Picked up a Lincoln welder

scott420p · BRAMPTON, ONT

Picked up a Lincoln welder

slim · DUNDAS, ONT

You will be better off with gas but if you Just picked it up make sure its wired to use flux core. should be a diagram by the spool or on lid make sure the connections are tight including the wire to the ground connector . if the polarity is wrong or you have a loose connection it wont work worth a .... and could be the reason the PO dumped it. Insurance knows I have welder's and tanks standard wet down area and fire watch 1/2 hour after done. they already ding me for a fireplace and pool so what the hell. still cheaper then my other place in Hamilton ghetto

-- Edited by slim on Monday 11th of November 2013 06:37:25 PM

scott420p · BRAMPTON, ONT

I picked up a Lincoln sp175 plus the other day from work for $275. I have it set up for flux core and it sucks. I must add though that I'm a new welder and have played with the bigger machines at work that have the gas hooked up and its night and day. The metal shop guys at my work are telling me that its going to be hard to get an argon cylinder for my home garage(apparently insurance reasons??). I'm wondering where you guys get your shielding gas for your home garage?

sasquatch · NORTH BAY, ONT

Scott, i have never heard of any insurance problems, i know of a few with the argon set up.

( maybe it's possible that there are restrictions, and they aren't aware of it?) But i have never heard anyone complain about it , they get refills with no problems.

58Chev · ETOBICOKE, ONT

I got my tank from the local gas supply co. Can't remember their name. Use to be BOC

scott420p · BRAMPTON, ONT

That's what I thought as I know quite a few of you guys run an argon setup. Thanks.

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

I get mine at TSC. It's a bit more money to start, but in the long run, you're not paying continuous rental fees/deposit.

48chev · ANGUS, ONT

HEY my insurance guy did the 3 year walk around see my welder in the shop And my insurance went up
may start a fire ? my shop is concrete block and steel roof

scott420p · BRAMPTON, ONT

Gazoo wrote:
I get mine at TSC. It's a bit more money to start, but in the long run, you're not paying continuous rental fees/deposit.

I was looking at these as I'd like to buy a small one. How do you guys transport them, strapped in the back of a pick up?

JohnnyBgood · ST CATHARINES, ONT

Transporting is eazy. I tied mine onto my wifes back.....

atomsplitter · NEWCASTLE, ONT

Your looking at getting Argon? are you TIG welding?
If your Mig Welding why not just get a small tank of C/25, Mig Mix or even CO2.

www.mig-welding.co.uk/welding-gas.htm

hemi43 · ONTARIO

Any welding supplier can get you a tank. The largest tank you can own is about 50 Cubic Feet, and they will sell you one for about $180. Try to buy a used one, and it doesn't matter what gas type because they will exchange it for what ever you want. Just make sure it's no bigger than 50 Cu/ft.

Unless you're going to weld aluminum, you don't want Argon. What you want is an argon/CO2 mix. I see tanks for sale all the time at flea markets for $25-$50. As far as transporting legally, you can't, but everyone does.To transport legally the tank must be upright, and your vehicle must have a placard stating what you're carrying. Actually,the same rules apply when transporting BBQ propane tanks but everyone just ignores it.
The SP175 is a great little welder as long as you use gas, but be realistic about how thick you want to weld. Anything above 1/4" and you should use a larger amperage machine.

34guy · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

Bought my own bottle of mig mix from Linde ,Own it for life, 120.00 full ,just walk in and exchange

it when necessary. Also did the same with the oxygen, acetylene.

I remove them and more to my neighbours garage if I know somebody wants to do

an inspection

scott420p · BRAMPTON, ONT

34guy wrote:
Bought my own bottle of mig mix from Linde ,Own it for life, 120.00 full ,just walk in and exchange
it when necessary. Also did the same with the oxygen, acetylene.
I remove them and more to my neighbours garage if I know somebody wants to do
an inspection

How much does it run you for the exchange for a full one? Also what size tank are you running?

2inchestoolow · CLARINGTON, ONTARIO

I go to TSC. I have a "q" sized oxygen and a "q" sized mixed gas cylinder. At TSC you pay a deposite fee of around $200 ( that is what is was when I got mine) and them only pay for refills (exchanges) after...you can exchange them for any "q" sized tank you need at any time and you get your deposit back when ever you want (I've had my tanks for 5 years now). Way cheaper than an annual contract. TSC is also open 7 days a week with long hours so you have easy access to gas.

Just my $0.02...it works well for me.

