Garage Gazette

TOOLS AND THE SHOP => WELDING & METAL FABRICATION => Topic started by: m_fumich on August 02, 2020, 07:41:20 PM

Title: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: m_fumich on August 02, 2020, 07:41:20 PM
I have a Hobart 125. The HF welding cart looks a bit flimsy but my regular buying sources don’t offer much. What do you recommend?


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Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: Lookin4_67GalaxieConv on August 02, 2020, 07:49:04 PM
Buy used, make your own cart or find a cart you can modify.  There's tons of different carts out there, many of which you can use for a welding setup.  You can even take a roller tool box and convert it to a welding cart.
Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: m_fumich on August 02, 2020, 07:50:53 PM
Buy used, make your own cart or find a cart you can modify.  There's tons of different carts out there, many of which you can use for a welding setup.  You can even take a roller tool box and convert it to a welding cart.
I have no idea what’s needed in a cart other than hiking the welder.


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Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: pep on August 02, 2020, 09:39:15 PM
Try this thought, look at this;

https://www.amazon.com/Shop-Tuff-STF-1711MWC-Welding-Black/dp/B00YAFWX56/ref=sr_1_35?dchild=1&keywords=welding+cart&qid=1596419875&sr=8-35

I chose the cart for these reasons welder sits high, user friendly. Shelves are open easy access from 3 sides to welding tools.

Drawers are nothing but a hassle. Always open and closing em, will get very irritating faster than you can imagine.  Things will always need to be arranged to close the drawer.

Remember the welder itself is bit of an anchor. Have excessive amounts of storage below, you will need your riding lawn morrow to move the damn thing

Put it together and use red locktite. First mod casters and large 10" wheels. Makes the cart very mobile. Will not have trouble rolling over bit & pieces on the shop floor .

You don't want the cables wound tight, pictured a tall poll with a hanger. Keeps the loops open, large, no kinking.

Used kind of iffy on that, they are all  junk to begin with. Buying junk, you will have a good chance of getting something bent to shit.

Most folks sell the cart with the welder anyway ....... that old such a deal thing

Just mentioning some things to consider.

Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: DeadNutz on August 02, 2020, 09:50:03 PM
I have a HF cheap welder cart that came with the MIG welder my sister gave me. It is flimsy and the swivel casters are crap as they don't swivel very good. I have my Hobart stick welder on a Rubbermaid cart that works very well and I bought 3 of the carts for $10 apiece from a surplus place. I keep my rod tubes and helmet bag on the bottom shelf. My Lincoln tombstone stick welder has an angle iron frame attached to it with casters on the bottom. I have no shortage of carts as I bought many well built carts at auctions and bought 23 welded angle iron frame carts on decent casters at one auction for $12.50 each and sold most of them for $25 each to customers and friends. Decent carts are out there and takes searching plus a little luck to find them.
Title: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: m_fumich on August 02, 2020, 09:58:27 PM
Decent carts are out there and takes searching plus a little luck to find them.

I just don’t know what to look for in a cart. No drawers like pep said is good to know. I definitely won’t be getting the HF cart. I’m liking the one from Amazon with the mods pep suggested.


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Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: DeadNutz on August 02, 2020, 10:20:43 PM
Here is the Rubbermaid cart and I like the extended handle. These came out of an Amazon fulfilment center and they had these handles made for them and they are easier to move around.
Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: Lookin4_67GalaxieConv on August 02, 2020, 10:37:36 PM
Here is the Rubbermaid cart and I like the extended handle. These came out of an Amazon fulfilment center and they had these handles made for them and they are easier to move around.

That would be perfect with one more shelf in the middle. 
Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: DeadNutz on August 02, 2020, 10:50:23 PM
I've thought about putting a shelf in the middle with a steel strip to hold the magnets. As you can see in the pic the magnet supply is stuck to the side of the steel cabinet on the left. The chipping hammers are sitting in the cart handle and the wire brush is hanging from a conduit strap there also. I keep the vise grip C clamps below the gloves. I keep my leathers and Kevlar jacket and sleeves hanging in a cabinet so they stay clean.
Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: Matt_T on August 03, 2020, 05:54:21 AM
I've thought about putting a shelf in the middle with a steel strip to hold the magnets.

You could attach some steel strips to the underside of the top shelf for the magnets. Wouldn't restrict access to the bottom shelf like adding a shelf would.
Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: pep on August 03, 2020, 04:59:11 PM
Something is missing ........ on those carts. The other half of the Mig set up?
Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: walrus on August 04, 2020, 06:16:14 AM
I have a harbor freight cart with drawers, it works fine. I rarely open drawers while welding. I keep my helmet in bottom drawer  to keep dust off, rolls of wire and extra tips in top drawer.
Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: pep on August 04, 2020, 06:26:08 AM
Dusty hoods for sure .... LOL
Title: Re: Best welding cart for the money?
Post by: TexasT on August 22, 2020, 10:45:44 AM
I have a cart I bought off ebay for about $45 or so. Not the best but it was cheap. Flimsy is the one word I would use. I already replaced the casters with some "nicer" ones but they aren't that nice either. Im sure I have too much on it and it will probably become the plasma cutter cart when I get or build a nicer one for the tig.

(https://i.postimg.cc/944g0fQ6/IMG-20200711-174234-03.jpg) (https://postimg.cc/944g0fQ6)

I'm thinking I'd like to build one like this for the little wire feed I have. and maybe another for the plasma cutter. Who knows.