Thinking of going to harbor freight today or tomorrow to buy a welder specifically for welding traps. I have a stick welder here at home and it not for delicate work . I used a wire welder at work but now that I’m retired I want one for the shop .

So do you guys recommend any particular model ? Should I go with a tig or mig ??? Sooo many questions.

You want to get on their mailing list, and catch them on sale. Can save big bucks!

What are we talking Bob , couple hundred bucks ?

Don't know offhand, could be that much, gotta check it out and see.

Gas or no gas? Are you just tacking for the most part?........if you want something that will last, won't break the bank, Hobart.

240 V would be my choice. 110/120 V welders on an extension cord are useless

Agreed.... mine works great

Can't help ya with a 120 volt other than to say....get a 220 volt gas shielded machine and you won't have junk welds you see on alot of trap mods.

If you have a stick welder. Is it DC? If it is. You already have a Tig. Scratch start. You can go to your local welding shop and get all the parts. Or pawn shop, usually has welding stuff. That will be your cheapest way. Unless you just want to pull a trigger on a dedicated machine, just for light duty stuff.

I've wanted a small welder for a long time, myself. Could be handy to have for some small projects But there ain't no way in hades I would weld enough to justify the expense of a 220V rig with gas bottles and what not. I don't even have a 220 outlet. I'd rather do without than spend that kind of money. I wouldn't know the difference between a good weld and a poor weld anyways.

I don't know about the Harbor Freight rigs specifically, but I've looked into reviews of the cheaper wire welders they sell on Amazon. Most people say those cheap little 110 welders are at least serviceable for small household projects. But even then, the price is high enough that I haven't personally found the justification to spend the money on one.

So, if you thinking about it, you might look at the popular little 110 welders they sell on Amazon and compare them to the Harbor Fright rigs.

A few years back. My son bought a Forney flux core welder 120v. ( yes, he didn’t lessen, but, he is tight with his money! ) I taught him how to use it and get more heat out of it. He is doing fine with it. But, all he is welding is light duty yard art and light repairs. He likes it!

I have a Hobart Handler 140 mig welder. Runs flux core or gas. Runs great. I can weld up to 3/16 and have welded 1/4" before using three passes.
I like have having the option for gas. It makes a much cleaner weld and allows me to weld steel.

I have no complaints but there are two things I wish it had. to reverse the polarity you need to remove two nuts and swap wires inside the cover - but it only takes a minute to do. I would prefer a switch to do this. And, this welder won't take a spool gun for aluminum so if I ever want to upgrade, I'll have to get a different welder. I don't know if there is a 120V welder that can do aluminum. It requires more amperage than steel so maybe that's the reason.

I’ve got a Hobart stick welder out in the shop for any heavy stuff , been using a stick since I was a kid. Started welding gravity flow wagon boxes my sr.year of high school with a wire welder, but had never tried tig welding before. After doing a little reading I think I will try a 120volt gas shield wire welder . I think for welding j hooks , laminations , a few adjustable pans and such it will be just the ticket. The biggest problem a guy might have is finding gas .

P.S. does the flux core wire splatter bad ?

There is definitely a big difference in appearance, I think the welds are perfectly sound with either method. I rarely use flux core. Occasionally I throw the welder in the back of my truck to do a project somewhere outside of my home shop. Dragging around a welder and bottle of gas is a lot of work so I will use flux core when I'm somewhere else. But if I'm doing a repair for someone else and I don't want to be embarrassed, I drag the bottle with me.

Oh, in a breeze the shielding gas gets blown away so flux core is necessary if you're welding and it's even a little windy.

It can. But some anti spatter spray to cover your project before you weld. Bb's chip pff easy.

Thanks for all the replies fellas . I’m down to a Campbell Hausfeld or a Hobart , I’m leaning toward the Hobart.

Love my Hobart 210 MVP (dual 120/240v).

I also have a Hobart (mig) that hasn't given me any problems and welds good.

Buy a good one. Don't cheap out. I have a lincoln 180 I used for strictly body work and it's good. Got it on gas

Don't be afraid of the gasless flux core also. It's a little more expensive, but it can weld very good!