MIG Welder - I want one

[omniflow]

Not sure if this breaks forum rules, but if you google mig welding forum then you should find the most obviously named forum which is full of useful information. There is also a shop that is linked to the forum.

If you're going to be mostly welding car bodywork, then the portamig works very well at low amps. Mind you, at a similar price point there are also some very nice looking inverter machines available - not used one of these, so can't really comment, but they do look like an interesting prospect.

Also - consider evening classes at a local technical college - now probably isn't a good time, but one term of 8 - 10 sessions should get you well acquainted with the basics - although they do focus on welding thicker metal.

[alabbasi]

What are you planning on welding? If if's anything car related (unibody) then a 135amp welder is probably all you need. Try to avoid the cheaper unknown brand welders if you're planning to do a lot of welding or you're planning on keeping the welder a long time. They'll do the job but as these welders are usually sourced from a Chinese factory, parts support will be a problem over the years. If you can afford it, stick to the well known brands (Miller, Hobart and Lincoln here in the USA) and you'll have a welder that you'll be able to run for life.

Don't buy the gasless option, the shielding chemicals can contaminate the metal and react with painted surfaces and try to get one with a 10ft welding gun and a 10ft ground wire.

I have not lived in England for 20 years and I'm not sure if Clarke is as good as it was back then. I bought a Clarke welder a while back and it was a Chinese rebrand. It did okay but the drive mechanism broke pretty quickly. Mine was the MIG 190EN. I believe that the 135TE was made in Italy so pay attention to this.

If you're planning on welding thicker materials, consider a welder that uses inverter technology. I've yet to try one but the idea of being able to carry it around is nice if you're planning to do outdoor work like fence piping.

[dhutch]

omniflow said:

Not sure if this breaks forum rules, but if you google mig welding forum then you should find the most obviously named forum which is full of useful information. There is also a shop that is linked to the forum.

This is where I got my welder from, also used for autoshield masks etc

omniflow said:

Also - consider evening classes at a local technical college - now probably isn't a good time, but ....

Also fully agree with that.

[finishing touch]

smiffy555 said:

I want to weld up and fabricate some barn door frames etc. Also have some farm equipment that needs repairing. Have done quite a bit of welding in my farming days but have never purchased one with my own money. A pointer in the right direction would be appreciated.

This is post 3 by the OP on page 1



"Depends what you want one for. Welding farm stuff and thick metal outside, or car body stuff inside?"

This is the first line in the very next post.



Doesn't anyone read a thread before they answer ?

[Landie90]

finishing touch said:

This is post 3 by the OP on page 1



"Depends what you want one for. Welding farm stuff and thick metal outside, or car body stuff inside?"

This is the first line in the very next post.



Doesn't anyone read a thread before they answer ?

I was writing my reply to the first post by the OP at the same time he wrote the third post on the thread (hence the edit) . I do tend to read stuff before replying, smart arse.

Edited by Landie90 on Tuesday 17th November 09:31

[alabbasi]

finishing touch said:

This is post 3 by the OP on page 1

In that case, go for a 200amp welder. Probably best to find an inverter welder as a 200amp transformer welder will be a bear to lug around. You should also consider an arc welder which is more suitable for that sort of work

[NMNeil]

I'm surprised nobody has suggested looking at a TIG welder.
Not much more money than a MIG, and you can weld most metals, not just steel.
https://www.eastwood.com/welders/tig-welders.html

[hidetheelephants]

No-one has mentioned TIG as it's not well suited to the tasks the OP has outlined, the equipment is more expensive, consumables are more expensive and it's a much harder skill to learn than either stick or MIG.

[Lotobear]

Lotobear said:

The Uptime, though Chinese, has received very good reviews and is only £165.

I'm about to order one to replace my old Sealey Supermig.

I've just bought one of these on the basis of this and other reviews:

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/uprtim...

For the money I can't think of a reason not to!

I've not set it up and used it yet but the review seems positive - I have a Hobbyweld set up so will be using gas, not the flux wire.

First impression are it seems decent quality - notably the wire feed looks nice and solid, better than my old Sealey Supermig

[Louis Balfour]

Lotobear said:

Lotobear said:

The Uptime, though Chinese, has received very good reviews and is only £165.

I'm about to order one to replace my old Sealey Supermig.

