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PostPosted: May 2, 2012, 5:31 pm 
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I've got the engine, transmission, and rear axle lined up for the locost. I am guessing at the butt width of 7/9 (7/9 = girlfriend), so I should have enough to start modifying plans and begin the welding.

I'm wanting a 110 VAC welder 'cause I doubt I'll have 220VAC any time soon, and I don't think I can weld this sucker in the laundry room using the 220 outlet there. (I have a 220 VAC welder from Harbor Freight that never got fired up 'cause I never got 220 VAC to my old garage.) I also want, potentially, the ability to weld aluminum, which means it would be nice to have a spool gun option.

So, while looking, I ran into this one at Northern Tool's web site:
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200407522

It's $300. Adding the gas option costs another $70 (strangely not available from Northern Tool). But it looks like an intriguing option to the regular 110 VAC welders I've seen, especially since most that are spool-compatible cost much more, and then the spool option costs another $200 or so.

Or can I do aluminum fairly easily w/o the spool, and just get a good Hobart/Lincoln etc for about the same $400 total?


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PostPosted: May 2, 2012, 6:57 pm 
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If it only does spool gun you will be very annoyed when you try and weld in some of the odd spots of the frame as the spool gun will get in the way. Spool guns are really only good for large construction. I think you would be better off pushing 5356 through a good liner when you want to do aluminum. I would go for the Miller or Lincoln.


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PostPosted: May 2, 2012, 8:34 pm 
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WelderLee wrote:
If it only does spool gun you will be very annoyed when you try and weld in some of the odd spots of the frame as the spool gun will get in the way. Spool guns are really only good for large construction. I think you would be better off pushing 5356 through a good liner when you want to do aluminum. I would go for the Miller or Lincoln.


In other words, get a MIG with a traditional head... gotcha. The other thing I was noticing was those 4" spools looked a little small too....

Miller or Lincoln... or Hobart? I have a few good Hobart sources near me, which is why I ask. And the Hobart seems to occupy the middle ground price-wise between the cheap stuff and the Miller/Lincoln stuff.

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PostPosted: May 2, 2012, 9:21 pm 
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geek49203 wrote:
WelderLee wrote:
If it only does spool gun you will be very annoyed when you try and weld in some of the odd spots of the frame as the spool gun will get in the way. Spool guns are really only good for large construction. I think you would be better off pushing 5356 through a good liner when you want to do aluminum. I would go for the Miller or Lincoln.


In other words, get a MIG with a traditional head... gotcha. The other thing I was noticing was those 4" spools looked a little small too....

Miller or Lincoln... or Hobart? I have a few good Hobart sources near me, which is why I ask. And the Hobart seems to occupy the middle ground price-wise between the cheap stuff and the Miller/Lincoln stuff.


The Hobart machines are the same as the Miller machines they are both owned by the same company. So if you can get the same Hobart for less than the Miller your not losing anything. I tend to prefer the Miller/Hobart machines but i still Like the Lincoln machines. You can do aluminum with a regular Mig machine as long as you have the right gas and you use the right filler wire. Most weld shops will recommend 5356 because it feeds better. But 4043 which is harder to feed makes better welds with a lower power machine.


Last edited by WelderLee on May 3, 2012, 7:58 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: May 2, 2012, 9:25 pm 
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WelderLee wrote:
The Hobart machines are the same as the Miller machines they are both owned by the same company. So if you can get the same Hobart for less than the Miller your not losing anything. I tend to prefer the Miller/Hobart machines but i still Like the Lincoln machines. You can do aluminum with a regular Mig machine as long as you have the right gas and you use the right filler wire. Most weld shops will recommend 4043 because it is the standard go to wire but it is soft and feeds poorly. If you go with a 5356 it is a much stiffer wire that will feed better.


Then I'm gonna think about splurging a bit for the Hobart Handler 140, at $499.
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200306073

Not entirely sure why I'm not going for the Hobart Handler 125 ($349), other than something tells me that someday I'll be glad I got the bigger machine (albeit only a bit more powerful)?
http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/ ... _200447703

Thanks again for letting me pick your brain.

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PostPosted: May 2, 2012, 9:29 pm 
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No problem if you plan on keeping the welder for a while, and doing more with it than just the 16 gauge frame tubes you will be happy you bought the 140 with the extra power.


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PostPosted: May 2, 2012, 9:30 pm 
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Oh and if you want to do aluminum you definitely need the extra power of the 140 because aluminum take a lot more amperage.


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PostPosted: May 2, 2012, 11:28 pm 
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Excuse my while I chime in.
So WelderLee. Sorry if I'm a little slow here. Your suggesting I could weld aluminum with my regular mig gun (and a %100 Ar bottle). I have a Millermatic 211, and it of course recomends a miller spool gun for aluminum. I have been toying with the idea of building my fuel tank from Al instead of steel, but having hard time justifying the layout for the gun.

geek49203- A big selling point of the Millermatic 211 for me was that is has a dual voltage input. When I bought it I did not have 220V in my garage. How ever soon after purchasing it I made up and ran an extention cord from the plug for my dryer to the garage (happens to be on the same wall in the basement).

