about to buy my first welder

ive been looking around for a welder ive never owned one always had to borrow. i came across alot of lincoln welders in my price range. one is a used lincold 3200hd mig for $250 with the bottle. is that a good welder? and good price? and what should i look out for when buying a used one. i know miller is good but i cant find any for cheap.

It's basically a Home Depot Edition welder. If it already has a bottle, you gotta see what kind of gas is in it and if it works for what you're gonna use it for.

I'm lookin for a welder right now too. No real used ones in my area. Where are you at?

Not tryin to hijack your thread but:
Anyone know where to find a good used MIG near VA Beach?

That model is a home depot welder really. Personally I don't like them. And for $250 with a bottle, the bottle must be small. Personally I would get a larger Lincoln, Miller, or HTP machine and call it a day. You really need to set aside $1k for a good welder and at least a 160 bottle.

I think it also depends on how much he's gonna use it... I may be wrong. But some folk aint got $1k to be "settin aside"

Don't get me wrong Seth, I totally agree. You get what you pay for. And if you want something that'll last and you don't gotta keep fixin, put out the cheddar at first.

I just wonder if this guy's gonna be doin 3 SFBD's a month or welding up a shock tab or 2 per year.

I have a Lincoln 3200HD and I have never had a problem. I have friends that have them with no problems as well, besides them getting stolen. I would be weary buying a used welder and bottle unless you personally know what condition it is in, how old it is, etc.....and get a large bottle from the start. Those little small bottles have to be refilled constantly.

Im just gonna throw my 2 cents in on this...ive got a 3200hd...my dad(22yr state certified welder) was skeptical of this lil welder...but after using it say that its a descent welder...

Edited: 1/13/2008 10:24:05 PM by FADE2BLK94

I've got a Lincoln Pro MIG 175 with a small bottle that I use for everything now. It was $597 with the cart. I have welded everything from exhaust, frames, body drops, notches and bag mounts. Not as good as the fullsize 210 and 250 units but does a good job and yes the small bottle runs out all the time. It also doesnt like to run larger wire like I would rather use but still does fine with the smaller wire. Unless you are going to be running a fab shop I think the smaller home depot and lowes versions will be fine.

I also have a lincoln weld pak-100 that was my first welder and is probably closer to the 3200hd that you are refering to. It does extremely well if you want to just use flux core. I dont use gas on mine just for portability. I would imagine that the 3200hd would be similar to the Hobart 135 with gas wich also does an excellent job for the price and hobby/home use.I think you would be OK with the 3200hd for your first welder.

buy a 100% duty snap-on muscle mig...kick ass welder bar none.

Edited: 1/13/2008 11:19:34 PM by framescr8pintoy

or do like i did... applied for a credit card only for this specific item.. and then bought the exact welder and bottle that i WANTED... and just make the payments each month.. :WELD:

i got a millermatic 220 mig and a miller tig and a couple lincoln arc welders. mainly use my mig, so far its served me well.