Portable welder for home repair recommendations

[Welder]

Final notes for now.

Randyho mentioned that flux-core isn't pretty. That's a very common misconception. Flux-core operates extremely smoothly, but only in a very narrow voltage / wire-speed window. Set up correctly, and run from a good power source, there won't be spatter and the welds will be absolutely beautiful. You don't generally weld downhill with it; uphill, overhead, horizontal, and flat are all good to go. I use it extensively on outdoor repairs on 1/8" and thinner stuff. I try not to run it on 120V unless I have to; 220V input current produces a weld with better penetration. If you're getting spatter from flux-core, either your wire has moisture in it or your settings are off.

I do have two dual-voltage machines that can connect to 120V.

The Miller Multimatic 200 is probably out of the reach of most hobbyists, but it's a good multiprocess machine that's capable of stick, MIG, and TIG. It's not Chinese junk and a used one would be a good choice. It's not good with 6010 and 6011 rods, but neither are almost any other 120V machines either. It has a very rugged case and is tailor-made for travel.

The other is an ESAB Rogue 180i. ESAB is an old American company, but this is an off-shored welder. It's programmed to run the 60xx rods much more smoothly, but you still need to be on 220V to get the most out of them. This is a Stick/TIG machine only. It looks like a little suitcase and probably weighs 20 lbs at most. Great machine for when I'm working in a factory or just have a little handrail repair. I stick weld *a lot* because I'm outside 98% of the time and the wind blows shielding gas away, eliminating processes like TIG, MIG, and Dual-Shield from consideration unless I spend a lot of time setting up wind breaks.

I would recommend Lincoln, Miller, or ESAB as first-tier choices. Anything you can buy at Harbor Freight or Northern Tools would be bottom tier. They might weld, but they might also be exercises in frustration. Same with Chinese brands like Longevity and Everlast. Those are the Hi-Points of the welding world.

Hope some of this helps.

[Borderland]

I'd want to sandblast the metal clean before welding it. So that's another (or two if you need a compressor) big, expensive tool required to do the job right. I'd put it in your trailer and drive into town where there's a welder. Quick and easy job for someone already set up. Should fit comfortably under a minimum shop labor charge.

I'm trying to avoid moving the smoker. It's 18" well casing and pretty heavy. Here it is and the 2" weld that needs to be made.

[Welder]

I'm trying to avoid moving the smoker. It's 18" well casing and pretty heavy. Here it is and the 2" weld that needs to be made.

The original weld looks a little cold, and they either used a very low-powered machine (120V) or directed all of the heat at the casing and very little at the hinge. Thus the clean break. This is a pretty common problem with MIG, which can produce a pretty weld with very low penetration. Stick welds are a little more honest.

If you buy a 120V machine, do yourself a favor and use that propane torch in your picture to preheat the hinge and the well casing before welding it. That's one way to cheat your way to deeper penetration when your welder doesn't have the guts to do it on it's own. 300-500 degrees preheat will make a 120V machine look like a hero on up to 1/4" steel. Beyond that, it's multi-pass with preheat and that gets tedious.

[Borderland]

Any 120 VAC machine at the end of 75' of extension cord will be disappointing. If the generator can produce 20 amps, I'd use that.

In my opinion, a 80-140 amp MIG and/or Flux Core will struggle with 3/16" material. For sub $500 and some background or familiarity with welding, I would skip wire fed and possibly get a slightly better CC stick machine by not buying the more involved torch / drive mechanism / gas solenoid / gas cylinder(s). This Harbor Freight Stick 225 should run 3/32" electrodes, which will do what you want.

I just looked at the generator. It's a Honda EM650. AC 120 volts, 60Hz, Rated 550VA, Max. 650VA. Nothing else on the label except DC 12V, Current 8.3 amps.

I don't think it will produce 20 amps.

[JCL]

@JCL?

Welder nailed it. The only welding you can do 75’ from a 120V source is JB welding.

