Which Trail Welder Option Makes the Most Sense
10-06-2010, 11:06 PM
#1
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Which Trail Welder Option Makes the Most Sense
I need your attention on this one. I am wanting to acquire a welder for some projects related to my Jeep and a trailer build down the road. Here are the objectives I am trying to accomplish, Can you help me find a reasonable solution?
Objective 1: Function = Will Weld Anything I may need to weld on the trail, my trailer build, or accessories like EVO rock guards, etc.
Objective 2: Portability = Something i can take on the trail and use to fix something in a pinch. This is important because powering the portable welder needs to be considered in the cost.
Objective 3: Cost = As cheap as possible and "total" price should include the welder and anything needed to power it on the trail, assuming something additional is needed.
Objective 4: Space = i'm rolling in a jeep not a suburban, space is at a premium. The smaller the better.
Options I am Considering
1. ReadyWelder Kit $600, Dual Battery Setup Under the Hood $300 = Almost a grand
OUCH!
2. Portable Welder $300 Compact Camping Generator $300 = $600 but i may need to get rid of my rear seat to store it all.
3. ????? What do you guys think?? What are others using???
Any assistance is appreciated.
Objective 1: Function = Will Weld Anything I may need to weld on the trail, my trailer build, or accessories like EVO rock guards, etc.
Objective 2: Portability = Something i can take on the trail and use to fix something in a pinch. This is important because powering the portable welder needs to be considered in the cost.
Objective 3: Cost = As cheap as possible and "total" price should include the welder and anything needed to power it on the trail, assuming something additional is needed.
Objective 4: Space = i'm rolling in a jeep not a suburban, space is at a premium. The smaller the better.
Options I am Considering
1. ReadyWelder Kit $600, Dual Battery Setup Under the Hood $300 = Almost a grand
OUCH!2. Portable Welder $300 Compact Camping Generator $300 = $600 but i may need to get rid of my rear seat to store it all.
3. ????? What do you guys think?? What are others using???
Any assistance is appreciated.
10-07-2010, 08:39 AM
#2
I would personaly go with the Hobart Portable welder, but that is about $1600, so it may be out of your price range.
The ready welder is a good option, but in you case it sounds like a premier power welder under the hood might be good too.
The ready welder is a good option, but in you case it sounds like a premier power welder under the hood might be good too.
10-07-2010, 09:14 AM
#4
JK Enthusiast
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Long Beach, CA
Posts: 337
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
not happy with power premier welder, on my 3rd alternator and actually told the shop to remove it the other day. In moab we used a battery powered hobart worked great and you do not mess with your Jeep electrical
10-07-2010, 09:24 AM
#5
10-07-2010, 09:25 AM
#6
JK Freak
Thread Starter
Are you referring to the Hobart Trek 180? How does that work for an everyday welder? It looks like it can help in a pinch but it only goes to 1/4". How thick is a common D44 axle housing if it broke?
Huck271 on my new EVO
2010 Rubicon Unlimited
Huck271 on my new EVO
2010 Rubicon Unlimited
Trending Topics
10-07-2010, 10:35 AM
#8
1/4" while on battery, it is fully capable of doing more while plugged in and with appropriate gas (though it doesnt say in the advertisment).
10-07-2010, 10:46 AM
#9
JK Enthusiast
Join Date: Sep 2010
Location: Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States
Posts: 254
Likes: 0
Received 1 Like
on
1 Post
Something to think about also when looking at stuff like this. The hobart for example recharges off of 110V household. So if recharging becomes an issue, you can always get a power inverter. I have a 3k watt inverter and it powers everything I need it too. I can't imagine that it wouldn't be able to charge the welder if needed as well. 
10-07-2010, 03:09 PM
#10
JK Enthusiast
I need your attention on this one. I am wanting to acquire a welder for some projects related to my Jeep and a trailer build down the road. Here are the objectives I am trying to accomplish, Can you help me find a reasonable solution?
Objective 1: Function = Will Weld Anything I may need to weld on the trail, my trailer build, or accessories like EVO rock guards, etc.
Objective 2: Portability = Something i can take on the trail and use to fix something in a pinch. This is important because powering the portable welder needs to be considered in the cost.
Objective 3: Cost = As cheap as possible and "total" price should include the welder and anything needed to power it on the trail, assuming something additional is needed.
Objective 4: Space = i'm rolling in a jeep not a suburban, space is at a premium. The smaller the better.
Options I am Considering
1. ReadyWelder Kit $600, Dual Battery Setup Under the Hood $300 = Almost a grand OUCH!
2. Portable Welder $300 Compact Camping Generator $300 = $600 but i may need to get rid of my rear seat to store it all.
3. ????? What do you guys think?? What are others using???
Any assistance is appreciated.
Objective 1: Function = Will Weld Anything I may need to weld on the trail, my trailer build, or accessories like EVO rock guards, etc.
Objective 2: Portability = Something i can take on the trail and use to fix something in a pinch. This is important because powering the portable welder needs to be considered in the cost.
Objective 3: Cost = As cheap as possible and "total" price should include the welder and anything needed to power it on the trail, assuming something additional is needed.
Objective 4: Space = i'm rolling in a jeep not a suburban, space is at a premium. The smaller the better.
Options I am Considering
1. ReadyWelder Kit $600, Dual Battery Setup Under the Hood $300 = Almost a grand
OUCH!2. Portable Welder $300 Compact Camping Generator $300 = $600 but i may need to get rid of my rear seat to store it all.
3. ????? What do you guys think?? What are others using???
Any assistance is appreciated.
I'm a big believer in option 1, long before I came out with the JK Dual Battery System.
Here are some things to consider about each option:
1. Dual Batteries + Readywelder
Awesome trail welder and also useful at home. The dual batteries will also benefit you in many more ways than just running a welder. This is the most compact setup as well. The batteries stay under the hood and don't take up any additional room. The Readywelder comes in a plastic case that is REALLY compact. It also will cost less than options 2 or 3.
2. 110V Welder & Generator Combo
This is the least preferred setup IMO. It takes up a ton of room in the Jeep and requires you to also carry extra gas. Not to mention 110V welders aren't that great to begin with. Also I think you're price estimate is pretty low. A good 110V welder is $500-$600+. The cheaper HF units will come back to haunt you. Also, you'll need a minimum of 2500-3000 watts in a generator to capably run a welder. That's another $500-$600.
3. Hobart Portable Welder
This is basically a dual battery kit + Readywelder all packed into one big heavy case. It's self contained which is nice, and it works well, but it takes up more room than option 1, costs more than option 1, and doesn't have additional dual battery benefits like option 1.
4. One more option is dual batteries and a basic arc welding trail kit. You can attach arc welding leads to the dual batteries and arc weld quite effectively. Arc welding takes more practice and isn't as user-friendly, but will certain work in a pinch. And it's really inexpensive to setup. Pick from Stage 1, 2 or 3 and then add around $100 in arc welding stuff and you're good to go.
Summer 09 I used the dual batteries and Readywelder to fix the buckled frame on this flatfender we found stranded on the Rubicon.
Last edited by Benchmark Designs Inc.; 10-07-2010 at 03:12 PM.