All's weld that ends weld

[FElony]

Izzis a good combo for a beginner? As you gain experience you can manually fine tune beyond the automatic operation.

www.ebay.com/itm/131576289529

[GJCAT427]

Depends on what you want to weld. Most of the trade schools use equipment like this to train with.  Put that kid or adult in the real world and they tend to be lost as hell. I have interns from the high school  shop courses and we spend a lot of time retraining them to learn to adjust the equipment to fit the job. You should see them weld structural componants  together. They leave with a better understanding of the real world welding. I`m not knocking   trade schools , but real world trades are a lot different than what you see on TV. Most of the kids think that they are going out to build the next LA roadster or the next Coddington car, or the next Fast & Furious street fart car.

[FElony]

Depends on what you want to weld.

Subframe connectors, housing trusses, engine mounts. Stuff like that. I did look at some YouTube reviews and it seems like something I can grow into. I'm not looking to be "pro", but not wanting to have to upgrade later. You know, like a Harbor Freight blast cabinet to a TP cabinet.

[Drew Pojedinec]

I've got a $500 220v wire feed welder that does all that no problem.
I often run flux core for just scrap type stuff and gas for a really nice weld (or anything that needs to be pretty like sheet metal).

Buying a welding cart is kinda weird to me.  Seems like if you've got a welding machine you should be able to make your own cart.
Best way to practice is just to practice.
Get some scrap of varying thickness and weld it together.  Play with the wire speed and the power, find a good balance.  When done, but through the parts with a cutting disc and see how well it really penetrated.

Only other tidbit of advice, is Mig welders are very limited to portability.
In my shop I put several 220v outlets and redid the power cord for the welding machine and made it 50ft so I can practically roll the cart anywhere in the shop no problem.  Obviously you need to use pretty massive wire for this, but it's worth it.
I've yet to play with the Stainless steel and aluminum welding capablities of my welding machine but look forward to trying them out.

[fairlanegt427]

I bought the 211 auto set which adjusts to your metal thickness and your wire speed.  I just seen the newer updated one a couple weeks ago and it was 1100 buck with the spoolgun and no cart.   I like mine plus you can plug into 110 and switch the end and plug into the 220 for the thicker stuff.  just make your own cart that way you practice with your new welder.

[66FAIRLANE]

I will give the same advice I always give with wire feed machines. 99% of trouble comes from the wire feed itself, dirty liners etc. Put a piece of felt or an earplug on the wire as you pull it off the spool before it goes into the rollers. This will wipe the wire and help keep crud out of the wire feed system. Don't over tighten the rollers. Don't kink the feed hose. If you tread on it in the workshop, as you will, don't put your full weight on it.

This is an important one. DON'T have a friend adjust any coarse voltage controls while you are welding. Wire feed and variable pot style voltage controls are ok to adjust under load but if you flick a coarse switch under load it can arc. Your machine may never run right after this and you will do your head in looking for why and probably never find it.

[Falcon67]

Izzis a good combo for a beginner? As you gain experience you can manually fine tune beyond the automatic operation.

www.ebay.com/itm/131576289529

Those Miller 211s come highly recommended.  DO NOT start out with a cheap welder.  They work - sure.  I started with a 70A Century.  However, when I got my Hobart 140 with gas, I had to start all over again because the arc, welder, controls, etc were so much better.  I should have bought a 210 MVP or the Miller 211 and will upgrade.  IMHO, buy the 211 now and you'll not have to buy anything else unless you want to TIG things. 

I would also look at Cyberweld for pricing and such.  You will also want a quality auto-dark helmet to go with that.  I use a Hobart that was around $100.  Chose that because I can get cheater lenses and parts at Northern Tool.  I use a Harbor Freight cart bought with a coupon.  Changed out the hardware for inch unit stuff and it's been great.

http://www.harborfreight.com/welding-cart-61316.html

Yes, you can make one - IF you have that kind of scrap laying around.  If you don't just buy a cart because going to the metal yard will cost a lot more than the cart.

