i am considering buying a basic mig welder for small diy car jobs once in a blue moon..mainly thin gauge/small jobs nothing big and no frequent use
budget £100-200, would be happier with nearer £100
i see you can get gasless machines, to me they sound worth considering as chances are i would be working outdoors in the breeze and theres no chance of running out of gas when the shops are shut. are they worth considering ? if not why
would i be better getting one that does gas and gasless so i have the best of both worlds?
im keen to get a machine with a non live torch ..is that best?
i see specs such as duty cycles and such...what features and specs should i seek ?
anyone have any experiance with the diy brands ...any company better than others for spare parts or repairs etc
****PLEASE DONT TELL ME TO BUY A ££££££ SNAP ON WELDER AS I CANT AFFORD MORE THAN THE STATED BUDGET, id just like to get a decent budget model
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www.honestjohn.co.uk/forum/post/index.htm?t=55226&...f
Some information in this thread.
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you really need to spend £180 on a machine,go to the sealey site for an idea something like a 130 is ideal for most things
you really need gas
a regulator will probaably cost another £40 to connect to a proper bottle of argon
dont buy s/h mig as they are usually worn out wrecks,unless company just gone bust at a garage etc auction type sale
a snap on is nowt special once its pinny is off ;-)
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you say i really need a gas one?
thing is i cant get the cars indoors and my shed is wooden , so chances are all my welding would be outdoors isnt it worth getting the gasless one for that reason (i know gas is better in ideal conditions)
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Ive never used one so cant give a definative answer im afraid
i have seen lots of "welding" in my life though and know a weld from bird poo
i recommend you find a welding supply shop with knowledgeable staff (they do exist) and ask there,no point in asking in one of the large machine type outlets as these places are usually staffed by people with no knowledge of the products they sell and are best left alone until you are armed with what you know you need
sorry,
do bear in mind that the more you pay on a welder the better they are,there are some right micky mouse ones out there,in fact a proper welder does the job for you,i wish i still had my old one :-( it got wet
Edited by Dynamic Dave on 09/11/2007 at 12:40
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i think the gas is to give a better weld
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yeah i understand gas gives a better weld in ideal conditions, but what im getting at is will it still give a better weld when its used outdoors in the wind?
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do it on a calm day, rig up an airsock and when it drops weld!!!!
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I haven't done much MIG welding but I have found that the shroud over the nozzle does tend to keep the gas in thr right place - shrouding the actual point of welding. It is possible to turn the gas up a bit to compensate for a bit of a breeze but I've never tried it in a gale! I did try the gasless wire but found it more difficult to get a good clean weld.
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steveo, I know your situation all too well! I am about to buy my first mig and have researched HJ and Practical Classics forum for advice.
So far I have amassed the following info:
Practise first on scrap metal...(Thats common sense really!)
I believe that co2/argon is a good gas mix for 'normal' use....
Go for a welder that takes gas (I am buying a Clarke 150 TE from Machine Mart, fan cooled internals)
I have just bought a DVD on how to weld sills onto an MGB (I have two MGB's!) which I will post a comment on here about once I have seen it but I think it will be really helpful.
Avoid Pub Gas (co2) as this gives inferior results.
My theory is that if you research your kit your learning process will be much easier as you will only be battling against your lack of experience rather than lack of experience AND an incorrect set-up.
As I said, I'm still learning so if anything I have said is wrong please let me know.
I am a firm believer in the saying that 'you are never too old to learn' : o )
Good luck and keep us posted how you get on!
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some good videos here
www.expertvillage.com/videos/mig-welding-cleaning....m
but a search of google brings loads of good advice up
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Also try your local colleges, many offer evening courses in welding for 10 weeks - one evening a week. This would let you try before you buy and you can ask the tutor who is probably a commercial welder anyway.
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Hi,first of all buy a c02 fire extinguisher,believe me you will need it :) Many a carpet has caught fire in the car when welding underneath.... Go for the gas type,with .6 wire,buy the biggest one you can afford as you will find plenty of use for it,and get a head shield not a hand shield as this leaves both hands free for keeping things steady,and if needs be you can shield the area if a breeze gets up,and never get a live torch,they are a disaster,use argo shield light gas as this contains more c02 which cools the welding area resulting in less chance of blowing a hole,and the area has to be spotless and paint grease free for a good weld,regards James.
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