New toys

[adeso]

Ok, so I'm trying to get my little shop stood up this year and full up, but I need some help on what to get. Keep in mind this is a weekend thing and I'm taking the money I make working on stuff just to make a shop that I really don't need but yet want :woott:

Right now I’m in a large 2 car garage (nothing parked in there) and that is going to be the shop. I'm going to build a nice pole barn with a 2 post lift in it as the work bay this summer. I have a small lathe and mill for making parts that I need (non CNC) as well as an ok band saw. I have an old school (1981 make) miller econo TIG HF 150 amp AC/DC welder that works ok but has no way to change amps under arc.


So, here is what I need/want.


Good all-around code reader. I was thinking snap on solace since my brothers shop has one and they like it. Is there anything a tech II can do that the snap on can't? So should I save my money on not getting a tech II?


New welder. I'm thinking a nice 350 amp stick TIG, but I might get a MIG too, I'm not certed on it so it will be hit and miss when I use it (ie decide to make a 4 link, use it a lot, then let it sit for 6 months). So what do you guys think; be able to do all 3 (stick TIG MIG) or save the money and not get a MIG?

A good air compressor. I don't see me having more than one tool running at a time, or really doing a paint booth ever, so any recommendations on a good compressor that will fit that?

 

[carter_44]

I prefer the Tech II over the Snapon unit. I have played with both and the only real reasoning I can give for my preference is that I like the platform and how it operates better. Don't know if that justifies the price difference.

As for the welder...you can do a ton of stuff with just a little buzz box mig and they can be had real cheap.

 

[yellowchevy]

You could get a Lincoln 180c. It's a 220 volt welder that you can weld 3/16" in one pass using gas; up to 1/2" if using flux core wire. Miller also has their version of it. Either Lincoln or Miller will run about $1000 - $1200. I have this welder plus a miller an older miller 100(mig) and have been happy with both.
Another option would be to buy a good used welder from American Welding Supply. That's where I got both my Miller 100(mig) and Lincoln 185 pulse Tig welder. Paid $700 for the Mig welder and $1200 for the Tig welder, the Tig welder was almost new where the Mig welder is old but it was in good working order.

If the Tig welder works good I wouldn't replace it, some of those old ones work VERY well. Plus you'll use a Mig welder more than a Tig welder, I do anyway.

Good luck, the want/would like list will get out of hand on you if you're not careful

Yellowchevy

 

[blk smoke lb7]

The Genesis code readers are very nice I have a little experiance with them not as expensive as snap on or the tech 2 and very funtional.What about tools hand and air? Do you have a compressor and all the hand tools you will need? Your gonna be doing more wrenching then welding and if your going to work on all makes and models there may be some specialty tools your going to need.Untill you get your lift do you have a floor trans jack, tall jackstands,........I know this stuff is not needed in some situations but makes life a lot easier as a whole.I hate getting into a project and not having everything I need.Do you have good lighting in the garage your in now? The welder could maybe get by for a bit?

 

[High Voltage]

I use the tech 2 you can get them (fully refurbed Bosch units) for 2500 with candi module on ebay. A guy in minnesota is where i got mine, he refurbs scan tools. I just bought a couple welders and i had the same questions as you. I wanted a welder that would do it all because i have a small shop i didnt want it to take up space. The miller salesman convinced me that all in one was more expensive and didnt work as well as buying a specific welder. I ended up with a Synchrowave 250 and a millermatic 252. I love them both. I rarely use the mig. Mig is alot faster but its not as nice of a job. the parts i build for my truck i want to look a certain way. if i was doing alot of heavy steel work or frame repair or welding 80-100inches a day i would weld with mig. tig is so versatile between metals. I guess it all depends on your prioritys. :thumb:

 

[adeso]

Thanks for the info guys! I'm setting up really nice lighting in there, I think I'm going to hold off on the MIG and just save up for a nice TIG to replace this one, no amp control is kind of annoying to me. I think the next thing is a good compressor, just not sure what one yet. I was looking at some 7HP 80 gal ones, but 2K is a lot to drop on one that will only be feeding 1 tool at a time. I do have an ok selection of hand and air tools but I can add on as I need them. Good call on the nice floor jack, the one I have isn't that great. One nice thing with the shop is I can make a lot of the special tools if I have to

 

[blk smoke lb7]

Search craigs list i bought my 60 gal 2 stage air compressor for 425 and it was very well taken care of.Only thing it doesnt like is when i use my sandblaster none stop.I run it at 180 psi.When you do the pole building shop draw it out on gragh paper and draw out work benches electrical requirements welding outlet lighting plan cieling fan you get the idea.i did all this before i started on my garage.

