110 mig welder wire

[Dirtfarmer]

Bought a little 110 volt Century 155 wire welder at a sale. It will run with either gas or flux core wire. Ive never used flux core wire. I want it for welding light metal and tinwork since my MM250 doesn't work well on light stuff. Any suggestions which way to set it up. It would be more convenient not to have a bottle hooked to it.

[Ghinmi]

For years and years, I worked with a 110 flux core welder. Given enough practice you can make some nice welds. The issue is it's messy as all getout and the fumes suck. I stepped up to a Lincoln 180 Dual (running on 110 with gas) and it's night and day, wish I would've done it earlier. Being able to see the weld without the flux cloud makes laying down a good, strong bead so much easier. I do keep the old flux core welder around and throw it in the truck when I travel, it's so convenient for outdoor repairs and is self-contained (no tanks, etc). Bottom line, if you can swing the extra money for tanks and refills, I'd go for the gas. If you just want something that'll weld, flux core is fine. Also, flux core has the advantage outdoors where there's wind that'll blow your shielding gas away.

[mokurt]

I have only used flux core on my Lincoln WeldPac 155.

I have only welded thicker mat'l without any problems.
Gas may help with thin stuff.

If your doing a lot of thin material,a TIG is the way to go.

[Tripwire]

in my vast ( not really) experience i have used both and i like gas - there is very little splatter that takes hours to clean up, gas is not expensive , the initial buying of the bottle and gas is - but once you own a bottle its cheap

[hookedup50]

I used the fluxcore for years, and switched to gas last winter to weld in lower cab and rockers on my k2500 TD. I will never use fluxcore again, for reasons previously stated. No messy splatter or gross fumes. The welds are better as well.

[Dirtfarmer]

Thanks for the advice. That is the response I expected. I guess I'll get a bottle and regulator.

[SkylinePCG]

Get the gas. a 75/25 argon/CO2 mix is cheap, and even a small 4ft cylinder will last quite a while for personal use.

The flux core in my experience penetrates better, but the cleanup is a drag, and will cause you problems with thin metal.

Its one of those things that can be described as yeah, itll work, but its not the ideal tool for the job.

[thechier86]

I've used both, and I prefer gas in most situations if i can work indoors, but with DC negative(flux core), the physics of electron flow dictate that rather than having material pile up on top of your work, the weld will be sucked in and become more of a part of the work. IF the machine is strong enough and set up right, and run by someone who has had some practice, even the ugly welds made with flux core have the potential to actually be stronger, due to better penetration. But then you have the task of cleaning up the slag.

A fluxcore rig is basically like a cross between a 60/10 rod and a hot glue gun.
It is convenient, will get the job done, and can be very strong.
At structural welding jobs I've had, almost everything in the field is done with fluxcore or a stick machine.
The welds I've done even with a lincoln 90 amp machine are currently holding up many tons, and should be sufficient for many years to come.
That said, this is Tennessee, not California, and our buildings and bridges do not vibrate and move as much as my Jeeps do

[83 BEAST]

I would honestly say if it is "just" for thin stuff, and your only using it in you shop, go with gas and solid wire. There will be a lot less slag and clean up around welds (and shop). If you ever have to fix something that requires more penetration and/or doing any welding where there might be wind... go with flux-core.

Better yet, get both! The bottle will be the most expensive part. But once you have it, it will be good for a long time and refills are cheap (especially if your use co2). Flux-core cost a little more than solid wire, but like I said, if there is wind... your gas will be blown away and be useless.

Just my $0.02.

[Probesport]

Gas if you are in a controlled environment (eg shop) flux core if you are outside. You will not be able to use gas successfully outside unless you can shield yourself from any wind whatsoever.

[jimbos83j10]

My lincoln is a combo unit. While running flux core there is a lot splatter but worked fine if you dont mind cleaning it up. It would wled 1/4" pretty nicely . A buddy gave me a small owner bottle that I used to do a bunch od sheet metal work on my yj and all I can say is the difference is huge. The welds come out so much cleaner, no splatter and really no soot or slag to wire brush off. However... Tried to weld some 1/4 again and it didnt seem to have the heat to get it done.

[Probesport]

Originally Posted by jimbos83j10

Tried to weld some 1/4 again and it didnt seem to have the heat to get it done.

If you are trying to weld 1/4 with a low amp welder you have a couple options. You can use TIG wire as an additional filler rod and crank down your spool speed or just run slow and do a multiple pass fillet.

[orangecherokee]

Gas if you can swing it. Otherwise, flux will do. Just have a nice chisel handy to scrape the slag away.