Linda's Utility Trailer

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by katoranger

Spud, you can often lease cylinders from a place like Airgas. Look for a welding supply near you. When you run out of gas it will be nice to be able to exchange it quickly.

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

75/25 Argon/CO2, or 70/20 Argon/CO2, whichever the local welding supply shop carries.

Bottle size will depend upon the type of cart you buy/build. When you get the cylinder filled, don't be in a rush. Drop it off in the morning, and pick it up well in the afternoon. The longer they have to fill it, the more they can fit in the bottle. When full, the bottle should be at or near 2000psi.

Compare prices locally. When I bought my welder, it was cheaper to buy a bottle. That said, they have a 10 year life span, like propane bottles, before they need to be revalved and inspected.

Thank you for the good tips, gentlemen.

I just visited the Eastwood website, and the MIG 135 welder has increased in price from $279.99 to $297.49. I wouldn't be using the welder until next spring, so I am going to wait for another sale. I called Eastwood, and they told me they usually have a year-end sale during the holiday season, and also a sale near memorial day. Is the $280 price the best sale price?

P.S. I was pleased to discover they will only charge me $31.02 to ship that sixty pound package to Idaho.

[Weldangrind]

Spud, to me that's an amazing price. I'd certainly jump on $280.00 + $31.02 shipping. Even if the welder is $300.00, it's a bargain.

By contrast, a similar Miller welder in my area would be nearly three times that price.

[SpudRider]

You've sold me, Weld.

The weather here has turned lousy very quickly. Therefore, I am going to wait until spring to buy the Eastwood welder. Until then, I will be doing a lot of research this winter.

[katoranger]

That is alot of welder for $300. My hobart was closer to $500.

[Bruce's]

Sounds like you have lots of time to wait for the best deal ,Hobart welders are miller welders ,tractor supply puts them on sale cheap at least every month ,you might find a better deal than the Eastwood welder but it is a very good machine for the money .

[SpudRider]

Thanks for the tip. A new Tractor Supply store just opened in town. I will take a look at the Hobart welders.

[Weldangrind]

Hobart welders are the same basic construction as a Miller; I compared them side by side when I bought my Miller. Where the Miller has a metal construction wire tensioner, the Hobart has plastic. Where the Miller has infinite voltage control, the Hobart has six voltage options.

The Eastwood also has a plastic wire tensioner, but it has infinite voltage control. An excellent compromise.

Spud, my buddy has the Eastwood. If you like, I could make a few passes with it and tell you my thoughts.

[SpudRider]

Originally Posted by Weldangrind

...Spud, my buddy has the Eastwood. If you like, I could make a few passes with it and tell you my thoughts.

Please do.

[katoranger]

The Eastwood seems like a good buy. Does is use standard consumables?

[Weldangrind]

I'll find out.

[SpudRider]

Thank you, Weld.

[Weldangrind]

Ok, I repaired a crack in the tensioner rocker arm, found a replacement set screw for the roller, installed some 0.030" wire with a matching tip, installed a replacement nozzle and handed it over to forum member AtomicWedgie. He's an awesome fabricator, and he has considerable welding experience. I was busy with another project.

He laid down a very nice bead with good penetration with the Eastwood MIG 135. He found it to be easy to use, and the table that recommends wire speed and voltage is easy to understand.

We agree that it represents an excellent value, particularly considering the infinite voltage control. It's a bonus to us that it works on 120VAC power (we already have 220VAC machines that lack portability). It uses Tweco-style consumables, so replacements are easy to find at HF.

[SpudRider]

Thank you, Weld.

Please excuse my ignorance of this topic. Is Tweco the industry standard for MIG welding? Is this welder robust? I wonder why you had to repair a crack, find a replacement screw, and install a replacement nozzle?

[Weldangrind]

I see now that I hadn't brought you up to speed properly.

The welder wasn't set up properly to begin with, so it took some time to sort out. The tensioner was waaaay too tight, so the rocker arm cracked. BTW, Eastwood reports that the entire drive motor assembly (part #14438) is $34.01 with $10.95 shipping; it includes the rocker arm.

The nozzle was over-tightened, until it separated. $12.00 bought a package of two.

Tweco is one style of welder, Miller is another. Tweco uses screw-on nozzle, Miller uses a push-on nozzle. Both quite good, just different approaches. Tweco consumables are available at HF.

The screw that was missing was again a result of improper setup.

I do feel that this welder is robust enough for hobbyist use, and I'd buy one if I didn't already have a welder.

[Weldangrind]

Spud, did you see the above post? Do you have any questions?