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Thread Number: 38713
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Original Message
"mig welder for christmas?"
Posted by dob88 on 12-09-16 at 02:01 AM
My brother is doing an mig welding course in a nearby welding school ( http://www.weldtechtraining.com/ ). Though he gets enough practice at school he would love to take up new welding projects at home so that he could practice it better. I thought of getting him a good mig welder this Christmas. Can anyone tell me which welder is best for a beginner - I am torn between miller and Hobart.Any insight on this would be grateful.TIA.
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Messages in this discussion
"RE: mig welder for christmas?"
Posted by kingfish on 12-09-16 at 10:08 AM
I'd vote Miller. But they're both good.
"RE: mig welder for christmas?"
Posted by cahaya on 12-09-16 at 11:22 AM
Disclaimer: I don't have the faintest clue which MIG welders are the best (or best for the money). In fact, I didn't even know what a "MIG" welder was, until I looked it up.

So, I did what I do when I want to get something that I don't know much about (such as chain saws, snowblowers and yup, wood splitters)... a bit of googling research.

Have a look here, here, here and here. There's a lot of how-to information there for anyone serious about MIG welding and what to buy depending on your budget and intended use. All of the reviews compare Millers and Hobarts, so take your pick.

Once you get down to a final choice, say a Hobart Handler 140 vs a Millermatic 211, go to Amazon and read the reader reviews and Q&A on those products. You'll find out if there are any shortcomings with the products and get some tips and tricks in the Q&A section.

"RE: mig welder for christmas?"
Posted by kingfish on 12-09-16 at 05:53 PM
Don't overlook the biggest player, Lincoln Electric.

Make sure you know what metals he's going to be welding, and the cost of consumables, and that what ever you decide on is appropriate for his needs. Tig Welders are also available, and (esp. for field welding), many still use stick welds.

"RE: mig welder for christmas?"
Posted by foonermints on 12-10-16 at 00:32 AM
MIG is like the hot glue gun for mild steel. TIG is great for aluminum.
Me, I have had an oxy-acetylene rig just about forever. Sure, you have to replace the gas, but I can still draw a good bead even on 1/16" aluminum with flux rod. I can heat and bend things. I've made nutty art projects! Then again, nowadays I basically do "Hobby Welding", although I can't imagine owning a house without it.

Besides, in the future it will allow me to cut the locks off of Kingfish's garage door, and photograph the "special" notices he has stapled to his walls.


"Cut the locks?"
Posted by cahaya on 12-10-16 at 01:46 AM
I know better. You'll take one of those bad-azz AFV's of yours that you welded together out of boilerplate and blast the doors open!


The Foonermobile

"I Could"
Posted by foonermints on 12-10-16 at 01:59 PM
LAST EDITED ON 12-10-16 AT 02:00 PM (EST)

Just send Robbie over there to do my dirty work..



The Foonermobile
He can ride in the foonermobile.


"RE: mig welder for christmas?"
Posted by kingfish on 12-10-16 at 10:48 AM
I paid good money for those locks.
"You"
Posted by foonermints on 12-10-16 at 02:01 PM
Should have bought Krell Metal.
"RE: You"
Posted by kingfish on 12-10-16 at 04:54 PM
I thought you said it's name was Robbie? And why should I buy him metal?
"Actually,"
Posted by foonermints on 12-10-16 at 07:07 PM
You don't have to buy "Robbie" anything, hence the name.
Jebuz, do I have to start 'splaining everthing to you, Kingfish Ricardo?

Krell metal is for your locks, otherwise, I will have to send a creature from the ID to get to your magical wasteland.

"RE: Actually,"
Posted by kingfish on 12-10-16 at 09:16 PM
He looks like a Krell to me.
"I Believe"
Posted by foonermints on 12-10-16 at 10:50 PM
Robbie was created by Dr. Morbius.
"RE: I Believe"
Posted by kingfish on 12-10-16 at 11:21 PM
My mistake. I was thinking Robbie parted his hair on the other side.
"RE: I Believe"
Posted by foonermints on 12-11-16 at 09:50 AM
Is that called dyslexia? I am sooooooooo sorry for you!
"I Learned Everything"
Posted by foonermints on 12-11-16 at 10:04 AM
From reading this book.
"RE: I Believe"
Posted by foonermints on 12-11-16 at 10:09 AM
Including how to make a "smaller than life size" replica of my "Ego".

Many admirers have thanked me personally for the creativeness that I have given over the years.

"RE: I Believe"
Posted by kingfish on 12-11-16 at 10:49 AM
Just no dik pix please. You know how they get around here.

"RE: I Believe"
Posted by foonermints on 12-11-16 at 12:24 PM
LAST EDITED ON 12-11-16 AT 12:28 PM (EST)

I thought it was Good to be King?

By The Way, I was just dorking around with some leftover 3/8" thick steel pipe, making some "Tibetan Bells" as yard art. I am very sorry to have suggested otherwise, or possibly, your mind is not as pure as God should have made it. Shame!

"RE: I Believe"
Posted by kingfish on 12-11-16 at 02:02 PM
I get that a lot. My mind was made by aliens.

(isn't 3/8" kinda thick for Oxy/Acet welding? Or was there just cutting/bending? Either way, good art, I like the Tibetan Bells idea, but still, no one wants to see dik pix.)

"RE: I Believe It"
Posted by foonermints on 12-12-16 at 02:59 PM
Aliens - more common than we thought.

3/8" is OK if you can get to both sides of the joint, Even then, I wouldn't trust it structurally.

"RE: I Believe"
Posted by foonermints on 12-12-16 at 03:01 PM

I was just fooling around with my cutting head and a hand sledge. Fun!

"RE: I Believe"
Posted by kingfish on 12-14-16 at 04:28 PM
I'll admit that fooling around with a cutting torch is kinda fun.
"Easy!"
Posted by foonermints on 12-14-16 at 10:50 PM
To burn an opening in the Ferrari Dealership wickiup and take what you need for Xmas.
Well, if you are in a hurry I'd recommend a plasma cutter..