Portable welder suggestions

[Sedgehammer]

found a engineer that is changing our building into a weld up for $2,500. I have several welders and one stick welder, but it's not set up for outside and can't use the migs for welding outside anyways. 

Reading welding boards and it's clearly a chevy vs ford mentality. I don't care which brand, Lincoln, Miller, Hobart all work. I have 2 miller migs, lincoln stick and a hobart tig/mig. 

Diesel is best, but I'm not doing it for a living, so it's a waste. I'll most likely sell it once the building is up though anyways.

Any suggestions from the 'forestry' forum.....  ;D

[gspren]

If you aren't keeping it long term then I'd look for a used one if possible. I have a Thermal Arc brand I think Predator model for at least 15 years and I go months at a time without welding but it can power the house during power outages. 20 HP Honda powered. If you can find any known brand used you will likely recoup most of your money.

[Don P]

Sounds like a good plan.
Consider it spent when you're done and let me know when to pick it up  :D

[Sedgehammer]

@gspren I forgot about those. The predator pro can also run 3 phase equipment on the generator side. My Hobart mig/tig is 3 phase. Don't have that here. 

@Don P 

[Don P]

 :D
I'm no welder but what about one of your existing MIGS with gas and flux core?

[Sedgehammer]

Well I dunno @Don P , you done did go to metal gluin school, me never dided..... What's 'flux core'.....

Me don't use it. Just shielding gas. It can weld rustier metal and in windier locals, true, but weld can be a bit more porous and takes more clean up. I'm lazy. Don't like cleaning up.  ;D

[btulloh]

Seems like a stick job for sure.  Outdoors, long reach, etc.  Already some good suggestions above on temp ownership of gen or self-contained unit.  

[Southside]

What was the alternative to weld up? Typical bolted joints? 

[Sedgehammer]

@Southside Bolted, yup. bolted has to to be 'made' at the factory. Goes together easier, quicker, but when all done about 20% more expensive if doing yourself, plus bolt ups are generally more of a basic building or they really get pricy. 

[Nebraska]

My solution to the portable welder thing has been strapping which ever welder gets the job done and a generator in the loader bucket of my tractor. That being said  I'm kind of looking for a just right little  trailer to mount them on. I don't really need an all in one unit very often and that's just how I get around it for stuff I can't get to the welder in the shop.

[Sedgehammer]

Thought of that, but then that means a new generator, so......

[btulloh]

Needing the generator, crane, good welds and all, you might be ahead of the game to hire a contractor to handle your erection. Or is that just off the table?

[Sedgehammer]

Needing the generator, crane, good welds and all, you might be ahead of the game to hire a contractor to handle your erection. Or is that just off the table?

Oh I could, but it's a complicated build, as I'm finishing it in wood. Open soffits, 2' overhangs. 
I'll just hire some welders @ $15 to $20 instead of a contractor where his help is $40+ and I hire the crane anyways.

[btulloh]

I was thinking just for the steel.  

You've got a lot of moving parts in that project. 

Maybe rent the combo gen/welder. 

If you're hiring a welder, they usually have their own equipment.

[Walnut Beast]

Fronius Trans Pocket 180 stick welder.  
less than 20 pounds. Plenty of videos on it Fronius is top of the line

[Walnut Beast]

Fronius Trans Pocket 180 stick welder.  
less than 20 pounds. Plenty of videos on it Fronius is top of the line

Hot start and soft start. Can run a 330 ft extension cord with no voltage drop

[Raider Bill]

Needing the generator, crane, good welds and all, you might be ahead of the game to hire a contractor to handle your erection. Or is that just off the table?

There's got to be a little blue pill joke in this somewhere :D :D :D :D 

[mike_belben]

Weld your bents on the ground with your mig then have crane stand em?  Redundant welder savings pays for the crane guy to stand em up and purlins to get glued on? 

[Al_Smith]

When I built my shop I ran 200 feet of number 6 aluminum tri plex cable on the ground hooked up to an  aux panel and used a movable  core Lincoln buzz box circa 1940 .That thing which is 250 amps has so much copper in it it doesn't have a cooling fan .They don't make them like that any more .I had like 40 bucks in the welder that came with about 200 feet of welding cable .It's been a good one .
So that's an option if you are close enough to get the power to  it .Plus you can do a lot more work cheaper than dumping gasoline in a potable welder .It's not noisy and it always starts . 

[Sedgehammer]

I was thinking just for the steel.  

You've got a lot of moving parts in that project.

Maybe rent the combo gen/welder.

If you're hiring a welder, they usually have their own equipment.

Yeah, but. This has many curveballs in it. I don't need welders once we're hanging the siding, but there's a lot of things need done for the rafter tails, on edge purlins and bilge board etc. 
What rent will be will be more than the difference in what I buy and sell. I might even be able to sell for what I paid. Hopefully 
Yes if I'm hiring a contractor welder. I'll hire a guy that's off from work without equipment 

[Sedgehammer]

When I built my shop I ran 200 feet of number 6 aluminum tri plex cable on the ground hooked up to an  aux panel and used a movable  core Lincoln buzz box circa 1940 .That thing which is 250 amps has so much copper in it it doesn't have a cooling fan .They don't make them like that any more .I had like 40 bucks in the welder that came with about 200 feet of welding cable .It's been a good one .
So that's an option if you are close enough to get the power to  it .Plus you can do a lot more work cheaper than dumping gasoline in a potable welder .It's not noisy and it always starts .

yes we are thinking that as well. I may need a separate service. I already have the power company coming out. 

[thecfarm]

I use flux core wire. All my welding is done outside. Don't need no gas with flux core. Gas use to be a bother to get around here, 30 miles away. Now the parts store in town carries it. But it does not leave a nice weld either. It sticks, just not all that clean. But that might be the rusted metal I use too. I read the manual and use what ever size corded wire to use and the maximum length too. I have that wrapped in the back of a two wheeler, I unwrap what I need to get to the job. Only guessing, I have 50 feet of corded wire. Can't remember the footage now, 20 years later. Can't remember the price either, but was a lot way back than.

[Haleiwa]

Can't go wrong with a Miller Bobcat or a Lincoln Ranger.  I've had both, and thought the Bobcat was a little more steady, but either one will do what you want it to.  A Trailblazer will probably run one of your migs if you want to use it on site.  Any of those makes a really good standby generator.  I'm predicting that if you get one you will not sell it when your building is done; they are handy to have around.

[Al_Smith]

I've got two gasoline  welders I've never needed to use .A Lincoln SA 200 and a Hobart main line special 250 amp .They were part of a package deal and cheap .
As far as a buzz box it only takes about 40 amps of power to run one from a power source . Number 6 aluminum tri plex, all three conductors insulated is around 70 cents a foot .I didn't look up the voltage drop with a couple -300 feet but it wouldn't be very much .I know with a tad over 200 feet I didn't notice any .
For that matter you can rent a gasoline welder .Another option .
BTW I did look up the voltage  drop on 300 feet and it was about 11 volts on 240 volts,35 amps  

[Sedgehammer]

Fronius Trans Pocket 180 stick welder.  
less than 20 pounds. Plenty of videos on it Fronius is top of the line

Hot start and soft start. Can run a 330 ft extension cord with no voltage drop

I'm lookin at it. How thick can it weld? I'm lookin, haven't seen yet