I'm a newb welder and have done a few small projects with a 120v flux core welder. My biggest frustrations so far are:
I find 1 and 2 lead to projects taking a *lot* longer than I'd imagined they would. I'm tempted to switch over to MIG, but the cost of entry is kind of steep for my occasional DIY use. So I'm thinking maybe get a cheap chinesium mig welder like the 205-DS. And maybe another way to keep the cost down is to stick with C02 in an aluminum cylinder? For welding steel, is there a significant difference between all C02 vs C25?
- constantly having to wire brush the slag off the welds
- blowing lots of holes in thinner material. Was welding some 0.06" thick tube, and it was a nightmare. Lots of holes, then lots of time filling the holes, and of course lots of wire brushing. I could do the wire brushing with a grinder, but then it's time putting on PPE, then taking off PPE, so it's faster to wire brush by hand.
- this is minor, but having to step away after each weld to avoid breathing in the smoke. I could get a fan, but it's just another thing to set up.
- not always being able to see the puddle. Sometimes this is because of all the sparks and smoke, and sometimes it's because I have to move very quickly on thin material to avoid blowing through. My understanding is it's easier to see the puddle when mig welding. Is that true?
I find 1 and 2 lead to projects taking a *lot* longer than I'd imagined they would. I'm tempted to switch over to MIG, but the cost of entry is kind of steep for my occasional DIY use. So I'm thinking maybe get a cheap chinesium mig welder like the 205-DS. And maybe another way to keep the cost down is to stick with C02 in an aluminum cylinder? For welding steel, is there a significant difference between all C02 vs C25?
