You probably won't find one that will go 3/8" properly on 110V. What you do
need to look for though is
a. a copper wound transformer
b. 80+% duty cycle.

what duty cycle means is how much you can use the welder in a 10 minute time
frame. If it's 20%, then you weld for 2 minutes then wait 8. It DOES NOT
mean weld 4 minutes and wait 16. Therefore, it's imperative if you plan any
serious welding at all that the duty cycle be at least 80%. My Hobart is
100%. This means you can pull the trigger and weld for 27 hours or until
the roll of wire or gas bottle runs out. Another thing to consider is the
fact that you'll have to run that 85A unit wide open to do the 3/16" or
possibly 1/4" steel. It's not going to last very long running wide open,
they just won't take it. If you're really serious about MIG welding, then
shell out a few bucks and get a 200-250A unit that runs on 220v. You'll
love it. Check out the units from Hobart, Miller, and Esab. Even the
Lincoln MIG unit is not bad. They had one the last place I worked.

--
Steve Barker




"Bob" wrote in message
...
I have the hankering to buy a welder, probably a wire feed type. I looked
at one on sale at "The Tractor Store". It was 110V input which is what I
want. 85 Amp output. Uses .030, 035, or 040 wire. Biggest problem I see
is that the instruction book said for metal up to 3/16'th inch. Tha'ts
not
very thick, I'D prefer maybe up to 3/8'th inch, or more.

I'd really appreciate some of the features I need to look for in a wire
welder.

BTW: I don't really have a need for one, it is just one of those things I
want. I might be better off to forget it altogether.

Your thoughts please.

Bob