I've just bought one of these on the basis of this and other reviews:

https://www.mig-welding.co.uk/forum/threads/uprtim...

For the money I can't think of a reason not to!

I've not set it up and used it yet but the review seems positive - I have a Hobbyweld set up so will be using gas, not the flux wire.

First impression are it seems decent quality - notably the wire feed looks nice and solid, better than my old Sealey Supermig

Does it come with everything needed to start welding?

[Lotobear]

Louis Balfour said:

Does it come with everything needed to start welding?

Everything - a decent Euro torch, decent earth cable and clamp, even a chipping hammer and stick holder.

There's also a hand held eye shield which is a bit crap but Aldi currently have auto dimming helmets in for less than £30.

you can have it with a 13 amp plug or a a 16amp commando plug - I got the latter

(no wire though - Machine Mart is your friend)

[rxe]

hidetheelephants said:

No-one has mentioned TIG as it's not well suited to the tasks the OP has outlined, the equipment is more expensive, consumables are more expensive and it's a much harder skill to learn than either stick or MIG.

Indeed. TIG is a bd skill to learn - I can TIG steel box, but I cannot for the life of me TIG aluminium. And note on the metals - DC TIG, the cheap one, is essentially a glorified stick welder, and only does Steel. If you want Aluminium or Ti ... you need AC TIG which comes in at serveral thousand quid. It doesn’t have great penetration for the power, you’d need a ginormous 3 phase machine to TIG farm stuff. It’s also pretty useless on cars because the material has to be spotless. It’s a fabrication welder.

[Louis Balfour]

Lotobear said:

Everything - a decent Euro torch, decent earth cable and clamp, even a chipping hammer and stick holder.

There's also a hand held eye shield which is a bit crap but Aldi currently have auto dimming helmets in for less than £30.

you can have it with a 13 amp plug or a a 16amp commando plug - I got the latter

(no wire though - Machine Mart is your friend)

Thank you.

I haven't MIG welded in 35 years. If I just buy one of these am I good to start welding with the above welder? https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-0-9mm-flux-...

[alabbasi]

If you can pee you can weld MIG. Flux core is good for welding outside.

[NMNeil]

hidetheelephants said:

No-one has mentioned TIG as it's not well suited to the tasks the OP has outlined, the equipment is more expensive, consumables are more expensive and it's a much harder skill to learn than either stick or MIG.

"I want to weld up and fabricate some barn door frames etc. Also have some farm equipment that needs repairing."

A lot of my farm equipment is stainless or aluminum, so I tend to use TIG as much as MIG or stick.

[NMNeil]

NMNeil said:

"I want to weld up and fabricate some barn door frames etc. Also have some farm equipment that needs repairing."

A lot of my farm equipment is stainless or aluminum, so I tend to use TIG as much as MIG or stick.

Yes they are pricey, but my old Lincoln has paid for itself many times over.

[Lotobear]

Louis Balfour said:

Thank you.

I haven't MIG welded in 35 years. If I just buy one of these am I good to start welding with the above welder? https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-0-9mm-flux-...

Yes, it will accept flux cored wire

[Louis Balfour]

Lotobear said:

Louis Balfour said:

Thank you.

I haven't MIG welded in 35 years. If I just buy one of these am I good to start welding with the above welder? https://www.machinemart.co.uk/p/clarke-0-9mm-flux-...

Yes, it will accept flux cored wire

Great thank you. I've bought one!

[Lotobear]

Louis Balfour said:

Great thank you. I've bought one!

Tried mine for the first time tonight - Wow.....I can now call myself a welder!

I've struggled on with an old Sealey Supermig for 3-4 years now thinking it was me who was crap, it was obviously the welder. This one is so easy to use and so flattering.

The wire feed seems to be the difference, smooth as silk!

This machine is a complete bargain (I'm on Hobbyweld gas BTW)

[Louis Balfour]

Lotobear said:

Louis Balfour said:

Great thank you. I've bought one!

Tried mine for the first time tonight - Wow.....I can now call myself a welder!

I've struggled on with an old Sealey Supermig for 3-4 years now thinking it was me who was crap, it was obviously the welder. This one is so easy to use and so flattering.

The wire feed seems to be the difference, smooth as silk!

This machine is a complete bargain (I'm on Hobbyweld gas BTW)

Mine has arrived but I have not opened it. It occurs to me that I don't have a mask though. Wire has arrived.