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Last edited by cboettch on May 3, 2012, 8:34 am, edited 1 time in total.

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PostPosted: May 3, 2012, 12:11 am 
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cboettch wrote:
geek49203- A big selling point of the Millermatic 211 for me was that is has a dual voltage input. When I bought it I did not have 220V in my garage. How ever soon after purchasing it I made up and ran an extention cord from the plug for my dry to the garage (happens to be on the same wall in the basement).


I looked up that unit on eBay to get an approximate price. Uhhhh.... you might wanna put this sticker on your box: http://www.ebay.com/itm/MILLER-MILLERMATIC-WELDER-XP-175-150-211-300-304-DECAL-/200514700059?pt=Motors_ATV_Parts_Accessories&hash=item2eaf9b831b&vxp=mtr

The Hobart 140 is at the top of what I can spend at one time for any Locost-related thing right now w/o risk of passing out. Otherwise, I'd be calling up Jack McCornack to see if I could get a kit (with the Lola body option) sent my way....

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PostPosted: May 3, 2012, 7:57 am 
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cboettch wrote:
Excuse my while I chime in.
So WelderLee. Sorry if I'm a little slow here. Your suggesting I could weld aluminum with my regular mig gun (and a %100 Ar bottle). I have a Millermatic 211, and it of course recomends a miller spool gun for aluminum. I have been toying with the idea of building my fuel tank from Al instead of steel, but having hard time justifying the layout for the gun.

geek49203- A big selling point of the Millermatic 211 for me was that is has a dual voltage input. When I bought it I did not have 220V in my garage. How ever soon after purchasing it I made up and ran an extention cord from the plug for my dry to the garage (happens to be on the same wall in the basement).


Yes you can you Just need a few things. A nonmetallic liner for your Mig gun like a teflon liner. The properly sized contact tip for aluminum 100% Argon Cylinder, U-shaped drive rolls, and properly setting the machine. And choosing the proper wire. You 220 machine would probably put out enough amperage to run 5356 but 4043 which can be hard to feed will be easier to weld with. Here is a link to Lincoln's website about it http://www.lincolnelectric.com/en-us/support/welding-how-to/Pages/aluminum-welding-compact-mig-detail.aspx


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PostPosted: May 3, 2012, 8:36 am 
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Thanks WelderLee.

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PostPosted: May 3, 2012, 11:40 am 
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WelderLee wrote:
The Hobart machines are the same as the Miller machines they are both owned by the same company.
Just as a side note/technicality, at least some of which I'm sure you know already and are just generalizing to simplify things a bit, but the Hobart machines are not actually "the same" as even the equivalent Miler machines...They might share some components between equivalent models, and at least at some point in the past a few even went down the same assembly line at Miller, but there are other significant components in each that they do not share. The Miller unit does generally have higher grade parts in it, which is the reason they are more expensive. Honestly it's not just marketing or paint color driving the price difference. Probably two of the most visible items to the consumer for the types of welders we're mostly looking at, is that the Miller has infinite voltage control vs the Hobart being tapped and the Miller having the easy to use Auto-Set feature. The infinite voltage gives the experienced welder more control while the Auto-Set makes it easier for a novice welder to get started, since if anything the infinite voltage control can be more than a beginner needs and simply adds to the confusion. But ultimately the Hobart is certainly a fantastic machine for the more budget conscious garage enthusiast for whom welding is a secondary part of their hobby rather than the primary focus.

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Last edited by Driven5 on May 3, 2012, 3:01 pm, edited 2 times in total.

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PostPosted: May 3, 2012, 2:57 pm 
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I'm a novice welder(I had never welded until I started this project) and didn't know what welder I needed. I found a Hobart 140 on Craig's list for a good price so I bought it. I've been very happy with it. On my car I have used the #3 power setting and 35 feed setting for most of my welds. Haven't had any problems so for. If I was a real welder, I would probably want a more fancy welder. Just my 2 cents. :cheers:


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PostPosted: May 3, 2012, 4:34 pm 
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Photoman --

I just bought the new edition of the Hobart 140 (110 VAC unit), which I assume is the same as yours. Stand by for tech support?

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PostPosted: May 3, 2012, 11:07 pm 
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I bought a Millermatic 180 autoset a little over a year ago. It's the 220V only model that's rated up to 5/16" steel. I paid around $800 cash for the machine at a local welding and gas shop. I also bought a mask and tank of C25 at the same time which got me a discount. I shopped around Airgas, scott-gross, welding supplies, and other stores getting quotes until I got the best overall deal.

MM 140 http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig ... del=M00234

MM 180 http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig ... del=M00209

MM 211 http://www.millerwelds.com/products/mig ... del=M00245

I've considered getting a spool gun, argon and 4043 wire to weld some 1/8" aluminum, but the cost for all of that keeps me using rivnuts and bolts on folded pieces of AL instead. I actually welded some 304 stainless exhaust tube with 308L wire a couple weeks ago using C25 instead of trimix gas. I was able to weld up the tube, but I had a few blowouts and not so pretty areas. :oops:


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