I'm looking to build my own boat. I want a decent machine that will get the job done, but don't need anything crazy expensive. I'll probably build one boat, and have the machine to customize things later. I don't mind a knock off as long as it works ok and doesn't quit on me and stuff. Boat builders, hobby guys, anybody? Thanks.

Love my syncrowave 200 with a cooler. Works great on anything , but the wallet

Yea lol. I'd love to have one, but I just don't think I'd get that much use out of it. I'd love to have the cheapest entry level tig I could get, and still be able to weld a boat. Not sure where to start.

You probably want a mig not tig. Tig'ing an entire boat would take forever.

I thought Tig was better for aluminum. Maybe I'm wrong. I've seen a few multi-machines mig-tig. Might try one out. Just hope it doesn't crap out on me.

Pretty much all the builders use a mig machine. They may tig some smaller stuff because it's a nicer looking weld, but it's much more time consuming, and with the expensive pulse machines most of the better guys are using, you can lay beads that look almost as pretty.

I know a few guys have built boats with Miller 210's, and hobart 190's. I have a lincoln 180. It's a good little machine for the money and about the bare minimum that should/could be used for building a boat. I haven't gotten into any projects that big though.

Also, most of the budget priced tig/mig combos don't do a/c tig, so you can't use it for aluminum anyway. You don't really need a tig, especially if you are looking to stay on a cheap budget.

Eastwood sells a 175a kit for 529 bucks. It's a cheaper machine, but seems to have good reviews and they seem to have good service should you need it. Standard sized consumables that you can pick up at any welding shop. Comes with a helmet, spoolgun, and cart. All you'd need is a bottle of argon, and some wire to get started.

http://www.eastwood.com/mig175-welder-and-cart-kit.html

Good posts clay

The Eastwood machine is about the best bargain out there. I use to have one. Customer service was amazing. Call for a new plastic cover on the spoolgun and they ship a whole new spoolgun

Tig welds tend to crack much more often on boats. Mig is the way to go.

Thanks for the comments guys

millermatic 211 and a spoolmate 100. great little machine and wont break the bank. i welded several boats with it before i got a 350p.

I run a millermatic 200 with a 30a spool gun. Works fine for me up to about 1/4.

Tig I run a old Miller Dialarc HF. Biggest I've tigged with it is 1/4 and seems like it could go thicker.


Sent from my beeper

another thing you might consider before buying a smaller welder is can it weld with 5356 wire. I know the 211 I had didn't have the wire speed to weld 5356 but would weld 4043 like a dream. the others might but ive never used them.

What's the difference in the 2 wire types?

Not to Jew up this thread, but what brand wore do y'all use? I was using blue demon but my local stopped carrying it.

I personally don't like blue demon. I use lincoln superglaze. 4043 is more flexible than 5356, less likely to crack and will withstand heat better. Also you don't wanna anodize 4043

I use 5356 superglaze

ive been using maxal but i just got a roll of unibraze.

If you figure out which welder you would like to buy go to craigslist and see whats out there. I bought a almost brand new Lincoln PM300 with Python push/pull gun along with several spools of wire. Guy had bid a job for building handicap ramps for the Oregon Ducks stadium. After the job was complete he no longer needed the welder. He shipped it straight to my house on a pallet. I can't remember the price but it was like 1500 bucks or something close. Shipping included.
I bought a Lincoln Squarewave 255 TIG machine for next to nothing off Craigslist. I had to drive to Tenn. to pick it up. Turns out the guy is related to someone at Lincoln and went to a tig class where they could buy the machines at a reduced price. His relative threw in his discount and the guy bought two of them. One for him and one for his son. He never used his and I got it with a pile of filler rod and a Argon tank.
There are some really good deals out there you just have to look.
I use my tig the most however for the long winded jobs I bust out the PM300. By the way the PM 300 can be upgraded to a PM350 with software. I have yet to do it as I spoke to the Lincoln rep who said he could come by one day and install the upgrade.
I use my welders almost daily for repairs to my fishing boats.

I like the blue demon fine it just tends to bird nest when the other brands dont. Radnor is junk, and the super glaze is Lincoln brand which I don't like. Maybe i should try it.

Miller is the best I got a snyrowave 200 tig water cooled for sale still new looking with 20 hours on it

Here are a few of my thoughts for you. I work in the welding and fabrication department for the largest technical college in the state of Wisconsin. We have 3 welding locations and close to 250 welders. We are partial to Miller. We have rarely had an issue with any of the welders and if we do it has been taken care of under warranty. After reading several of the other comments it seems that a lot of people are trying to push you to a wire feed process. TIG vs. MIG have advantages and disadvantages. The comment of "TIG welds tend to crack more that MIG welds", is just not true. Any weld process if done correctly with the proper base material, filler material, application and technique will produce a quality robust weld. If there is a weld failure you can point back to anyone of the 4 items I mentioned. With that said your deposition rate of MIG welding is certainly going to be greater than TIG welding. There are three common ways to set up a MIG welder for your application. One use a regular MIG gun but keep the length of the gun very short, use a Teflon liner and the other appropriate consumables and use regular spooled wire. This has it's draw backs because you will tend to get birds nests due to the fact the aluminum wire is so ductile and can create feeding issues. You will also be limited to the short gun for flexibility in moving around your project. Another option is the spool gun and a lot of people use them and it is a reasonable setup. What I don't care for in that setup is the bulk of the gun and the small spools of wire. Something else you may find with the spool guns is your wire and arc wandering as your welding. This is caused by the small spool and the cast or twist that is created in making such a tight wind. In my opinion the best option is a push pull setup. A few people mentioned a Miller 350P, this is a great machine and excellent on aluminum. It utilizes a reliable power source with pulsing capabilities and then uses the drive system of the machine paired with a drive system right at the gun to keep the wire feeding smoothly. You would have the benefit of large spooled wire and a compact gun. The downside is the price.

Good post!!!


Sent from my beeper