Welder good for c-gussets

[zimm]

Interesting to hear the auto feature isn't very good. Maybe I should pick up a hobart instead of the millermatic 211 I have my eyes on. My brother "rescued" his XP130 that I fixed up with a new gun and gas regulator :doh: So I'm temporarily welder-less. I do have a 220v plug in the garage though for the dryer.

 

[QuicksilverJK]

Interesting to hear the auto feature isn't very good. Maybe I should pick up a hobart instead of the millermatic 211 I have my eyes on. My brother "rescued" his XP130 that I fixed up with a new gun and gas regulator :doh: So I'm temporarily welder-less. I do have a 220v plug in the garage though for the dryer.

If you were looking at the 211 you should check out the Hobart 210MVP can be used on 110 or 220v and Tractor supply has them for around $900. I ended up getting the 190 but looking back there have been times that I could have used that 110v doing projects at friends houses that didn't have 220 available.


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[Jsouder53]

THREAD BUMP

I’m revisiting the idea of getting a welder since it seems that every time I look at future Jeep parts, there is at least one thing that needs to be welded. Also, it helps that I have a garage now instead of just a gravel driveway when I started this thread.

This Hobart Handler 140 was mentioned earlier on and I definitely like the price range since it’s not going to be a regularly used tool. Would it be sufficient for welding on the occasional 3/16 axle bracket, frame brackets or tabs? It does say it can weld up to 1/4 inch mild steel but I don’t know what “mild” steel would be.

Murdoch's – Hobart Welders - Handler 140 Welder

Shop Handler 140 Welder at Murdoch''s Ranch & Home Supply

www.murdochs.com

I should note, it only runs on 115V.

 

[Disciple Off Road]

So you waited since 2018 to get ball joints and c-gussets!??

 

[Jsouder53]

So you waited since 2018 to get ball joints and c-gussets!??

Haha still running stock! But now I have been gifted gladiator rubicon axles geared to 5.13 to modify and put them on my JK.

 

[OverlanderJK]

Yes that welder will be fine. I have the 190 but that is similar just not as many options and 110 vs the 190 is 230.

 

[Cousin Clyde]

I don’t know what “mild” steel would be.

When you see ‘mild steel’, they are just referring to the grade of steel. Mild steel just means A36 carbon steel. In other words, not stainless or aluminum.

 

[TrailHunter]

When you see ‘mild steel’, they are just referring to the grade of steel. Mild steel just means A36 carbon steel. In other words, not stainless or aluminum.

Or not as Spicy.

 

[Cousin Clyde]

Or not as Spicy.

Also correct.
Mind the spice, @Jsouder53 …mind the spice…

The biggest thing with household welders is duty cycle. Every welder in our shop has 100% duty cycle. This means you can run them constantly with no rest period. They are big ass machines with 3 phase plugs or hard wired into the wall.

Obviously this is way over kill for home use.

With yours, at 20%, if you weld for 2 minutes straight (actually a pretty long time), you need to NOT be welding for 8 minutes, or your machine will fry itself.

 

[cosmokenney]

If you are trying to stick to under a $1000 (minus the cost of a ball joint press) budget, then your options are also going to be limited. If you can afford it, look into the multi-process machines that can MIG, TIG and Stick weld. You'll be able to weld everything from aluminum to titanium. and everything in between. I have a Everlast 210 Ext that is TIG and Stick. And it is a workhorse. Not terribly expensive. My buddy has a Millermatic 211 MIG machine that is awesome. The miller stuff is kinda pricy but if you can find one in good shape used, they are worth the money.
While you are looking for welders, see if you can find a bunch of scrap metal to practice on before you start welding on the jeep. To get you started, watch some of Jody's MIG videos: https://www.youtube.com/@weldingtipsandtricks -- he's been called the god father of welding, and for good reason.

Definitely do the ball joints yourself. Its an easy but time consuming process. I'd recommend an extra pair of hands when it comes time to line up the press.

 

[Cousin Clyde]

@Jsouder53, I apologize for the duplicate duty cycle comment. Just saw some from 6 years ago.

However, I think people were wrong in trying to scare you with 20% meaning you weld for 5 minutes and then wait 20 minutes.

I’m pretty confident that duty cycle percentage is how long you weld / (how long you rest + how long you weld)

Burning for 2 straight minutes and waiting ~8 is not too bad…

EDIT: it seems like everyone’s math was correct in previous posts. I just don’t agree that 20% is not gonna work out for you. You have to ask yourself if you are gonna be laying down welds for 5 minutes straight…Good luck with the purchase.

 

[Jsouder53]

Yes that welder will be fine. I have the 190 but that is similar just not as many options and 110 vs the 190 is 230.

Thanks for the confirmation. I don’t think I’ll need the extra options for now.

Also correct.
Mind the spice, @Jsouder53 …mind the spice…

The biggest thing with household welders is duty cycle. Every welder in our shop has 100% duty cycle. This means you can run them constantly with no rest period. They are big ass machines with 3 phase plugs or hard wired into the wall.

Obviously this is way over kill for home use.

With yours, at 20%, if you weld for 2 minutes straight (actually a pretty long time), you need to NOT be welding for 8 minutes, or your machine will fry itself.

@Jsouder53, I apologize for the duplicate duty cycle comment. Just saw some from 6 years ago.

However, I think people were wrong in trying to scare you with 20% meaning you weld for 5 minutes and then wait 20 minutes.

I’m pretty confident that duty cycle percentage is how long you weld / (how long you rest + how long you weld)

Burning for 2 straight minutes and waiting ~8 is not too bad…

EDIT: it seems like everyone’s math was correct in previous posts. I just don’t agree that 20% is not gonna work out for you. You have to ask yourself if you are gonna be laying down welds for 5 minutes straight…Good luck with the purchase.

Thanks for the clarification of the duty cycle. Being that I’m new to welding, the 2 minutes/8 minutes will help me take my time.

If you are trying to stick to under a $1000 (minus the cost of a ball joint press) budget, then your options are also going to be limited. If you can afford it, look into the multi-process machines that can MIG, TIG and Stick weld. You'll be able to weld everything from aluminum to titanium. and everything in between. I have a Everlast 210 Ext that is TIG and Stick. And it is a workhorse. Not terribly expensive. My buddy has a Millermatic 211 MIG machine that is awesome. The miller stuff is kinda pricy but if you can find one in good shape used, they are worth the money.
While you are looking for welders, see if you can find a bunch of scrap metal to practice on before you start welding on the jeep. To get you started, watch some of Jody's MIG videos: https://www.youtube.com/@weldingtipsandtricks -- he's been called the god father of welding, and for good reason.

Definitely do the ball joints yourself. Its an easy but time consuming process. I'd recommend an extra pair of hands when it comes time to line up the press.

Thanks for the tip on the welding videos. I’ll be watching plenty and will find plenty of scrap to practice on before touching the Jeep. I won’t be working on ball joints anymore at this point in time having a newer front axle that will be taking the place of my D30.