i have some money to spend (~200) and ive been saying my next big investment will be a welder or an air compressor

now which one should i get???

i can get a new 90amp flux/ gas welder for around 200 (should be good for up to 1/4" on 2-3 passes)

OR an air compressor capable of 5cfm for around 180 and tell my parents and gf to get me air tools for the holidays

which one would better suite me for the time being???

EDIT: SEE POST 19

 

where are you going to send the money? to me?

Seriously, though. Get the welder. Air tools are meh.

 

Air or weld, mmm thats easy i'd save more n get a locker

 

don't get a 90amp, wait and pony up for a 140amp. It'll do everything you need to do in regards to the truck

 

Welder would get my vote. You can wrench without air tools. (they are nice but not required) You can not however fuse steel without a welder.

 

depends on what you seem to need the most, if you need to sand, grind, need stuff blown away, etc get a compressor but if you always seem to find a few pieces of metal that need to be one go for the welder. it really depends on what your doing

 

On board or at home? Home = welder, on board = air comp

 

"i'd save more n get a locker"

i go to college where we get 12ft of snow a season so i think im ganna wait till after i graduate for the locker

"You can not however fuse steel without a welder."

good point, my only issue that im thinking of, is that ive grown so accustom to problem solving without a welder, that having one wont help me on a daily basis, just save a couple bucks on exhaust clamps lol, (dont get me wrong, i realllllly want one, just not sure if i NEED one yet)

PS- thanks for the quick replys!!!

 

so far, i only have a compressor and i love it. personally i haven't had MUCH use for a welder yet. i've only needed it once, and i just brought the part to work. so my vote would be the compressor, i use it all the time.

 

You fixed the typo. I'm not funny anymore. :-(

Think of all the mods you can do once you have a welder. New bumpers. Roll cages. Grill guards. Fixing small, broken parts (like clutch pedal bracket.) Try melting steel with a compressor, lol.\

 

hha yep, glad you said it soon, i had copy/ pasted the same thread into other forums as well...
the truck has all of those exp the roll cage, however, my camaro could use a nice 5pt cage

lol, like said about, ive only NEEDED a welder once, could have used a welder twice, and all the times i had the work done for free/ used a friends welder...

 

you can always use elbow grease to work a wrench. Shooting a steel line out of your finger at a million degrees + with the purpose of melting two pieces of steel together well, thats a different story
Get the welder!

 

you can fuse steel without a welder. Get a torch with a welding tip. haha

 

a good welder will cost more than 200 bucks.... save the money and get a good welder later, or go with the aircompressor..

 

I have both and use the compressor infinitely more than the welder. Having a welder is awesome, and I definitely use them both a lot, but I reach for the air tools way more often.

I paid $200 for my used 60 gallon, so keep an eye on craigslist.

 

What the heck are you going to need a welder for on trails you can do without a locker???

Go locker first. Hear me out. I primarily use my truck for fishing and camping trips in any weather, at any time of year up here in Canada. It MUST handle safely in all conditions. Rear locker is fine in snow as long as you don't have fat mud tires. I'd rather someone inexperienced (ie: my mother) drove my truck locked in 4wd in the snow than open in 4wd in the snow. Its just as hard to get the back end to come around with the rear open in 4wd as it is locked 4wd. Basically, what I'm saying is with all terrains rear locked, your truck is about as stable and predictable as its ever going to be driving on slick surfaces. Rear locked in 2wd is a little tail happy, but when you think you might be on slick surfaces, dump the t-case into 4wd. That simple. Suffice it to say that one would have to be a really lousy driver to let my truck get out of control in the snow when in 4wd.

If you're adamant you don't want a locker, get the air. I've never needed a welder on the trail, but I've certainly needed air. Click on York OBA in my sig line. Click on Aussie Locker too while you're at it.

Edit: I see you meant for your garage, not necessarily for your truck. I'd still suggest the same though, OBA is hugely useful.

 

I don't think your going to get anything for $200 new that is going to do you much good or last to make it worth spending the money on, now used you may come across a nice piece but if I were you I would wait and build a few more bucks before I thought about buying anything like either one of these.

Save the cash and get a good piece it will be worth it in the end or if you can find a good used piece that is proven to be sturdy and in good condition then go that route.

 

save up to get a good welder. welds look alot nicer with shielding gas and ur not getting that setup for less than $400 new, Probably closer to 5 or 600... if it comes down to it u could go and buy three 12v batteries, run them in series, and use some arc sticks for a temporary welder, would work just as good as that $200 welder ur looking at. It' how we do trail repairs around here on the Heeps when the lower control arms break off the axles.

 

so im starting to think that i dont really need an air compressor, anything that i would need it for, i can get cheaper/ same price with electric tools

but this is what im looking at- opinions please

http://cgi.ebay.com/110V-Mig-CO2-Gas...item2c51703afb

http://syracuse.craigslist.org/tls/1441897995.html

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll...=STRK:MEWAX:IT

http://cgi.ebay.com/HD-MIG-MAG-FLUX-...item2c51703ae4

 

I agree. Don't go cheap on a welder. You get what you pay for applies in this case, and you're likely to own your welder a long time. Buy a Lincoln, Miller or Hobart. New gas-ready 110v welders cost around $500, plus more for the gas.