[frozentundra]

You could have a local shop/mechanic simply weld a mounting plate onto that hinge. That way you could just grind off the old weld, drill some holes, bolt it on. Kinda ghetto, but that's the way we roll around my house. It's probably by far the cheapest/easiest way to fix that particular problem.

Just like firearms, welder choice depends mostly on what you're trying to do with it. If all you need is a cheap .22, or even an air rifle for inexpensive plinking, small pest control, and family fun, then you don't really need a Colt 6920, Glock 19, 870 gauge, or 700 bolt gun. If you can stick weld, and you have 240V available, I wouldn't be afraid to buy a Harbor Freight Titanium 225 stick welder, especially when they (often) go on sale. This machine, combined with an adapter/extension cord for a 240V home appliance outlet, may be the best way to have reasonable welding capabilities at home for $350ish all in. I think you can purchase an extended warranty that gives you a no-questions-asked replacement inside of 2 years from any Harbor Freight store. Just burn as much rod as you can, and then grab a new machine at 23 months before the warranty runs out.

It's a pretty good way to learn how to glom metal bits together with them angry pixies what live in the wall socket behind your dryer.

I've been thinking about picking one up just for the portability. My old Lincoln transformer machines are giant and HEAVY. Like 300+ pounds for the shop welder and nearly 700 pounds for the engine driven rig. It'd be nice to have an 18 pound inverter welder around for certain things. You just have to be realistic about what it can do (and what you can do). Most hobby guys are going to be well served with 7018 rod at 125(ish) amps on the heavy end of things, or 6013 "farmer rods" for minor repairs and occasional light fabrication. These will even run cellulosic rods like 6010 and 6011 to a certain degree. 6011 rod will probably work significantly better if you need to do a small project with some open root welding.

Remember that stick and TIG processes require more embodied physical skill than MIG. MIG is the hot glue gun of simply glomming metal bits together, but you still have to know enough to set up the machine correctly, find acceptable settings for the application, and then prepare the metal within reason. MIG still requires some technique, but not nearly as much physical coordination and skill as stick or TIG processes. If stick and TIG are like riding a bike and skateboarding, then MIG is perhaps more like climbing up a step ladder once the machine is set correctly for the application. Things can still go badly wrong, but it's a bit less dynamic because you don't have to walk and chew gum at the same time as you pat your head and rub your belly. MIG is not as cheap to get into because there is more going on and the consumables/accessories are more expensive.

Stick is not nearly as easy to weld thin gauge sheet metals if you're going to be doing much of that.






Do you happen to be on the "Borderland" by Lake Superior near Duluth? I've got an old gas powered Lincoln pipeline rig. It's louder than an airplane...crashing into a freight train...inside of a tunnel...but it still burns fine.

[RevolverRob]

At this point price wise - buy a wood pellet smoker and dump the gigantic thing and don't bother with a welder.

[randyho]

Randyho mentioned that flux-core isn't pretty.

I'm happy someone who knows what they're doing has weighed in, sincerely. To clarify, flux-core + Randy is not pretty.

[Borderland]

At this point price wise - buy a wood pellet smoker and dump the gigantic thing and don't bother with a welder.

Yeah, I thought about that. If I can't fix this thing, which was a possibility, I might just do the electric wood pellet smoker and ditch the T-62 for scrap.

I called my neighbor yesterday and ask his advice about a welder. He called back this morning and said what's the problem. I told him and he said I'll come over with a tractor to move it to my shop. We did that and he had the hinge welded back in about an hour. Then he moved it back to my back yard so probably next week we start smoking fish. No charge but he gets some smoked salmon for sure.

I'm asking a lot of questions about welders. My neighbor who's business was servicing solid waste compactors for many years and still does consulting, is what I would consider a professional welder. He basically reaffirmed everything posted here. I didn't have the electrical capacity to do what I wanted to do. My neighbors shop is all 220.

Thanks for all the input.

[Borderland]

Do you happen to be on the "Borderland" by Lake Superior near Duluth? I've got an old gas powered Lincoln pipeline rig. It's louder than an airplane...crashing into a freight train...inside of a tunnel...but it still burns fine.

Nope, I'm in WA. But thanks for the offer.