Small welder

AWS CWI = Certified Weld Inspector.

It will be a very difficult test. Three parts in 8hrs. Two theory parts and a open code book. Do not sell the code book part short. None of the answers can be looked up in the index so memorize each chapters topic. It's then just matching the questions topic to the correct chapter. 3hrs for 45 questions if I remember correctly and that wasn't enough time.

I seen a few welding engineers fail the test. 70% is passing on each part. The three parts are not averaged too 70%.

AWS puts out a CWI study guide thats well worth the cost. The two theroy parts of the test are pretty straight forward and multiple choice.

Contractors soon find out they wished they never heard of the AWS code book. They just don't like playing by the rules on hard contract money jobs thus a CWI always wares a black eye.

T_Bone

check with the local welding shops and welder rental places. You can find used or tradein machines very reasonable. I got my Hobart from Air Gas. it was a lease return. They went thru it and fixed anything worn or bad and I got it for about 300 bucks. My miller was also used but by an individual.

Unless they"ve been dropped off a truck it"s hard to kill them..

john

I bought a brand new hobart 210 mig welder. It's gas sheilded, and an awesome welder at that.

I've ALSO been using it to weld new floorpan patches in MY JEEP cherokee. I'm assuming you've got holes in the pan above the muffler. The welder laid a nice little bead at its lowest setting all the way around. The metal in your Cherokee is about 20 gauge. The hobart will weld it, but don't use flux core wire, you gotta have the lil gas bottle.

I am so glad to repair all the holes in the pan and put a new carpet in it. I sprayed undercoating all under the whole thing again, too.

One other thing to watch, on mine the welding tip is hot any time the machine is turned on. On some of the better machines, the tip isn't hot until you squeeze the trigger, which makes it a lot easier to position the gun.

As I recall you're in the Denver area. Watch Craigs list, you see the little wire feed ones on there all the time. I picked up an older Airco (Miller) AC/DC welder off of Craigs lists for $75, and was really suprised at the improvement over an old buzz box.

Keith

Well buying a welding machine is like buying a trailer for hauling. If you don't spend the money up front you'll buy several trailers until you get the correct size.

Mig machines are just plain handy to use, there's no getting around that fact. Buy too small of machine and you'll quickly need more amps. Buy the right size machine then you can always turn down the amps for the thin metals.

Buy what works well or is known to work well. Lincoln builds a fine Mig machine for a reasonable cost. Hard to beat Lincoln in the smaller machines. Miller doesn't compete until the larger Mig rigs.

On Mig, anything less than 200amps at a 60% duty cycle will be a disappointment. A 20% duty cycle means welding 2min out of 10min, at 60%, weld 6min out of 10min. Hard not too weld for longer than 5min while Mig welding as you don't need to change electrodes thus need a longer duty cycle.

Then comes the wiring to support the new welding machine. Yes the 115v macines looks good until you can only weld 1/16 metal. You WILL want more out of your Mig welder, just a fact of life thus is just like buying a trailer becuse you need to haul more weight.

I just bought a new Lincoln Ranger 250 where I have a power supply for CV/CC, stick, Mig, Tig or Plasma. I don't have to worry about no having enough machine nor the power to run it. All copper windings for a stable arc plus a generator when needed. $3450 delivered.

I have 3 other welding machines and I no longer weld professional, just my home shop. I have $1500 in the other 3 machines. Now had I bought the Ranger 250 when I needed a new machine, I would have less than $2500 in one machine that I would never out grow.

How many repairs are field repairs or just easier to make in the field than dragging the equipment back to the shop? Alot!

Spend the money now or spend it latter but when it comes to welding you gonna spend it. It's just a matter of time.

T_Bone

I own a lincoln SP125 120v wire welder and have been extremly happy with it. I do wish I would have and recommend to spend the extra 100 bucks and get the 240v model of whatever you buy to get more welding current and higher duty cycle unless you really cannot work with the 240v version.

Whatever you do buy please let us know how it works out for you in the next few months.