Wire size

[dhafling]

Looking to do a first build with a cheap MIG welder. What size wire do you reccomend?

[Dirtytires]

What is your machine recommend? Would depend on what tips and liner you have on your gun as well. I like a 0.025 in my machine but have used 0.030 as well.

[mp4]

Are you planning on using shielding gas? Many cheap mig welders don't come set up with a regulator and gas valve so you'll need a flux core wire that the machine is designed around. If you are going to have shielding gas I would suggest. 030 wire.

[dhafling]

No shielding gas. I do have access to a welder that does shielding gas though. Does it give that much better of a weld? Remember I am a beginner, so far welds are pretty ugly....

[Dirtytires]

Shielding gas makes a much cleaner weld as compared to flux.

[mp4]

No shielding gas. I do have access to a welder that does shielding gas though. Does it give that much better of a weld? Remember I am a beginner, so far welds are pretty ugly....

Beginners need all the help they can get. If you have easy access to a good welder I would start with that one to learn on and then go shopping for a welder that will fit your budget and stuff you want to weld.

[dacolson]

beginner myself. Started on flux. Hated it. Bought a gas tank and upgraded to 220v and immediately stepped up my game.

[breavis]

If using flux core wire .030 is the smallest size you can get. Shielding you can get .023. it all depends on the thickness. Keep in mind flux core doesn't work well on less than 11 gauge/1/8 thick

[tinspark]

No shielding gas. I do have access to a welder that does shielding gas though. Does it give that much better of a weld? Remember I am a beginner, so far welds are pretty ugly....

I used .035 wire on 12 gauge through 1/4" with 75/25 gas. This is what most smokers have in them. I like to lay down a little more wire down. I was using a Miller 211 hooked into 220 V single phase. If you have access to a 220 voltage machine and a gas bottle, you will get a much better weld. 220V will give better penetration and a longer duty cycle > (Duty cycle is how many minutes that the machine can run continuously in a 10 minute period).
Keep an eye on that, cause that's how guys burn up their welders, especially the 120V jobbers. My Miller 211 can also run on 120 V, but the duty cycle is about cut in half and I can only run about 2/3 of the volts. also it struggles with thicker wire on 110v. Flux core wire leaves slag like stick welding and typically takes more cleanup time, Plus if you need to reweld something you will need to be sure that you get all of the slag out, or you will very likely get a lot of porosity. That being said, my first welder when I was a kid was a 110V Lincoln SP100, and I ran that thing hard around the house. I still have it and it is my loaner when a buddy wants to borrow a welder. .030 was about as thick of wire that I could run on 1/4" plate, but I always ran gas on that one too (75% argon/25% co2). Practice, Practice, Practice.. You'll get it!