Welder question

RJM Acres

RJM Acres

New member
I'm in need of a small portable welder.
Will be welding up steel pipes out in the pasture so it will
need to run off of a generator.
Will also need to do occasional light welding. Nothing major or
substantial.

What kind of welder would serve me best.
Mig, tig, wire, wire flux ?

I'm a pretty sucky welder so that will need to be taken into consideration.
 
RJM~

I would recommend considering a Hobart Stickmate ac/dc welder. I have a Hobart Stickmate 205 that is so easy to make welds with ... makes a not-so-good welder look like they know what they're doing. In fact, I just welded up some pipe for a gate with it this morning. Once you learn how to adjust your heat for particular setups, and what rod to use for different situations, it is a real joy to use. Keep some 6011 & 6013 sticks on-hand and you can fix about anything you want around the farmplace. I just think stick welding is a much simpler and more user friendly process. Never did like the wire feed welders.
 
Oh, just thought I'd mention that my Stickmate weighs in @ about 85lbs. Not sure if you would consider that portable or not, but it could be worse. It could be mounted on a small homemade trailer pretty easy that could be pulled behind your Mule. I picked my welder up at my local Rural King farm store. Hobarts are made in the good 'ol USA.
wink.gif
 
Be careful about running a welder off a generator. I don't know the technical language for it but some will burn a welder up in a heartbeat even though its rated for it. Know from experience and my wallet.
 
^^^ agreed!

I would talk to a qualified electrician or even a welding shop that offers portable welding services about your intended setup before taking the chance of ruining a new welder.
 
I've got a little Lincoln 110 volt wire feed, flux cored. It weighs about 40 lbs and I've run it off of 3 different small generators . It welds fine up 1/4 inch and you can weld thicker stuff if you bevel the contact. Cheap too and I've used it a lot .
 
You might check around and see if you can find a rental place that has a gas powered welder. Unless you are made of money you won't want to buy one for occasional welding but if you can rent one reasonably it sounds like it would be the way to go for you. Added bonus is that it will be mounted on a trailer so all you have to do is hook it up and go. They may even give you a choice of stick or wire but I'm guessing you will get whatever they happen to have on hand and like it....lol I think stick would be your best bet with flux-core second and MIG third. Here's a link to general use welding rod applications you might find useful - LINK
 
3 or 4 rental fees would probably pay for my Stickmate. If I remember correctly it was $279 plus some tax. I also just don't like having to be dependent upon other people, especially when I live in as remote of an area as I do. Around a farm things always seem to break at the worst times and a welder can usually get you back up & running within a few minutes time. Keep a decent size scrap metal pile on hand & it will save you trips to town.
 
Thanks. You all gave me something to at least think about
while I'm digging post holes and putting the posts in.
At least I was smart and got an auger for the back of my
tractor. It works good as long as I don't hit big rocks.
Goes thru tree roots pretty good. Sure beats digging 3ft
deep holes by hand.
 
Find yourself a used lincoln 200 gasser.They last forever if taken care of. I've seen a few around here from the 60's and 70 that are still running strong. You could also get a heliarc torch (tig) for it as well if ever needed. Used here there anywhere from $1200 to $3000 not sure in your area but you could also sell it after if you wanted. 6010 rod will burn threw the dirtiest of steel and is a quick freeze rod. 7018 although a stronger rod it has to be kept in a rod oven or once it gets moisture it in you will start to get porosity.
 
What size generator do you have for running the welder? That will probably determine everything. Are you sure you couldn't unbolt the gates and bring them back to your shop for the repairs? It might be a little more labor intensive but would keep you from having to go portable. Just trying to explore all avenues for you.
 
Keep an eye on Craigslist for a good used welder once you have done your research and decided what you want. Funny we are talking about welders and tonight I picked up a Lincoln 115V flux core welder for $100 from CL. Right place at the right time.
 
Originally Posted By: Ricky BobbyWhat size generator do you have for running the welder? That will probably determine everything. Are you sure you couldn't unbolt the gates and bring them back to your shop for the repairs? It might be a little more labor intensive but would keep you from having to go portable. Just trying to explore all avenues for you.

It's not the gates I'm welding up.
It's the corners and gate posts, etc..

I'll see if I can't take some pictures of what I'm going to be
making.
 
Your options are limited to how many volts your generator is and how thick the material is unless you want to spend some bucks.If you have 220v find a used lincoln ''buzz box'' and get any 60 series rod and your good to go on the cheap.A decent 120v unit that will stick are pricey and have short duty cycles.
The hobart is a good option if you have 120v,just grind whatever you are going to weld down to white steel and have at it.Keep in mind you are not going to get good penetration if your material is thick so the strength will suffer accordingly.
How much are you willing to spend?
edit...rocky summed it up pretty well.I should of specified the wire feed as my hobart reference was vague.Your genny would need to be 13kw to operate the stick according to hobart.You will look like a pro in no time migging
 
Last edited:
RJM -- Welding in the field, on the cheap, nothing heavy.

I'd give due consideration to the Lincoln 110 Volt Wirefeeds as well. While I certainly won't dispute the small stick welders' abilities, because I have heard good things about the little Hobarts, keeping flux on the rod, keeping rods dry, and cleaning the application to be welded could prove a problem in the field.

Gas wirefeed is certainly out of the question in the field, windy conditions up there on the hillsides will blow your gas away making it about impossible to weld.

Flux Core wirefeeds will weld most anything up; paint, dirt, rust, (up to a point) doesn't seem to affect them much at all. They just kick out a little more splatter and keep on welding. They do work better on clean material, no doubt, but they do weld well on less than clean material, much better than gas shielded wire. Wire w/gas is a whole different story... It better be clean! Or, it will give you problems.

Duty cycle shouldn't be an issue, I don't forsee you welding anything on a corner post, or gate, in the field, that will get into the Duty Cycle on the welder. I want to say Duty Cycle on my newer Lincoln Wirefeed is 60% at 9 minutes, IIRC. I'm pretty sure I've exceeded that on more than one occasion and never had a problem with it. The older Lincoln here in Florida is better than that.

Not sure what the scoop is on Generators burning welders up, but yes... a generator can burn most anything up, for a number of reasons. Take the book on your generator with you when you ask the electrician about it. He'll need to know what you have for output on the generator... Frequency, Duty Cycle, etc.
 
I run a Hobart 187 wire feed using 30 & 35 w/flux core wires. I ran sticks in the 70s, then the wire feeds hit the market and I have not looked back since. I use mine for all my metal fabricating. I have no issued from thin metal to 1/2" chunks.
 


Write your reply...
Back
Top