Welder good for c-gussets

Jsouder53

Hooked
I’ve never owned a welder, never used a welder, never thought about welding anything until I received a quote for having my c-gussets installed (along with ball joints and inner seals) for $1000. Now I’m thinking about purchasing a welder (and ball joint press) with that $1000 and installing it myself.

My questions to anyone who welds is: what would be a good welder to purchase? Is there a certain kind? Are there different size welders and which size is better for my application? Or how about a trail welder?


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Bierpower

Hooked
The first question is going to be what you have available for power. If your restricted to a regular wall outlet (120V 30 amp) your pretty much limited to a max 140 amp welder. If you have 220 available (the big ass plug most cloths dryers use) your options are much more vast. I'm not an expert on the matter but this is a good place to start.

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Jsouder53

Hooked
The first question is going to be what you have available for power. If your restricted to a regular wall outlet (120V 30 amp) your pretty much limited to a max 140 amp welder. If you have 220 available (the big ass plug most cloths dryers use) your options are much more vast. I'm not an expert on the matter but this is a good place to start.

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I do have a stove outlet 5 feet from my back door [emoji23]


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QuicksilverJK

Caught the Bug
You should be able to find a much better price for the labor. And if done carefully you do not have to press the ball joints ( although you have to be very careful to not overheat them) or replace the seals unless they are leaking.
If you are set on buying the tools to do it you will be hard pressed to find a welder in the 200amp range (which would be ideal for welding the 1/4 plate gussets) for under $800. Hobart handler 190 is a good machine right in the $800 range. you will then want to get a decent hood, gloves, some steel, wire, and gas to practice with and ultimately end up well over $1000 anyway.


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Jsouder53

Hooked
You should be able to find a much better price for the labor. And if done carefully you do not have to press the ball joints ( although you have to be very careful to not overheat them) or replace the seals unless they are leaking.
If you are set on buying the tools to do it you will be hard pressed to find a welder in the 200amp range (which would be ideal for welding the 1/4 plate gussets) for under $800. Hobart handler 190 is a good machine right in the $800 range. you will then want to get a decent hood, gloves, some steel, wire, and gas to practice with and ultimately end up well over $1000 anyway.


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I currently have diff fluid flowing out both sides [emoji51] just been topping off every once in a while for the past few months...

At that price I might just have the shop do it then, thank you for the insight. My wife just reminded me that we don’t have a garage and by the time I save up money it will be November and getting snowy by then [emoji23]


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TrailHunter

Hooked
Cool man! I think it’s a great idea! It will cost you the same (or less) but you’ll gain so much more.. ie the new tool, the experience and the pride in doing it yourself... I’m not an expert in welding so take this with a grain of salt: (I’m sure some pros will chime in)

I think a good 120V MIG welder that is rated for 3/16 steel can do 90% of the stuff you need... a used Miller Hobart or Lincoln can be picked up fairly cheap (new around $800) And I would set up as flux core so you don’t have to deal with gas ... and you can weld outside even if there is a breeze. I feel like the flux core penetrates a little better and you don’t need the gas cup so getting in tight spaces is easier... The flux core leads to more cleaning afterwards but I’ve gotten used to it.

I have not done my C-Gussets yet... and being that you are welding to the C’s which are pretty thick.... I think it should should work fine. (If you leave the ball joints in, than you have to make short passes and let it cool so you don’t fry the joints)

You would need the welder, Gloves, Small/medium metal brushes, a slag hammer, flux wire, extra tips, Welding helmet (auto dimming is worth it) and a grinder with a sanding wheel to prep areas.

And I would practice a lot with scrap metals until you feel comfortable.

This is only my opinion, also curious what others say.... but I think you’re on the right track. Having a welder and learning how to use it will open all kinds of doors for future projects.


I picked up this used Millermatic 130 about 10 years ago... my first project was to make a rolling cart for it... the newer ones are much smaller.
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Bierpower

Hooked
The 140 welders aren't a bad garage option. They usually can weld up to 1/4" steel and you don't have to have the power company run a feed into your garage. I believe they have one or two threads about this around here somewhere.