[FElony]

... DON'T have a friend adjust...

I guarantee that I will never have a friend around to help with anything. The few I had have drunk themselves into geriatric stupidity and are unable and unwilling to wield tools on their own vehicles. Or they trip over a lowered jack handle while drunk and dislocate their shoulder.

[FElony]

Izzis a good combo for a beginner? As you gain experience you can manually fine tune beyond the automatic operation.

www.ebay.com/itm/131576289529

Those Miller 211s come highly recommended.  DO NOT start out with a cheap welder.  They work - sure.  I started with a 70A Century.  However, when I got my Hobart 140 with gas, I had to start all over again because the arc, welder, controls, etc were so much better.  I should have bought a 210 MVP or the Miller 211 and will upgrade.  IMHO, buy the 211 now and you'll not have to buy anything else unless you want to TIG things. 

I would also look at Cyberweld for pricing and such.  You will also want a quality auto-dark helmet to go with that.  I use a Hobart that was around $100.  Chose that because I can get cheater lenses and parts at Northern Tool.  I use a Harbor Freight cart bought with a coupon.  Changed out the hardware for inch unit stuff and it's been great.

http://www.harborfreight.com/welding-cart-61316.html

Yes, you can make one - IF you have that kind of scrap laying around.  If you don't just buy a cart because going to the metal yard will cost a lot more than the cart.

The kit I linked to comes with a TIG attachment. The actual first project is this: I have a stand that used to carry a propane-fed 428 irrigation engine. It is very tough. I need to make various mounts so I can use this as a break-in stand. There is a scrap metal yard within walking distance (not that I would actually do so), but I have no clue yet what their pricing is like.

The guy that added a winch mount to my car trailer a couple years ago just held a lens in front of him, no helmet. Darn nice job. Does it all the time. Drawbacks?

This welder is going to be a present to myself, as I have a milestone birthday coming. After that, I can drink myself into geriatric stupidity and play with tools and equipment that can dismember, disembowel, disfigure, decapitate, lacerate, incinerate, and/or mutilate myself at a moment's notice.

[FElony]

Thanks to all of your for your feedback. I think I'll go ahead get the 211.

[Falcon67]

The guy that added a winch mount to my car trailer a couple years ago just held a lens in front of him, no helmet. Darn nice job. Does it all the time. Drawbacks?

Good way to get face burn and/or hit with spatter.  Getting a real welder - pop for a real helmet.  Keeps both hands free too, which you would need for TIG.  The good helmets also adjust for the amount of darkness level.  If your "milestone birthday" is within 10 years of mine coming up, then you're going to want a 2.00 or 2.5+ cheater lens so you can even see the puddle.

[FElony]

The guy that added a winch mount to my car trailer a couple years ago just held a lens in front of him, no helmet. Darn nice job. Does it all the time. Drawbacks?

Good way to get face burn and/or hit with spatter.  Getting a real welder - pop for a real helmet.  Keeps both hands free too, which you would need for TIG.  The good helmets also adjust for the amount of darkness level.  If your "milestone birthday" is within 10 years of mine coming up, then you're going to want a 2.00 or 2.5+ cheater lens so you can even see the puddle.

I had no idea there was such a thing. I figured you just wore glasses with the helmet on.

To be more precise, the other guy held the lens fairly close to the work with leather gloves. As with your state, it gets hot around here and I think he was just trying to stay cool.

[Falcon67]

Think of cheater lens as reading glasses for a helmet   Works much better than using your reading glasses IMHO. 

[FElony]

Think of cheater lens as reading glasses for a helmet   Works much better than using your reading glasses IMHO.

OK, so I should wear a welding helmet when I read. Check. Got it.

BTW, I may have a rear window for your '67 fordor. When I got my '66 tudor, the PO said he bought it for a spare, but found out they are different. What do you know about that?

[Falcon67]

I thought they were the same glass.  I have a spare stashed under the shed that came from a 66.