I will admit to being totally uninformed about the subject of welding, so I'm looking to the Vast, Unpaid Research department here for help.The one I am looking at is here:

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_200381950_200381950

Will this weld the things I might want to fabricate or repair?

It probably won't be at it's best with sheet metal, or any fairly thin stuff.  It says it welds up to 3/8", or .375; that's fairly heavy stuff.  If you're a good enough welder, it should handle frames ok, I don't think a bike frame is quite that thick.  But I wouldn't weld a frame unless I was very experienced (I'm not! ).
If you're looking for something to weld sheet metal, a MIG will work better than an ARC, since you'll just want to do little spots at a time, to prevent warping as much.
Just my $0.02.

I've been novice welding for over 15  years now.   Save up your money and get a MIG.  there are small ones that run on 120v.  I got a lincoln with all the stuff, (wire,  tips, gloves, mask (not a helmet)  for 240.00  and have been using it for everything.  harborfrieght tools sells a nice little one for chelaper,  but i don't know how good that one will work.    I currently use the flux core wire,  because i weld outside alot,  but if you hook up the gas, co2/argon,  the welds are much cleaner,  You can make much smaller neater looking welds and with practice  you'll get real prefessional results.  theres a million tutorials on line, videos, and all the help you'll need.  You'll be able to weld  everything from thin body metal to car frames.   believe me you won't be sorry.

I have to agree with Routy, get yourself a 220-240 volt welder. I weld with both arc and mig and prefer mig. Also you should look at what a welders duty cycle rating is. The higher the rating (and price) the better. I use solid core wire and gas for all my welding. With experience, you can weld everything from sheet metal to structural steel with a good mig setup.

If I was gonna weld a frame, Id want to put an interanl collar across the weld, so its not just a butt joint weld. Id also, If I had the choice of how it got cut, prefer a slash cut as opposed to a straight across cut, to increase the length of the weld.

Maybe both are bad ideas, but Ive done a lot of gluing stuff & those ideas have worked for me in the past.

It's a POS buzz box.  It will work very well for those who put steel chicken doo doo on projects.

Phelonius

aphico wrote on 05/27/10 at 04:51:51:


+1 on the 120v Lincoln mig/ flux core welders. Lincoln makes REAL welders and these are no exception. 220v migs are ideal, but for the hobbyist it's a little overkill. Mine was about $400, and the gas kit was another $69. I mainly use flux-core because it's a lot less hassle & I can clean up the welds if I need to. Plus I can throw it in the truck and run it off my generator. With practice you can make good looking presentable welds that are strong.

Although I only weld for personal use now-a-days, there was a time when I did it for a living. You really need a welder suited for what you're gonna be welding. The 120v Lincolns are a do-it-all. You can do sheet metal all the way up to 5/16 or more, which is plenty for anything you will ever weld on a motorcycle. There are techniques involved. Bevel the edges on the bigger stuff & run multiple passes, structural tubing joints get a sleeve and plug welds, etc... Taking a class at the local tech school or at minimum reading some good books will go a long ways.

Don't waste your money on an el cheapo from Norther Tool or Mother Freight. An experienced welder is lucky to get a decent weld with these. If you want a buzz box (stick), a good Lincoln is fairly inexpensive and will last your lifetime. Keep in mind, pretty welds are a lot harder to make with a stick, especially if you're not experienced.

Someone said to avoid galvanized... Good advice! It can be done no problem, but expect a 3 day headache afterward!!

I've been welding for years using a stick and gas. If you go for a stick get a 220 volt that has a DC cycle, the DC helps pull the weld into the metal which is handy to have when welding overhead. Gas works well if you know what you are doing, it is easier to weld thick to thin metal with gas. The biggest problem with gas is the heat which will warp the metal as you weld plus the gas gets expensive for bigger jobs. The nice thing about having a gas setup is that you can do the old heat and beat for blacksmithing and custom metal work plus you can do knife smithing. I haven't had much experiance with migs or tigs but they look like the way to go for shop welding.