For a 140, most people are happy with Hobart or Lincoln. Miller is a good brand but I rate them like snap-on. If you use it all of every day you can't beat it. If you use it in your garage now and again it's way to expensive to justify.

If you really want get serious and you have more money than you know what to do with, just go this route:
https://www.zoro.com/miller-electri...CO7w7aeW1O7hufSlhoCOacQAvD_BwE#specifications

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Jsouder53

Hooked
Cool man! I think it’s a great idea! It will cost you the same (or less) but you’ll gain so much more.. ie the new tool, the experience and the pride in doing it yourself... I’m not an expert in welding so take this with a grain of salt: (I’m sure some pros will chime in)

I think a good 120V MIG welder that is rated for 3/16 steel can do 90% of the stuff you need... a used Miller Hobart or Lincoln can be picked up fairly cheap (new around $800) And I would set up as flux core so you don’t have to deal with gas ... and you can weld outside even if there is a breeze. I feel like the flux core penetrates a little better and you don’t need the gas cup so getting in tight spaces is easier... The flux core leads to more cleaning afterwards but I’ve gotten used to it.

I have not done my C-Gussets yet... and being that you are welding to the C’s which are pretty thick.... I think it should should work fine. (If you leave the ball joints in, than you have to make short passes and let it cool so you don’t fry the joints)

You would need the welder, Gloves, Small/medium metal brushes, a slag hammer, flux wire, extra tips, Welding helmet (auto dimming is worth it) and a grinder with a sanding wheel to prep areas.

And I would practice a lot with scrap metals until you feel comfortable.

This is only my opinion, also curious what others say.... but I think you’re on the right track. Having a welder and learning how to use it will open all kinds of doors for future projects.

That’s the way I’m thinking, I prefer doing projects myself and learning these trades and having new tools! it’s just the part about not having a garage in fall/winter when I’d be able to afford the tools. I do have a shed to work in, but there is not any power to it...

The 140 welders aren't a bad garage option. They usually can weld up to 1/4" steel and you don't have to have the power company run a feed into your garage. I believe they have one or two threads about this around here somewhere.

For a 140, most people are happy with Hobart or Lincoln. Miller is a good brand but I rate them like snap-on. If you use it all of every day you can't beat it. If you use it in your garage now and again it's way to expensive to justify.

If you really want get serious and you have more money than you know what to do with, just go this route:
https://www.zoro.com/miller-electri...CO7w7aeW1O7hufSlhoCOacQAvD_BwE#specifications

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Man I wish I had that kind of money laying around!


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TrailHunter

Hooked
That’s the way I’m thinking, I prefer doing projects myself and learning these trades and having new tools! it’s just the part about not having a garage in fall/winter when I’d be able to afford the tools. I do have a shed to work in, but there is not any power to it...

I remember you talking about your garage situation (or lack there of) and thats also why I recommend the flux core setup... Using gas in a windy situation can suck.... and you can use a 12ga extension cord (not too long) from the house and you’re good to go. It’s also great for taking to jobs to build gates, fix shit, etc... (Just keep water or an extinguisher near by)
 

WJCO

Meme King
I learned in a shop with a really good Miller on a 240 setup. With good settings and practice, beautiful and strong welds can be produced. However, since doing stuff at home and not having the 240 garage circuit nor wanting to spend the $$$ for a good Miller, I have used a Lincoln flux core for years on a 110v and don't think I'll change it. It's just too convenient for small projects. Welds aren't as pretty and require some cleanup, but it's functional and easy to use. As far as wire, I have used about 5 different brands and have just recently found out that the wire that Harbor Freight sells seems to work the best, lol.
 

zimm

Caught the Bug
I paid $85 to have my gussets welded in. You can have it done with the old joints in there. Then buy the ball joints and tools and seals and do that yourself. I just tackled this a couple of weeks ago.

https://wayalife.com/showthread.php...-joints-aftermath-report?highlight=axle+seals

