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["Don Bowen" <don.bowen AT earthlink.net>]

> I had been admiring the Lincoln 225 (coffin top) as the stick welder of
> choice.  Not too expensive but seemingly versatile. 

The Lincoln 225 is probably the most common farm shop welder of all time.
Many thousands have been sold, maybe many millions.  You cannot go wrong
with one and it is many times better than the Chinese buzz boxes.

> I had also crossed
> the wirefeed (MIG in my mind) welders as too expensive once the gas was
> added..  Now, I am reconsidering that as a choice.

Be aware that the 120 V wire feeds usually have a maximum material thickness
you can weld at something less than 3/16.  Also when you are shopping, some
like the Hobart are ready for gas, regulator and hose are included, all you
need is a tank.  Some like the Lincoln cut the price by making the gas
connection a separate and sometimes expensive kit.

As for gas, I started with a very small CO2 tank.  I picked it up when a
home center went out of business and I wandered in during the last days when
everything was 70% off.  I traded that for a much larger C25 tank during a
welding show.

Check the local welding supply places.  Sometimes they have the manufactures
come out to demonstrate and deals can be made.  I picked my Hobart wire feed
up at a significant savings because it had been used for a demo that day.

> Now the thought comes that I had considered the gas or stick welders as
> being versatile enough to cut as well as weld.  The wire feed does not
> have that capability, if I am correct.  If I need to cut I am considering
> angle grinder, sawzall, circular saw with metal blade?  Am I on the right
> track?

A stick welder can cut material but it is a slow messy process so don't
bother.  For cutting a gas outfit will cut and also weld so it is versatile.
If you have a lot of cutting to do, a propane conversion uses a cheaper gas.

What do you want to cut?  An angle grinder with a cut-off wheel will do a
quick job but can get a bit expensive buying wheels.  This last summer I
picked up some cheap wheels at a tool place in the middle of Amish country.
They surprised me how well they cut and how long they lasted.  For thin
stock the 4 1/2 angle grinders do well, thicker material needs the larger
angle grinder.  

A sawsall with a metal cutting blade works well for thinner materials but
can get slow and expensive for thicker materials.  A skillsaw with a metal
cutting blade is very slow and it beats up a saw something terrible.

I prefer a cut-off saw.  The larger blade cuts caster and the clamps on the
base make holding the material easier.  A power hacksaw or band saw will
also cut heavy material.

Now if one has lots of money the next step is a Plasma cutter.  A friend has
one and I want one but that is more than likely a never happen unless one
drops into my lap.

I would start with an angle grinder with a cutoff wheel if you have nothing
and are doing things like bar stock or angle iron.  The angle grinder is
also used to smooth out the rough edges and to clean up the weld.  If you
are doing heavy material or long cuts in sheet metal or flat iron look at a
gas outfit.  For any sort of production run a cut off saw would be a good
choice.

When I had a shop I used the cut off saw most of the time because it is
always set up and is handy.  The angle grinder gets used when I do not have
access to the cut off saw.  I have a couple of 4 1/2 inch angle grinders,
one has a cut off wheel and the other has a grinding wheel.  I also have a
power hack saw that almost never got used.  I am trying to talk myself into
a bigger 9 inch angle grinder for cut off and sharpening brush hog blades.

Don Bowen  KI6DIU
http://www.braingarage.com/Dons/Travels/journal/Journal.html