[ryanjames170]

Good morning fellow welders,

This post will being with a scripture from the Good book

"But don't begin until you count the cost. For who would begin construction of a building without first calculating the cost to see if there is enough money to finish it?
Luck 14:28

As a newbie in the welding trade I find myself starting my homework on what equipment to buy to start filling up my soon to be welding shop .

I took a trip to my local welder supplies store to get a quote on some machine and cutting supplies . The sales man ask some basic questions and gave me a quote of 6,000 to get started . this price included a welding machine that does all 3 process . a cutting torch kit two gas tanks one for oxygen one for acetylene standard sales tax . He gave me some catalogs for miller and Lincoln and said he looks forward to providing me with all my equipment i need for my shop . I talked to my wife and told her this is the upfront cost of getting into the trade and would be doing more research on the upfront cost .
She was not happy lol

So for us newbies what are some things to be aware when making our first initial investment?

can you share your past mistakes when buying new or used equipment ??

Did you rack it all up on a credit card only to find out you didnt fit the cut and had a mountain of debt knocking on your door ??

if you did buy into a large amount of equipment how long did it take to break even ?

and why is everything so expensive !!! im having a hard time explaining to my wife why everything cost so much because i dont even know haha my welding instructor did say it is a expensive trade but does it have to be ??

I know these are all broad questions but I want to know .

a little back story i plan on keeping my day job and building trailers/bbq pits to sale along with some side projects just a weekend welding kinda guy

i know every guy needs a side hustle and i dont want to be a uber driver and id rather go down this rode then idk say guns hobbyist or lifted trucks haha

Hey Mike,

I'm a newb too, but continuing with the logic of Luke, I'd say the Gospels are primarily concerned with asking these questions about Jesus: 1) Who is He? 2) What does He require? and 3) Is He worth it? These aren't too bad to be asking yourself concerning welding either in my opinion. It's always good to have specific goals in mind and then ask yourself what it will require to meet them. Naturally, the looming question of "Is it worth it?" will begin to answer itself.

If you don't really know much about welding, take a class at a community college in the continuing education program. These are pretty cheap and will give you an idea of what the major processes are like. This will give you the opportunity to find out what you're good at. I think this is more important than just going to a store and buying supplies. When you find out what you like, then the kinds of jobs you're suited for will determine the kind of rig you need. How else will you learn how to specialize?

Being in a community college will also introduce you to your local welding community. This can be invaluable in finding deals on used machines and where to buy your consumables- especially argon and other gases. You wouldn't believe how different some of these markups are.

Welding is complicated, broad and vast. It might be better to get a little experience before buying a bunch of equipment. Just my two cents. Good luck man.

i will also +1 that and getting to know the local welding supply, steel yards ect.. also if you have a chamber of comerace in your aria you could go talk to them ask questions.. if they dont know they might be able to get you in the right direction..

also if you got a faverite small mom and pop type store you go to ask them about who they had to go threw to get started.. be like hey i am thinking about getting a welding buiness going and i was curious what kinda stuff they made you do for your "gun shop" grocery store ect ect.. probaly dont ask another welding shop though haha..

[TDLanders]

HARBOR FRIGHT, there I said it. I learned on a 90amp HF arc box. From there I moved to the Flux wire unit. It works well for building BBQs, trailers, gates, handrails, window bars and fabbing up other smaller item under 1/4 thick. I use their cheap 4.5" grinder and some good lincoln wire. For about $200 I was welding "commercially" and making a profit. This is not for structural building supports and the kind of stuff but works. For structural, I used the $200 HF Inverter ARC welder, inspected and passed by DC Housing Authority. After about 5 years of reliable service I will be picking up a new more powerful fabricator 221i or the power i-mig 200 to replace the HFs both are $800 units. I picked up a Hobart 12ic (no air pump needed!!!!). So as it sits to this day about $1000 for everything including safety gear, generator, and cutting tools.

[ryanjames170]

HARBOR FRIGHT, there I said it. I learned on a 90amp HF arc box. From there I moved to the Flux wire unit. It works well for building BBQs, trailers, gates, handrails, window bars and fabbing up other smaller item under 1/4 thick. I use their cheap 4.5" grinder and some good lincoln wire. For about $200 I was welding "commercially" and making a profit. This is not for structural building supports and the kind of stuff but works. For structural, I used the $200 HF Inverter ARC welder, inspected and passed by DC Housing Authority. After abut 5 years of reliable service I will be picking up a new more powerful fabricator 221i or the power i-mig 200 to replace the HFs both are $800 units. I picked up a Hobart 12ic (no air pump needed!!!!). So as it sits to this day about $1000 for everything including safety gear, generator, and cutting tools.

yeah Harbor Freight is a good way to get going as far as tools espcialy grinders, clamps, and what not.. heck evan a generator..