If you want to get into welding here's my insight as an amateur who took a basic 1 day course and has played around with a millermatic 130XP (110v) as well as a giant shop sized machine. I did my own sliders and they haven't fallen off yet. If you have 220v, definitely get a 220/110 MIG welder. Wire fed MIG is the easiest to get into with good results. You want gas, not flux core wire. It's more expensive as you now have to buy a bottle and keep it filled. You also need gloves, a good auto dimming helmet, extra tips, wire, an angle grinder and some other stuff I'm forgetting. The Millermatic 211 is considered the "hot ticket" right now. I'd buy one. You can run either 220 or 110 volts, it's small and light, and has automatic amps and wire feed. Cyberweld is a good mail order place to get stuff from. The biggest negative to a light weight 110v machine like the 130 is that it has a 20% duty cycle. That's a lot of sitting around and waiting for the machine to cool after you burn in a bit of weld. It's annoying to get the weld puddle going well, you're "stacking dimes" and "phew" it shuts down after 5 minutes and you have to wait 20 minutes for it to cool down (20%).

Take a basic welding class for a few hours, get some scrap 1/4" steel plate, and play around with butt welds, 90 degree welds, etc. If you can put your finished piece in a vice and hammer it all the way over with the weld holding, you did your job.
 

zimm

Caught the Bug
I read up on the ready welder. You need dual batteries wired in series for 24 volts. Can’t be connected to the Jeep wiring while using. Then you have to hook back up to heep to charge? Seems inconvenient.
 

TrainWreck618

Caught the Bug
If you want a cheap setup you could get a stick machine and run some 7018, it will weld your gussets on just fine. Or if you want to spend a bit more get a Mig setup. I would recommend a 200amp machine, but a lot of the 110’s should be able to get the gussets on just fine. You will also need a tank for the mig otherwise you will get porosity and a bad weld. You could use flux core if you don’t want to get shielding gas. My recommendation is to pay someone to do it for you if you don’t know what your doing.


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nbunga

Caught the Bug
I agree with Trainwreck. I just welded.my gussets on with my Lincoln AC/DC stick welder last week. Worked just fine. I have a 110v Miller mig welder but it's been acting up lately needing a new wire liner or I would have used that.
 

TrailHunter

Hooked
I wouldn’t recommend using/buying a stick welder to someone who has never Welded before... especially for C-Gussets. Good chances it will end up looking like dog shit. Lol. Much easier to control a MIG and make it look like you kinda know what you’re doing.
 

QuicksilverJK

Caught the Bug
Don't get me wrong, getting the tools and learning the skill is a great thing. I would definitely encourage you to do so. But to buy all of the tools in hopes of saving money and/or time on this project isn't gonna work out for you.
One thing I learned long ago was when buying a tool such as this, don't limit your ability right out the gate by buying an underpowered machine. The term buy once cry once comes to mind. You want a machine that will still perform above your skill set so you can grow with it. Like Zimm said the duty cycle on the 110 machines is a deal breaker for me. Another thing to consider is all manufacturers over-rate their machines so if the box says it welds 1/4" that would be multiple pass with flux core wire.


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nbunga

Caught the Bug
I wouldn’t recommend using/buying a stick welder to someone who has never Welded before... especially for C-Gussets. Good chances it will end up looking like dog shit. Lol. Much easier to control a MIG and make it look like you kinda know what you’re doing.
Good point, mig makes it seem easy sometimes.
 

jesse3638

Hooked
I wouldn’t recommend using/buying a stick welder to someone who has never Welded before... especially for C-Gussets. Good chances it will end up looking like dog shit. Lol. Much easier to control a MIG and make it look like you kinda know what you’re doing.
That's why it's recommended he buy a grinder too..haha.

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TrainWreck618

Caught the Bug
I wouldn’t recommend using/buying a stick welder to someone who has never Welded before... especially for C-Gussets. Good chances it will end up looking like dog shit. Lol. Much easier to control a MIG and make it look like you kinda know what you’re doing.

I agree that Mig can look better, but for the start up cost a stick machine might be a good start into welding. 7018 is stupid easy to run, and with a little practice can look just as good as a simple mig bead. Also, a lot of trail welding kits use stick, so it would be good to learn if you want something portable.


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