LAC welders

[Dan Cordon]

I figure I'll chime in here too. I've used several stick, MIG, and TIG 
welders, from cheap to expensive and fancy. What I will say is....stay 
away from the cheap MIG welders. The two cheap welders I've played with 
(both Century) were really hard to get nice welds with. From what I can 
tell, the wire feed wasn't very consistent, which lead to the poor weld 
quality. They had plenty of power, so that wasn't the issue.

For portable use I have a Hobart Handler 135 (Millermatic 135) using CO2 
or CO2-argon mix. I have flux core wire for it, but haven't been very 
happy with it at all. As others have said, the welds are a lot cleaner, 
and can penetrate better using gas, and the unit I got was all set up 
for it anyway. I can weld up to 3/16 with .035 wire just fine, but you 
can only get about a 6" bead before it's time to let it rest for a few 
seconds. It also does a fantastic job welding sheet metal with the fine 
.023 or .028 wire. And since Miller/Hobart are one and the same, most 
any welding shop has tips/etc for me if I need them. Wire feed has been 
smooth and consistent all the time.

I also use some newer Miller 220V MIG's at school. They are also very 
nice, and can get much greater penetration for welding thick stuff. 
Often, if I have to weld over 1/4", I'll set everything up and tack it 
at home, then bring it to work to finish weld it. Could do multiple pass 
with mine, but I always feel better about the bigger welders and thick 
material.

So, in short, if you're going to do mostly sheet metal - 1/8 or 3/16" 
material, go ahead with a good quality 120V MIG.

-- 
Dan Cordon
Mechanical Engineer - Engine Research Facility
University of Idaho