it with the fan, and left it out to save a few pennies and cheat us out of extended life. I purchased an approriate fan for it at a computer supply place, drilled 2 holes to mount it, ran the wires to the terminals, and have maybe tripped the thermal once since then. And that was welding up 1/4" stuff in my garage in Phoenix during the summer.

I regularly weld up 1/4" stuff without troubles including my rear bumper/tire carrier with D-ring mounts that see use. No signs of problems yet.

 

Welders are a lot like engines. Sure you can tow a boat with a 4 popper mini truck, but it will not last nearly as long as the 3/4 ton with a diesel. I went with a 110volt unit as my first machine. There isn't much left of it. I replaced it with a Lincoln SP175plus. The difference is more obvious than night and day.
If you're looking for a long term investment, go with the biggest you can afford. Miller makes an excellent machine, as do Lincoln and Hobart. I'll also second the motion to buy from a welding shop rather than the box store. Service after the sale will most likely be much better. They can also help steer you toward the best machine for you.
Good luck!