Fordy Acres Car Farm · DORCHESTER, ONT

I can't imagine what the issue would be with storing inert gas in a shop. Oxy-acetylene sure, but argon or argon Co2 would put the fire out if a tank were to rupture. You can weld without tanks and cause a fire using arc or flux core just as easy as with tanks. But seriously, how many of us have even started a fire in our shops, let alone let it get out of control? Insurance companies drive me insane sometimes!

Fordy Acres Car Farm · DORCHESTER, ONT

Oh, and I own my own tanks, and the only problem is, the smaller size causes them to run out too frequently. Oxy-acet, argon, and argo-shield/auto/weld/argon Co2 mix.

Gazoo · BADEN, ONT

Fordy Acres Car Farm wrote:
I can't imagine what the issue would be with storing inert gas in a shop. Oxy-acetylene sure, but argon or argon Co2 would put the fire out if a tank were to rupture. You can weld without tanks and cause a fire using arc or flux core just as easy as with tanks. But seriously, how many of us have even started a fire in our shops, let alone let it get out of control? Insurance companies drive me insane sometimes!

Yup, but you can't argue with them,... well.... you can, but why bother.

34guy · MISSISSAUGA, ONT

It's not the gas it is what you do with it. Actually my cousin in new Brunswick

was given the choice by the insurance company to remove his open flame gas hanging furnace or have no gas tanks

or engine oil in the vehicles he was working on.

2inchestoolow · CLARINGTON, ONTARIO

I was told I can't weld in my attached garage, so I don't, but I want to revisit that and see what needs to be done to it to allow me as it's a pain in the ass to roll everything outside when I want to weld...plus limits the time I can work on certain projects. I also pay a premium for my wood stove that I never use.

Fordy Acres Car Farm · DORCHESTER, ONT

34guy wrote:
It's not the gas it is what you do with it. Actually my cousin in new Brunswick
was given the choice by the insurance company to remove his open flame gas hanging furnace or have no gas tanks
or engine oil in the vehicles he was working on.

This is exactly why there are so many that have issues with the way insurance companies operate. Hanging gas furnaces are fine in a shop if they are installed correctly. My vintage Olsen must be eight feet above floor level to meet compliance as stated on the placard on this unit, so that's how I hung it. Where I have a problem is in the difference between Ontario law/legal compliance and insurance inventing their own rules and regulations as a clever way of hiking the rates we pay even though it's an approved install. Total B.S. and we just roll over and take it because of the costs to fight these financial giants is beyond our means. We need a Government watchdog to keep these monsters in check!

Fordy Acres Car Farm · DORCHESTER, ONT

2inchestoolow wrote:
I was told I can't weld in my attached garage, so I don't, but I want to revisit that and see what needs to be done to it to allow me as it's a pain in the ass to roll everything outside when I want to weld...plus limits the time I can work on certain projects. I also pay a premium for my wood stove that I never use.

Yet another good example of unwarranted premium charges. If your wood stove meets all of the regulations according to code, then it should be considered safe and thus no premium should be levied - we're all suckers for falling for it!

scott420p · BRAMPTON, ONT

slim wrote:
You will be better off with gas but if you Just picked it up make sure its wired to use flux core. should be a diagram by the spool or on lid make sure the connections are tight including the wire to the ground connector . if the polarity is wrong or you have a loose connection it wont work worth a .... and could be the reason the PO dumped it. Insurance knows I have welder's and tanks standard wet down area and fire watch 1/2 hour after done. they already ding me for a fireplace and pool so what the hell. still cheaper then my other place in Hamilton ghetto

-- Edited by slim on Monday 11th of November 2013 06:37:25 PM

It was wired for gas as that's the way it was setup at my work, but I switched it for the flux core until I get gas. The only reason my work bought the bigger machine was to weld heavier steel than the 175 was capable of and the best part is 90% of the time they weld aluminum at work and we have big lincoln that's setup for that. So it was not used very much.

RacerRick · TORONTO, ONT

Check your polarity if it welds like crap, as mentioned above. If I remember correctly, you need to reverse the polarity to run flux core. It's just swapping two wires on a lincoln as mentioned above.

Also, I run a Q sized tank of CO2 for my welder, and it lasts me about a year usually. I went to Praxair and rent a tank. Because I have a Praxair customer number, I exchange my tank at the local TSC and its about $32 last I did it. I have used argon, mixed, and C02, and the C02 works fine for me since I only weld steel and the C02 runs a little hotter since it is an active gas.

Gearhead · ELORA, ONT

TSC gasses are very expensive by volume. You are better off leasing a cyl from your local welding supplier if you figure you are going to be a lot of welding.

My insurance company has no issue with welding gasses in my garage As long as they are used for hobby and NOT business use. No extra riders required. It sounds like it depends on your insurance broker.

-- Edited by Gearhead on Wednesday 13th of November 2013 07:35:48 PM