depends on what you use them for. if you look at the specs, the motor in the harbor freight 4 1/2" angle grinder is a lot less than that of a DeWalt or name brand more expensive grinder. The harbor freight grinder will last a long time if you realize the motor is not as big.

We keep an assortment of grinders at the shop including the harbor frieght cheapos and some more expensive dewalts. The harbor freight ones work good for basic grinding and light duty cutting. But if i'm going to a lot of hard grinding on say a bumper or some long cuts of 1/4" plate, i'm reaching for the DeWalt.

If you don't heat up the harbor freight grinder, it will last a long time (i've had some going on years). and at $20 a pop, big deal if you throw one away a year under heavy use... basically use as a disposable grinder.

-Rob

I suppose that is right about the grinders, I am one of those boys who takes my grinder and beats the crap out of it. No light buffing for me boys, get it in and get er done!

so I bought just one that gets both jobs done. So I suppose I am biased.

Hey guys, still lurk here even if I dont post much

Things I have learned doing my own work:
1: Steel is damned expensive now. That could me a major factor in how involved you want to get into making your own stuff. Mistakes cost a lot more than they used to.

2: Wear disposable clothes. Mill scale is nasty stuff, gets everywhere and while it does wash out, it always seems to leave a residue.

3: Wear disposable clothes. Spatter is no fun when it burns a big hole through your favorite shirt or into your nicer levi pants.

4: Dont go cheep on your tools. Some stuff can be cheep, like my HF angle grinder, but others either wear out fast or dont perform like expected. A good saw and goodwelder are probably the most important.

5: Expect to make the same part at least two times (when you first start), because it will inevitably not fit the first time. Thats part of the added cost of DIY.

6: Its pricy to start, use as much scrap as you can to practice, use cardboard to cut out templates for parts, be patient and go with overkill on everything you make. Those really cool looking sliders are no good if they break or bend when you get a good drop on a big rock.

...and oh yeah, dont weld in a white t-shirt, or grind while wearing nylon warmups...

Kevin

Good advice and dialogue on this equipment question. I will file away some of this for my future shop. But there's one item not yet (directly) mentioned here I would put right on top of the shopping list.

OffRodEO, how familiar and/or experienced are you with hands-on welding and fab work? It appears that as you're just becoming familiar with the wide variety of equipment out there maybe you've not done a lot of welding to this point?

Perhaps the first thing on your list should be completing at least one (or more if available) general welding and fab class at a local community college or vo-tec school, if you're lucky enough to have one nearby. If such is not available then maybe seek out someone in the business who could serve as a mentor or teacher who might let you get your hands dirty a bit on the equipment.

Pros: In a community college setting you should be able to play with a wide variety of good equipment and techniques and get solid instruction and practice in all the areas of interest that will allow you to make informed decisions before parting with your hard-earned cash. You'll know the equipment, what it does, how it works and doesnÆt work for your needs and so forth. You might even be able to network toward finding decent used equipment through connections you're sure to make there.

Cons: You will be certain to contract a horrible case of the dreaded ETEL disease. This affliction is of great concern to anyone on this forum and about anyone reading this post most certain already suffers from it. What is ETEL? Why, Extreme Tool and Equipment Lust, of course.

Symptoms of ETEL include sudden swerving of your vehicle toward certain retail establishments, mysterious and continuous draining of the family bank account, chronic maximizing of all family charge card accounts, unexplained hoarding of more and more equipment and materiel in the garage/shop in an ever-accelerating rate. Some victims report a feeling of occasional well-ness washing through them though in more extreme cases it is reported that victims retain a feeling they will never find satisfaction no matter how much they are able to add to their inventory.

Cures for ETEL include sudden swerving of your vehicle toward certain retail establishments, mysterious and continuous draining of the family bank account, chronic maximizing of all family charge card accounts, unexplained hoarding of more and more equipment and materiel in the garage/shop in an ever-accelerating rate.

Other home-made remedies are beginning to surface and many on this forum have concocted their own clever cures. Maybe some will share their stories.

So, yeah, take that CC class and learn all you can. But beware the consequences. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/lol.gif" alt="" />

- Paul <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cheers.gif" alt="" />

All good suggestions so far. Remember you get what you pay for. And not always necessarily name brand tools.

I use a 110V 135 amp Miller Mig Welder and have had no problems with it so far. It works well off my Motorhome Generator or and a heavy extension cord. My TIG is a combo 110 or 220 Volt Miller, but I haven't unpacked it yet to try off the generator. Plasma Cutter is under consideration.

I can't strees this enough, Get in the Habit of working with safety in mind.
Besides Gloves,and welding jackets there is one other thing that need serious attention.

Guys, get at least TWO pair of GOOD Safety Glasses. The Type that you can and will wear all day long. Not those cheap ones that distort your vision and scratch up at the slighest touch. Your going to be throwing steel fragments everywhere and you only have two eyes. Not to mention Eye Surgeons are not cheap. I say TWO pair cause your gonna misplace one pair.

If you get to like building stuff then you'll spend a lifetime collecting tools. Enjoy the journey.


Curtis J

With almost all the cool tools I could want.

A quote from the "Welder's Handbook." ............Everything in this book can be welded with a 220-AC Stick. Dont worry about how pretty it looks. Thats what a grinder and paint are for. This isn't monster garage. When you wrap your first set of homemade rocksliders around your rear axle with the e-brake wire hanging out your tailpipe, as I did, (Cadillac hill) you really wont care about your pretty little weld beads....

My vote after the stick welder is the auto darken helmet. It really helps to be able to see what you are burning.

Edit: Obviously, I am no profesional. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/notooth.gif" alt="" />

So everyone suggest a 220 volt. That would need a special connection and bill from utah power right?(how much?) Is that the same outlet as the washer and/or dryer uses? Ill be renting a house for a while and dont want to pay the extra for the connection when ill be leaving it there.

kevan

I have made due with a very long large gauge wire from the dryer plug to the welder as well. That will be 20 bucks in cable and a few bucks in ends that I would consider very well spent.

If you have dryer hook ups that usually is sufficient.

Having a previous background in electrical work this is a big no-go. Dangerous and eventually it will bite you in the fourth point of contact. If you're going to go with 220, do the correct thing and get a 220 installed in the garage. That's what I tried to tell you in my post, I don't thing that you can invision how much this is going to run you if you set it up the way I believe you want to. It's not a mere $500.00 and you're set. If you go 220 welder a mid level bender, and get the outlet hooked up, these three issues alone will more than likely run you $2,000 to $2,500. Then of course you have "all" the other stuff. Figure at a minimum of another grand. So I ask you again before you embark on this adventure you may want to make some serious assessments of not only your short term needs of the equipment but more importantly what your needs will be for this equipment in the long run. I as well as more than a few folks on this site I assure you will attest to the fact that they have mucho tools in their stable that they only used once, thinking that they "really" needed them, only to have them sit idle in their tool boxes after that initial use. Heck, I probably got that brand new Dodge Hemi Ram that I want sitting in my tool box.

Agreed. Going off the dryer plug is a big no-no unless you insure you have the proper guage wire and breaker to handle the welder you choose.

Most 220V mig machines pull close to about 40-50amps. Your residential dryer outlet is usually wired to only 30amp IIRC. ...and no, don't think you can just pop in a 50amp breaker and be done with it, wiring must be up to par as well.

-Rob