need welding advice

[RICH MUISE]

I've done alot of welding on my car but it's all been self taught mig welding. I'm using a 220 harbor freight welder set up for gas. I've gotten pretty good at welding sheetmetal with  good fusion and a minimum of blowthru and buildup, but I've been reluctant to try it for a structural weld such as motor mounts and the like. I've been looking at Lincoln 220 mig welders and one model they claim to be able to weld up to 1/2" thick. Is this feasible? Are any of you guys heavy into fab work using mig welding? I know tig welding is probably what most would recommend, but at this stage if it should be tig or arc welded, I'd probably just bring it to a welder to have it done.

[canadian_ranchero]

what is the output amperage of your welder? what wire size are you using?i have a 140 amp welder and with .030 wire,i have welded 1/4 inch with no problem. 

[RICH MUISE]

I guess I was asking about mig welding in general rather than my specific welder, which is 120 amps max. I didn't want to invest in a 160 amp mig welder if it's use on stuff like motor mounts wasn't recommended. Sometimes you can get better real-life info from guys that are using them as opposed to the manufactures' info.

[JPotter57]

The little Lincoln 185 (220V) is a great little welder.  I bought one when I had to send my preferred Millermatic to the shop to have a circuit card replaced.  Since it took almost two months to get my Miller back, and I had my car scattered, I bought the little Lincoln from Lowes.  It has done an acceptable job on structural stuff, though I havent needed to weld any 1/2 inch stuff, as I'm not building a tank, lol.  I have welded 1/4 inch stuff with no problems at all, really a good little machine for the money.  I still like my Miller Matic 185 better though.

[Ford Blue blood]

Rich your current welder should handle 1/4" - 3/8" no problem.  Practice - practice - practice - it should sound like a good hot fry pan with bacon sizzling on it when all is good.  The welder will talk to you, just learn how to listen to it.  Again, practice.  Use scape and treat it like your life depended on it.  Clean, bevel the edges if over 1/8" and weld away.  Use different setting for heat and wire speed while practicing.  Pay attention to how it sounds and looks at those various settings.  Then beat the crap out of the pratice pieces and see if you can break them.

[geraldchainsaw]

i was a welder for many years at a fabricatioln shop,   and i did a lot of ark welding at home, on boat trailors etc,  and i bought a miller 180 or more,   i liked it for years at the time it suited my porpose,  but then i got into old cars and thats a whole new story , sheet metal,    so i bough a lincoln 120 amp wire feed with gas,  it works great,   have never used it on heavy stuff so can't tell u anything ,   i have both so i use both,  like others have told u, practice  and c what u come up with,  maybe it will work,   llet us know what u come up with,    jerry

[JPotter57]

On the Miller 180, if you turn the heat and wire speed all the way down and take your time, it works good.  I agree though that the 120 does work a little faster on sheetmetal.

[wolfpupsdad]

 ui have a harbor frieght wire feed welder, alil secret about these welders , harbor frieght like lots of companies makes non of the products they sell . about their welders tho , the blue ones are made by holbart and the red ones are made by lincoln. they used to sell a green model which was junk and no longer carry it , it was made in italy. how do i know this you might ask?? i worked for a company that had the service contracts for both lincoln and holbart prioducts in portland oregon when i lived back there. the only diffence is the face plate decal. now on to the next comment, i've welded up to 3/8 inch material with my lil wire feed but i also still have a arc welded handy for my tank building projects, lol.

[RICH MUISE]

Thanks to all you guys for your input. I'm anxious to try a little heavier welding to see what I and my welder can do...at least I won't have to worry about blowthrough!