can you buy a good welder for welding body panels for less than $200. if so, which one do you suggest? i want to use this welder to learn how to weld. also, is mig the best for autobody?

the best way to go in a Mig ,would be a 240 volt entry level miller/Hobart 175 or a lincoln 170,...considerably more than $200,but very re-sellable at what you have in it,or slightly less, ,when you are finished with it,,

I have the MM175, but I have taken welding classes and believe that for someone leaning the Hobart 140 or 180 would be the best choice.

Rumor has it that Miller Matic and Hobarts are made by the same manufacturer and that models are basically the same.

My question is, who is the best supplier of Miller Matics? I see Hobarts here and there but I understand that they are being built with more plastic parts and that Miller is still being made with metal components.

Any thoughts?

Thanks,

Rod

Miller and Hobart ARE made in the same factory - different manufacturing lines.

Hobarts use a plastic drive roll and covers, and aluminum windings on the transformers.

Millers have aluminum drive rolls, metal covers/housings and copper-wound transformers.

I'm not 100% sure about the windings.

The two small Millers have wire-speed sensing, which can be hard for beginners to deal with.

That being said, I bought the Miller 175 and took lessons at a relatively nearby vo-tech and love my Miller.

If you are just going to learn on your own, I would suggest one of the new Hobarts (140/180) - they are easier to use and I believe have a lower amp setting on the lowest tap than the equivalent Miller, so sheet metal work should be easier without burnthroug.

The cheap MIGs out there either don't have provision for gas or have it as an option. Most are made in Italy and you have problems with support and parts.

MANY people have rued the day they went cheap on a MI?G unit and discovered how much easier, less expensive (time, material and exasperation-wise) when they bought/used a quality unit.

I personally like the Miller/Hobarts because they are dedicated to quality support even to little guys like the hobbyists. Lincoln does make a good product, but their focus is industry.

Peruse the Miller, Hobart and Lincoln sites and it is easy to see who bend over backwards for the little guys....

Brad-Man is on the money here. Buy the best small machine you can afford as it will pay-off with less headaches in the long run. You'll be able to sell that machine for a little less than what you paid for it. Chances are, you'll just keep it!

I have a Lincoln 135-SP, which is a 110 unit, and it works great! BUT, I wish I had bought a bigger unit because it's hard to use this little guy to weld up thicker metals (like when fabbing up bracketts and such).

If you decide on a Lincoln, Sears sells some of the nice small units. One advantage to the Lincoln is that parts and supplies are readily available at Sears and Home Depot. I haven't seen Miller parts at those stores, but then again, I haven't been looking. I don't think you can go wrong with the Lincoln or the Miller. And, once again, you MUST use gas on sheet metal.