my first welder, for auto

[0tobe60in10minutes]

alright i finally have the option of buying a welder. i have had some welding experience and i have alot of books, etc, however i am a beginner and need help. i plan on using the welder to fill in wholes on my auto such as doors, side marker lights, and eventually a Cnotch.

i have read a few threads around here, and i figure a quality MIG welder will work? what kind of welder can i buy that will be capable of all those tasks, and will be the cheapest 120V unit on the market?

thanks

[TheSilentChamber]

Pretty much any known brand MIG will work, stay way from flux core. With a 120 your going to probably have to do some camfering and build up multiple passes to do a c notch though.

[mike@af]

You'll be able to do everything except CNotching with a 120v MIG. You definitely need more amperage for frame stuff. I'd go with Miller, Lincoln, or Hobart. Do a search through some threads about people looking for welders that I've answered.

If you have anymore questions, post up.

[Rod&Custom]

A new Hobart 125 or HH 140 sound like good choices to me. You can get a reconditioned HH 140 for $400 shipped or a 125 for around $300. Nice machines for very little money. If you want to step it up then go for a 220v unit. Lincoln sp175+ or MM 175(debatable WST feature) are good machines in this category. A good forum to read and research these machines is http://www.hobartwelders.com/mboard/ and a good metalfinshing/shaping site is http://www.metalmeet.com/. The second site is very informative and has some amazing talent.
Sidenote: Hey Mike! I haven't been to the site in a while. I left here while in the middle of the '49 Ford build and haven't been back since. That car hasn't moved in a while as I have quit working on it due to differences. I now have my own project car though, '66 Mustang coupe, 289 w/c4. I have a few pictures of some of the metalwork if you're interested. I see you have a tig machine in your avatar. Do you have a TIG welder? If so, your a lucky guy! I would really like a TA 185 or Dynasty 200 but I'm sure you know they are kind of pricey. The econotig is more my price range but I heard it wasn't even worth the $1500. Anyway, nice to be back(for a while, I get bored ).
Grant

[boarder_punk]

Personally I hate MIG welders, especially 120v units. They are fast, and other than that are basically good for filling gaps and holes, but I have been able to do better jobs of both of those with a TIG or even Oxy-Acetylene setup.

MIG is very easy to learn, but the sheet metal you would be welding with a 120 would become too stiff and therefore nearly unworkable. So any warpage (there will be warpage in thin metal) would be very difficult to repair.

TIG is far more difficult to learn but achieves much better looking results and is also very workable; another disadvantage is that it is a slow process. With a TIG you can also weld any metal you can get your hands (type or thickness if you and your welder are so equipped) on if you know how to set everything up. Another advantage of TIG is the workability of sheetmetal after it has been welded.

And finally, Oxy-Acetylene, even more workable than TIG. Can be done underwater, or in wind, etc. Also a slow process that is somewhat difficult to learn to do well. With the right equipment it can also weld a variety of metals and thicknesses, even your c-notch with the right tip and filler. Oxy can also be set up to cut thin metal or metal up to a few inches thick.

Another thing to keep in mind when buying a welder is the cost of gas, wire/filler, electrodes and other consumables.