What would I need for a 100 welder?

[ClayBBQ]

Please tell me what all I would need if I bought a 110 welder. Include everything. Especially what I would need to practice on before trying to weld a smoker. Is a 110 volt welder enough? Any advice would be great.

[skybob]

WIth a 110 welder, unless you're making a light duty smoker, you'll work the welder to death. The duty cycle on the 110 welders isn't very long. And the capacity isn't very great. If you're planning on making the cooker out of 1/4" steel, you'll have to make multiple passes with the welder to make the proper beads.
I'd personally go with a 220 welder, you'll have a much better experience and much less frustration.
As for tools: get a good helmet, I like the instant change lens for easier viewing
A good grinder; chipping hammer, welding gloves,welder's chalk, a denim long sleeve shirt or leathers, a hat to protect the top of your head from sparks and splash
That should give you a good start for a tool list anyway.
Good luck on your project
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OK Joe's stickburner

Pellethead Pitmaster

[BBQMAN]

Good advice Bob.

We had a good thread on this about a year back or so.

D.Tillery is one of our resident welding pro's and will probably chime in here.

For basic welding of brackets, repairs etc, you can get away with a 110 unit. For anything else, a 220 is a needed to produce the best results.

That's not to say you can't weld heavier steel with a 110, you just won't like the experience!
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BBQMAN
"I Turned A Hobby Into A Business".
Providing "IMHO" Since 2005.

[mds2]

I have a pretty good quality 110 volt welder that I used to tack together the frame of my stumps clone, and that is about all it is good for, and that was only 14 gage steel. You will be much much happier with a 220 volt welder.
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The Saucy Lads BBQ Team

[wnkt]

I would suggest a couple pairs of vise-grip clamps for holding things together while tacking them.
You didn't say what type of welder you were going to get ...a wire feed one or a stick welder. If you're getting a wire feed machine you really need to go with one that uses shielding gas. The flux core wire, from what I hear, puts out a lot of smoke and there is the slag that you have to remove from the welds too. Flux core machines are cheaper and you don't have to use shielding gas so you don't have to keep refilling that either.
I would suggest a wire brush too....both the hand held and one to fit on the angle grinder for cleaning the metal before and after welding.
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Electricity can be dangerous. My nephew tried to stick a penny into a plug. Whoever said a penny doesn't go far didn't see him shoot across that floor. I told him he was grounded. - Tim Allen

[istock74]

As far as 110 welders go they are mainly gonna be best served on sheet metal work. A lot of manufacturers are gonna say that their welder will handle 1/4" but I have found that is just not really the case. One final thought as 110's are concerned: If you get one you really must have it set up to run gas. They are offered with no gas and use a flux core wire. IMHO it is a completely useless endeavor. I have at many times in the past tried using a 110 w/o gas and it just doe not produce results. As far as 220 welders go there are many to choose from and they all work well. Here at our place we run ESAB. Have 14 of them in service currently ranging from the older style solid state 250's to the newer electronic 253 series. they are good rigs and the price is good IMO. We picked up (2) 253's this year for $1,300.00 Each. you may find as an end user your price will be higher. But again IMHO for the money they work great. BTW the price included 15' stinger and gas regulator