 

[jmaz268]

Search craigs list i bought my 60 gal 2 stage air compressor for 425 and it was very well taken care of.Only thing it doesnt like is when i use my sandblaster none stop.I run it at 180 psi.When you do the pole building shop draw it out on gragh paper and draw out work benches electrical requirements welding outlet lighting plan cieling fan you get the idea.i did all this before i started on my garage.

except easy access to your attic, so you don't almost kill your houseguests lol:hug:

 

[blk smoke lb7]

You should have done a triple twist with a 2 1/2 gainer off that thing :roflmao:

 

[blk smoke lb7]

John did i set my garage up right or what?

 

[adeso]

What size bay do you guys think for a single work bay with a lift? I'm thinking 16 or 18X30. I think I'm going to attach it to my curent garage with a double door walkway, so I only have to heat one or the other depending on what I'm doing

 

[jmaz268]

John did i set my garage up right or what?

for as much shit that is in it.....there is still room for a fridge with beer in and around it to replace what is taken out....

and a table to sit at to drink em :thumb:

Could have been a couple feet taller......bet whatever, it gets the job done.

 

[blk smoke lb7]

for as much shit that is in it.....there is still room for a fridge with beer in and around it to replace what is taken out....

and a table to sit at to drink em :thumb:

Could have been a couple feet taller......bet whatever, it gets the job done.

Well i guess you covered the important stuff lol


18x30 sounds good for a single work bay with a lift but keep in mind its never big enough leave room for work benches air compressor or pipe it from the other room.Where are you machines going to go? need room for a welder oxy acetelin tanks 2000 lb trans jack,floor jacks jack stands sand blaster? so on and so on.......it never big enough Mine is 26 by 36 2 doors 8X16 8x8i have 3 ft on each end and 3 ft between the 2 doors your gonna want racking for parts if its stick built with an attic make it spread web trusses for storage up there 3/4 plywood the floor i mounted aluminum Ibeam to the peak and mounted a 1 1/2 ton electric crane ive had Allisons up there a few full sets of wheels and spare parts from about 10 engins i have left over.I ran 9 air lines in the walls 2 bench tops and the rest around the shop.The thought of putting up a shop with a lift is easy laying it out properly takes alot of thought.I wired for camaras that i can set up a computor tower in the attic and give it its own ip adress and you can check the camaras from anywhere even your phone if its set up right.Hope i described the computor thing right this is what i was told by a computor friend.

 

[blk smoke lb7]

Keep and eye out on craigs list for someone gutting a kitchen and selling all the cabinets.I bought a whole kitchen for 300 painted all the cabinets black and screwed then to the wall and built a work bench over the rest.Get a good 220 generator when the power goes out,shut off the main to the house plug the generator into the welding outlet and keep heat and lights on to your house and shop.Being in ND insulated the crap out of that building.I installed a whole house fan on the roof and its moisture and heat sensitive,when its 90 + outside with the attic crawl hole open and the fan running and the doors closed its 70 75 inside.When i wired it i did most of it in conduit pulled extra circuts and made a wiring scematic of what colors were what circuts and what outlets they went to.I mounted a commercial garage door opener on the sidewall so the garage door opener wouldnt be in the way on the lift side i have a short cieling only 10'6" i can lift a truck and remove the trans on a full size trans jack i just have the little roller seats to sit on and do the work.A slight over sight on the height of the garage but i live in a subdivision so i couldnt go higher than i am anyways but i could have coffered the cieling.

 

[blk smoke lb7]

oops ill shut up now

 

[jmaz268]

lol I'm pretty sure you said something the garage wasnt even supposed to have electricity.

 

[blk smoke lb7]

Um for tax reasons its only for cold storage and is unfininshed .........grab me another beer out of the fridge please :roflmao:

 

[jmaz268]

Um for tax reasons its only for cold storage and is unfininshed .........grab me another beer out of the fridge please :roflmao:

It was pretty chilly when I was there.....stupid heat wasnt working lol.

 

[blk smoke lb7]

It was pretty chilly when I was there.....stupid heat wasnt working lol.

what?for your headgaskets we were sweating our asses off

 

[adeso]

I am keeping all the tools and machines in the 24X24 "garage" and I am thinking that I will put the tall bay next to it, and have a large double door leading to it so I can roll my tool boxes back and forth depending on what I'm doing, so basiclally the only thing that will be over in the work bay will be what I'm using at the time. And if Im working on something in just the machine side then I can keep it closed off. Not much of crag's list up here