Welder

I have been using “wire feed” with Co2 for over 30 years- for general car and bike work it’s always done what I need

Wookie58 wrote:

I have been using “wire feed” with Co2 for over 30 years- for general car and bike work it’s always done what I need

 

I haven't used any sort of inert gas arrangement - keeping it simple for now, or maybe just for the next 20-30 years.

My MIG  is pretty basic (4 power settings and variable wire speed) I use 0.6mm wire for thin sheet metal and 0.8mm for anything 1.5mm and thicker. Keep the wire-speed down and you won't have so much grinding to do later 

My buddy and I went in on a quality welder. Over 10 years ago we bought a Miller 211 Auto-Set dual voltage, the cart and gauges for $1300. It changes between 120v/240v by just changing the plug on the end of the cord. It has a 75% duty cycle so we can work it hard without worrying about overheating and cooking it. The Auto-Set control gets you close and then you can fine tune it. It handles .023, .030 and .035 standard wire with gas and flux core wire. It also has the connections for an aluminium spool gun.
We've done many projects big and small, like a 12' flatbed trailer to fixing stock exhaust systems when possible. Overall we're very happy with the purchase and my local auto parts store carries or can get everything that Central Welding sells including the different gases. It still has more capability than us so, Win Win.

Wookie58 wrote:

My MIG  is pretty basic (4 power settings and variable wire speed) I use 0.6mm wire for thin sheet metal and 0.8mm for anything 1.5mm and thicker. Keep the wire-speed down and you won't have so much grinding to do later 

One thing I forgot to mention (dependent on the climate where you live) is if you use a wire feed infrequently I buy the smaller reels of wire which isn't the cheapest option but I have found if not used for prolonged periods of time the wire will develop surface rust which causes it to "snag" in the liner up to the gun and you will keep welding the wire to the gun tip !!!! I have scrapped a few reels of wire over the years because of this