Howdy all, I am looking into getting myself a welder for Christmas this year. What I need to know from you guys is what kind you would reccommend. I have almost no experience; I have fiddled around with someone's ancient tiny arc welder for like 20 mins one time and could only get things to stick by dripping a ton of the stick on there, maybe a teeny bit of actual weld 
.
So I don't really want to learn fresh on what I have heard is the hardest kind of welding to do. I was originally thinking about going with a MIG, but now I have been looking into oxyacetylene welding stuff cause I could use it to cut and heat stuff up and all, plus it seems that it would be much cheaper to do good welds with, so I don't have to have all the expense of a super duper electric one that I will only use for important welds like twice. My basic requirements are that it be pretty cheap to use, not TOO difficult to learn, and it can't be 220 volt. The lines I have running to my workshed are all 110 and I think 20 amps, not sure what the guy said exactly, but I'm pretty sure it's all 20 amp wire. So now I ask you, what are the advantages/disadvantages to all the types? And what's the difference exactly between MIG and TIG? I thought I knew but was getting it confused with oxyacetylene, but I'm not even really sure about that. My basic needs are gonna be stuff like my paintball gun, little piddly junk that I build, and maybe a battlebot in the future (
). I have heard about some kind of MIG that doesn't use gas, but I dunno about how great that will be. Flux-core or something I think.
Another thing- How expensive is it to get the gasses for the oxy and MIG (and TIG?) I would probly be renting a cylinder too, probly not buying one unless I'm convinced otherwise. And does MIG use CO2 or something else; I have read some different things on this subject. How much should I get if I do decide to go that route?
Well thanks for any help I get. If you know the answer to even one question that would help, cause obviously I don't
. Thanks a ton!
Bert
.So I don't really want to learn fresh on what I have heard is the hardest kind of welding to do. I was originally thinking about going with a MIG, but now I have been looking into oxyacetylene welding stuff cause I could use it to cut and heat stuff up and all, plus it seems that it would be much cheaper to do good welds with, so I don't have to have all the expense of a super duper electric one that I will only use for important welds like twice. My basic requirements are that it be pretty cheap to use, not TOO difficult to learn, and it can't be 220 volt. The lines I have running to my workshed are all 110 and I think 20 amps, not sure what the guy said exactly, but I'm pretty sure it's all 20 amp wire. So now I ask you, what are the advantages/disadvantages to all the types? And what's the difference exactly between MIG and TIG? I thought I knew but was getting it confused with oxyacetylene, but I'm not even really sure about that. My basic needs are gonna be stuff like my paintball gun, little piddly junk that I build, and maybe a battlebot in the future (
). I have heard about some kind of MIG that doesn't use gas, but I dunno about how great that will be. Flux-core or something I think.Another thing- How expensive is it to get the gasses for the oxy and MIG (and TIG?) I would probly be renting a cylinder too, probly not buying one unless I'm convinced otherwise. And does MIG use CO2 or something else; I have read some different things on this subject. How much should I get if I do decide to go that route?
Well thanks for any help I get. If you know the answer to even one question that would help, cause obviously I don't
. Thanks a ton!Bert
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